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The thing I liked best about English was… being able to explore my own ideas through texts, and creative writing. The course really doesn’t talk down to students and, coupled with the diversity of texts on offer, allows the construction of your own arguments and ideas. Its emphasis on that independent approach was really important to me.

The best advice I can give students about English is… there is no one right way to do English. Be courageous and set your own independent work standards. Dive deeper than the class or your teacher into that text, essay or story and discover something that resonates with you. This might mean reading academic articles, or researching the history of the novel you are studying. If you can find something you love and are interested in, you will do better in the exam. The best way to do English is to do what you love, so make it work for you!

The best advice I got from my English teacher was… it’s all about quality not quantity. Do not waste your time doing practice papers when you haven’t perfected your essay writing. Instead, put effort into taking the steps towards an excellent essay. Create a quote bank, construct effective sentences, and keep re-drafting till you write that perfect paper. Then, and only then, start writing to time. That’s not to say don’t study or practice, just study smart! Focus on the things you need to improve, so while everyone else is pumping out half-prepared practices, you will be getting ahead.

One month before the final English exam, I… began writing regular practices. Every week I tried to complete two practice papers, one to time, and one spread across the week, so by the end of each week I had six essays. I would then annotate these essays, compiling a list of spelling errors and new sentences and re-drafting essays.

One week before the final English exam, I… wrote one essay a day. Rotating through each English task, I attempted the most difficult questions and practice papers – the ones I had been avoiding most of the year. Having already done a lot of practice essays, this week was about preparing for the worst-case scenario, focusing on ways to tackle unexpected or difficult prompts.

On English exam day, I prepared myself by… keeping calm and focused. I got up early and gave myself heaps of time to eat breakfast and travel to school. At school I chatted to teachers and friends and tried to enjoy myself. In the exam room I used deep breathing to keep me calm and determined!

After the English exam, I…. had a quick chat to my teachers and friends about what we thought of the paper, and then went home. I had no other exams for the week, and there was little I could gain from dwelling on how I went in the exam. I relaxed for that evening and then threw myself into preparing for the next exam I had.

The best exam advice I received was…to have fun! Remember that VCE and Year 12 is the best and last year of your entire schooling so don’t forget to enjoy it. A lot of people say Year 12 is horrible and hard work, but if you study smart and stay on top of things, it is really manageable, and a time when you make the most precious memories. Treasure your final year at school; make it worthwhile.

I did not work a part-time job during Year 12 because… I was way too busy! But that’s not to say I just did school work. Most mornings I had orchestra or band practice, and most afternoons I had training or debating. I honestly believe I did better in VCE by putting work aside during the year to focus on other activities.

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Study tips from Premier’s VCE Award recipients

LukeMacaronasSt Kevin’s CollegeStudy Score = 50

ENGLISH

Don’t waste your time doing practice papers when you haven’t perfected your essay writing.

After the English Language exam, I…. felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. I wasn’t particularly happy with what I had written during the exam, but at the same time I knew there was nothing else I could do at that point. That said, I spent a few hours after the exam thinking about what else I could have written, partly to give myself a sense of having satisfactorily completed the exam questions even if not during the actual exam, and partly because I’d managed to convince myself that the subject was interesting enough to keep me thinking about the exam essay topics even after the exam.

The best exam advice I received was…be reasonable with yourself. Don’t overwork yourself and make sure you get enough sleep. Don’t stress too much about what has already happened (such as a bad SAC mark) and focus instead on what you can realistically still do. However, remember that it’s okay to spend time getting over minor setbacks or disappointments if that’s what you need to do.

I did not work a part-time job during Year 12 because… I thought having to deal with VCE would be hard enough without having to think about a part-time job as well.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE


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The thing I liked best about English Language was… the way it concerns language use in the modern world. You’ll find the language features being analysed in class appearing in the dialogue of people around you! You develop something of a descriptivist attitude to language use through learning about the varieties of English used by different social and cultural groups, as well as how language has changed over time. I think I’ve become more appreciative of the presence of both standard and non-standard English in society.

The best advice I can give students about English Language is… write heaps of essays! If you haven’t written many essays yet and are unsure of what to write about, it’s beneficial to first read other people’s essays and take note of ideas you could use. As for the actual essay writing, I found that it was easier to start by breaking the process down into smaller components. For example, just listing what you could potentially talk about and thinking about what sort of quotes you might like to use. I would advise looking for quotes at the same time as writing an essay – it’s always easier to look for quotes when you know what sort of quotes you’re looking for. Remember that it’s okay if you take a long time to write your first few essays; these ones are always the hardest because many of the ideas will be new. In later essays, you’ll find that certain

themes will start to reappear, allowing you to reuse ideas you’ve already developed in your previous essays.

