Year 10 Senior Education and Training (SET) Plans

Next week Year 10’s begin the SET plan process, it will be wonderful to assist these students as they work towards their individual pathways. The process not only highlights the dedication of the College to individualised education but also showcases the commitment of students and their families to charting meaningful pathways.

Uniform

A gentle reminder, the expectations regarding the uniform will not change. We continue to emphasise with the students that the uniform is important in setting the tone for the College community. A student wearing the uniform correctly shows that they have pride in themselves and pride in the community they belong to. A school uniform reduces incidents of bullying and the stress of peer pressure as all students are the same. Uniforms do not distinguish between socio-economic backgrounds like free dress does.

The uniform also helps the students focus on their job at hand. They are students not fashion statements while at school. Wearing their uniform helps the student 'switch on' to student mode and it provides the students with a reminder of what the expectations of the College are and how they are supposed to behave and apply themselves to their learning.

A student wearing their uniform well in public shows they are proud of being a part of this community. When a member of the wider community sees a student who is proud of where they come from, it often reflects to the student in the way the member of the community interacts with them and their opinion of the school.

Study Tips for Students going into exams

Make a plan of attack

Before you even start studying, make and plan out how you are going to study. This will make your life so much easier.

There are a few things you may want to ask yourself when making a plan of attack, these are: 

By asking yourself these questions, you figure out where to focus your efforts over the coming weeks. Now, you can structure your plan of attack based on how you are feeling about each of your subjects, and the tasks you want to get done (tasks could include practice essays/exams, touching up on sections of the textbook, reviewing flashcards, etc.). 

Start by catching up on anything you’ve missed out on. So, this means:

• Finishing off any notes you are missing for each subject (please don’t rewrite any of your notes, just fill in the blanks)
• Touching up on content you are struggling with (you can do this by going back over your textbook or by watching some YouTube videos that explain it — you can also check out QCE Together to find videos for various subjects). 

Next, start to study for the subjects that you are least confident in. Then, as the external exams get closer, focus on the exams that are the closest. 

While you are studying, keep in mind the tasks that you want to get done. I would encourage that, for your subjects, you complete practice papers or questions in the 1-2 weeks leading up to the exam. 

Time Management

Managing your time in the 4 weeks leading up to your exams will be key. There will be a lot to do, so getting through each task efficiently and effectively will be crucial to your success.

For example, on a Methods and Physics day I might’ve made a list like this:

As you can see, you have the morning and evening off to do whatever you want (hopefully getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep!!) and you get plenty of breaks throughout the day. Now, these time restrictions aren’t hard restrictions.

For example, if you were really struggling with differentiation after the 30 minutes, move onto confidence intervals and potentially go back to differentiation.

The key things about managing your time are:

• Knowing what you want to achieve with your time (hence why making a plan is essential)
• Having time for fun. 

It is important that you still get to enjoy life leading up to your exams. Give yourself at least one day off a week where you can just have fun and get a break from studying.

Staying Motivated

Potentially one of the greatest challenges you’ll face throughout school, particularly in the lead up to your exams, is maintaining motivation. In moments where motivation is low, it helps to take a step back and look at the broader picture.

Remind yourself of what your goals are and the reason you are studying. If there is a certain subject score you want to get, think about that. It helps to make goals that you can think about when you need a motivation boost. 

Other ways to help you stay motivated are to:

• Ensure you have time for the fun things in life
• Get enough sleep and take plenty of study breaks
• Study in fun and engaging ways
• Rewarding yourself for your efforts 

Mr Rodney Spain

Assistant Principal – Senior Years