victory at the vce

Year 12 students from Victoria speak to PREETI JABBAL and SHERYL DIXIT about their

experiences,

Balance and motivation

ANGAD PANESAR

Glen Waverly Secondary College

Managing the pressure

Maintaining a work/life balance is a vital part of VCE. The undue pressure of rigorous and continuous testing, SACs and exams does take its strain mentally and physically, yet constant studying was not the answer for me. Maintaining relationships with those around you at school and at home is needed to allow you to relax and maintain a balance. I had close friends and family acting as pillars of support to motivate me in achieving my aspirations and I feel that despite the study techniques, timetables and tuition, maintaining a work/life balance remains the most significant factor.

Self motivation is the key

During the tough year, you need to be self-motivated with key aims and goals for what you want to achieve. Family and friends can assist you along your journey, but mental strength and a clear desire to succeed allows you to maintain focus and stay on task. My family adjusted and sacrificed a lot of their spare time to allow me to study for which I cannot thank them enough, because without them I do not feel I could have reached my goal.

Future aspirations

At the moment I don’t have a vivid image of my ideal job, yet I am focussing on completing my Commerce Degree and enjoying University life, taking it year by year and seeing where life takes me. I am definitely looking at studying overseas for at least a semester as I enjoy travelling to grasp a better understanding of the world outside of Melbourne.

A quick tip

I would advise future VCE students to not succumb to social and household pressure and to enjoy their year. Many Year 12 students fail to enjoy the amazing experience of their final year and tend to lean towards isolation. So enjoy your Year 12 and fulfill your aspirations, rather than those of others!

Contributed To Their Success Stories And Their Future Plans

Study and socialising

Lisa Panigrahi Mac. Robertson Girls’ High School

ATAR 99.75

Consistent study

Studying consistently was imperative for me. About two hours a night on weeknights and a few more on weekends was more than enough, but I kept that up throughout the year. On top of that, I made sure I did other things too, like extracurricular activities and socialisation. What never worked for me was staying up late, or studying for long hours on end. I usually stopped at about 9pm on weeknights.

Parents weren’t pushy!

Studying smart

Siddharth Jain

Box Hill High School

ATAR: 99.30

A strategic approach

For me, consistency was the key to my VCE success. I tried to study throughout the year, and did not rely simply on cramming before SACs and exams. This meant developing individual study habits and not falling into some of the slack habits of my classmates. I also found completing two 3/4 subjects in Year 11 extremely helpful. This gave me an insight into the pressures you face during an actual exam, what examiners are actually looking for and how to structure my answers correctly. It also took a massive amount of workload away from me in my final year, and allowed me to focus on four subjects in Year 12, rather than 6.

Achieving my goal

My inspiration to do well was to secure a spot into my desired course. I knew that if I did not work hard this year, it would come back to bite me in the future, and if I got below my desired ATAR it could possibly add a few more years to my further study at Uni. My support throughout the year was my family who were happy to work around me, as well as my teachers who were always willing to help me. Maths on the mind

I plan to pursue Commerce at Melbourne University and ultimately major in actuarial studies. I have always found maths interesting, which is why I will go into a field that is mathematically orientated. I have also always wanted to teach and help other students, and have started tutoring already. I thoroughly enjoy teaching my core understanding of the subjects.

A quick tip

Study smart, not hard, would be my advice to future VCE students. I did not study for long each day; however in the time that I did spend studying, I made sure I understood the core concepts behind the subject. Try to go beyond what is required of you, and make sure you actually understand what you are doing. Future students should also utilise their teachers and tutors. They are there to help, and if you have the slightest bit of doubt about something, don’t hesitate to approach them and ask for help. You will find that most teachers are more than willing to help after school or during lunchtime. Lastly, I would recommend doing subjects you actually enjoy, which will keep you more motivated and more likely to succeed in subjects you find interesting.

I was generally pretty much in control of things over the year, but sometimes there’d be a hectic week with assignments from all of my subjects, and I’d feel a bit overwhelmed. At those times, I felt it really helped to talk to my form teacher in particular. He would calm me down and provide assurance. My parents were wonderful as well; they never pushed me and instead, trusted that I knew how to handle myself. My friends and I all supported each other, too.

Commerce for me

I’m doing a Bachelor of Commerce next year, and at the moment, I intend to study Law afterwards. At some point in time, I’d love to travel, especially through Europe. A quick tip

Work consistently and steadily. Don’t try to do too much, because you’ll burn yourself out halfway through the year. If you had a study pattern in previous years that proved disastrous, chances are, it won’t work this year either. It’s vital that you spread time evenly between all your subjects, the easy ones and the harder ones. If you’re struggling with something, badger your teacher immediately until you understand. Get on top of your weaknesses early before they grow and become massive problems, and consolidate your strengths. And most importantly, enjoy yourself! VCE isn’t that bad if you keep a handle on it and you’ll have so many good memories to look back on in future years.

Relieve stress, soothe the mind

Carl Buhariwala

Camberwell Boys Grammar School

Seeking a balance

One cannot only study for the whole year and expect to receive magnificent results. As there is to eating and exercise, people need to seek a balance. For me it was sports, music, keeping in touch with friends and studying. For me such a combination in my daily routine was vital, as sports relieve stress and tension, music soothes the mind and friends help to distract the mind away from study, as well as be of some assistance in times of need. The VCE success equation is only balanced when all factors are employed. Otherwise the mind becomes too engrossed in academics and students will become too emotionally attached to achieving high marks. During my VCE I even took time to learn the guitar! The VCE is not all about attaining the highest score possible, but about finding a balance that will help achieve the best score that you can obtain. Working tirelessly every day and then becoming sick from the lack of Vitamin D only delays learning in the future. Maintaining a steady work routine will have long-term benefits. In short, working continuously did not work for me and balancing study did.

