Teaching and Learning

Effective Study

It is once again getting to that time of year where attention of a significant majority of students turns towards exams. Our Unit 3/4 students have Trial Exams in the next month, followed by VCE Exams proper about a month later. Our Unit 1/2 student commence exams in early November, with Years 9 and 10 entering a formal exam period shortly after. Across this time, most students will have assessment tasks that require them to prepare in advance, using recall and application skills that have been honed through revision.

In recent years, significant inroads have been made in what constitutes ‘good’ study; when one devotes time to preparing for an assessment task, what is most effective? The science of learning would suggest a number of key approaches that all students should employ. What is outlined below reflects what we now better understand about study; it is an evidence-based approach to revision that has been proven to maximise learning and preparation for assessment tasks.

Retrieval Practice: Pull, Don't Push

Most studying focuses on pushing information into your brain. Retrieval practice flips this on its head by forcing your brain to pull information out. Every time you retrieve a fact from memory without looking at your notes, you strengthen the neural pathways associated with that knowledge. Some specific examples include:

Brain Dump- Close your textbook and write down everything you can remember about a topic on a blank sheet of paper.
Practice Papers- Complete practice quizzes and tests on material you have covered before as best you can. When you have a gap in your recall- ‘I know this however I just can’t remember it’- it is an indication that you need to go back and revisit that material.

Importantly, the slight mental struggle to recall information signals to your brain that the knowledge is important, with an increased probability that you’ll store it in long-term memory for easier recall in the future. Anything you can recall with ‘ease’ indicates that it is in your long-term memory.

Cue Cards: The Ultimate Retrieval Tool

Cue cards (or flashcards) are one of the most versatile tools for retrieval practice—provided you use them correctly. The key is to keep them simple and avoid cheating by peeking at the back too quickly. They should be compiled regularly as a resource as they can easily be picked up and looked at, testing yourself even when you only have 5 or 10 minutes spare.

Physical cue cards (not online or digital cards) are best as they can be utilised more readily. Place a single question, term, or prompt on the front, and a brief, precise answer on the back. Definitions, concepts, worked examples from Maths and themes from texts with quotes are all good examples of their application. Force yourself to state your answer out loud or write it down before flipping the card over.

Deliberately dividing cue cards in to what you know and what you don’t yet know and then using them almost every day- even if only for a short period- is effective. Review cards you find difficult every day, and push cards you know well to every three or four days.

Interleaving: Mix Up Your Subjects

The science of learning indicates that when we mix up topics and subjects in a study session, we learn more effectively. Interleaving involves mixing related topics or different types of problems within a single study session and is more effective than a long session on one topic.

As an example, if you are studying maths, don't do 20 trigonometry problems in a row followed by 20 algebra problems. Instead, alternate between them: do two trigonometry problems, two algebra problems, and two geometry problems. Cue cards can help here; mix them up and do whatever comes out.

The strength of interleaving is that it forces your brain to continually assess which rule or strategy applies to a given problem- the same way you are often required to do in a test or exam- sharpening your analytical skills and improving problem-solving where questions appear in random order.

Supporting Study

An important part of study is ensuring that it is done regularly and, if gaps or misconceptions exist, that they are addressed. There are mutiple ways in which students can access support at St Bede's.

The first of these is to speak with your teacher. Seeking feedback is a learning habit we commend at the College (it’s in our Learning Habits Rubric) and is highly recommended.
Forming a study group with peers, where you gather and work together outside class, is a great way to not only seek support but deepen your learning through sharing it with others. In support of this, the Library at both Mentone and Bentleigh East is open each day after school.
Attend Home Learning Support at either campus. At Bentleigh East, it’s on Monday afternoons and at Mentone, Monday and Tuesday. Any student can attend and get assistance with their learning.
Attend a specific subject area study session. We have Maths Help sessions each morning in the Mentone Library, as well as English support offered on Thursday afternoons.
Our Senior Years Students can access Tutoring on Thursday afternoons in the Study Hall. Three high achieving alumni from 2025 work with our students on specific VCE subjects, including English, General Maths, Maths Methods, Physics and Economics, to name a few.

Effective studying isn't about working until burnout; it's about changing how you engage with material. Next time you sit down to study, pick up a stack of cue cards, mix up your topics, and test yourself before you feel ready. It may feel harder in the moment, but that mental effort is the exact sound of your memory strengthening.

Brenden Mair

Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning