Not even floods could stop Mya’s calculated plan

From conquering HSC maths - to navigating some of life’s major challenges - Mya Stanley has gathered some top tips for the HSC Class of 2024.

Mya Stanley topped two subjects.Credit: Louise Kennerley

Stanley, who achieved equal first place in Mathematics Standard 2 and first place in Business Services, did so while her Lismore hometown responded to the devastating floods of 2022.

Problem solving during a natural disaster and staying focused on what matters most in life were key to Stanley’s success – combined with some practical strategies.

“During my senior years, my town flooded. I was constantly reminded how important it is to reach out if you need help, so after finishing Year 12 classes, I gave myself a break to wrap my head around the impending exams,” she said.

“During downtime, you have ample opportunity to prepare effectively for exams. This includes setting out goals to organise your study schedule and define what you want to achieve.

“I found that Mathematics isn’t a subject to fear, it’s an opportunity to sharpen your problem-solving skills and work on improving.”

Stanley said completing past papers familiarises you with the exam formats and increases your proficiency.

“Initially you might allocate two hours for a past paper, gradually reducing the time as you get used to them,” she said. “Spending time with friends, going to the movies and allowing yourself to unwind are just as important as studying. Stress doesn’t benefit anyone.”

All too aware of potential distractions, Stanley has some advice for HSC students: “Put your phone in another room and put it on to ‘do not disturb’, out of sight. I wish this was something I knew earlier.”

Mya Stanley with Education Minister Prue Car.

Stanley hopes to start a career in international or commercial law after completing a double degree in Law and Arts at Southern Cross University. In the meantime, she is applying the study techniques that served her well during her HSC.

Stanley’s tips for HSC Mathematics

Embrace past papers: “They’re your best friends in exam preparation. Keep doing them until you perfect them.”

Familiarise yourself with the syllabus: “Any questions asked in an exam have to come from the syllabus. Familiarise yourself with it and recognise areas where you’re not confident and study those areas.”

Take care of yourself: “Have study breaks, don’t isolate yourself, support your friends and remember that there are a million ways to get to your end goal.”

Solving the maths question: When are we ever going to use this?

Advice from HSC mathematics marker

Cheryl Rix, Mathematics teacher, Hornsby Girls High School

Mathematics Advanced opens a window into the power and beauty of Mathematics and its real-life applications. Students draw on their previous mathematical learning to solve problems and make predictions.

HSC maths marker Cheryl Rix.

They can finally begin to arrive at the answer to the question that they may have asked in Years 7 and 8: ‘When are we ever going to use this?’

As preparation for your HSC exam, I advise that you start with a review of previous assessments from Year 11 and 12, work on them again to find any gaps in your knowledge and focus on reviewing these areas.

Ensure that you practise HSC questions on the common content topic areas of algebra, functions, financial mathematics, measurement and statistical analysis.

Work through the past exam papers on the NESA website and mark your answers according to the marking guidelines, then review the content for the questions you did not know how to do.

Finally, I recommend that you complete the past papers under exam conditions – start with the multiple-choice section then work up to full papers. Mark using the marking guidelines and again review.

During the exam show all your working in clear and logical steps and label all important points on graphs.Credit: Janie Barrett

A HSC marker’s top dos and don’ts

• Be 100 per cent familiar with the formulae on the NESA reference sheet. Know when to use each formula and practise questions using them, always showing substitutions.
• Carefully note what the question is asking. All the information is in the question and the allocated marks are a guide to how many key mathematical steps are required for the solution.
• Show all your working in clear and logical steps and label all important points on graphs.
• Don’t use the answer provided in a ‘show’ question and work backwards. Instead begin with the initial data provided and demonstrate your method to reach the answer provided.
• Don’t rush your work. Take care with simple mathematical operations.

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