Bored of Studies

Last updated

Bored of Studies
Type of site
Student website, forum and wiki, student resources
Available inEnglish
Country of origin Australia
OwneriStudy Australia Pty Ltd.
Created byMark Czajkowski, James King, Tim Cheng and Ian Keong
URL boredofstudies.org
RegistrationRequired to post. Viewable as a guest.

Bored of Studies is an Australian website targeted at students in New South Wales and Victoria. It is prominent among students for its Student Assessment Modeller that calculates approximate Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (formerly Universities Admission Index) or Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank results, and for hosting study notes for the New South Wales Higher School Certificate courses. An extensive student community has evolved around its forum, which is frequented by school students, teachers and a growing number of university students. The site's name is a parody of the NSW Board of Studies, the former governing organisation for the Higher School Certificate (HSC).

Contents

History

The website was created on 5 March 2002 by four former HSC students who had completed their HSC in the previous year: Mark Czajkowski, James King, Tim Cheng and Ian Keong. [1] Regarded as the successor to the popular "hscboardz" and "uniboardz" forums and the "hscstuff.cjb.net" [2] resource library, the site's founders claim that because they were the first to sit a newly revised HSC syllabus, they were able to clearly see the lack of information that future HSC students would face. A desire to help address this lack of information was a prime reason behind the founding of Bored of Studies. [3] The site is owned and operated by iStudy Australia Pty Ltd, based in the Sydney CBD.[ citation needed ]

Influence and criticism

Bored of Studies has become an increasingly popular site for HSC students, with a membership of over 400 000 and more than 15 million monthly hits. [4] It is often recommended by teachers as a valuable resource containing past papers and practice essays. [5] It has been suggested that an official bulletin from the NSW Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) did much to popularise the site around the state. [6] There has been concern that the extensive subject notes available on the site could lead to cheating among students, in addition the anonymous nature of users has resulted in questions over the correctness and validity of the subject notes and forum contributions. [7]

In 2005, a student's attempt to gain access to his raw HSC examination under freedom of information laws drew controversy when the request was refused by the government. This followed the previous successful attempt by James King, one of the administrators on the Bored of Studies website, to obtain his raw marks. [8] The information sparked debate about the standard of student responses that were given pass marks, with the then Federal Education minister Brendan Nelson defending the students' right to know their marks.[ citation needed ]

Recent developments

In 2006 Bored of Studies launched Biki (Bored of Studies Wiki), a wiki collection of HSC notes, information and resources using the MediaWiki software to allow contributions. Biki was later closed "due to prolonged inactivity and outdated resources". Also in 2006, 'Premium membership' was introduced giving paid members access to additional content and features. The site was hacked in June 2010 and recovered in August of the same year, resulting in it being re-interfaced for better security and member navigation.

From 2012, [9] Bored of Studies began creating exam papers as its own version of the trial HSC to be taken by members currently in their final year of school on specified dates and venues. These unique exam papers feature questions beyond the difficulty of the actual HSC exam, being the major exam that is completed by NSW students at the end of year 12. These exams, otherwise known as the "Bored of Studies Trials", are intended for high-achieving students looking to perform at the highest possible standard in the real HSC exam.

The 2022 [10] edition of the Bored of Studies Trials featured exams for Mathematics Extension 1, Mathematics Extension 2 and Chemistry.

The 2023 [11] edition of the Bored of Studies Trials featured exams for Mathematics Extension 1 and Mathematics Extension 2. They also featured, for the first time, exams for Physics and Business Studies.

Notable members

The founders [12] are known as the following usernames on Bored of Studies:

Other Bored of Studies members [13] with a substantial history of contribution to the HSC student community include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Boys High School</span> School in Australia

Sydney Boys High School ("SBHS"), otherwise known as The Sydney High School ("SHS") or High, is a government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located at Moore Park, New South Wales, a suburb within the City of Sydney council, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete senior high school level studies in New South Wales and some ACT schools in Australia, as well as some international schools in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. It was first introduced in 1967, with the last major revision coming into effect in 2019. It is currently developed and managed by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victorian Certificate of Education</span> School qualification offered in Victoria, Australia

The Victorian Certificate of Education is one credential available to secondary school students who successfully complete year 11 and 12 in the Australian state of Victoria as well as in some international schools in China, Malaysia, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

The Universities Admission Index (UAI) was used in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia, as the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs. It was a number between 0 and 100, occurring in increments of 0.05 and indicating the rounded percentile rank of a student who undertook the Higher School Certificate or ACT Year 12 Certificate with a valid quantity and combination of units of study. It was replaced in N.S.W with the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) in 2009. Prior to the UAI the ACT used its own Tertiary Entrance Rank

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Ruse Agricultural High School</span> School in Australia

James Ruse Agricultural High School is a government-funded co-educational academically selective and specialist secondary day school, located in the Sydney suburb of Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia, long known for being the highest academically ranked high school in Australia. The school is also one of four New South Wales Government agricultural high schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Sydney Girls High School</span> School in Australia

North Sydney Girls' High School is a government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for girls, located in Crows Nest, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

