Advice From 2022 HSC Achievers: Angelina Morrison

Ms Jenny Pollock | Deputy Curriculum | Grammar News | 28 April 2023

 

In Term 1 we invited 3 students who undertook last year’s HSC exams, to offer advice to future HSC students. Below is the advice offered by another one of the students.

 

Angelina Morrison achieved a State ranking of 20th in English Advanced with a mark of 98. Additionally, her Visual Arts Body of Work entitled “Inextricable” was selected for the ART EXPRESS exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW. Angelina also topped the School in Visual Arts with a final HSC mark of 97. Angelina is now undertaking a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English Literature at the University of Sydney.

 

I asked Angelina how she went about planning and time management to ensure she completed her VISUAL ARTS Major Work in time, and refined it to such a high standard, while still achieving well across all her theory subjects.

 

She responded that she:

  • Used the Summer holidays to solidify her concept and start the practical
  • Chose a topic she was interested in (you will be staring at this artwork for a year!)
  • Used good reference images
  • Consistently set herself deadlines (even if they weren’t specified by an assessment task due date)
  • Set specific goals for each practical lesson
  • Used art as a break between theory subjects

 

I then asked Angelina what advice she would give to our current Year 11 and 12 students to enable them to prepare well for the two HSC English Exam papers. Her advice was:

  • Start early! Ensure you are confident with each module while you are currently studying them so your ‘learning gaps’ don’t build up when the trials / HSC approach
  • Use Year 11 as your trial run (experiment with study techniques to find what works best for you)
  • Submit drafts ASAP (get in there quickly to avoid the 2-week wait)
  • Get consistent feedback from teachers (be considerate of their time restraints and show your appreciation for their help - this will incline them to help you again if you are struggling/need extra help)
  • Do timed practice papers (English papers are a physical and mental workout so you cannot expect to do well unless you practice under exam conditions)
  • If you think you are capable, I definitely recommend the Extension 1 course. The more you read and write, the more you will flourish in this course.
  • Go beyond class materials (do independent research eg. Journal articles)

 

Thank you to Angelina for sharing her advice with our students!