Hey class of 2016 (and those about to embark on their VCE journey)!
With the start of the school year approaching i thought i would share some thoughts and tips that i found useful to stay motivated and positive during my final year at school. Firstly, it is completely normal for many of you guys to be feeling intimated by VCE or a bit demoralised if you were not so elated by your results for your 3/4(s) last year. This year you guys have a clean slate - an opportunity to start over.
I remember this time last year i was feeling very unsettled and unsure about the work i should be doing before i head back to school, what will be expected of me by my teachers and how different it will be to year 11. I’d heard the stories from those in years above me, but I was yet to experience year 12 myself in all its glory. During year 12, I experienced, gained and learned a lot so for the benefit of you guys i thought i'd impart some ideas to you.
One of the first pieces of advice I was given was -
'this is your final year at school give it everything you've got so you know that when they say pens down in the exam there was nothing else you could do to do better and you have nothing to be disappointed about.' Equally, remember that throughout the year if you're feeling a bit dejected or demoralised
you're not the only one it may seem like it but it is far from the truth. Everyone is in the same boat, they may just be very good at hiding it. Have the confidence to believe that
If you give 100% you'll get to where you want to be somehow1) ASK QUESTIONSNo matter how asinine you think the questions may be you are sitting in the classroom not for the sake of your classmates but for your sake and to maximise your knowledge and your year. You never know, the answer you receive to your question may be vital for the exam. If you never ask you may never know.Chances are someone else also wants to know the same thing. If you are unsure about a concept, what is required for an assessment or an idea being discussed, don't go home confused. Lastly,
don't care about what other people think of you2) STUDYING AND BALANCE
Study when you’re studying, and rest when you’re resting. Distracted study (e.g. having your phone next to you, having social networking sites open) is the most inefficient way to study, focus properly and you will understand and remember the information in no time. Just think if you're not focused when you study there may be a critical piece of information that you overlook. But hey, remember, it's ok to take a timeout, in fact it is encouraged. Experts have conclusively found that one hour of effective focused study should include a 10 minute break so your brain can process the information. Moreover, Try not to focus too much on the marks you will get, but concentrate on knowing the content of your subject. Don’t ever feel that it is too late to start studying. What matters most is that you try your best from here on forward – wherever you are at. Don’t give up; you may very well surprise yourself!
I know ...you're probably going to get super tired of hearing this cliche, but behind every cliche is some truth - the key to success in VCE is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. That means getting enough sleep, eating well and taking time out to relax. I went running almost every day in year 12. Saturday nights, i would go to the movies, chill with friends and go for dinner - in other words - an opportunity to wind down, recharge and take my mind off of work. I found it useful to also set goals, for instance, i would say i'm going to write 2 paragraphs of an English essay or finish 3 method's exercises before i can go to the gym or before i can go on Facebook. This way, i didn't feel guilty about not working but rather felt like i deserved it.
Incidentally, last year there were many people who would, mostly to expand their own ego, claim to hardly study and would then get great marks in SACs - although this may not always be the case i was very wary and found 95% of the time this to be nonsense. So, don't be daunted when you hear people say how they only studied the night before for the SAC and then pulled out 95% when the reality is they probably spent much longer than they cared to share.
For those of you (like me
) with the innate propensity to procrastinate here is something i found useful:
https://selfcontrolapp.com/3) ORGANISATION
Study a few days (or better a few weeks) before the SAC day and study EVERYTHING that you’ve learned in class so far. BE AHEAD!!! This may not work for everyone but last year i would write down all of the tasks i would need to do on a sticky note, and stick them on my wall where i would study. As you complete them, throw them away. This makes you feel the sense of accomplishment as the space becomes emptier, while also getting the job done! I found from experience there is a big difference between planned study and unplanned study. At the start of the year i didn't really plan my study and would read through my notes, flip aimlessly through my textbooks and struggle through a pile of practice SACs. I soon learnt to plan my study after feeling completely overwhelmed with work and would allocate 30-40 minutes at the end of school to plan my study timetable for the next day (during frees and after school). I found the benefits of this were twofold: I felt more on top of my work which gave me confidence and motivation and it also allowed me to be more relaxed as it meant i was completing work 1 or 2 days before it was due. Further, if i had a SAC that was on the 20th, for example, i would prepare for it as if it were on the 18th, this gave me leeway in case there were any last minute questions and, most of all, alleviated any stress that i may have been feeling. This worked especially well if i had 2 or more SACs scheduled for the same day.
Each subject has a detailed syllabus (
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/pages/vce/studies/index.aspx) which is the best guide for both study and exams. I used it to make detailed notes on every dot point in the content section. I foundTextbooks did not always present the information in the same way as the syllabus. So use textbooks and other references to prepare your detailed notes.
As each topic or option is completed file these notes in a subject folder. Regularly, and before your exams, refer to these notes, highlight key points and cull and make them concise as possible for revision in the lead up to exam.
4) SACs
They are not the be all and end all. You should think of SACs as an opportunity to perfect your knowledge come exam time.Ultimately, The way i prepared for the exam was the way i prepared for SACs. I would do as many questions possible (without repetition and only if i felt i was gaining something from doing so). The week before i would use my frees not to talk but to study and write out my class notes (for English) and do practice questions (Chemistry, accounting, Methods) - i would even write my own questions to consolidate my knowledge and would try and explain concepts and discuss ideas and themes with friends (this was invaluable for me). I not only was able to clarify anything i was unsure about but it often provided me with a new perspective.
To avoid, having a jumble of papers for SACs and revision i did, and would recommend to you guys, to use a plastic pocket with all the notes and questions you want to revise before a SAC - this helped me and will hopefully help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed with work and papers.
5) KEEP AHEAD OF THE CLASSROOM
Before coming to class i would find out what topic was to be covered in the next class and read through the relevant chapter in my text book. This way
my understanding of the coursework was solid and any gaps in my knowledge could be filled in through reiteration or a different explanation. I even attempted some of the exercises in advance (not all but you will have to complete the exercises eventually)
By working through materials in advance of school you will be consolidating this information for the second time in the
classroom. Your understanding of examinable materials will be greatly improved, and you will find it so much easier to
complete homework,
improving confidence levels and dramatically reducing study time. Moreover, i noticeably realised that working through materials for the second time at school has the added benefit of engraining examinable materials deeper
into my long term memory, which, ultimately decreased the amount of time i spent preparing for exams at the end of the year.
At the end of the day the VCE and ATARSs and all that are just numbers, they aren't a reflection of whether or not a person will be successful in the future. There are many different ways and different paths to take. In other words, it's not the end of the world if you don't get the score you want, the sun will come up the next day. At this time no one is even talking about ATARs.
If any of you have any questions regarding study tips/advice for individual subjects please feel free to ask. It is a great community here on AN, with members wanting to make your VCE experience as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. I will update this post so stay posted
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