KEY POINTS:
Name: Melissa Niuapu
Age: 17
School: Mt Albert Grammar School
Exams: Level 3 geography/ Level 3 science
How do you think you went?
In the science one, some of the questions that I thought were going to be hard were really easy and some of the easy questions were really hard. In geography I think I did pretty good.
What mark do you give the exam paper: not achieved, achieved, merit or excellence? Why?
In the chemistry part of the science exam I would give it not achieved because I didn't understand the way the questions were given. I knew what the answer was in my head but I couldn't relate it to the question. And it's the same with geography, in one of the papers, the way the question is put didn't make sense. But the rest of the papers in both exams I would give merit because they made sense.
What was the oddest question in the exam?
Probably the physics paper in the science exam. They were asking for something we hadn't learnt before.
What was the hardest question? Why?
One of the essay questions for geography asked 'What are the cultural processes of the environment you studied?'. We studied Bali and Rotorua. I didn't understand the question so I didn't answer it.
Will you study the subject again next year?
I am doing a Bachelor of Arts at Auckland University next year, doing a course on public health so it kind of relates to science and geography. It's changed throughout the year what I've wanted to do. I either wanted to be a missionary or a doctor. I think I'll do a mixture of the two and be a social worker.
What is your top study tip?
One of the teachers said in assembly two weeks before exams 'If you fail to prepare than you're preparing to fail'. That always stuck in my head. If you don't study you don't know the material.
TESTING TIMES
Among yesterday's exam questions:
LEVEL 2 SCIENCE
Many farmers in New Zealand use superphosphate in preference to rock phosphate. Explain why superphosphate is used rather than rock phosphate.
LEVEL 1 GEOGRAPHY
Two factors that affect the rate at which a population grows are natural increase and net migration. Explain what natural increase is.
TODAY
Morning
Level 2 home economics, Level 3 statistics and modelling.
Afternoon
Level 1 home economics, Level 2 mathematics, Level 3 home economics, Scholarship history.
