Dean of Studies
Preparing for exams
By now, students in Year 11 and 12 will have concluded the Semester One Examinations and our Year 10 students will be ready to commence their exams on Monday 10 June. The purpose of examinations is to provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning through the courses undertaken, and a variety of thoughts occupy the minds of students approaching their exams. These thoughts may include apprehension and nerves around uncertainty about their level of preparation, through to a nervous excitement at the opportunity to demonstrate the learning that has resulted from their effort. An often-used quote is, “you get the result you deserve”, and serves as motivation to maintain energy and focus in the lead up to examinations.
There is, however, a danger that students have too much support, and every possible hurdle and mis-step is ready to be picked up by adults, when in fact our students may need to experience the challenge, the hardship and the uncertainty of assessment and examinations in particular.
Julie Lythcott-Haims is a former corporate lawyer with a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University, a law degree from Harvard University and a Master of Fine Arts (Writing) from California College of the Arts.
As the former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford University and the author of “How to Raise an Adult”, she has been able to witness the effects of new undergraduates entering Stanford that were frequently over-parented (also known as helicopter parenting).
While acknowledging the harm from neglectful parenting, Ms Lythcott-Haims implies that there is harm from parents who feel their child cannot be successful unless they as a parent, protect and prevent at every turn and hover over every happening, and micro-manage every moment, steering their child towards a narrow subset of university courses and careers.
“And all of this is done to some hoped-for degree of perfection," Ms Lythcott-Haims says. "We expect our kids to perform at a level of perfection we were never asked to perform at ourselves, and so because so much is required, we think, well then, of course we parents have to argue with every teacher and principal and coach and referee and act like our kid's concierge and personal handler and secretary.”
The danger is that students may come to believe that their worth is determined by how well or how poorly they perform in tests, examinations and the grade(s) that result, leading to the implied message that, “I don't think you can actually achieve any of this without me".
Our students require opportunities to build self-efficacy and self-sufficiency, to see the result of their actions – did I prepare as well as I could and what were the sacrifices that were required? Or did I neglect some of my preparation and am I disappointed within myself that I didn’t give my best effort?
Another point of interest is that Ms Lythcott-Haims believes in the necessity of chores and helping around the house and she references one of the longest longitudinal studies of humans ever conducted, the Harvard Grant Study. One of the findings of this study is that professional success in life comes from having done chores and housework as a child and the earlier you started, the better the outcome. The belief that stems from this results in, “… a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-pitch-in mindset, a mindset that says 'there's some unpleasant work, someone's got to do it, it might as well be me', a mindset that says 'I will contribute my effort to the betterment of the whole, that that's what gets you ahead in the workplace'.”
And so, the message for our students as they reflect upon or prepare for examinations is not to absolve our young people from attending to the regular expectations, whether at home or at school, including study, revision and homework routines, regular rest breaks and being helpful at home.
If our purpose is to form young adults to be prepared for all good works, whether at university, in the workplace, in the home or in the community, young people must develop the instinct to roll up their sleeves, to pitch in and look around. The hope is that they become the type of person who wonders about how they can be useful to workplace colleagues, or how they can anticipate and consider the needs of others.
*You can view Julie Lythcott-Haims’s TED Talk via the following link: https://www.ted.com/talks/julie_lythcott_haims_how_to_raise_successful_kids_without_over_parenting/transcript?language=en
University of Notre Dame – Early Offer
If you are a Year 12 student, here's your chance to secure a university education through the Notre Dame Early Offer Program. This program is open to Year 12 students who have demonstrated academic excellence and/or are making a significant contribution to their school or community.
With an early offer, you can sit your Year 12 exams with added confidence. It’s also a great way for schools to acknowledge their outstanding students. Applications for an early offer to study in Semester One, 2020 are due by Wednesday 31 July 2019. Go to https://www.notredame.edu.au/study/early-offer for more information regarding applications.
ATAR Revision Seminars – Parent Committee subsidy
For many Year 12 students, the opportunity to attend ATAR Course Revision Seminars in the school holidays can enhance their examination preparation and course content knowledge. Due to the support provided by the St Norbert College Parent Committee, any Year 12 student who attends an ATAR revision seminar is eligible to receive a subsidy ($20) for attending. If you attend a seminar during the July school holidays, please pay for your course and then return your receipt to the College at the start of Term Three to receive the subsidy.
As an added incentive, TEE Consultants are giving away a FREE subject course in the TEE July Program valued at $175. To enter, all a Year 12 ATAR student needs to do is use the link below and enter their details at: https://www.tee.com.au/competition/
Mr R Dowling (Dean of Studies)