Celebrating Success at VCE

Each year a number of Year 11 students are approved to fast track a VCE subject. In general these Year 11s do very well. The 2022 Year 11 cohort were no exception. They achieved a median study score of 30 in the subjects they undertook, with a number of students performing exceptionally well. A study score of 40 puts them in the top 9% of the state. Chloe’s score of 49 puts her in the top 0.2% of the state. We would like to congratulate the following students:

Jack, Chloe and Mary agreed to be interviewed about their Year 12 subject success. Here are their responses to a number of questions:

How many hours did you study for each night while you were in Year 11?

According to Chloe and Jack, they aimed to study for between 3-4 hours each weeknight, with a little extra on the weekends. Mary, on the other hand, studied for approximately 2 hours per night, but increased the number of hours when assessments were due.

What did note-making look like for you?

When it came to note-making, Chloe used a combination of class notes, Edrolo, and teacher PowerPoints to create her own notes. Mary preferred to listen and understand the content in class and then make her own notes at home. Jack, instead of writing notes, kept a "mistakes book" where he recorded all the things he lost marks for. He worked on these questions with his teacher and used the book for exam revision.

How many practice exams did you do?

Jack completed over 40 practice exams for Maths Methods. Chloe did 15 of each exam (Further Maths has two exams). Mary completed 5-6 practice exams.

How did you go about getting help?

All three students emphasised the importance of developing a really good working relationship with their teacher. Not just for help with the subject, but support in general. Jack ended up seeing Mrs Hamence most days with a few questions. Mary caught up with Mrs Richardson regularly and was most impressed with her ability to explain difficult concepts in a number of different ways. Chloe was able to use class time to ask most of her questions. She also sought help from multiple sources to ensure she was getting the widest range of perspectives.

Why do you think you were successful?

Chloe made a real effort to learn every single dot point of the study design in detail. She knew everything and how to apply it. This was particularly helpful when there was overlap between two areas of study in an exam question, which was often the case. She was also highly disciplined and set herself regular tasks such as flash cards, prereading on the bus to school or writing notes. She wasted no time. Chloe also ensured she asked clarifying questions in class to ensure her knowledge of the content was thorough.

I found Mary’s comment to be quite insightful. When she found a topic she didn’t like, she would actually work harder on that topic to ensure she mastered it. This took a lot of discipline, but enabled her to develop a thorough understanding. For Jack, it was all about time. He said ‘if you are accelerating in a subject, put all your focus and time into it’. Jack lived and breathed Maths Methods. In previous years Jack developed relationships with students in higher year levels so he could get tips about any tricky content. Jack also went to all the maths help sessions run by Lin Hamence.

Any other thoughts?

All three students commented on the fact that it was their teachers who enabled them to be successful. Miss Ryan allowed students to submit work any time and often had it marked with feedback the next day. Ms Hamence was always available to help Jack with his work. Mrs Richardson had a huge deal of expertise and was always willing to help. Well done VCE teachers.

Rhys Leslie

Director of Data and Improvement