2026 HSC CHAT (13 Viewers)

[its_ace21]

do we still need to rote learn in uni?

Yes

 

[tigerian]

I hate memorising so much. It's such a useless thing and I wish we didn't have to do it. I can't wait till after uni when I'll never have to rote learn content ever again

why are you remembering essays when the hsc English and other subjects is designed so students don’t memorise essays buT analyse

 

[tigerian]

I hate memorising so much. It's such a useless thing and I wish we didn't have to do it. I can't wait till after uni when I'll never have to rote learn content ever again

As an HSC marker please remember

Students writing from memory very rarely adequately address the question.. A pre-written essay remembered hardly , if ever, directly addresses a question for an exam. Instead focus on memorising quotations, techniques, and their effects!
The new syllabus is designed to prevent , as much as possible , students from memorising responses as it wants students to understand what they have been taught and apply their knowledge on the spot through analysis rather than show rote learning.
Remember- essays which answer the question WILL always score higher than beautifully crafted essays which have been memorised

 

[Burnt_Out]

why are you remembering essays when the hsc English and other subjects is designed so students don’t memorise essays buT analyse

As someone who has 'memorised' an essay and got well in english (due to adapting it to the question), it is because memorising essays gives the illusion of 'working hard' for a lot of people making themselves feel more confident especially when they memorise an essay that they believe is 'perfect'. It is the same situation for people who reread their notes before an exam rather than doing past papers. The illusion of working hard always gets people.

 

[tigerian]

As someone who has 'memorised' an essay and got well in english (due to adapting it to the question), it is because memorising essays gives the illusion of 'working hard' for a lot of people making themselves feel more confident especially when they memorise an essay that they believe is 'perfect'. It is the same situation for people who reread their notes before an exam rather than doing past papers. The illusion of working hard always gets people.

I hope you continue to do well despite the risk. I’m just concerned because I’ve seen so many students caught out . Wrote a wonderful well structured essay but didn’t really address the question . As a generic essay it probably was 20/20 but addressing a direct question 14/20 because the question wasn’t addressed

 

[Burnt_Out]

I hope you continue to do well despite the risk. I’m just concerned because I’ve seen so many students caught out . Wrote a wonderful well structured essay but didn’t really address the question . As a generic essay it probably was 20/20 but addressing a direct question 14/20 because the question wasn’t addressed

yeah... the main thing for me is to practice adapting my essay to multiple variety of questions.

 

[tigerian]

yeah... the main thing for me is to practice adapting my essay to multiple variety of questions.

im happy to mark them if that would help

 

[jane1820]

I hope you continue to do well despite the risk. I’m just concerned because I’ve seen so many students caught out . Wrote a wonderful well structured essay but didn’t really address the question . As a generic essay it probably was 20/20 but addressing a direct question 14/20 because the question wasn’t addressed

i remember my sister had food poisoning the night of her english trial (paper 1) and was feeling really bad for paper 2, but her misadventure form didnt get approved (diff story) and as such she had to adapt her mod b essay which she got 20/20 for At3 but for trials she got 16/20 bc she didnt answer the question and her teacher was upset bc he saw sm potential

 

[tigerian]

Food poisoning doesn’t qualify for misadventure

 

[WishingForPastPapers]

Yes! (imo)

Would you prefer Dr Truong or Mr Mai

 

[Study to success]

why are you remembering essays when the hsc English and other subjects is designed so students don’t memorise essays buT analyse

I’m memorising case studies for business studies I have to memorise

 

[Study to success]

As an HSC marker please remember

Students writing from memory very rarely adequately address the question.. A pre-written essay remembered hardly , if ever, directly addresses a question for an exam. Instead focus on memorising quotations, techniques, and their effects!
The new syllabus is designed to prevent , as much as possible , students from memorising responses as it wants students to understand what they have been taught and apply their knowledge on the spot through analysis rather than show rote learning.
Remember- essays which answer the question WILL always score higher than beautifully crafted essays which have been memorised

Anyways I just remember ideas, quotes, techniques and analysis and. Then I adapt. But I don’t remember whole essays cause I’m not bothered and no point in doing that. But also analysing on the spot in timed conditions is kinda hard so u still have to memorise a little

 

[Bendwhat?_over]

schools are either actually inclusive or say they are then try to shove everyone into one mold because it makes them look better even if it goes against a few things for the students

Tell me about it...

 

[spiderlemonade]

Would you prefer Dr Truong or Mr Mai

havent had dr truong before so i cant say

 

[killer queen]

hey guys… i’m analysing a song and 2 poems for my english assignment
im doing “the maybe man” by ajr, if anyone is interested in helping me for the musicality for my essay (i.e the tempo, chords, harmonies) please pm me!

don't know the song but would be willing to contribute some tips:
- https://wmich.edu/mus-theo/courses/keys.html - the effect of key signatures, use sparingly though because this particular philosophy was used centuries ago, however it can be good back-up evidence for why something feels a certain way
- upwards motion (chords, melody, etc) gives hope, downwards gives despair
- look at time signature (likely 4/4) - driving beat or lack thereof?
- word painting? e.g. does the music reflect the words? (a good one for english I feel)
- dissonance vs consonance

I'd be happy to help but I can't guarantee how often I'll reply

edit: okay I listened to the song, probably could talk about tone colour (accompaniment) and the texture thickening, do you get to analyse the music video as well, it could be good? the pulse strengthens about halfway...then the melody jumps up an octave, adds tension, climax...the sudden thinning of texture for the final verse thing

the coda is really interesting and different, definitely talk about the contrast, word painting in "pandemonium" due to the rapid switching of instruments, coda also disrupts thhe repetitive structure of the rest of the song

there's also tritones in the piano rearrangement but they're not as obvious in original (tritones are the "devil's chord", ultimate form of dissonance)

 

[ellurbee]

Guys opinion on school counsellors?

 

[Study to success]

Guys opinion on school counsellors?

idk apparently the ones in my school suck. Idk personally for me Idk how I feel spilling my darkest secrets to a random person I don't know. Like I need to get to know them personally before I feel comfortable to open up

 

[ellurbee]

idk apparently the ones in my school suck. Idk personally for me Idk how I feel spilling my darkest secrets to a random person I don't know. Like I need to get to know them personally before I feel comfortable to open up

i dunno mine kinda sucks ass too, got suggested cause of family loss, and what she does my mother could do like smh brah- she isn't very helpful.

 

[Study to success]

not my business studies teacher crashing out about Bluey and calling people sexist for thinking she was a boy

 

[.kumori]

Guys opinion on school counsellors?

they spill tea to others, even when its not about someone potentially hurting themselves/others. ive heard so many cases at my school where problems actually get worse bc some students go to the counsellor for help but they make it worse by conveying details to other people/students