Self Improvement :)

How to Get 100% on Your Exams

By Mia Giannopoulos, Year 11, The Ridgeway Campus

There is no doubt that when students think of the exam period that there is instant fear. A fear of the inability to retain all required content. A fear of failure. This fear is one that pushes students to take action in order to be better and to feel more confident in their schooling. 

An infallible way to better students in their preparation for exams is effective, engaging study. Students may feel that study is this boring, useless process. A process that they can just ‘tick off the list’ to say that they have done. But study is anything but that, it is something that is different for each individual, something to assist in achieving one’s personal best in their academics.  

Despite the diverse study methods of students in high school and university, there are some key ideas that should be carried through every student's schooling journey when it comes to studying for exams and key assessments.  

Allowing adequate time to study: 

The first study tip would be to give yourself enough time to cover all content for the exam/SAC/KAT. Quite often, students say that they didn’t allow enough time for all aspects of their subjects, and due to the fact that several subjects will be needing revision leading up to the exam period, this is a very important thing to do.  

Creating a study timetable or plan prior to the revision period often helps to alleviate some of the stress in regards to time management with subjects and content. This way, subjects can be allocated the required time for revision, and no time is wasted contemplating or avoiding study.  

Studying the correct content:

The next study tip is to ensure the correct content is being studied, and the needed tools are prepared in advance. Once students know what they are studying and when, they then need to make available the resources needed for each subject. Additionally, the resources should be made sure to cover all the content that will be on the exam/SAC/KAT. This can be seen on the assessment notification that will be handed out prior to the day of testing.

Finding an effective method tailored to YOU:

Studying is a process that is perfected over time. The next study tip is to trial different methods of study (starting in year 9 for exams) and find which best suits you. There is no use in doing something that has no impact on you, so by finding a method that is effective in assisting knowledge, will be helpful to ensure you achieve your best. Some methods of study that are often applied include; cue cards, mind maps, highlighting notes, practice tests, edrolo videos and many more. 

Practise questions:

The next study tip is to make sure you complete lots of practice questions. Questions on assessments are often quite similar in their content and structure to those seen on previous years’ assessments/ exams, so it will be very beneficial to complete past questions and keep improving your answering techniques and accuracy. 

Utilise your teachers:

The final and most important study tip is to seek help from your teachers if needed. The teachers at Ivanhoe are not only there to teach you the content, but to further help you achieve your best. Teachers only want to see you succeed, and they will do anything required to get you there. 

If you are at all struggling or just feel you want to clarify something, organise a time with your teacher outside of class (at lunch/recess or after school) to go over content you didn’t quite understand.  Don’t be afraid to reach out. 

Studying for exams is not an easy thing to do, but it is something that becomes easier as you move through school, and something that you will use even after you move on from Ivanhoe and onto bigger things. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help, and make sure you utilise all avenues in regards to approaches to study. Good luck! You will all do great.  

A Step into the Library

By Scarlett  Boicovitis, Year 7, Plenty Campus

Hi Everyone, I’m Scarlett, a Year 7 student at the Plenty Campus and today I’m going to tell you a little bit about one of the best places on campus, the library! 

With only being at Ivanhoe Grammar for a short amount of time, I have already discovered what a wonderful place the library is. When people think of a library, the first thing that comes to mind is books, but at Ivanhoe Grammar it is so much more than that, it’s an amazing learning space. 

I am going share with you a little bit about what my friends and I use the library for. Of course, we borrow heaps of books, but we use the library for many other things too. The library shelves are organised by genre, and they host any genre you can imagine. Some examples are fantasy, crime, mystery (that’s my favourite genre) and Manga! There are many more genres to discover in the library so you can find your favourite genre like me!

Apart from borrowing books, my friends and I spend a lot time during lunch and recess in the library working on puzzles. We’ve completed many this year and recently Miss White, our librarian, called us into her office to help her choose some new ones! They’re in the library waiting for us when we return on campus. So, if you’re interested, pop into the library to check out some of the ones we chose! We love working on puzzles during our breaks because it’s a great way to spend time together, but at the same time it helps us to relax. That’s what we use the library for in our free time, but we also use the library for class. 

Once a fortnight each Year 7 class gets to have a library session with our English teacher and Miss White. Miss White always has something to share with us and she is great at recommending books that we may be interested in. Then for the rest of the lesson we read! These lessons are one of my favourites. When working on assessments, teachers also take the class to the library to use resources. For example, to help them write an essay or a report or to do research.           

