look, major works are a major part of year 12! they take blood, sweat and a lot of tears if you want to do well :)) so to make the process a bit easier, we thought sharing our experiences and giving advice would help you all out! so from of class of 2021... goodluck!
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visual arts
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One thing that I would have liked to know before picking my art major is that, just because it is for the HSC and is a major work you don't need to go all out. You don't need to think of the biggest project or have multiple pieces, it is more about how you execute your concept not how many pieces you have. Utilise your teachers as well, bounce ideas off them, they are there to help. Don't worry about everyone else's works or ideas it is your art, it is however you interpret your concept/theme, art is about interpretation from both artist and audience. Also of course use your time wisely!!. You may have a year but it does go super fast along with completing Year 12 and assessment tasks on top of your major work. While this advice may be good remember to have fun with it and use it as a creative outlet when school work or life gets too much. Happy Creating <3
– zali
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Make something that’s my advice! However, here are a few tips: - Artists go through numerous variations of their work before presenting their final product. Set aside a time slot to complete your major tasks, just as you would for studying for an exam. You won't be able to complete your major work if you're stuck in your head planning, write it out and draw it out. - Break down the tasks you need to complete in the same way that you would plan an essay. Art can be very therapeutic, so listen to a fun podcast or watch Netflix while you work! The time will fly by. - If you can spend time in the art rooms before or after school, you can do your major work with your friends, just like you can study in groups. Except you get to talk and gossip at the same time. - If you can dedicate a space in your home to making your art major work so you don't have to pack up your equipment every time, you'll be more motivated to just sit down and do it.
– jasmine
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Hello future art students!! I'm so happy that you're so passionate about art to the point you're willing to put yourself through a year's worth of indecisiveness o(*’▽’*)/☆ﾟ’ One advice I stress to EVERYONE is to take the planning in term 1 of year 12 seriously because you are going to work on this piece for the next 12 months. You need to be confident and satisfied with the COMPOSITION because it's extremely difficult and time-consuming to change this half-way through the year. Old colours and materials can be painted over, however, changing the composition means starting a new canvas. A couple of very important tips I assure will help your sleep schedule and stress levels are: Create a checklist before every artmaking session to keep yourself motivated and clear about your goals e.g paint the dress red for 1 hour, Create personal deadlines for completed pieces (or completed parts of your artwork) about 1 week before the actual deadline. This helps manage your time while you juggle other subjects. Dedicate at least one whole day (Sat/Sun) once a week on artmaking during the term. It seems like a lot, however, rushing 3 week's worth of art in one night is just not worTH IT! please...(;*´Д`)ﾉ Good luck little ones~ヾ(☆´･ω･)ゞDon't lose motivation or hope because at the end of the HSC, you artists are rewarded with your beautiful BOW after all that hard work <3
– ginger
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For visual arts, your major work can seem extremely daunting. When you first start working on it, don’t expect to have a solid concept right away. Start with a concept, and see where you can take it, experiment with it, let it evolve, don’t restrict it to your first idea, allow it to change. For me personally, the concept I started with and the concept I finished with was to its core the same, but the way I expressed it was extremely different. My major work had many different stages before I had a final product, so don’t feel guilty about wanting to change your piece, because in the end, your major work is an extension of who you are as a person, and you want to be proud of that, so don’t settle for an idea or concept that you aren’t completely happy with! Also, listen to you teacher!! I know sometimes it can seem like they don’t understand your idea or concept, but trust me, they are only trying to make your piece stand out. They want you to succeed and much as you do, they have the experience and understanding to help you take your piece and make it amazing!
– taryn
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Creating my body of work was a really fun experience but I don’t think I'll be picking up a paintbrush again :)
– yuki
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I have no words for this experience other than torture Do not leave things to the last minute!! You will be sleep deprived… "
– alisha
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I have more than 6 scrapped drafts for my major 🤠
– lauraene
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My final copy of my major work accidently deleted 5 minutes before it was due…
– taryn
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I was still painting an hour before it was due, however, arrived with 20 minutes to spare 🕺
– ginger
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I ordered a canvas online and it was 7 week late. So I bought a $60 canvas from officeworks. The canvas I ordered online came in the mail the next day…
– rebecca
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Don’t procrastinate fr… I finished most of my embroidery at 4am on the due date.