The best advice I got from my English Language teacher was… get help if you need it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This applies to all your subjects. If you’re struggling with a concept; feel completely stuck on an essay topic; or want to know what you can do better, ask your teacher to give you a few pointers. This year is not the year to be suffering in silence. Falling behind because you didn’t quite catch what happened in class is something you definitely don’t want to do!

One month before the final English Language exam, I… started to complete entire practice exams, but not under timed conditions. For the short answer section, I worked on answering questions to an extent that I was satisfied with, regardless of how long it took. If I found that I was writing too much, I would then work on making my answers more concise and removing anything that wasn’t necessary in addressing the question.

One week before the final English Language exam, I… tried to keep calm. For English Language revision, I planned a bunch of essay topics and read over some of the essays and analytical commentaries I’d written earlier in the year. For my other subjects, I looked through practice exams I’d done previously, paying attention to the mistakes I had made and taking note to not do the same thing in the actual exams.

On English Language exam day, I prepared myself by… not doing much. Luckily for me, my English Language exam was in the afternoon, so I was able to sleep in and be fully awake for the exam. I think I occupied myself by reading my list of quotes.

Michelle ChenMethodist Ladies’ CollegeStudy Score = 50

Don’t overwork yourself, and make sure you get enough sleep.

The thing I liked best about Biology was… that the course managed to explore many different areas of biology, while also ensuring that we went into enough depth to keep it interesting. Topics such as the immune system and genetics allowed me to get a feel for areas that interest me as part of my future career. At the same time, however, there are sections of the course that I found a huge chore to learn (looking at you plant hormones!).

The best advice I can give students about Biology is… remember that there are links everywhere, although some are less obvious than others. I always tried to find these conceptual connections as they helped me understand the content in a way that prevented me from doing mindless memorising (which I absolutely hate!). Don’t expect your teacher to fill in these links for you: you’ll have to work on this yourself. It’s a great way to reinforce your understanding!

The best advice I got from my Biology teacher was… assume the assessor knows nothing. When you answer a question, make sure you write down all the thinking that went into your response. If you leave something out, it may have been the line they were looking for to give you the mark!

One month before the final Biology exam, I… was churning through practice exams. The Term 3 holidays are a time to work consistently. During the weekdays, I did three practice exams a day, while over the weekends I revised content. The sooner you start getting a feel for the VCAA question style, the sooner you start to figure out how a year’s worth of content you’ve learnt transfers to the exam. Of course, you should start Unit 3 practice exams during Term 2!

One week before the final Biology exam, I… did the final VCAA exams that I’d been saving (2014 and 2015), and went into school to talk to my teacher about a few lingering questions. Over the final few days, I went through all the content and made a succinct summary of the things that I had repeatedly got wrong or that never stuck in my memory. The day before the exam, I did no biology!

On Biology exam day, I prepared myself by… feeling confident. By that point, I knew that there was nothing more I could do to prepare for the exam (except for read over my summary of confusing concepts). If you’re going into an exam feeling anything but ready, you haven’t used the last year wisely!

After the Biology exam, I…. interrupted my teacher’s Year 8 class and talked about the exam (oops!). I was very lucky to have a huge gap between Biology and my next exam, so I took the night off.

The best exam advice I received was…nothing that I listened to. My personal strategy has never let me down. During reading time, I read as far through the paper from the start as possible (especially the multi-choice section). Then, as soon as writing time starts, I’m able to race through the multi-choice section because I’ve already answered it all in my head during reading time! This gives me plenty of time to focus on my written responses.

I did not work a part-time job during Year 12 because… I had enough work as it was! VCE is a full-time job, and if you have a leadership role (like I did) your time is even more precious! Also, if you do well during Year 12, you already have a high-paying part-time job lined up: tutoring!


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Lachlan CollinsTrinity Grammar School, KewStudy Score = 50

BIOLOGY

I made a summary of all the things I had repeatedly got wrong…

The thing I liked best about English was… creating the connections between the texts I was studying and the broader picture; learning about myself and the world around me in the process.

The best advice I can give students about English is… to actively seek feedback for your writing. It is important that your writing process includes feedback from others as this is key to your improvement. Without this guidance, you will find yourself repeating the same mistakes and plateauing in terms of your skill level. It can be difficult to confront feedback at first, but analogous to stepping into a cold shower: it will be worth the leap of faith at the end.

The best advice I got from my English teacher was… to just start writing – you cannot wait for the stars and planets to align and for you to suddenly write a perfect piece one day.

One month before the final English exam, I… found myself in a slump where it was difficult for me to find motivation to complete practice exams. I struggled with having confidence in my own writing and yet continued to push myself to write practice essays that were of mediocre quality. This experience helped me realise that my mindset significantly impacted the writing that I could produce. In fact, what eventually helped me out of my slump was for me to shift my focus from writing a high-scoring essay to simply an essay I was happy with in a qualitative sense.

