Pedagogy and Practice

HSC Examination Preparation

With our Year 12 students about to commence their final HSC Examinations, it is timely to remind them (along with all of our students in other year levels) of the importance effective study routines play in maximising exam performance. Below are some helpful tips that will assist in creating successful study habits.

Study Skills - Tips for Successful Study

Below are some tips that will help you make the most of your study time.

Studying well is a skill that can be practised and improved. 

Knowing that studying involves a dedicated amount of your time, effort and concentration is important when setting yourself up to study well.

Top 10 Study Tips

1. DECIDE.  Make a real decision that you are going to study.
2. TIME.  Create a schedule that indicates WHEN you will study.
3. SPACE.  Create a dedicated study SPACE for you to use.
4. DISTRACTIONS. Remove all distractions from your study space.

No Phones or social media

No Music

No TV

No Procrastinating

1. BUDDIES. Join up with a friend(s) who is equally determined to study.
2. SLEEP. Keep up regular sleep patterns. Approx 8 hours per night.
3. NUTRITION. Maintain a balanced diet with plenty of water.

Avoid caffeine and energy drinks

Avoid high sugar, high salt, high fat snacks

1. EXERCISE. Keep up the physical movement. 

About 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day

1.  FAMILY. This is your most important support system. Speak with them
2.  PRAYER. Take time to pray and reflect. This will help keep you centred.

Ways to Study - Study Techniques

1. Write summary notes. Keep your summary notes indexed in folders.
2. Write your notes. Handwriting is essential in your exams - practice it.
3. Complete Past Papers. Do this under timed, exam conditions.

• Ask a peer to mark your work and provide their feedback.

1. Try the “Refinement Process”, where you explain how to do something to another person. 
2. Adopt “Spaced Practice”, where you break study up into smaller chunks over a longer period of time.
3. Experiment with “Retrieval Practice”, where you write down all that you can recall about a particular topic. 
4. Complete Review and Extension questions from your textbooks.
5. Access other textbooks and resources. Extend your level of understanding.
6. Complete on-line revision quizzes. These can provide instant results/feedback 
7. Visit the NESA site for more useful information:

• Past exam papers which include marking guidelines and marker notes
• HSC Study Guide - detailed study resource

STUDY DON’Ts…

1. Don’t wait until the last moment to start - Cramming is not a successful strategy.
2. Don’t pretend that you have studied. Planning to study is not studying.
3. Don’t ignore weekends - these can be used as study time also.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You are supported and assistance is available.

Mr Paul Haras
Leader of Pedagogy and Practice