– annie
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I was so slow with my artmaking that I ended up completing bulk of the BOW the morning of the due date 🙃
– zali
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music
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Okay ladies, here is the best I've got for you... PRACTICE! Practice, practice, practice, that's really all there is to it. You should be so sick of your performance pieces by the time the HSC comes around that you never want to listen to those songs again (I am pretty much at that point). Also, ask for feedback from your teacher. Or either of the music teachers for that matter. Ms Weier has been the most amazing teacher, but Mr Lindner has been there helping out to. And trust me, when it comes to the HSC, more feedback is better. Our music teachers are amazing, so please let them help you! Practice in front of your teachers, or record yourself and listen back to it (I know it sounds horrible, I hate listening to myself. But it can help you notice things that you might not notice when you're actually performing. Trust me :)). If you do one on one music lessons with a tutor, use them! Even ask to book in extra sessions. I tell you, when it comes to music practicals, you will be glad that you put in the extra rehearsal time. You've got this, good luck <3
– georgia
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girl do not leave it to the last minute, piece by piece, try and complete at least two songs in the christmas holidays!! trust me, it is a huge help from someone who has still not learnt their 4th performance with a week to go!! i know it can be emotionally and mentally draining but once it's over, it's over!! pick songs that suit your instrument (actual piano songs rather than pop song written arrangements) they may not be your all time favs but trust me, there is so much out there! & go to bed nice and early before a performance, your body needs rest! if you play an instrument make sure to bring little heat packs to warm your fingers or a tea to soothe your throat!
– lauren
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With music, especially as a pianist, I found that choosing pieces I loved really helped me to practise more and get the best marks I possibly could get! I also recommend choosing your performance pieces around 6 to a year before the actual HSC; that way, you are really confident with your pieces technically, and you'll be able to draw greater focus upon the emotion and musicality of your pieces while performing. Another tip I recommend is to get as much performance practise in as possible, whether it be performing in front of your teachers, family and friends, all this practise will ultimately benefit you in ensuring that your performance nerves don't affect you for your actual performance. Good luck!
– photini
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history extension
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Don’t leave your entire major work to do the night before it is due unless you are willing to pull an all nighter. Send in LOTS of copies of your essay to your teacher and don’t be scared to change up your idea/question as long as you are up for a challenge.
– martina
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my biggest advice would be to choose a topic that you're interested in but may not know much about, this is primarily because being able to develop your understanding and discovering new things about your topic will assist in sustaining your interest !! (e.g if you already know a lot about the topic you want to focus on, your motivation to consistently work on it may dwindle, ultimately leading you to procrastinate doing it and leaving you with a heavier load towards the due date) you definitely want to choose a topic that is going to motivate you and encourage you to research more. also pls don't leave it last minute, i did that and almost ended up dropping history ext the day before the major work was due...i also didn't get any sleep and had to rock up at 7:30 AM the next day to hand it in...pls don't do that to yourself :')
– christina
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hey guys, my advice is very simple...just start early! When considering extension history, you should try to have your major work idea/topic ready now. When I chose the subject I already had a grasp on what areas in history I find fascinating and know I can spend HOURS on. Make sure you understand that your topic is going to be rigorous and require HEAPS of research - so be prepared to spend a lot of time on it and it is something you ENJOY. In my first term of year 12, I already had an idea of what I was going to do - that being the psychopathology of the Rwandan genocide. Ensure you are familiar with the syllabus and what is required of you in completing the ENTIRE project. I encourage you to pick your topic now and also consolidate with your teacher ALL THE TIME. They are going to guide you and ensure it is appropriate etc - you will be surprised how helpful they can be, it may come down to giving you more sources or websites. When it comes to the components of the task, once again - start as soon as possible. You will be thankful when it comes down to having the busiest year of your life that you have at least begun your log book or some background research, because this is going to require a lot of reading and gathering specific sources. Hope this all helps! If you wish to know more, feel free to contact me: hannah.elbeaini@sydstu.catholic.edu.au
– hannah e
