The ancient Greek aphorism "Know thyself" has inspired countless people over the centuries, telling us how to succeed in every area of life. So:
How well do you know who you are?
That's a really tough question, but you will find great success in the QCAA external exams if you can answer it. This is because you must study what is reasonable to you, not what is rationale to everyone else.
For example, let's say you want to do well these externals and you are looking for some ways to study. Your attention turns to the top kid in your class, who studies 3 hours monday - friday. So, you copy him. You get home and study for 3 hours every day, like him.
However, soon enough, you feel more anxious and frustrated than you ever have. You've been strict on yourself to study like he has, but every session is an uphill battle and you feel horrible. Why?
The answer is simple. You made the bold assumption that what is reasonable for him would also be reasonable for you. You don't even know him personally. For example, what if you play a sports match every tuesday afternoon, making yourself particularly tired that afternoon? Then the reasonable decision is to not study. Also, if there's a good show on TV on a random thursday, the rationale decision would be to study anyway, but the reasonable decision for you would be to give study a break and do something you enjoy.
This is also due to the idea that you must go to all lengths to avoid associating study with negative things. For example, if your laziness throughout the week has forced you to study on a weekend when there was a social event with your friends happening, you'll learn to associate studying with losing friends and becoming anti-social. You must avoid these situations at all costs. Know yourself and what you enjoy so that your study can be the work and your happiness can be your reward!
Parts of knowing yourself can also just be as simple as answering the question "am I an early bird?" or "am I a night owl?" Everyone's brain works completely differently throughout different times in the day. So, don't stress if you aren't keeping up with your friends during a late-night study session, because you'd probably be better than all of them in a morning session!
Overall, knowing yourself and what works for you is a core part of how you will do these external exams. Practise listening to yourself as you learn your best weekly schedule and avoid associating study with things that hurt you emotionally. Your ATAR will thank you for it!
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