TAFE NSW is an Australian vocational education and training provider. Annually, the network trains over 500,000 students in campus, workplace, online, or distance education methods of education. It was established as an independent statutory body under the TAFE Commission Act 1990. The Minister for Regional Development, Skills and Small Business is responsible for TAFE NSW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay Campus</span> School in Australia

The Blackwattle Bay Campus of the Sydney Secondary College is a government-funded co-educational dual modality comprehensive senior secondary day school, located in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Glebe, New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservatorium High School</span> School in Sydney, Australia

The Conservatorium High School is a public government-funded, co-educational, selective, secondary day school that specialises in music education. It lies on the western edge of the Royal Botanic Gardens, off Macquarie Street, in Sydney's CBD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malek Fahd Islamic School</span> Independent Islamic co-educational primary and secondary day school in Sydney, Australia

Malek Fahd Islamic School is a multi-campus independent Islamic co-educational primary and secondary day school, with its main campus located in the south-western Sydney suburb of Greenacre with smaller campuses in Hoxton Park and Beaumont Hills, New South Wales, Australia.

Mathematics education in Australia varies significantly between states, especially at the upper secondary level. While every school offers a state-based education systems, some may also offer the International Baccalaureate program.

English is the only compulsory subject for the award of the Higher School Certificate at the end of secondary schooling in New South Wales, Australia. Marks gained in at least two units of English must also be included in the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) used to determine entry to university. Students must study one of the following courses:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-level</span> British educational certification

The A-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational authorities of British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education. They were introduced in England and Wales in 1951 to replace the Higher School Certificate. The A-level permits students to have potential access to a chosen university they applied to with UCAS points. They could be accepted into it should they meet the requirements of the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universities Admissions Centre</span>

The Universities Admissions Centre is an organisation that processes applications for admission to tertiary education courses, mainly at institutions in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. A not-for-profit company incorporated in July 1995, it has offices located at Sydney Olympic Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Marys Senior High School</span> School in Australia

St Marys Senior High School is a government-funded co-educational dual modality partially academically selective and comprehensive post-compulsory secondary day school, located in St Marys, a suburb in western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester Hill High School</span> School in Chester Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Chester Hill High School is a high school located in Chester Hill, New South Wales, Australia. It caters for students from years 7 to 12. Classes began on 4 February 1962 with 325 students. The school was officially opened on 1 March 1965 by Jack Renshaw, the Premier of New South Wales. The principal is Ms M O'Harae.

The Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE) is the graduation certificate awarded to most students in Australian high schools, and is equivalent to the Advance Placement in North America and the GCE A-Levels of the United Kingdom. Students completing the SSCE are usually aged 16 to 18 and study full-time for two years. In some states adults may gain the certificate through a Technical and Further Education college or other provider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Tertiary Admission Rank</span> Grading system for university entry in Australia

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) for all domestic students, or the ATAR-based Combined Rank (CR) for all International Baccalaureate (IB) students, are the primary criteria for determining the Selection Rank (SR) for admission into undergraduate courses in Australian public universities. Domestic Students are students who are Australian or New Zealand citizens, or Australian permanent residents, or the holder of long-term refugee visa. ATAR & CR are not applicable for international students as they must apply directly to each university separately and their SR is calculated by the university. The ATAR is calculated by each state or territory's own state-level Tertiary Admission Center (TAC) for all domestic students studying within their geographical limits. Interstate Domestic Students must apply to the TAC of their respective state. The Selection Rank is calculated by each University separately based on the ATAR or CR as well as additional points for each university's unique criteria such as a student's educational disadvantage or subject performance. ATAR is not a mark, but rather a percentile ranking between 0.00 and 99.95 which shows the student’s relative position compared to all other students in the range of 16 to 20 years old who would have completed their respective year 12 exams in that state in a year.

Lorien Novalis School for Rudolf Steiner Education is a private, Steiner school located in Dural, a suburb in The Hills Shire, in northwestern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1971, the school teaches students from early learning, and Kindergarten to Year 12; and also offers playgroup services.

Parkes High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located in Parkes, in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is a part of the Henry Parkes Learning Community.

References

  1. ↑ Frilingos, Matthew (9 August 2002). "Putting resources on board". The Daily Telegraph.
  2. ↑ Baird, Julia (25 November 2001). "Mouse roars as student masters Net effect". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  3. ↑ "HSC website a big hit". The Daily Telegraph. 3 November 2002.
  4. ↑ Site Statistics Archived 7 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine . boredofstudies.org
  5. ↑ Galvin, Nick (1 May 2004). "On the exam trail – Study tips, topical". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 27 May 2007.
  6. ↑ UAC News Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine , Volume 10 Issue 1, April 2004, p1
  7. ↑ Hall, Louise (24 July 2005). "Teachers warned over study notes". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 27 May 2007.
  8. ↑ Thompson, Matthew (12 March 2005). "Students' raw scores seen as a threat". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 27 May 2007.
  9. ↑ 2012 Extension 2 BOS Trials boredofstudies.org
  10. ↑ BoS trials Maths and Chemistry 2022 boredofstudies.org
  11. ↑ BoS Trials Maths, Physics and Business Studies 2023 boredofstudies.org
  12. ↑ The Founders boredofstudies.org
  13. ↑ Notable members boredofstudies.org
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.