Congratulations to Frida Camacho Armenta, Mikayla Barwell and Jemimah Stewart who have been recognised with a Premier’s VCE Award for their outstanding academic results in 2023.

Frida received a Study Award for Legal Studies while Mikayla was recognised for Outdoor and Environmental Studies and Jemimah for Environmental Science. Each received a study score of 50 in these subjects.

Adding to their accomplishement, Mikayla and Jemimah were in Year 11 in 2023 and will complete their VCE studies this year.

Their teachers are especially proud of these achievements and were delighted to attend the ceremony when the Premier presented the Awards.

Here Mikayla and Jemimah shared their reactions and advice for fellow students under taking VCE studies.

Mikayla Barwell

How did you feel when you first heard that you were receiving the Premier's Award?

When I found out that I was receiving the Premier’s Award I felt very honoured, but mostly grateful that all of my hard work paid off.

What study habits or techniques do you credit for your success in VCE?

I believe the most effective study technique for me was answering practice questions and giving them to my teacher for feedback. This allowed me to elevate my learning from strictly rote, memorisation and develop the skill of application. Furthermore, beginning this so early in the year was vital as this skill can take trial and error to understand and meant that by exams I understood what was required for each answer.

Were there any particular challenges you faced during your VCE studies, and how did you overcome them?

The most challenging aspect of VCE for me was managing my own expectations and the stress that came along with that. I think an important part of managing this is understanding that a bad SAC doesn’t ruin your chances of achieving the score you are wanting. Furthermore, your success should be based on the effort you put in, not the number that you receive in return.

How did you balance your academic commitments with extracurricular activities and personal life?

The key aspect for balancing school and other commitments was utilising my class time effectively. This included completing work in class and chipping away at revision leading up to SAC to reduce the workload in the final days just before the SAC. However, it is also important to value and maintain these elements of your personal life, because they allow you to unwind from school and prevent you from getting burnt out. Setting some time aside to do something other than study allowed me to maintain my focus throughout the year.

What advice would you give to students who are just starting their VCE journey?

I would advise that you utilise your teachers and all of the resources they provide because they are here to help you. Ask them for help and don’t be afraid to hand in work early to gain feedback.

Also pick subjects that you are truly interested in, not based on how much they scale up by, because enjoying what you are learning makes the process so much easier and pays off in the long run.

What is next for you after school?

After school I will be taking a gap year (or two), working and travelling until I narrow down what I am passionate about studying next.

Jemimah Stewart

How did you feel when you first heard that you were receiving the Premier's Award?

When I received a letter telling me I was going to be receiving the Premier’s Award, I remember feeling shocked but incredibly honoured to be recognized for my school work.

What study habits or techniques do you credit for your success in VCE?

I would always make sure to regularly review/update my notes. I also found it helpful to make weekly quizlets which I could use to review my coursework when it came to SAC/exam time. Plus, by doing this periodically throughout the year, it saved me time at the end of the year to focus on studying. During exam season, I also tried to do as many timed practice exams as I could. If I came across any questions I didn't understand, I took extra time to revise that topic.

Were there any particular challenges you faced during your VCE studies, and how did you overcome them?

For me procrastination was a big issue (and still is!) VCE takes a lot out of you and it’s already daunting enough, especially when you leave things to the last minute - definitely guilty of that myself! My time management definitely isn’t perfect, but staying on top of homework and completing assignments as soon as they come in makes life much easier.

How did you balance your academic commitments with extracurricular activities and personal life?

As cliche as it is, creating a schedule is one of the best things you can do.

What advice would you give to students who are just starting their VCE journey?

First, it’s really not as scary as you might think. You will get into a rhythm to manage your workload - it might just take some time! I also recommend choosing subjects that interest you. I know it can be a big pressure to choose harder subjects that are going to scale up, or to choose subjects that your friends are doing. Ultimately though, if you aren’t going to enjoy a subject, you aren’t going to put the effort into it.

Keeping a balanced perspective is really important as well. VCE is two years long, you don’t want to burn yourself out right at the start! Another thing I learnt (especially in year 12) is that you might not always get the mark you were hoping or expecting for a sac (yes, that included me for Environmental Science), but just remember that, while you of course want to try your best, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. One sac score isn’t going to determine your whole future. I know there’s a lot of pressure out there to be the best, but as long as you try to do your best, you can keep your head up high!

What is next for you after school?

Next year, I’m hoping to do a course in software, IT or cybersecurity, but I’m still trying to figure out what exactly I want to do, and which course.

To view the full Honour Roll and to read more about the Premier’s VCE Awards, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-vce-awards

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