How to “Pilot Test” Your Study Strategies in Year 11
Units 1 and 2 of your VCE program in Year 11 are a perfect opportunity to learn how to study and achieve the academic results you’re hopeful for in your final year of schooling. Not only do you undergo the same examination and SAC conditions you will in Year 12, but you also get the time to discover the Year 11 study strategies that most align with your learning style. A Melbourne VCE tutor at Breakthrough Education can help guide you to the techniques that will work best for you.
Why Year 11 Is the Perfect Year to Trial Your Study Strategies
Year 11 is notoriously misunderstood as a year that holds no importance, and many students make the mistake of not taking advantage of this perfect testing opportunity. The first year of the VCE allows you to put study and assessment routines in place, ensuring you’re confident moving into Year 12.
The Low-Risk, High-Reward Nature of Unit 1/2
At the end of the day, the results that you receive in Units 1 and 2 aren’t those that will count towards your final ATAR, which removes their risk entirely. It’s an opportunity to establish the best study habits for Year 11, experiment with SAC approaches, and receive valuable feedback from VCE practice exams.
How Trial-and-Error Builds Confidence Before Year 12
The ability in Year 11 to test different study methods and assessment approaches means you can try and fail without impacting your finalised ATAR. By eliminating the strategies that don’t work for your personal study methodology, you’re able to determine those that will bring you success in your final year.
The Key Study Skills You Should Be Testing in Year 11
The wide variety of study structures in the academic world means that each learner can find the one that aligns with their preferences. From time management to different note-taking types and revision styles, a well-rounded study strategy developed through trying out each can help you find the one that works for you. The tutors at Breakthrough Education can help develop those that work best for you, whilst ensuring you understand every point of content.
Time Management and Weekly Study Planning
Ensuring you have perfect time management for Year 11 VCE students during your week for studying, SACS, exam preparation, and general homework is an essential part of your routine. You can pilot-test different strategies by exploring at other times of your day and alternating between longer, 2-hour blocks or shorter, 20-minute sessions that are split up with shorter breaks. Choosing between a handwritten planner and a digital version can be trialled, as can alternating between blocks dedicated to particular subjects or mixed-focus days.
Note-Taking Methods
Note-taking for the VCE is among the best ways to embed information into your cognitive understanding, and there are several options to try. The Cornell procedure splits your page into three fragments: main content in a large right-hand column, keywords in a smaller left-hand column, and a summary at the bottom of the page. Mind-mapping is a popular option for visual learners, placing main concepts at the centre of a diagram with supporting ideas in bubbles.
Revision Styles
Revising content allows you to pull it to the forefront of your mind in the VCE exams, and past Breakthrough Education students have seen success in combining a mix of different techniques. Active recall is the process of producing content without the support of your notes and testing it in a way that spreads out the repetition of your known content, allowing you to learn it more in depth.
Practice SACs and VCE exam past papers are the perfect way to test your knowledge, doing so in a way that’s reminiscent of upcoming assessments. Many Year 11 students find that combining spaced repetition with timed practice exams creates the strongest memory retention for Unit 1/2 content.
How to Know If a Study Strategy Is Actually Working
When wondering how to improve your results in Year 11, one of the essential components to evaluate is whether the study strategies you’re trialling are working for your learning style.
Measuring Your Progress Through Results and Confidence
Humans are natural seekers of dopamine and achievement, and measuring positive progress is one of the best ways to prove you’re on the right path. Results from SACs and homework tasks can guide you, whilst the confidence you feel when opening your VCE practice exam papers will show you which elements require more focus.
Common Mistakes Students Make When Trialling Study Methods
The trial and error approach of Year 11 VCE study methods allows you to experiment with a variety of different revision techniques. Still, several common mistakes are all too easy to make when doing so.
Trying out different study habits for Year 11 is essential, but trouble can arise when you switch from one to another each week. Giving each method at least a month is necessary to allow it time to develop within your own learning abilities and to gather enough data to determine whether it’s working for you.
How a VCE Tutor Can Help You Test and Improve Your Study Strategies
Venturing into the first year of your VCE is a significant step up from Year 10, and a VCE tutor in Melbourne can help you to develop, test, and improve each of your studying strategies.
External Feedback and Accountability
The success of students who have participated in the VCE program at Breakthrough Education has seen over 90 of our past alums finish with a 99.95 ATAR, and the feedback, combined with accountability, has proven to work time and time again. We ensure that the study routines we help to integrate work with you, not against you, and create an environment of understanding to ensure your Year 11 VCE success.
Final Thoughts: Use Year 11 as Your Trial Run for VCE Success
The low risk of Year 11 makes it the perfect year for experimentation. Trialling study types helps you perfect your VCE study routine, ensuring you’re prepared for the trials yet to come in Year 12. Enrol in a VCE program with Breakthrough Education, and let us help you find those that work best for you.