BELMONT HIGH STUDY TIPS October 2010

  • Work consistently throughout the year, so that study time becomes a routine part of the day. With good organisation it is possible to schedule approx three hours per day around other sport/ social / recreational activities. It’s important that students maintain a balanced lifestyle.
  • Don’t procrastinate – get on with work so that you don’t fall behind. This is when students start to feel overwhelmed and out of control.
  • Draw up a timetabled study plan to allow at least three weeks to prepare for each exam.
  • Don’t just make notes, have a purpose as you study eg complete past papers, go over SACs returned from the teacher and correct the things that you did wrong.
  • Completing past papers is really important. You get to understand all of the different styles of questions and eventually realise that there are not too many ways that you can be asked about the same material. This will boost your confidence. Complete these papers as ‘open book’ if necessary so that you build on your knowledge.
  • Use your teachers and fellow students for help and discussions – a different perspective always adds to your knowledge and clarifies your understanding.
  • Read your exam timetable carefully and get Mum or Dad to be familiar with it as well, so that there is somebody to remind you of the correct date and time if you happen to make a mistake.
  • If you have to travel to an exam centre away from school, have a practice run so that you know how to get there and how long it will take.
  • Read all of the exam rules ahead of time and make sure that you have all of the allowable equipment and some spare pens. You don’t want to be panicked at the last minute by finding that you have the wrong equipment, or you have left something behind.
  • Once classes have finished, you have only a short period of time for final preparation for exams. Don’t waste time partying, celebrating and recovering. You will have weeks ahead of you after the exams to do this if you wish.
  • Get a good night’s sleep before your exam and be positive about how much preparation you have done.
  • On the day of the exam, aim to maintain your usual routine and eat a good breakfast. Avoid people who can unsettle you – you need to stay calm and composed.
  • In the exam room, take a few big deep breaths to settle your nerves, read all of the instructions carefully, and begin on what you think is any easy question. All of those past papers will have paid off when you see questions similar to those you have seen before. You will feel calmer, more confident and ready to think clearly.

 

M Milne

VCE Coordinator