Learn things by heart EARLY. Commit quotes to memory, so your not faffling around with the easy crap by the exams.
Memorise facts... basically whatever you need.
I got 96.2, I was very happy with it, and I gotta say I stressed but didn't work too hard haha.
Make it easy for yourself.
Write quotes on bits of paper and stick them around the house in places you will read often e.g. next to your bed, top of computer screen, mirror in bathroom etc. Whilst you brush your teeth keep saying it in your head. Then after a month think about the quotes you know
.
Also, try doing things repetitively, keep a quote in your wallet and say every time you go and buy something, just read the quote/ formula quickly. Make a quote in your msn name, make it your computer background. These things quickly stick in our minds.
Another thing to try, which worked for me, was recording my notes. I put them into minute time slots on my phone and slept with it on repeat through some nights before assessments.
Combine your notes with something fun. Like poetry? Write a poem about WW2, like sport? Every time you try to shoot hoops or something in the garden, before you do it say a formula. If you get a formula wrong- do a pushup. Or something. Make it part of your fitness regime/something you do daily.
Research everything more than the average person. Your english texts etc- check them up on youtube, search scientists up/methods etc, you will be AMAZED what you find... and remember, funnier things mean that they will stick in your head more easily. Search through sparknotes or whatever, buy the study guides (or use your school library) for light reading if you have nothing better to do. Get out many different adaptations of your english texts.
Learn new words to replace crap ones using a Thesaurus for your English stories. Commit them to memory.
One thing I did, was that because I was working at Coles (even during my HSC) whenever I didn't have customers I would feed through a bit of the receipt paper and write down as many quotes as I could from Emma or something. And then after a few more customers I would do another text. Use your free time, especially if you are just sitting there.
Practice essays etc everyone tells you to do, so I won't go into the importance of that... BUT DEFINATELY READ THROUGH ALL PAST QUESTIONS AND PLAN THEM IN YOUR HEAD at the EXTREME minimum.
Have a SMALL half page list on each subject that has the core topics and the pieces within them you need to know. Every now and again come back to it and work your way through, checking that you remember everything. Re-reading is also a good idea. And use YELLOW HIGHLIGHTER and post-its (Yellow is apparently the colour our brain remembers most).
I'm a visual learner so I made use of my textbooks with my friend and we re-captioned all the pictures in them with something funny about things we have done e.g. Me and Pauline playing hide-and-seek. originally it was for a laugh, but then it helped me to remember the Iron Curtain and things like that in Modern later on!
I'm not sciencey or mathsy, so this is more for the drama/histories kids out there.
Being organised is really important. I sort of skipped this and couldn't find anything to study with during HSC weeks :O. But remember, the more notes you write, read and gather... THE MORE YOU GET TO BURN AT THE END OF IT (And that feeling is damn good)