One week before the final English exam, I… wrote very few practice essays. I completed one timed trial exam but otherwise spent my time revising my ideas, quotations and examples, rereading sections of my texts and unpacking topics instead.

On English exam day, I prepared myself by… focusing on the present moment and acknowledging that I had done all that I could in the lead up to the English exam. I checked that I had more than 10 pens with me for reassurance (even though I only ended up using one during the exam) and reminded myself that I was ready for the exam.

After the English exam, I…. tried not to overthink things. I accepted that thinking “What if I did this?” or “I should

have written about that” was futile and that I had tried my best in the time I had to complete the exam.

The best exam advice I received was…to believe in myself. It sounds so simple retrospectively but it is crucial that you do have faith in yourself, your abilities and the hard work you have put in throughout the year. It can be extremely easy to doubt yourself and only see flaws in your writing but remember that your pieces are also exemplifying your strengths to the assessors. You have every right to believe in yourself and the writing that you produce.

I did not work a part-time job during Year 12 because… I wanted to focus on my studies.


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Michelle XinMethodist Ladies’ College

Study Score = 50

ENGLISH

It’s easy to only see flaws in your writing, but remember your pieces also exemplify your strengths.

The thing I liked best about English was… having the chance to dig deep into my own views on a variety of topics. It was interesting to see the novels we were studying reflected in the real world and to explore the human condition. All of my other subjects were maths and sciences so it was great to use my brain in a completely different way and take a break from the seemingly endless calculations!

The best advice I can give students about English is… to perfect your own writing style rather than trying to emulate that of somebody else. Your writing will have the most insight and clarity when it is the best possible version of your natural expression. Try to avoid comparing your writing and your preparation with others. While VCE is a ranking-based system, you should only ever be ‘competing’ with yourself. Someone might be writing four times as many practice essays as you, because they feel they need to in order to succeed! You might not need to do this.

The best advice I got from my English teacher was… to back myself! My teacher helped me to realise that I had been writing consistently well throughout the year and that simply writing in a VCAA booklet wasn’t going to change that.

One month before the final English exam, I… did a full three-hour practice exam! Coincidentally my school had scheduled our English practice exam exactly a month before the final exam which was a great way to get a feel for the final exam and for the preparation that I needed to fit in over the next month.

One week before the final English exam, I… did my second three-hour practice exam at the start of the week, then spent the week writing essays on topics that I didn’t yet feel comfortable with. I didn’t try anything new this week, rather, I revised my quotes and ideas from throughout the year, tweaked and refined any little lapses in expression and tried to make my essays as watertight against examiner criticism as I possibly could, ‘daring them to take a mark off,’ as my teacher would say.

On English exam day, I prepared myself by… eating a decent breakfast! I glanced at my notes and a few of my practice essays to ensure that my favourite quotes and phrases were stuck in my memory, ensured that I had my dictionary, ID, a full supply of pens to choose from and a full water bottle. I tried to stay calm. I made a lot of trips to the bathroom and tried to breathe deeply, joked with my friends, put a bandaid on my bleeding little finger (too many practice essays), saw my teacher, and did some more deep breathing!

After the English exam, I…. had a quick chat with my teacher and then went out for lunch with my mum! Afterwards I went home and filed all of my English notes and practice essays away in my huge folder, which gave me a great sense of closure!

The best exam advice I received was…to get enough sleep! I always made sure I got a good seven to eight hours on the night before a SAC or exam.

I did not work a part-time job during year 12 because… I simply could not have fit one in! I had never worked a part-time job during school because I was heavily involved in my school’s extracurricular activities. I don’t think I was disadvantaged at all in terms of work experience and ‘employability’ by not working a part-time job. My time management skills and efficient study methods had developed throughout high school around extensive extracurricular activities, so the increased workload and pressure of Year 12 was not difficult for me to adapt to.


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Caitlin ColeMentone

Girls’

Grammar SchoolStudy Score = 50

ENGLISH

I made my essays watertight against examiner criticism … ‘daring them to take a mark off’, as my teacher would say.

The thing I liked best about Specialist Mathematics was… the application of pure mathematical skills and logic in a variety of new situations. The subject was one completely void of rote learning and the mindless recital of memorised facts. Instead, success always lied in the ability to take a basic and often fundamental mathematical concept and use it in weird and wondrous scenarios - abstract or realistic.

The best advice I can give students about Specialist Mathematics… may seem relatively obvious. It is practice. However, this practice must be done the right way to be effective. My Methods teacher had an eloquent theory on the matter. He used to say that every student has an individual ‘critical mass of questions’ that they must complete for each topic before they get to the point where they can be assured that they will make no mistakes. Mathematics is about perfectionism. It is only once you can consistently use a mathematical

concept without any errors that you can move on to apply it. At this point, you must become a machine. By completing as many different types of application questions as you can, you are guaranteeing that nothing on the final exam will throw you.

