Creating a Study Schedule
A realistic study schedule helps students balance school, homework, revision, work, sport, and wellbeing. During Pathways sessions, students are encouraged to plan their week in advance and allocate time for each subject.
Use Pomodoro blocks to structure study: 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break. This can improve concentration, reduce procrastination, and make tasks feel more manageable.
Effective schedules should:
· Break tasks into smaller sessions
· Prioritise upcoming assessments
· Rotate subjects across the week
· Include breaks, exercise, and sleep
Consistency each week is more effective than occasional long study sessions.
Active Recall vs Passive Revision
Students often default to passive revision such as rereading notes, highlighting, or watching videos. While these can be useful starting points, stronger learning comes from active recall — retrieving information from memory.
Examples include:
· Practice questions
· Flashcards (Leitner System)
· Writing everything remembered about a topic
· Teaching someone else (Feynman Technique)
· Timed practice tasks
Regular self-testing is one of the most effective ways to improve memory and exam readiness.
For more information, refer to the Make It Count Google Slides in the Pathways Google Classroom.
How Parents Can Help
Parents can support students by:
· Asking about their weekly study plan
· Providing a quiet study space
· Encouraging healthy routines and regular breaks
· Praising consistency and effort
· Helping students maintain balance during busy periods
Strong study habits developed now will benefit students well beyond Year 12. Thank you for your continued support of our senior students.
VCE Success Strategies Presentation
On Tuesday 21 April, our Year 12 students attended an engaging presentation, VCE Success Strategies, delivered by Darren Pereira from Success Integrated. The session provided practical advice to help students approach their final year with confidence, purpose, and effective study habits.
A key message of the presentation was the importance of positive self-talk and maintaining a mindset that supports resilience and persistence throughout the year.
Students were encouraged to set goals that are just out of reach, but not out of sight — ambitious targets that inspire effort while remaining achievable. As part of this process, students were challenged to write down the subject scores and ATAR they are aiming for, and to identify an accountability person who can help keep them focused and motivated.
The presentation also explored practical strategies for success, including:
· Effective time management
· Using the Pomodoro Technique to structure study sessions
· Listening to Baroque music to support concentration and recall
· Building routines that promote consistency and progress
The session was a valuable reminder that success in Year 12 is built through mindset, planning, and consistent habits over time.