VTAC Information Evening - Wednesday 3 August 7:00pm
Next Wednesday evening, a VTAC Information session will be held in the Senior Centre agora for all Year 12 students and their parents. Students have been researching and preparing for the opening of VTAC course applications on Monday 1 August. The following topics will be covered during the evening:
- Steps to complete your application
- SEAS and scholarships
- Results and offers
- Scaling and the ATAR
Please join us for supper following the information session.
SEAS (Special Entry Access Scheme)
SEAS allows Selection Officers at institutions to grant special consideration for course entry to applicants.
Category 1: Should be completed by all students. It requires no additional documentation.
Category 2: Disadvantaged financial background
Category 3: Disability or medical condition
Category 4: Difficult circumstances e.g. disruption to living situation, affected by illness or death of relative/friend, natural disaster, refugee status, impact of COVID-19 remote learning – this category should be completed by all students.
If you would like to discuss a personal SEAS application, please contact the Year 12 Coordinator or Head of Senior School. For more information about SEAS documentation, visit www.vtac.edu.au
VTAC Dates
- 1 August – VTAC applications open
- 29 September – timely applications close
- 7 October – SEAS applications, supporting documentation and scholarships applications close
- 12 December – Victorian ATAR released
Open Days
University Open Days provide a valuable opportunity to view both campus facilities and accommodation. This year most universities are offering the option of on site tours or virtual experiences. Due to our location, considerable travel is required to attend Open Days and it can be helpful to commence visits in Year 10 or 11. Information regarding Open Days has been shared with students. Please contact the College if you would like further information.
Study tips for VCE students
Writing notes in class
Minimise the amount of notes you write while a teacher is delivering their class. Students who divide their attention between listening, watching, comprehending and writing notes will only remember about 5% of what was presented 72 hours later – as opposed to 50% if they didn’t write at the same time. You’re also likely to miss vital concepts, resulting in additional study requirements outside school hours.
Time boxing
Allocate a time limit in which to complete each individual task. Time boxing forces you to complete tasks sooner and to work smarter (work has a tendency to expand and fill the time that is available for its completion). To further improve efficiency, give yourself 25% less time than you conservatively estimate it will take you to complete a task. This forces you to get creative and find more efficient ways to work.
Ask questions
When faced with a difficult topic or problem, don’t shy away from asking questions. There is no point in sitting through class without knowing what your peers or teacher are actually talking about, so speak up! More often than not, someone else has the same question in mind and will be, albeit silently, thanking you.
A stitch in time saves nine
Don’t leave past examination papers to the last minute. Many of the skills you’ll need to complete the exam paper correctly cannot be developed in the space of a few weeks. Therefore, start working through past examination questions ASAP.
Sleep, memory & learning
During REM sleep, your brain consolidates and processes the information you’ve learned during the day, forms neural connections that strengthen memory, and replenishes its supply of neurotransmitters. The more REM stages per night, the greater the amount of information that is stored in long-term memory. Therefore, aim for at least 7.5 hours of sleep on regular nights (9 hours on days spent preparing for tests and exams).
Multitasking
Stop multitasking. Not only is it less efficient (productivity decreases by 40%), it drops your IQ by 10 points. This means more unnecessary mistakes that you’ll only have to go back and correct, wasting even more precious time.
Temptations
It’s much easier to procrastinate when you have games and the internet ready to access at every weak moment. Even worse is the knowledge that your friends are most likely chatting on social media. The solution? Make a study pact with your friends. Download a distraction blocker app and block all social media sites for an agreed period of time. Then you’ll know that you’re not missing out on anything on Facebook, making it so much easier to get stuck into your studies.
Light and sleep
Blue wavelengths of light from the screens of smart phones, tablet computers and e-readers suppresses the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin, delaying sleep onset and making us feel alert. Experts recommend that these devices should not be used 1-2 hours before sleep. If evening electronics are necessary, use blue-light filter glasses. Alternatively, blue light filters can be installed on screens. A variety of apps are available that reduce the emissions of blue light from phones and computers. Examples include F.lux (iPhone and PC) and Twilight (Android).
