Succeeding in "Small" VCE Subjects

Christina Howard completed her VCE in 2016, and now studies a Bachelor of Arts at Monash University. Having studied several of them herself, she knows a thing or two about the “smaller” VCE subjects! If you have any VCE questions, jump onto this thread here to have them answered.

A “small” subject is, generally, one with fewer enrolments or a lack of resources. For this reason, you might perceive it more difficult, and bypass studying it altogether.But if you’re passionate about a subject, interested, or just want to try something new, you should absolutely give it a go. And well done to those who have! But I understand that these subjects can be a little daunting. So, here are my top six tips to scoring well in a “small” VCE subject.

1. SEARCH HIGH AND LOW FOR RESOURCES

I promise you: resources are out there! Many, many people have studied whatever subject you’re studying now. This might seem like a hassle, but don’t let it scare you off! Researching is an incredibly useful skill to have and something you’ll be expected to do on your own at university, so VCE is good time to get in some practice.

A good place to start is looking at other schools’ websites. Although you might be studying a small subject, you can expect that another – or several – schools are likely studying the same thing. Also, don’t be afraid to search for subject resources under a different qualification. Not only can you search for academic journals and articles, or consult resources and notes from universities – you can also search for GCSE and A-Level subject resources. You might find that while your subject isn’t popular here, it might be elsewhere. Of course, you’ll have to consider here what’s relevant and what’s irrelevant, but that’s all part of the fun!

But one of the best places is the ATAR Notes Forums, where you can find nifty guides. Like this one for Philosophy. And this resource thread for Geography. Amazing!

2. LECTURES

So none of the “big” lecture companies offer lectures for your subject. You’re screwed, right? Nope – wrong! More than likely, there is an organisation dedicated to the subject you’re studying, and these often run mid-year and end-of-year VCE revision lectures, as well as a lot of other great opportunities! For example, these organisations are good for Classical Studies and Philosophy, respectively.

Naturally, ATAR Notes offers lectures for heaps of VCE subjects multiple times throughout the year – and all entirely free. So that’s clearly the way to go if at all possible!

But these lectures for less popular subjects are an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded people and other students who are studying the same subject as you. And this brings me onto my next point:

3. USE YOUR CLASSMATES

You should be discussing certain ideas about topics in class, and your classmates will (hopefully) have some of the most insightful and interesting things to say. These will (hopefully) be helpful come exam time. In any subject that requires analysis or evaluation, bouncing ideas off others is an incredibly useful tool. And that’s not just for VCE, either – the same is true for university subjects.

Your classmates are also your biggest support. Studying a small subject can be frustrating and a little lonely at times, especially if you’re struggling. Don’t be afraid to confide in your classmates about what you’re struggling with. A lot of people see VCE as a competition against their classmates, but I don’t like to think of it that way. Remember, it’s best if everyone does well, so help others and they will do the same for you.

4. USE YOUR TEACHER

Your teacher might just be the most important resource you have. They are there to guide you, and should be well-versed in the subject’s content, as well as what to expect on the exam.

Of course, you might not always agree with or get along with your teacher. That’s fine, too. But try to keep things professional; you don’t have to like them, but you should be respectful and at least take their advice on board (especially for SACs, as they’re the one’s marking them!).

5. THE OBVIOUS ONE: PREPARE!

This applies to all subjects, but smaller subjects often require that little bit of extra preparation and effort. Unlike Further Mathematics or Health and Human Development, there aren’t a wealth of notes available to start learning a few weeks before the exam. As I said earlier, you’ll need to search for your own resources, and you should be compiling notes early on and throughout the year- not at the very last minute!

You’ll also want to expose yourself to as many exam-style questions as possible. The VCAA uploads previous years’ exams for your subjects, so this is a good place to start in order to gain an understanding of what the exam looks like, as well as what might be on the exam. Not only should you be using these exams, but you should also be examining them. What do I mean by this? Ask yourself: what is on the previous exams? And what isn’t? This will give you a hint about what might be on this year’s exam!

Still confused? I’ll tell you a little secret: VCAA never repeats exam questions.

So, you’re still a little worried about the exam. What if you don’t know a question? What if you interpret a question wrong? Let me tell you another secret: VCAA isn’t the evil monster you believe it to be; they account for these inconsistencies!

— An anecdote —

One year, in Philosophy, there was a question on John Locke’s text and his thought experiment concerning the severed limb (it’s weird, I know – stay with me). But in the same text, there’s another very similar thought experiment: the severed hand. The ideas are very similar, but still slightly different. The problem is, most people didn’t catch onto the differences when answering the question, and started using the terms “hand” and “limb” interchangeably.

In other words, people interpreted the questions incorrectly, but a lot of people did it. So VCAA couldn’t just mark everyone incorrect, right? When this happens, examiners will widen the scope of what can be considered a correct answer. Moral of the story? Don’t freak out if a question can be interpreted in multiple ways and you’re not sure how to answer it. Give it a go anyway – if everyone struggles, VCAA will account for it.

6. THE ATAR NOTES FORUMS

If you’re not currently using the ATAR Notes Forums – well, you should be.

There are specific subject boards for literally every single VCE subject, so it’s a great place to check out. If there’s not a discussion thread that you’re looking for, make one yourself!

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Of course, I understand that none of this is exactly ideal. So I’ll give you two final tips:

Firstly, write your own questions. This is an easy way to test your understanding of the subject’s content.

And secondly, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher for resources. They probably have heaps! They also might write you up some sample exams or questions – or at least point you in the right direction.

Under-resourced subjects can be intimidating and lonely, but they’re also some of the most interesting out there! Best of luck for the rest of the year.