SECONDARY NEWS
From the Assistant Principal

Secondary Exams

Exams commenced on Monday, continued today and will finish on Wednesday. Students are reminded to ensure that they prepare adequately and that they bring the correct equipment for each exam. Students who were absent yesterday will complete missed exams today.

Year 10

Year 10 students are involved in school-based activities this week focusing on preparing for their final Assembly on Friday, the Yr 10 Camp at Copeton Dam and the Graduation Mass which will be held on Friday 1 December.

Next week they will be completing the second Work Experience session for 2017. We are appreciative of the generosity of local businesses in providing placements for the students.

Test-taking Techniques:

What do you do in the few days before an examination?

At least a few days before the exam, make sure you do the following:

Plan out how much time you should spend on each section of the test.

By looking at past papers, get a feel for the types of instructions that will be on your paper.

Do some exercise so you can burn off the pent-up stress that can come before exams.

Look after your body – lots of water to juice up your brain, healthy food, decent sleep.

To calm nerves, make mental pictures of yourself sitting down and doing well in the test.

Purchase any equipment you may need, extra calculator batteries, pens, rulers etc.

Ensure you know what equipment is allowed in the test or exam.

Focus on reviewing the key points, perhaps a condensed version of your summaries.

Practise as many past test papers as you can get your hands on.

Check the timetable to ensure you have a clear picture of when each exam is being held.

The night before the test or exam:

Pack your bag with everything you will need for the next day, ensuring you have all necessary equipment.

Plan what time you need to leave to ensure you have plenty of time for unexpected delays.

Don’t go to bed too late – you need to make sure your brain is fresh and alert.

Don’t ring friends and discuss your preparation or the examination.

Just before you go to sleep, look through your notes briefly.

If you have a number of exams, check the timetable to doubly confirm the date, time and location of the exam.

The morning of the test or exam:

Visualise success. Before you get out of bed close your eyes and picture yourself going into the exam, doing well and coming out pleased with your efforts.

Review your notes. You are not doing intense study at this stage, just looking through and reminding yourself of the main things you want to remember.

Eat breakfast. Your brain needs fuel so eat a hearty breakfast so you can focus and concentrate in the exam.

Be on time. Make sure you leave enough time for contingencies so you won’t be late.

Avoid negativity. Don’t stand around in the group discussing what you did and didn’t study.

Last Minute Study

What do you do if you have left your study to the last minute?

In an ideal world it would be great if all students paid attention, focused and participated in all classes, completed all homework and assessments thoroughly, asked for help throughout the year on anything they didn’t understand, made regular summaries of the work covered in class (preferably at the end of each topic or section) and did their best to learn as they go throughout the year.

But in reality, this doesn’t always happen for every student and every subject.

So what can you do if you have left your study for tests and exams to the last minute?

5 TIPS FOR LAST MINUTE STUDY

FIND OUT FAST: Be very clear what you need to learn and what will be tested. It is impossible to start your study until you are sure what you have to know. Find out as much as you can too about the exam format and the style of questions. Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher. For each subject write a list of exactly what topics and areas you need to review.

GATHER MATERIALS: Do you have notes, materials, textbooks on everything you need to learn? If not, is there a friend who will let you photocopy the work you have misplaced? Is there an online portal where material from classes is stored? Can you borrow from the library additional books or textbooks on the topics you need to learn? Are past examination papers available?

MAKE A PLAN: You only have limited time left so you need to make the most of it. Draw up a grid that shows how much time you have left before your exams to study. Decide if you will spend equal time on each subject or if certain subjects need more time. Allocate subjects to the timeslots you have then decide exactly what you will do to prepare for each subject. For each subject make a list of what sort of study you should do to prepare for that subject. Brainstorm your ideas on how to prepare, ask your parents and teachers for feedback and share ideas with your friends.

CREATE STUDY NOTES: Target your notes to what will be tested. It is best for learning and memory to make your study notes yourself, but if you have run out of time there are options. See if any of your class materials or textbooks have summarised the sections you need, see if there are study guides available in the library on the topics to learn or make targeted notes yourself on the key areas you have to memorise. You could also see if there is a friend where you could split the topics between yourself and share the notes you make. Don’t spend too long on this stage, it needs to be completed as quickly as possible.

STUDY! What does study actually mean? It means memorising the material you need to know so you can recall it in the exams, and practising the skills of the subject so you know how to do the types of questions you will have in the exam. To memorise your notes you need to test yourself over and over on them. You could read a section, see what you can write down without looking then check. Then review the things you didn’t know again. Or you could do the same approach reading things out loud then seeing what you can repeat out loud. Doing questions, practise essays, past exam questions will also help you understand what you know, and what you need to spend more time on.