Mentor support

My teachers were my inspiration and my parents supported me. When you have faith in your teachers and parents, the year is not as tough as you expect. While personal circumstances are not the same for everyone, these two types of mentors will help you in every way possible. Your teachers have seen previous students sit the same course, so they should be well accustomed to helping you with your problems and fostering your success. One thing I learnt in my VCE was to always ask questions and near feel shy. Do not feel scared to learn, so put up your hand and ask because knowledge is powerful. Also, ask your parents for guidance as they provide a perspective neither your friends nor your teachers can provide. They know you more than you can imagine. Set goals. For me, English was my weak point, but by writing plenty of essays (and that means, with a pen!) and creating my own method of understanding English, I managed to score much higher than I had intended at the start of the year. While time does fly, there is plenty of time to excel in your subject even if you start off from a low level. Lastly, ensure your parents maintain a social life, because they are the beacon for happiness and when they function properly, you as their children will do the same.

At University, I plan to pursue the double degree, Law and Commerce and Monash University at Clayton. I then wish to complete a Masters in Law (JD). After I work at a commerce or law firm, my long term ambition is to start a firm dealing with small claims and incidents through mediation.

Maintain a balance throughout the year. Become involved in everything the school has to offer. Become preoccupied with many other things other than study alone. Those who are keen on doing well will focus on studying hard and forget to spend time on other activities. Becoming involved from the beginning will help you to focus on extra-curricular activities as well as putting pen to paper. The majority of people need a balance. Without it, continuous studying fuels greater tension and social isolation. In addition to seeking a balance, enjoy the year. Past students told me before I did my VCE that Year 12 will be one of the best years in your life. I have got to admit that they were right, and you will also realise that as time flies by, you will yearn for Year 12 to come around again.

Perseverance and patience

Jasnit Kaur

Korowa Anglican Girls’ School

ATAR 96.35

Staying calm and persevering

Throughout the year, I kept it a priority to stay calm and persevere whilst maintaining a balanced life. At times however, it became necessary to spend the majority of my time studying, such as when a SAC was approaching. One hurdle I had to overcome was procrastination and I had to work hard to remain focussed to achieve my goals. Another thing that helped keep the year in perspective was writing everything on a wall calendar. I would record assignment due dates, SACS and exam dates and having it in a place that I could always see it helped me keep my focus. Desire to achieve

I received a tremendous amount of support from both my parents and my school. Both my mom and dad even drove me to wherever I needed to be so that I did not have to waste time travelling. The support from school came mainly in the form of teachers’ assistance and aid from my friends and peers who were always willing to clarify what I didn’t understand, or assist with last minute revision. As for inspiration, I was driven by my desire to achieve my best, which spurred me to work as hard as I did. Science is the life for me

In the immediate future I plan to study Science at Melbourne University and then eventually move onto either Dentistry or Accounting. Choosing the Bachelor of Science degree allows me to keep my options open and I have time to think before deciding what I want to do.

A quick tip between one’s school and social life. It’s difficult to stay motivated if there is never any reward for all the hard work being put in. Throughout the year, I did constant study so that I was always in touch and up to date with the subject matter, but I also made time to go to parties and enjoy what was the best year of my school life. A good way to stay motivated is to set yourself goals and targets, and if you’re super organised, make a timetable that you can stick to. For me, checklists were crucial, as it ensured that I completed all the assigned work and the satisfaction of ticking off completed tasks helped to keep me motivated and to put VCE into perspective; it doesn’t have to be a daunting and depressing year.

Students should not underestimate the aid that they can gain from their friends and also their family - definitely take advantage of all the help they can give. Future VCE students should keep focus on the goals they have set. It’s a long and important year and knowing what I wanted to achieve inspired me to work harder.

Parents provide safety net

Friends and family are very important when it comes to staying motivated, but they can also be a distraction. There were times when I was glad that my parents left the house, as it provided me with some much-needed peace and quiet. It’s ridiculous how distracting chatting mums can be! However, there are times when parents’ presence is appreciated; nothing beats the safety net that they provide. I know that I wouldn’t have made it through the year without my father’s wisdom and motivation, and my mother’s jovial attitude. Parents need to work out the balance between constantly nagging their children and leaving them to their own devices. Maximising study time isn’t only up to the VCE student; parents play a major role too. I think it’s time that parents gave their children more credit; chances are that if they show that they trust and believe in their children’s capabilities, their children will do everything they can to ensure that they do not disappoint.

Studying and travelling

My plans for the future include studying Commerce at the University of Melbourne, travelling the world and having a successful career in the business world. We’ve travelled a lot already, and I know many believe that exploring new countries and cultures is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I don’t want that to be the case for me. The business world provides me with the opportunity to travel and meet new people, and since I’ve always been interested in the subjects of accounting, economics and finance, this seems to be the perfect career path for me.

A quick tip

Overall, in order to do well, it’s imperative to set goals and targets; it’s easier to achieve something when you know exactly what you want. However, goals should be realistic – don’t aim to do an entire chapter of Methods, Chemistry and write five English essays in one day – that’s silly and de-motivating as it will seem as though you’re incapable of achieving your targets. Another tip is to not leave revision for the night before a SAC. Do a little revision every night leading up to the SAC, and chances are you’ll feel more prepared and less like you’re going to explode from information overload. But most importantly, find a balance between work and fun. Year 12 was the best year of my life despite the stress of VCE only because I gave myself time off to enjoy life – don’t ruin the best year of your school-life by studying 24/7; being a human encyclopedia doesn’t sound like much fun.