How

to ace your VCE a students perspective 8/05/12 Edward Cliff, Connect Education

Practical Advice how you can create more time to do homework and study 1. Kill procrastination Just do it! a. Facebook, twitter, gaming do you really need them to get you through year 12? Give them up at least a month before exams. b. Set yourself study plans or timetables whatever works for you i. Give yourself a way to monitor your own effectiveness ii. Generally you need a short (10 min) break every hour be strict iii. Never a single subject for more than half a day 2. Set yourself a goal seriously, do it. a. Write it down be realistic but aim high i. Use ATAR calculator once if you like, but dont go back. b. Set yourself a reward c. Visualise your results 3. Get some sleep 8 hours per night. a. Learn more b. Do homework faster and more efficiently c. Get better results d. Be a nicer person and enjoy your day more! 4. Stay healthy to prevent burnout a. Eat and drink well helps you concentrate and increases productivity i. Fruit, vegetables vitamins ii. Drink plenty of water iii. Minimise alcohol b. Exercise keep fit; helps concentration + efficiency (5x 30 mins per week) i. Get outside for some vitamin D ii. Find a team sport / something you can do with friends so its fun (if thats too much, go for a decent walk) iii. Give yourself a mental break great stress release iv. Keep going even in SWOTVAC!!! c. Other extra-curricular activities e.g. music very important i. Great stress and endorphin release ii. Time away from books increases your productivity when studying iii. Fun & worthwhile this is what your final years at school are all about!! Follow your passions and keep up your hobbies. 5. Utilise otherwise wasted time a. Laminate diagrams for the shower and put signs up around your house i. Should get to the point that you can recite them from memory! b. Prepare study cards or listen to podcasts on public transport i. e.g. Douchys Biology Podcast, LOTE podcasts ii. You can also study in boring assemblies, for example! connecteducation.com.au Connect Education 2012

How to ace your VCE a students perspective 8/05/12 Edward Cliff, Connect Education

Study Advice how you can use that time more effectively to get better results (If you are in year 10 or year 11 choose subjects that you ENJOY!) 1. Maximise use of class time a. Prepare for class read + highlight b. Concentrate in class i. Have a system ii. Answer questions in your head 2. Approach and listen to your teachers they mark your SACs!! a. Highlight / tab difficult questions b. Make an appointment to see them outside of class c. Submit lots of work for marking (esp. Englishes, LOTEs) 3. Work together with your friends and peers a. Study groups online (Skype) and physical i. Learning by teaching b. Share notes, essays, practice questions and other resources c. Online study forums such as atarnotes.com d. Run practice exams together (esp. practical exams e.g. oral) i. Learning by doing 4. If you want to write notes, write them early a. There are many other (often more) effective methods of study b. Stay ahead of the class c. Acquire resources early (today!) d. Make them comprehensive and review them consistently 5. Prepare for assessment a. Read important bits of study design so you know what to expect b. Ask for practice SACs and make sure you know what they are testing c. Checkpoints exam questions from NOW d. Highlight / tab hard questions to come back to closer to exams e. Attempt as many practice exams as possible f. Read assessment reports so you can learn from last years exams and common errors this tells you exactly what the examiners want g. See my upcoming blog post on how to prepare for and ace VCE exams i. connecteducation.tumblr.com h. Come to a lecture! Hear a different perspective to add to what your teachers said

connecteducation.com.au Connect Education 2012