I interviewed some Year 7 students from across the cohort on the following questions:

Why do you like spending time in the library? or What is your favourite part about the library?

Here is what they had to say:

'I like spending time in the library because there are different rooms. So if you’re studying you can go to one room, if you’re reading or looking for books you can go to another, and the primary school students have their own space also.' - By Angelina Osavkoska, Year 7, Plenty Campus

'My favourite part about the library is all the resources and all the tables where we can do puzzles and homework.' - Jacqueline Wharton, Year 7, Plenty Campus

'I like spending time in the library because of the things you can do and also I think the community is nice to be around, the teachers are really friendly too! '- Tasharny De Cata, Year 7, Plenty Campus

'I like the library because it’s a great spot to hang out with friends! My friends and I love spending time in the global room because it’s a calm place where we can chill. I also like the books because I enjoy reading and there is a huge variety at the Ivanhoe Grammar library.' - Rowan Sharples, Year 7, Plenty Campus

'I like the library because I like spending time with friends in the global room. I find that it is a very calm and relaxing environment. I love the bean bags and the giant caterpillar in the global room too.' - Xavier Chy, Year 7, Plenty Campus

Overall Year 7’s across all classes love spending time in the library with their friends. This is during both free time and for class too. The Librarians are very loved and all the students find it a great quiet learning environment that is excellent for studying. I hope that you have enjoyed learning about what an amazing place the Ivanhoe Grammar School Plenty Campus Library is.

'A conversation could change a life.'

By Kiaara Latimer, Year 11, Plenty Campus

'A conversation could change a life.' This is the message advocated by RU OK, a harm prevention organisation that promotes connection through education about social support.

Statistics published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare state that each day, an average of 8 Australians took their own lives in 2018. The institute also found that suicide was the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15-44 from 2016-2018.

The RU OK organisation aims to promote suicide prevention by discouraging feelings of isolation through connection. Currently, our entire community are experiencing a time where communication and social support are easily lost. The IDEALS Committee have collaborated to propose and implement some of the RU OK wellbeing strategies in our school to encourage awareness of the importance of mental health.  

The aim of the program at our school is to promote candid conversations within our community. This encourages open and honest discussions as a way to show support for one another and demonstrate compassion for our peers.

A number of our students attended the RU OK Leadership Seminar, in which we were presented with several strategies we can use as compassionate leaders, as well as numerous methods our school can implement to promote connection.

The IDEALS Committee are currently collaborating to execute our ideas, which include safe conversation spaces around campus, conversation cards, and identifiable peers who you can approach when you need someone to talk to. Additionally, our school will be participating in RU OK Day this year, following the theme of 'Are they really okay?' We invited our students and teachers to show their support of our mission for connection by dressing in yellow on Thursday 9 September!

So, while we navigate through a difficult time of separation, find the courage to start a conversation. I encourage you to show your support to your peers and teachers by opening a discussion or letting them know you’re there to talk. You’ve got this!

If you feel concerned for your own wellbeing and would like to seek support, you can find help at:

Lifeline -https://www.lifeline.org.au

Kids Helpline -https://kidshelpline.com.au

Beyond Blue -https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support

To educate yourself on some RU OK strategies, take a look at the official resources at:

https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask

Peer Mentoring at Plenty Campus

By Aroha Gupta, Year 11, Plenty Campus

I’m sure we can all remember that first day of Year 7, right? Excited to make some new friends, jittery about the homework we were going to get and this newfound sense of independence by finally being acknowledged as 'high schoolers'. Peer Mentoring this year has truly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at Ivanhoe Grammar School so far. As Year 11s, we have been given the opportunity to welcome some new faces into our school community, the Year 7s! 

Getting to meet with my group of Year 7s and catch up with them about their lives is truly one of the highlights of my week. In this time we have together during our Peer Mentoring sessions, our Year 7s get to ask us questions, set some goals for subjects, get advice on how to stay on top of schoolwork and create closer bonds with each other in the group and us, their Year 11 buddies. 

Peer Mentoring is a fulfilling experience that we have the privilege of doing, and is something that I really cherish. Although during the recent lockdown getting to interact with our groups has been challenging, it provides a sense of comfort for the Year 7s knowing that they have some older role models to look to for advice or even just a laugh during these precarious times.