One month before the final Specialist Mathematics exam, I… was in full flight. We had completed all the coursework and so, I was powering through my revision. The key to VCE is organisation, so by this stage I had ensured that I had reviewed all the basic concepts on the course so I could dive into exam-style questions. The earlier you do this, the better, as it allows greater exposure to a wider variety of question styles and types, thus decreasing your chances of disorientation on the exam. For maths, practice exams are your greatest resource. By completing as many as possible and reviewing them thoroughly, you become a more able mathematical perfectionist – one who has seen all, and makes no mistakes.

One week before the final Specialist Mathematics exam… the rate at which I was completing practice exams had decreased. I had left only a few, more recent past exams to complete in the lead-up to the actual exam. This was to ensure I had a firm understanding of the current format and question types (these things change with time). However, although my rate of question completion had dropped slightly, I was reviewing all my exams and SACs frequently – making sure I understood all the mistakes I had made throughout the year, listing them, and learning how to rectify and prevent them.

On Specialist Mathematics exam day, I prepared myself by… calming down. I listened to music, talked to friends (the ones who weren’t freaking out – I tried to avoid them for this period) and ensured my mind was clear. Cluttering your brain with mathematical concepts


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Sohil ChhabraPenleigh and Essendon Grammar SchoolStudy Score = 50

SPECIALIST MATHEMATICS that you don’t understand or that stress you out at this point will do more harm than good.

After the Specialist Mathematics exam, I…. had only a few hours of relaxation, as I wasn’t finished with my exams. I had Chemistry the next day, and German a week later. During this period, it is quite easy to lose motivation or to become overwhelmed by the stress and workload.

The best exam advice I received was…to maintain a balanced lifestyle during the VCE. It is impossible for one person to work continuously with no method of relaxation for one to two years. You will inevitably burn out. So, I made sure I didn’t neglect my hobbies – the sports I played or the things I enjoyed doing at home. I made time to meet up with friends and to go to parties, and made sure I was organised enough to still complete all my work. You’re only 18 once, enjoy it.

I did not work a part-time job during Year 12 because… although the benefits are obvious – the development of a good work ethic and the attainment of experience for future employability – my time was already stretched.

For maths, practice exams are your greatest resource. You must become a mathematical perfectionist – one who has seen all.

The thing I liked best about Classical Studies was… the focus upon texts rather than simply upon the events of history. I found that examining the ancient world through the prism of texts created by the writers and artists of the periods, whether they be plays, works of historiography, or architecture, gave us a good sense of the cultural climate during those periods, while also illuminating contemporary societal mindsets and values.

The best advice I can give students about Classical Studies is… know your texts as well as you possibly can. It is essential to fulfil this criterion, as the rest of the criteria stem directly from it, such as creating your argument and employing evidence in your writing. You can get to know your texts by reading and rereading, as well as by creating and refining notes on the ideas and techniques. Keep the criteria in mind while you are writing, and formulate strategies to ‘tick all the boxes’.

The best advice I got from my Classical Studies teacher was… write as much as you can to practise! Once you are sufficiently familiar with your texts, you will realise there are only so many passages or variations of prompts that you can be assessed on. If you have written practices for the key ideas of the texts and internalised your ideas about the text, you will be prepared for any question.

One month before the final Classical Studies exam, I… made sure that I had rewritten my notes in the most succinct and refined form possible. I also combed through my texts to make sure that I had compiled all the evidence for each of the key ideas in the text. All the while, I was completing practice responses to the texts.

One week before the final Classical Studies exam, I… wrote practices that my teacher gave me feedback for, checked that I had completed essays or plans for every prompt, and made sure that I had covered every passage in my texts for Section A.

On Classical Studies exam day, I prepared myself by… looking over a few passages for Section A, and working out what I might say about them if I were asked about ideas and techniques. I also attempted some quick practice sentences just to warm up, but no extended writing.

After the Classical Studies exam, I…. relaxed and watched a movie! It was not my last exam, but the break was a good chance to recharge some energy. I remember that my classmates and I were feeling generally happy about the exam, and we were pleased that we were not surprised by any of the questions.

The best exam advice I received was…to see the exam as an opportunity to show what you have learned and what you can do. It is not judgement day; everyone wants you to do well, including the examiners! It is wise to remember that the exam will not define you or your life, but that you have learnt a great deal during the year and these two hours in the exam room are the perfect time to show off.

I did not work a part-time job during Year 12 because… I had completed enough part-time work in previous years that I felt comfortable to focus entirely upon my schoolwork and general wellbeing during Year 12. However, I came across many Year 12 students who were very happy with their academic performance while maintaining their part-time jobs.


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Annabel HoltMelbourne Girls Grammar School

Study Score = 50

CLASSICAL STUDIES

See the exam as an opportunity to show what you have learned and what you can do…

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