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Study

Study

School can be hard. It can be boring and even confusing. It can be hard to know what subjects will help us get to where we want to be. We've got some resources and info to make things easier.

Study Tips

School

Apprenticeships

TAFE

University

Study Tips

Below are some study tips to help you on your way put together by a local young person!

1. Get to know your teachers/lecturers etc. early in the term/semester. Expand

This makes it easier for you to catch up with them and go through anything you might be having trouble with in class. Not only that, you'll have an extra connection who can be a reference if you're looking for work in the future!

2. Revision isn’t reading over your notes the week before your exams or just during SWOT VAC. Expand

Regular revision strengthens the neural pathways in your brain connected to long term memory. This means the more you revise the better you will be able to remember and apply content. Look at your notes after you've learnt something new and try to summarise it for yourself. Keep coming back to these summaries and link them to the new content you are learning.

3. TEST YOURSELF! Expand

This is related to study tip #2 but it’s so important we're dedicating tip #3 to it. Testing your knowledge of the content is the best study method there is. This can include:

  • Practicing exam questions. Have a go without your notes, then fill in the gaps with your notes open. When you've done that, compare your answer to the model answer provided. Using different coloured pens can help to identify content gaps in your brain and notes.
  • Creating question and answer flash cards. Especially useful for super heavy content based subjects.
  • Write your own exam style questions and the model answers to go along with them. Show these to your peers and teachers and try to follow the structure real exam questions follow.
4. Pick a comfortable, distraction-free place to study. Expand

If you have loud siblings, an uncomfortable chair or a cold bedroom it might be time to look for a new study den. The libraries in Moonee Valley have free Wi-Fi for members and fantastic chair-to-desk height ratios!

5. Having some downtime is OK! Expand

Whether it’s a lazy Sunday in the dead of winter, a long dinner with your family or a walk to the park, there's no reason to feel guilty for ‘wasting’ a few hours. It's great for your mental health and it can be enough to reinvigorate your motivation to learn when you’ve had enough.

6. It doesn't matter how much you study, it’s about how effective your study methods are. Expand

What are you doing that actually achieves results? We bet it isn’t spending 2 hours re-reading your textbook before you head into your exam!

Need stop stressing and start working? FYA have some good tips here.

7. Take regular breaks. Expand

Now this doesn’t mean study 5 minutes then watch TV for an hour. The general rule is to study for about 15-50 minutes. Basically take a break before you start to zone out, so get up, stretch your legs, have a sip of water and hit the books again.

No matter how rigorous (or not so rigorous) your studying has been, go into your assessments with confidence.
Stay calm and collected to steady yourself during reading time for tests. This will help you think about how you answer what you're being asked.
If you don't feel so great before an exam/test, strike a power pose! Studies have shown it can lower your stress levels and help for a positive state of mind.

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School

School offers lots of opportunities. Hopefully what you learn in school will prepare you for an interesting and fulfilling in the future! Consider getting involved in some leadership or creative opportunities to mix things up. You'll be able to meet new people and learn different things. You can also talk to someone to guide you through what school subjects are best for you and your interests. We're always here to support you through the school journey.
 
Usually, if you reach year 10 teachers (and parents) will start asking you to think about what you want to do when you leave school. It might make you think about what kind of career you want when you finish and it’s hard to think about that if you’re not sure. If you have a rough idea of what you’d like to do, start with that and then look at the courses that you would need to do to achieve that. Find your interests – what do you like already, what are your strengths and what’s something that could combine those?
A good place to start is the VTAC website – you can explore the website and see if something sounds like it suits you. If you’re unsure, chat with an adult to help you decide what suits you best. Your parents, teachers or careers counsellor can be the great for that.
 
Another helpful resource is The Good Careers Guide. This is a resource for students and young job seekers to assist in their career journeys. It has over 400 job descriptions as well as what you need for them, typical tasks in particular jobs, training that may help you on your way and even employment opportunities. What’s really handy, is that it’s available as a print guide, website and e-book!

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Apprenticeships

Youth Central - apprenticeship & traineeship options

Victorian State Government - become an apprentice or trainee

Apprenticeships can be the best way to get into some career paths. If want to do a trade, an apprenticeship can get you paid job experience immediately while you study. Apprenticeships are great for practical jobs like an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter or a mechanic.
 
There are many ways to do apprenticeships at different times and through different sources. For example, you can do a School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT) through your VCE or VCAL certificate at school. That means dividing time between school, doing training and working. You can also do an apprenticeship after you finish Year 12, which is what some employers are looking for.
Sometimes it can be hard to find an apprenticeship, so make sure you ask the people your connected to. Teachers or parents are great, but don't forget family friends or connections through other activities you are part of. Remember, it pays to be friendly and polite to everyone as you never know when or where an opportunity will come up!

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Tafe

TAFE is great for learning practical skills to get you ready for work. A TAFE course can also be a pathway to get into university at a later stage. It doesn’t take as long to complete a TAFE course as it does a university degree, however the higher qualification that you decide to complete the longer it will take.
 
At TAFE you can start with a Certificate I or go all the way up to an Advanced Diploma or Graduate Certificate or Diploma level. Just remember, that you can only get HELP assistance for each level once. Similarly with trying to find out what subjects you want to do in high school, work backwards from the end goal. What do you want to do and from that, what course can you take to get you there? Then look into those courses and see which one works best for you and go for it!
Want to find out what course suits you? Try Open College's Career Quiz.
Need to know more about TAFE and training? Learn about the basics of TAFE through Youth Central.
Didn't get into the course you wanted? FYA have got your options all in one place.

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University

At university you can do full time or part time study. Full time study can be anywhere between 12 and 35 contact hours per week (in tutorials, lectures or workshops). You can also study part time. Importantly, these hours can vary from course to course, so see what works best for you. Uni is a totally different way of learning to school, that you might really like… or not so much.
It can take some getting used to. You're responsible for your work and lecturers don't check in as often so it's important to stay motivated.
 
Balancing life and study and work can be difficult. Maybe you have to look after a family member or you need to work to make sure you can get by. If assignments are stressful, it's a good idea to chat to the student counsellor or course coordinator for some support. They're great because they understand the university environment and can help get extensions on your assignments.

Uni is also a great place to make friends. Most people are in the same situation as you, they don’t know many people at all, and many things are new for them. You may find that people are much more open minded and accepting than school. You can also join one of the many clubs and groups to make friends to try something new!

Youth Central: How to handle your first year at uni

Dear First Year Students: A letter from a final-year student

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Acknowledgement

Moonee Valley City Council respectfully acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land - the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, their spirits, ancestors, elders and community members past and present.

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