We finally made it – holidays are upon us and we are free (at least for a little while anyway). The notion of doing (or even receiving) holiday homework is particularly new for most Year 11 students and probably for some Year 12 students. I’ve heard the VCE holidays being called “study vacations”, “school holiday”, [...]
For those of you that haven’t accessed the VCE Help calendars they are a great way to start your big picture planning such as SAC dates, peak periods (and how many days until holidays). You can download them below or directly from the VCE resources page March2013 VCE Calendar February 2013 VCE Calendar
This post was first authored a couple of years ago but the content is still relevant for today – hope it helps. Heath SAC preparation for high performance. A brief history… Not too long ago the VCE system was made up purely of CAT’s instead of SAC’s. CAT’s or Common Assessment Tasks were completed by [...]
I have heard that the “fear of public speaking” is one of the most common phobias people experience. The way that you get better at public speaking however, is facing this fear and practicing this skill which leads to improved confidence and therefore speaking performances. Now I know many of you will be preparing for [...]
With VCE students about to go back to school it is an appropriate time for VCE students to examine (or re-examine) their goals not just for their VCE but for this year (the VCE is an important year there is no doubt, but it doesn’t mean that it should be the only thing). With goal [...]
Many of the Year 11 students have now completed their exams and started the transition into Year 12. As the Year 12 students amongst us have just finished their journey, perhaps you would like to share what you have learnt (or your VCE resources). I will start it off.. What I learnt about Year 12 [...]
I wrote this article a few years ago and have tweaked it each year. Leading into the holiday period is so important to get you rested and prepared for the VCE exams…this year I have decided to re-post it earlier so hopefully you get some more time to put things into practice before the holiday [...]
Week 2, Term 3 down and it’s starting to heat up! To perform well this term you need to have a consistent, organised approach. And one of the easiest ways to do this is via monthly calendars. Simply download these resources from the VCE Resources webpage – print them off, then add your important days, [...]
I published this article last year in preparation for the mid-year exams – hope it helps you in your final preparations as we near the final exams for this year. Good luck, Heath I know that most of you will be in “exam mode” bunkered down with chocolate, caffiene and other goodies in an attempt [...]
By now you are half way through the september school holidays – I hope the holidays are going well for you and you are on track. If not, check out the September school holiday conundrum article Now before you go back to school in less than a week, I want you to stop and think [...]
We are looking for new talent that can help reach out to students across Victoria in Years 10 to 12 and deliver our high quality VCE seminars and programs focussed on motivation, study and life skills (not VCE subjects). All resources, training and materials will be provided as well as a lucrative salary to successful [...]
Stress is a word that means different things to different people. The word stress is commonly used as a vague, all encompassing negative mental state. However, to be clear there are actually two different forms of stress. Eustress represents the required stimulus humans need for constructive growth and development physically, mentally, and emotionally. Distress on [...]
Hi all, To help with you crucial planning and preparation for the upcoming June exams we have created some VCE calendars for you. Check out the updated resources at the VCE resources page. Cheers, Heath
Hi all, Last year I was sent some tips and strategies from a parent of a VCE student (Anne B). Here they are below in no particular order…Thanks Anne! 1. Do as many VCE subjects as possible in Year 11 as you will have the time to focus on these individual subjects. Year 11 you [...]
Spring is in the air, only weeks until the September school holidays and i finally have the study calendar for you. Check it out here: http://www.vcehelp.com.au/resources/calendar/September2010.pdf
There is one universal element that all people have to master in their life – and that is time. Time is the great equaliser. We each have 168 hours per week with which to use our time and some people are able to achieve an extraordinary amount in that time, others not so much. Given [...]
A wave of disbelief is sweeping over the entire Victoria state – where did the 2 week holiday break go? The last couple of weeks have flown past and I hope that you have been able to get what you needed done and are prepared for what is the most challenging term of all – [...]
