Achieving 3 State Ranks, a 99.90 ATAR and Blitzing 4 units of English

When I started the HSC, I felt overwhelmed by the often confusing and conflicting advice that circulated in my Year 12 study space.

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I knew I wanted to do well, but how to get there seemed like a mystery.

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Despite my hesitation, I bravely followed my passion and took on 4 units of English against the stern warnings from my friends and family against doing four extension subjects and two major works.

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My name is Ana-Sofia Petrovic and I am a tutor here at Opus English. I finished the HSC as Dux of my school, with a 99.90 ATAR and three state rankings. 

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I’m passionate about helping clarify the often daunting and disorienting path towards success for students in the HSC, and creating the resources I wish I had as an HSC English student.  

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I have compiled for you my top six study tips  which were instrumental to my HSC success. 
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1. Know your goals

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Doing well in HSC English means something different to each student. Having a clear understanding of your goals will help you stay motivated and monitor your performance throughout the year. 

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Your goals may be focused on achieving success in the HSC. Do you want to get a Band 6 in English? Or a state ranking? Perhaps you would like to be an HSC All-Rounder? Is there a particular ATAR you are aiming for, that you want your English mark to support?

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Many students’ HSC goals are centred on entering into university. Is there a particular course that you want to get into? Or a scholarship you want to be eligible to apply for? How might your English marks support this goal?

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To help you stay on track with these larger HSC ambitions, set yourself smaller goals that will put you on the path to success. 

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My HSC goal was to achieve an ATAR of 99.90 which made me eligible for a scholarship at my university of choice. I even stuck a little note on my wall above my desk that read “99.90”. 

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To support my progression towards this goal, I went into each internal exam with specific targets in mind regarding both my mark and rank. This allowed me to monitor my progress consistently throughout the year, rather than simply fixating on the abstract goal of a 99.90 ATAR without a clear strategy for achieving it.

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Set clear, achievable goals for each subject and overall performance. This will give you direction and purpose:
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• Specific Goals: Set specific targets for English and for each exam (e.g., aiming for a Band 6).
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• Short-term and Long-term Goals: Have a mix of both to keep yourself motivated.
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• Track Progress: Regularly check your progress against your goals and adjust your study plan accordingly.

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2. Love your texts

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Sometimes your teacher might choose a text that doesn’t align with your usual taste. However, passion can be your best guide. Look for a theme or element that captivates you. Maybe Arthur Miller’s style isn’t your favourite, but the drama genre excites you. Or, you might not be drawn to the plot of 'The Merchant of Venice’ but find Portia’s feminist character fascinating. Don’t dismiss your assigned texts too quickly. Instead, discover a unique theme that piques your interest and explore it deeply.

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Pursuing your interests helps keep you motivated and engaged in study. Furthermore, I find that students who explore an interest they have in the text will almost always discover a highly unique and sophisticated argument that makes them stand out from the hundreds of other essays markers might see. 

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Here’s some ideas to help you explore your texts and discover what you love about them:
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• Talk to your teacher: Your teacher knows your texts very well, have a discussion with them about your particular interests, and they may help point you in the direction of a specific theme in the text you might love.
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• Create Connections: Relate the themes of the text to contemporary issues or personal interests.  For example, connect the themes in T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" with modern feelings of anxiety, social isolation, and the search for identity to make the content more relevant and engaging.
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• Annotate with Passion: While reading, highlight and annotate sections that resonate with you. Write personal reflections or questions in the margins to foster a deeper connection with the text.

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3. Talk about your texts outside of the classroom

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Engage in discussions about your texts with parents, friends, and family. You might be surprised by the unique and interesting perspectives they can offer. Most importantly, these conversations help you elaborate on and better understand your own responses to the text. Sharing your thoughts and hearing others’ insights can deepen your appreciation and analysis of the material, making your study more enjoyable and enriching.
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• Initiate Conversations: Bring up your texts during family dinner or chats with friends. Even if they don’t know the text, talk to them about the text and see what insight they might have to offer.
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• Form Study Groups: Create a study group with friends in your class, where you can together discuss and debate different interpretations of the text.
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• Talk to your teacher after class: Make time beyond normal lessons to discuss with your teacher your ideas and interpretation of the text.

