What Do Past VCE Students Regret the Most
& What Advice Would they Give to Future VCE Students?
Biggest Regret #1
Not taking advantage of school holidays to get ahead.
“Use every school holiday to get ahead. It will make your work easier, give you more time to prepare for your SACs and cut down on stress.”
“Get ahead right from day dot and stay organised. Do extra work outside of what the teacher assigns because it will pay off!”
“Attend Summer & Winter School lectures so you are already ahead and take your internal assessments seriously, ranking counts.”
“Go to TSFX lectures and work through all of their notes and questions. It helped me get an A in Chemistry and was of immense help in my other subjects. I also found the TSFX lectures more professional, longer in duration and more thorough in their notes than other teachers or lecture programs, so despite the cost I would choose TSFX again.”
Biggest Regret #2
Not starting Year 12 studies earlier.
“START EARLIER!! I didn’t start taking Year 12 seriously until the start of Unit 4. By this point, I didn’t have a sound understanding of most of the previous units and stressed over trying to learn everything properly in only a term.”
“I would have attempted exam questions a lot earlier in the year than I did. I feel like if I did at least one exam question per subject every week, it would have helped me significantly towards the end of the year.”
“Do as many practice exams as possible and start exam preparation as soon as possible.”
“It is never too early to start revising. There is always more to do than you think and everything takes that little bit longer than you predict.”
“Stay on top of everything and prepare for exams early.”
“Don’t wait to the last few weeks to really get serious about studying.”
Biggest Regret #3
Not taking their Year 11 studies more seriously.
“Don’t just cruise through Year 11 because it doesn’t count towards the ATAR. Most Year 12 subjects pick up from the Year 11 course, so if you don’t know your Year 11 work, you’ll find Year 12 that so much harder.”
“Attend TSFX at Year 11. It is a great help.”
“I wish I studied harder in Year 11 rather than thinking that I wouldn’t need it for Year 12.”
Biggest Regret #4
How Year 11 students handled their Year 12 subjects.
“If I could I would try harder in the 3/4 subject I did in Year 11. I took it for granted as I mainly used it for an insight into completing Year 12. For this it was highly valuable and I felt prepared and less anxious when it came to SAC and exam time in Year 12 as I had experienced it before. However, as I was only completing one Year 12 subject I should have put more energy and time into it to achieve a better result.”
“I went to a lot of TSFX lectures in Year 12 and regret that I didn’t go when I was studying 3/4 Biology in Year 11. I would’ve got a better mark.”
“Take at least one Year 12 subject in Year 11 and use companies like TSFX to help with your study and revision because they are excellent resources.”
“Choose subjects you enjoy and do as many practice exams as you can for each subject. They help you so much. I completed Legal Studies in Year 11 and did not go as well as I would have hoped, however it gave me the experience of what to expect in the end of year exams and so I knew that I had to do so many more practice exams in Year 12 than I did for Legal Studies in Year 11.”
Biggest Regret #5
Not asking for/getting help sooner.
“I wish I asked for help sooner than I did, rather than thinking that I am okay, I will understand it later.”
Biggest Regret #6
Not doing more.
“Give it all you have got. It is only one year of your life and it goes so quickly that you may as well just work as hard as you can and get it done to the best of your ability. Don’t let the chance to get into the course you want slip by.”
“Just take advantage of any opportunity that is available to you.”
“Do your best. No one else’s. Start with this Year 12 mind set during the summer school holidays and work consistently throughout the year.”
“You will have forever to enjoy your life. Set aside Year 12 to set you up for great future. Study hard, revise constantly and remember that there are many ways to the top of a mountain – but the view is always the same.”
“My aim was to go through this year with no regrets. Unfortunately, my less than adequate time spent studying English has to be a big regret.”
Biggest Regret #7
Procrastinating & General Disorganisation.
“I feel that I mostly used my time wisely but what I would do differently is to fight that procrastination and make sure I used my study periods effectively and not get distracted by conversations with my friends.”
“Staying on top of your schoolwork will save you a lot of stress during intense SAC weeks/exams.”
“Always complete work when you get it, don’t let it pile up because it is very hard to catch up!”
“Maintain a steady and consistent approach to your studies. It is easy to slack off and fall behind if you get lazy for a week. Cramming is your worst nightmare! Try to prevent cramming before a SAC. Always start as soon as possible.”
“Don’t leave things to the last minute.”
“If you are behind at the end of the week, make sure to catch up during the weekend, and start the new week with a fresh start. Much less stressful.”
“Do it now, so you don’t have to do it later.”
“On one hand it was worth it, because I came out the other side and I’m a lot stronger and a lot wiser and I know myself a lot better, and I did get good marks. It’s not like anything went to waste. But on the other hand, I struggled a lot. If I had stayed on top of my work and didn’t leave things to the last minute, then it wouldn’t have been the worst year of my life.”
“Organisation throughout the year is very important, not just in the lead up to exams.”
“Get into a good work habit early, as it will make it easier to keep going throughout the year. And it makes a big difference to your scores.”
Biggest Regret #8
Sacrificing social events during Year 12.
“Keep in mind that Year 12 is not all about academic success. Though it is a large part of it, it is also a time for personal discoveries and growth, so make sure you are balancing social life with studying, and don’t stop interacting with family members and friends.”
“I would try to find a balance between social activities, school and rest earlier in the year, which would have prevented me from stressing out and breaking down regularly.”
“Study hard but also maintain a balanced lifestyle. Whilst it can be stressful, your final year of school is ultimately a once in a
life time opportunity. You are only in Year 12 once, so make the most of it!”
“If you’re tossing up whether you should quit playing sport to focus on study, my advice is don’t do it. Yeah, take a couple of weeks off during exam period to give yourself some time to sleep, eat and cram all the study you should have been doing weeks ago. But don’t throw in the towel completely, it’s not worth it.”
Other Big Regrets
“Having regrets. I’d do things completely differently if I had my time again.”
“Don’t make the mistake I did. I got trapped into feeling all my efforts obliged me to do a sought-after degree. How did that end? I studied Law for exactly six weeks before dumping it entirely. You’re the one who has to live your life, not others. Stay true to what it is you really want and not what others would like to see.”