Student Excellence
Student Excellence
Year 12 Camp – Study Skills sessions – Time to Recap!!
In our first week of VCE-2026 our Year 12 students headed off to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet for Camp where, alongside building connections, leadership and setting goals for their final year, they took part in a study skills session called “The Science of Remembering.”
In that session we looked at the idea of the ‘forgetting curve’, which shows that we forget new information quite quickly unless we deliberately come back to it. The key message for students is learning isn’t a one-time event. To remember things long term (especially for those end-of-year exams!), students need to space out their revision and regularly practise retrieving information from memory.
Now that we are in Week 6, it’s a great time for students to revisit these strategies. By this stage of the term, quite a lot of content has been covered. Spaced practice means not just focusing on the most recent work or SAC preparation, but also intentionally revisiting earlier topics so they stay fresh.
How parents can support at home
A quick check-in conversation can help. You might ask questions like:
- What is spaced practice?
How are you revising content from earlier in the term?
Encouraging your child to retrieve information (rather than just re-read notes) is especially helpful. On camp we also discussed the value of highlighting and annotating as a way to actively engage with notes and readings.
Some simple ways you can help at home include:
- Quizzing: Ask them to explain a concept without looking at their notes.
- Planning: Help them map out short, regular revision blocks across the week (even 15–20 minutes per subject can make a difference).
Mixing old and new content: Encourage them to include at least one earlier topic each time they study.
Year 12 is a marathon, not a sprint. Revisiting and spacing learning now can reduce stress later in the year and strengthen long-term understanding. Sometimes a quick conversation at home is all that’s needed to turn good intentions into effective study habits.
Good luck with the year ahead.
Mr. Thorley