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4. Find versatile quotes

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Memorising quotes can often be one of the most daunting aspects of English; at least it was for me. Balancing English Extension with French and Italian Extension, I faced the challenge of remembering quotes from over twelve texts. The sheer volume for me was overwhelming, and the question arose: how many quotes do I really need to remember?

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My advice is to focus on quality over quantity. Seek out quotes that are versatile. Find quotes that can illustrate multiple themes or techniques within the text. This not only reduces the number of quotes you need to memorise but also enhances your ability to draw deeper connections and insights during your exams.

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Choose quotes that resonate with you and can be applied in various contexts. For instance, a single quote might highlight a character’s development, a central theme, and the author’s unique style all at once. This approach not only simplifies your study process but also enriches your understanding of the texts.

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For example, in The Merchant of Venice, Portia’s quote:

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“The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath”‍

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exemplifies themes of mercy and justice, Portia’s character development, iambic pentameter, and engages philosophical and ethical considerations on mercy as an innate virtue.  

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By focusing on versatile quotes, you’ll find that your study sessions become more efficient, allowing you to approach your exams with confidence.
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• Select Multi-Theme Quotes: Choose quotes that may reflect multiple themes of your text. 
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• Create a Quote Bank: Form a quote bank where you can categorise quotes by their themes and techniques. 
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• Practice Essay Application: Regularly practise applying your quotes to differing exam questions, to test the versatility of your quotes. 

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5. Past papers

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As much as we all dread them, there is no way around it. Past papers are by far the best study tool to support your success in the HSC. 

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The HSC exam format is very particular. It is one that many of you will not see again after your final exam. As such, the unfortunate reality is that it is not enough to know your texts really well. You need to be an expert in the particular format and demands of HSC exams. 

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Past papers can certainly be daunting. Often, students are deterred by the stress of closed-book and timed exam practice. One way to build confidence early on, is to use past papers to practise writing an introduction and essay plan. This takes the pressure off, and is a valuable exercise that can be done in less than ten minutes. Crucially, this exercise tackles one of the most difficult elements of the HSC exam; thinking quickly. 

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Actual past HSC papers are available online, and your teacher may be able to provide you with additional HSC practice questions in the form of past trial papers or internal exams. Once you become more familiar with past exams, you may want to create your own practice questions. 

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Here’s how to make the most of past papers and practice questions:
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• Timed Practice: Practice under exam conditions to build your time management skills.
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• Identify Patterns: Look for patterns in questions to predict potential future questions.
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• Review Marking Guidelines: Understand what markers are looking for by reviewing past marking guidelines.

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6. Get feedback

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Don’t hesitate to seek feedback from your teachers, tutors, and peers. Constructive criticism is invaluable for improvement. 

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Many students develop certain HSC habits, such as overusing a particular word or falling back on an ingrained approach to questions. Seeking feedback can help clarify whether these habits are working for or against you. A fresh pair of eyes can help you recognise strengths and areas of improvement that might not be apparent to you. 

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There are several avenues from which you can receive quality feedback during your HSC year. Start with approaching your school teacher. Try to get to know their preferences and marking style, as your teachers are the arbiters of the internal 50% of your HSC mark. You may find that your teacher in reality may not have enough time, energy or patience to go through all the writing you produce in a detailed manner. In this case, seeking help from a tutor (we are more than happy to assist in one of our programs!) can give you the momentum you need. Our tool Dodie.ai is another avenue for receiving quality feedback with an exceptionally quick turnaround time. 
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• Act on Feedback: Implement the suggestions you receive to improve your answers.
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• Peer Review: Exchange papers with classmates to gain different perspectives.
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• Regular Check-ins: Schedule regular check-ins with teachers or tutors to discuss your progress.

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Good luck to all HSC students; it is one of the most challenging times of our academic careers. Know that you are not alone and that there are a magnitude of resources and support available to you. Support your friends, and speak about your nerves and excitement approaching the exams which mark the completion of your schooling years. Enjoy the challenge and all you have to learn from your successes and struggles. 

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No matter your goal, you’ve got this, I promise!