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Look I'm gonna be real on what worked for me, as someone who did surprisingly well. The essay can be written at the last minute but the research can not!! its an extension subject for a reason and it's going to be challenging. But if you're passionate and you want to do this you will be fine! trust me as someone who wrote the essay the week before but planned the research for months, it helps! I know this sounds like a broken record but do your logbook as you go!! Believe me when I say it is so simple to do it in a study or at recess and lunch as it'll save hours from the night before! (Whilst some girls pulled an all-nighter I surprisingly went to bed at about 11:30 pm because I didn't have to touch up on my logbook much) The biggest advice I can give is do a topic you know you'll be passionate about and actually stick too! I adored my topic of Mulan (it was my first choice), don't listen to the doubts of Mr Martin (love u sir!) because trust me when I say, with hardwork and passion his support will surprise you! My last piece of advice is to make sure to really try for the first presentation task! it will boost up your marks in the future when you're probably more burnt out with the essay
– lauren
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I’d say, the biggest piece of advice I can give anyone taking History Extension during year 12, is don’t be too harsh on yourself! It’s an extension subject for a reason!! It’s designed to challenge you and your views, so don’t expect to understand everything about the subject straight away! Don’t expect to be an expert in all things history by your trials. If you overthink and stress about it, learning about and studying for history extension will become a chore, so take it one step at a time, understand the basics and go from there! In terms of your major work, choose something you are passionate about, don’t pick something that you think will get you the best marks. You want to be passionate and interested in your major, otherwise you most likely will loose your motivation for your piece, and working on it will feel extremely draining. So choose something that you can work on for hours at a time.
Do not leave you history extension major work until the last possible minute. PLEASE! I assure you it will be worth getting it out of the way and starting as early as possible. Trust me, I left it for just a tad later than I should have and let me tell you, it was STRESSFUL. You have so much time to work on it, use it wisely. Also, stay in constant contact with your teacher. Mr Martin was amazing with our class. Ask your teacher for feedback, any possible ideas or resources. Try get them to read everything that you write, you can always improve. Your teachers want to help you, so let them. Good luck <3
– georgia
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drama
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Believe in yourself and your vision! sure your teachers are there to give critique and feedback but remember that it is YOUR performance!! Always jot down some points of what you did every lesson for your logbook STRAIGHT AFTER your lesson! even when your teachers in the next period are taking the role!! that way when you get home you actually remember what you did! & finally do a performance you'll be passionate about, whether its comedic or tragic you have to cater to yourself queen!
– lauren
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The drama major work is BIG, if you chose drama you would know this. Coming from a personal perspective, initially an IP and GP don’t seem like the most difficult thing to achieve/conceive. However, when crunch time comes you do truly understand the amount of blood, sweat and tears that goes into the two performances and why every year 12 drama student is always talking about their major work. Finally my advice would be with this in mind to always be looking for inspiration everywhere you look and start having an idea of what you want to do for your major works by term 2 of year 12 so that you have time to go over and revise and change everything that you want to change.
– martina
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Do not put it to the back of your mind, make sure you give it plenty of attention, always look for ways to improve it and be open to feedback, I get that you’re proud of what you’ve done and you should be! just do not forget to consider the feedback and always try to improve your piece. Rehearse! rehearse! rehearse! Ask your teacher for feedback constantly, if you leave it to last minute, you will have a lot to learn in a short period of time and will add so much pressure on you (trust me, I speak of experience)
– lacey
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society & culture
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In all honesty, the best piece of advice i could give for the major PIP is starting it asap !! i know it sounds like common sense and really silly but trust me, i am the biggest procrastinator i have ever known, i've never even studied till my trials and starting anything you can whether its study or assignments, or major works like the PIP will save your life !! not only is your time management so much better, but the overall outcome and quality of your PIP will be so amazing and so obvious to the markers how much hard work you've put into it :))
– hannah k
we hope these helped! and on behalf of the class of 2021, we wish you the best with your major works!
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