How Maddy Turned Her HSC Chemistry Marks Around by 40%

📈 Mark Improvement of 40% in HSC Chemistry
Maddy’s marks improved significantly after receiving tailored support from her tutoring class
🎉 Received Early Entry into Macquarie University
Maddy successfully received an early entry offer from Macquarie University
🎮 Dream Course B. Game Design and Development
Maddy got into Macquarie University despite not meeting the usual ATAR requirement!

The Challenge
Maddy received a mark of 30% for her first Chemistry assignment — this was incredibly disappointing for Maddy and made her consider dropping the subject rather than improving in it. Quickly realising the stark difference between Year 11 and Year 12 syllabus content, Maddy knew that if she were to continue with HSC Chemistry, she would need some help. With difficulty managing her own study for Chemistry in addition to her waning motivation, Maddy needed a teacher who could keep her accountable and build her confidence in HSC Chemistry.
I knew I needed to put a lot more work in as my current efforts didn’t seem to be enough, so I had a talk with my parents and said, “I think I need tutoring.”
Key Problems
🧪 Maddy’s initial Chemistry results were significantly lower than what she had aimed for and made her wonder if she should drop the subject
📑 Maddy was struggling to grasp the content and felt as though she had holes in her knowledge that she hadn’t addressed
👂 Maddy has an auditory processing disorder and this impacted her ability to listen and retain information when in class at school
Our Approach
Maddy joined one of our HSC Chemistry tutoring classes taught by our Head of Science, Adrian. His passion for the subject and patience allowed Maddy to feel comfortable asking questions and clear up any confusion about the content. Maddy felt like the classes were efficient and effective due to Adrian’s preparation with resources and class content.
This was really important as it allowed Maddy to follow along easily with her auditory processing disorder. Adrian’s in-depth explanations helped consolidate Maddy’s understanding, as he would not only explain how to get to an answer, but why it couldn’t be anything else.
Focus
- Understanding concepts
- Effective studying
- Increasing motivation
- Improving assessment marks
Strategies
- In-depth explanations
- Study resources
- Peer support
- Step by step question breakdowns
In-depth Explanations
Study Resources
Supportive Class Environment
Question Breakdowns
The Result
Maddy transformed her HSC Chemistry marks and went from a Band 1 at the start of the year to a Band 4! After joining Art of Smart, Maddy developed the confidence to ask for help and build a solid understanding of the subject. Maddy attributes working with other motivated students as a key factor to her success.
Her 40% mark increase was a significant achievement, in addition to getting into her dream course of Game Design and Development at Macquarie University.
40%
Increase in Chemistry results
9.1/10
Average engagement and passion of teachers
9.1/10
Average improvement in understanding and skills
9.2/10
Average satisfaction with campus classes
With Art of Smart, Maddy saw a 40% improvement in HSC Chemistry
Adrian explained a lot of the questions in-depth, such as how we got to a certain answer and why it couldn’t be anything else. The time he put in preparing for the class along with his clear passion for Chemistry really helped me increase my score!
Check Out More Success Stories
-
Blaze Phan
97% Result in Maths
🏫 Normanhurst Boys High School
✏️ Learned to Correct Easy Mistakes
✍️ Built Effective Study Skills
-
Patrick Wu
20% Improvement in Maths
🏫 North Sydney Boys High School
📈 From Band 4 to Band 6 in 3U Maths
✍️ Developed Effective Study Skills
-
David Ko
22% Improvement in English
🏫 St Aloysius' College
📚 Developed Effective Exam Preparation Skills
✏️ Honed Strong Writing Skills
Helping high school students thrive since 2009
We know school isn’t just about getting the grades, it’s about staying happy, healthy and answering the difficult question, “What am I going to do with my life when I finish school, and how do I get there?”