Interview with 99.90 ATAR Complete VCE Education Graduate (2023)

Nicole is a graduate of Complete VCE Education from the class of 2023 who kindly agreed to the following interview via email. She excelled in VCE, scoring an impressive 99.90 ATAR and is currently pursuing her dream course of Medicine at Monash University.

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Were there any subjects you found particularly challenging, and how did you address those challenges?

For me personally, English was a subject I found particularly challenging. In order to address those challenges, I think that it was important for me to prioritise the subject and realise that it would need a larger time investment than my other subjects. I did lots of practice essays, read high scoring pieces, got feedback from teachers and took the time to understand what examiners were looking for in order to score highly (through both teachers and examiner reports).

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Conversely, which subjects did you feel more comfortable with, and what contributed to your success in those areas?

The subject I felt most comfortable with throughout the year was probably VCE Physics. I would say my VCE Physics tutoring sessions at Complete VCE Education contributed greatly to my success. Given that this was a bottom subject for me, I didn't spend too much time on study outside of these tutoring classes, however the tutors here are really great, they explain content in a very easy to understand manner, and the structure of the course incorporates regular practice questions and revision, which I found was enough for me to grasp a solid understanding of the content and score reasonably high in the exam. In this way, VCE Physics was a subject I felt comfortable with throughout the year and one that didn't cause me any particular stress or worry.

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Could you share three effective tips or hacks that significantly contributed to your success in VCE Physics?

Firstly, include common explanations that you may require for 'explain questions' on your cheat sheet- this can save a lot of time and ensure your explanations are thorough. However, it is also equally important to be able to apply your explanations to the question itself - this is an important skill to learn - as examiners can tell when students just copy out paragraphs from their cheat sheet. So, knowing the necessary points to make, not giving unnecessary information and being able to relate your answer to the specifics of the question is crucial.  

Secondly, make sure you write out the formula you are going to use in SACs and exams - you will receive a mark for this. Especially if you make a transcription or calculation error, you will get one mark for having the formula written down, rather than receiving a 0 for that question. Writing out the formula and taking a step to sub the values into the formula can also help you minimise the chance of making a silly mistake. So, make sure to write out the formula, and also the equation you are solving (formula with variables subbed in).

Thirdly, including alternative versions of formulas on your cheat sheet - these can be found in textbooks, in any notes your teacher provides or online. Although some versions of these formulas may be on the provided formula sheet, in exams they may not give you the variables that directly suit the equation on the formula sheet. In order to save time rearranging and combining formulas, having them pre-prepared on your cheat sheet can help save time and give you confidence during the exam.

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Distractions can be a challenge. How did you manage to stay focused on your studies and minimize distractions?

I think that this really varies from person to person, as well as what the specific distractions are. I know some people like studying at the library or study spaces at school to minimise distraction, others like using study apps like Flora or keeping their phone in another room. For me personally, I minimised my social media usage. Although it felt weird at the start, deleting social media minimised my distractions and allowed me to study more productively. However, this may not work for everyone, and finding a sustainable approach, rather than the most extreme one, is most important! I think that having a designated, quiet study area where distractions are physically in another room for the study duration should work well!

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What advice would you give to incoming Year 12 students to succeed in physics and overall academics?

For physics specifically- do tonnes of practice questions. Physics is all about applying your knowledge, so I think it would be important to really prioritise doing lots of practice; start with simple textbook questions, and once you start grasping the concept, move onto past SACs, checkpoints and exam questions. Another big thing in physics is the written explanation questions - submit these to your teacher and get feedback on them regularly. Your teacher can really help you understand what components are required in a full mark explanation answer; this is really important in order to score highly.

For overall academics- I think that organisation and prioritisation is really important. It is really easy to fall behind or miss a certain concept, however this falling behind can snowball, making it really hard to catch up later. Ensure that you try to stay on top of your work, and communicate with teachers if you ever fall behind or have trouble understanding something - they are there to help! If you can, try to regularly take 20 or so mins to revise any new concepts learnt and try some simple practice questions in order to start grasping concepts and stay on top of your work.

Another important point is of course looking after yourself throughout the year. Taking time to do sport and get fresh air, setting aside time for friends as well as scheduling rest breaks is so important to avoid burnout and minimise stress. Year 12 is a long year, so looking after your own physical and mental health is so so important.

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Are there any common mistakes you observed among your peers, or from personal experience that hindered their academic progress?

I wouldn't say I particularly observed specific 'mistakes', but potentially - depending on the subject - spending too much time focusing on making notes and memorising content rather than doing practice questions, SACs, exams, etc and learning to apply the content. Especially for the subjects I did, being able to apply your knowledge well to questions was really important, and that wasn't something you could really achieve through solely making notes and flashcards.  I personally didn't really make any notes throughout the year - I would just jump straight into practice questions- however many find notes super helpful, so definitely still make them if that's something you like to do - just ensure to also incorporate practice questions into your study!

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