Hi all, To download the latest VCE calendars for the months of July and August – head over to: http://www.vcehelp.com.au/vce-resources/ Print off and add your own important dates and information as you see fit. Cheers, Heath
This is a guest post from Khoa Ly at vcejapanese.com. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. I recently completed VCE in 2009, receiving a raw study score of 50 for Japanese, the subject of this article. Here’s a list of 10 tips that I hope will be [...]
Time management is not just about managing time but about mastering yourself in the VCE time warp. This year will fly by in the blink of an eye if you’re not prepared your VCE performance (and sanity) will suffer. With correct application of these time management strategies you’ll gain an improved level of VCE success, [...]
VCE has started and you are taking the first great steps towards achieving your VCE goals. It is an exciting and equally daunting time for students, parents and teachers but the information overload really hurts…particularly when you are coming off of a 6-8 week holiday! So, without wanting to add to your workload, I just [...]
I recently found this great article on strategies to avoid procrastination. I’m sure it is a timely reminder for many of you, particularly as the school holidays are finishing and I’m sure some of you haven’t completed your holiday homework. Everybody procrastinates in some way – the work assignment we leave for later, the visit [...]
Coming from a humanities background, there was a technique that I used religiously and lived by, when summarising and compacting my notes, which ultimately saved me an abundance of time and stress before the exam period. The VCAA study design was my bible. It was a resource that I relied on 100%. Each subject has [...]
I received an email from “Joseph” who is a concerned, yet conscientious student the other day regarding the perennial dilemma of how to balance priorities in the VCE. His email read like this: My question, or statement not sure is:- I’m having difficulties spreading my time out for VCE. I’m in year 12 this year [...]
In both my personal and professional life I have always tried new ways to improve my efficiency and effectiveness. What I have learned along the way is that we all are at the mercy of these 8 universal time principles. It is a timely reminder that time is running out as we head towards the [...]
Meditation is a wonderful method of helping the entire mind and body to relax. VCE students who are able to meditate will be at a distinct advantage during their SAC’s and vce exams. Through a system of breathing exercises the body naturally feels the stress being released and for many students it allows them to [...]
As we already know…the brain is an astonishing organ. It consumes the most energy of all our organs and has a virtually limitless ability to remember information. It is important to remember that your memory is: 1. Trainable (oh thank goodness!) Once you learn different systems to read and retain information your ability to remember [...]
It’s a fundamental skill yet VCE students are struggling to master this essential skill – how to allocate time appropriately during a SAC or a VCE exam. Failing to allocate enough time appropriately during an exam will normally lead to students leaving whole questions or parts of questions unanswered and as you know that leads [...]
Being aware of the nutritional value of the foods we eat is obviously essential to a healthy body. Eating the right combination of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats works towards keeping muscles strong and organs functioning the way nature intended. Our minds are no different and eating foods rich in certain nutrients can help alleviate [...]
This article is slightly amended from the version which was published in the Herald Sun Learn section on September 23rd. 1. Use the Charles Dicken’s imagery strategy. Vividly imagine the entire year with the “ghost” of VCE past, present and future. For the past and present critically evaluate your learning and preparation for each individual [...]
All holidays during the VCE school year should be ‘working holidays’. There I said it! (Ouch!) Realistically the VCE school curriculum cannot be 1. Learnt 2. Remembered 3. Reviewed 4. Prepared for 5. Summarised …during just the school term only. (You probably have been given *holiday* homework by most if not all of your teachers [...]
This time mastery tip has been modified from the best selling book “7 habits of highly effective people” a must-read book for anyone serious about taking time mastery and indeed their life to a whole new level. In this book, author Steven Covey, suggests using an A,B,C method to organizing and prioritising your daily tasks. [...]
Here are the 10 essential questions you should ask your VCE tutor before you begin tutoring to avoid wasting valuable money. You should always interview each tutor either over the phone or personally before services begin with the following list of 10 questions to gauge the suitability of the tutor for your son or daughter. [...]
Memory loss can happen to anyone of any age including VCE students. Life is busy and when we have so much on our minds including our VCE studies, some information might slip between the cracks, leaving us frustrated that we aren’t as clear-minded as we once were. It can be something as simple as forgetting [...]
