YEAR 11 VCE EXCELLENCE

YEAR 11 VCE SUCCESS

Our 2020 Year 11 VCE students, the Class of 2021, exemplified excellence in their VCE exams. Students met the challenge of completing VCE with skill, composure and maturity. We are proud of their achievement and wish them, and their peers, well for the year ahead.

SAMY ASSAFIRI

Samy Assafiri achieved a Study Score of 46 in Legal Studies: the highest Study Score in Year 11 and the second highest SCG Study Score in the 2020 VCE exams.

Samy’s interest in how the Australian legal and parliamentary systems work together to ensure justice, and his goal to pursue politics in the future, drew him to studying Legal Studies. However, after starting studying the subject, he realised that his interests extended beyond the overall structure of the legal system and into law reform. His teacher, Jacqui Filonenko, nurtured his interests and passion for Legal Studies by providing him with clear feedback, resources and many practise questions and SACs to complete as he progressed through each study topic. “My teacher throughout all units 1-4 of Legal Studies Ms. Filonenko, nurtured my interests in it by always providing me with the necessary resources to progress my knowledge. I was provided with many practice questions and SAC’s to complete as I progressed through each topic that would be regularly marked for feedback," Samy said. "It was only though the many very specific questions that I would ask Ms. Filonenko that I was truly able to progress my knowledge. She assisted me in making many links between legal content and recent examples that provided me with the ability to extend my responses in my SACs and the final exam." Doing well in his Legal Studies exam has given Samy greater confidence as he works towards completing his remaining VCE subjects in 2021. Samy plans on studying a Bachelor of Law and Commerce as the course strikes a perfect balance between his interests in finance and in the justice system, and “work together to complement each other.” Samy’s advice to students studying Legal Studies or planning to study the subject is to “remain consistent.” “Due to the content heavy nature of the subject, many students will often be overwhelmed by the amount of content that has built up for them to learn and revise right before a SAC or the final exam. To combat this struggle, I would advise answering just a few practice questions and taking notes immediately after each lesson, providing you with a solid foundation to revise when necessary.”

Joanne's aptitude for Business Management saw her achieve a Study Score of 44: the second-highest in Year 11.

Joanne was inspired by her parents' entrepreneurship to study Business Management. “Both of my parents work in business, so I was initially interested in the subject when it was offered,” Joanne said. Joanne’s course work saw her learn about the various aspects of a business and how they function, together, to make a business successful for its customers and for those that manage it. Preparing for her first VCE exam in 2020 was a challenge as a result of remote learning, and having to prioritise and balance the exam with her Year 11 exams. “My VCE exam fell on the same week as my Year 11 exams, so it was important for me to both prioritise my preparation and find a balance between all my exams. I prepared for my exam weeks in advance, having completed nine practice exams leading up to the exam,” she said. Joanne hasn’t decided on a future career path yet but is planning to study Biomedicine. She also aspires to follow in her parents’ footsteps and open a business of her own in the future, saying, “Like my parents, I would like to open a business of my own in the future, as it allows me to work on my own agenda and not anyone’s else’s. As I have acquired the basic, yet fundamental knowledge in starting, operating and controlling a business, I think the knowledge I gained from the subject will aid me in opening a business in the future.” Joanne’s advice for students considering studying Business Management is to make use of the resources available to them. “Although [Business Management] is heavy in content, there is a fair amount of common sense and critical thinking, so it is fairly easy to grasp. Ideally, if you have a good understanding and memory of the aspects taught in the business study design, this will greatly benefit you in your SACs and exam."

JAMES KOJDOVSKI

Applied Computing (Data Analytics) was a highlight in 2020 with students achieving a median Study Score of 38. James Kojdovski ranked first in the subject with a Study Score of 40.

James’ life-long interest in working with technology and exploring its endless possibilities drew him to study Applied Computing as he prepares for his future. “I have always liked working with technology, and have a passion for it,” James said. “Technology is growing at a rapid rate, and it is only going to become more prominent within our everyday lives, so it was beneficial for me to prepare myself for the future.” VCE Applied Computing facilitates student design-led learning and builds students’ critical and creative thinking capabilities, and their Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills as they formulate projects and work with data to create digital solutions for real-world problems. A major feature of the Applied Computing (Data Analytics) unit is a semester long School-AssessedTask (SAT) divided into two parts, which sees students propose a research question, collect and analyse data, and develop and evaluate infographics or dynamic data visualisations. “I enjoyed this specific assessment as I was given the creative freedom to choose the topic,” James said. “I was required to create a research question of my choice and present a report with all my findings, along with two infographics. I then collected over 100 pieces of primary data, comparing this with secondary data found online, and created a range of graphs to support my research question.” With Applied Computing providing pathways to further studies in areas such as computer science, and to careers in digital technologies such as web design and business analysis, James plans on working with technology in his future career. “My experience with the subject has been very resourceful as I am able to take away extensive knowledge and skills to apply to future career paths. I would love to pursue a career within either Software Engineering or Sports Science, which are both industries heavily reliant on technology.” James’ advice for students considering studying Applied Computing is to have an interest in technology: “You will enjoy undertaking the subject much more and it will motivate you to want to strive and do well.”