Dehydration and it’s effects on learning and exam marks
Even mild dehydration (<2%) which is characterised by a mildly dry mouth and dry lips can decrease concentration and test performance by 10 to 20%. Therefore, drink one glass of water every 15 minutes. Your alertness and energy levels will greatly improve when you’re sufficiently hydrated. At the very least, the levels of stress hormone (cortisol) will drop significantly within 10 minutes.
Feeling sleepy while studying?
Decrease the temperature in your study area. If necessary, layer up with clothes and open a window so you get a continual supply of fresh air. Air from cooling or heating vents is recycled throughout the house and often has a lower concentration of oxygen, so keep a window partially open when using an air conditioner.
Be specific
Telling yourself that you have to study for your exams can be overwhelming, especially when you’re tired or beginning to feel anxious. Instead of saying you’re going to study, set a task that has a clear end point. For example, you could read a chapter from a text book, complete half an exam paper, or work through 20 exam questions.
Power hours
Find your ‘power hours’ – the times of the day where your energy, focus and motivation are at their highest levels. Use these times to complete difficult or challenging tasks. Do not work on concentration intensive tasks when your alertness and energy levels are low. Not only will you make avoidable mistakes, tasks will require more time and effort to complete, increasing the likelihood of you becoming overwhelmed or demotivated. Use these times to eat, relax, clean, sort, research or answer emails.
Test at the beginning of each revision session
Start every revision session with a test so you can determine what needs to be reviewed from the previous day’s study session and which areas need the greatest attention in the new topic being addressed.
Mark questions along the way
Circle or highlight the questions you can’t answer or answer incorrectly, as you come across them. You’ll be able to quickly identify which questions should be re-visited before your exams, saving you considerable amounts in study time.
Get ahead
If you know what your teacher plans to cover, read the relevant passages or pages of the textbook before you go to class. This provides you with a scaffold of understanding: you will have an idea of the broader picture, which will help you identify the important points as the teacher introduces them. Even if you don’t understand things completely, you will have an idea of what you don’t understand so that you can make sure you pay close attention and/or ask well-thought-out questions when those topics come up. It also means you will already recognise everything you are shown in class, improving your ability to recall this information later.
The power of teaching
Try to explain a difficult concept to your pet, a stuffed animal, or a willing human! Teaching someone is the most effective way to learn, and will also highlight any gaps in your understanding.
Practice testing
After learning a topic or subtopic, test your knowledge and further engrain information into long-term memory using practice testing. Examples include:
- Asking yourself questions and answering them. Flash cards are great for this
- Doing practice questions without the aid of notes or textbook materials
- Sitting tests in a testing environment
- Stating answers and then working out the corresponding question.
Study in different environments
Most students believe that it is more effective to conduct all study in the one quiet location. However, it has been shown that studying in different environments actually improves how much information is committed to memory. It also assists in the development of new neural pathways – which speeds up future learning, as well as how effectively we can retrieve and apply information. So try to study in as many different locations as you can!
What should I do during breaks?
When you’re preparing for tests and exams, it’s important to take a 10-minute break every hour. Use this time to relax or exercise, or to engage in an activity you enjoy – as long as NO technology is involved! Not only do the breaks give your mind a rest from learning, doing something different will actually improve brain function.
Effects of breakfast
People who eat a good quality breakfast (high in protein, low in simple carbohydrates) perform to a higher standard in tests and exams (up to 40% in one study!). They are also much less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression
Tips courtesy of The School of Excellence (TSFX)
VCE Important dates
- GAT (General Achievement Test) - Wednesday 7 September
- VCE Trial Exams at the HTLC campus – Monday 26 September to Friday 3 October
- Year 12 Last Day – Tuesday 18 October
- VCE written exams (English) - Wednesday 26 October, 9:00am to 12:15pm
- Year 12 Valedictory Service and Dinner – Friday 18 November
- Final day of 2022 classes for Year 10 and 11 students – Friday 9 December
Mrs Sally Kuchel, Head of Senior School
