Advice for Year 10 students: Follow your passion when choosing VCE subjects
The choices Year 10 students make now will be critical to their further studies. So how do you choose the right VCE subjects? Read student tips plus get the full list of prerequisites for all 2022 courses here.
Education
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Madeleine Granland can still remember the bright colours and bold designs of the buildings scattered through Gaudi’s village in Barcelona.
At the time, Madeleine was a 10-year-old schoolgirl holidaying with her family, and the Spanish landmark designed by world-renowned architect, Antoni Gaudi, made a lasting impression.
“I was fascinated by how creative the buildings were and I’ve wanted to be an architect since then,” Madeleine, 19, says.
“I don’t think my designs would be as ambitious as Gaudi’s, but I’d like to design residential buildings that are a little out of the ordinary! I’d also like to go into theatre design.”
GUIDE FOR YEAR 10 STUDENTS: Prerequisites for all 2022 courses > Tips for picking the right subjects > Understanding the VCE system
Having her mind fixed on architecture helped guide Madeleine’s VCE choices at Ballarat Grammar. She studied maths methods, English literature, psychology, global politics, visual communication design and studio arts.
“I didn’t have to do methods, but it was a safety net in case I changed my mind about architecture — a lot of courses need methods and I wanted to give myself another pathway if I needed it,” she says.
“I did psychology and politics because I enjoyed them, and I did the arts subjects because they were my strength.”
Madeleine is now in the first year of a Bachelor of Design, majoring in architecture, at the University of Melbourne.
GUIDE FOR YEAR 10 STUDENTS: Get the prerequisites for all 2022 courses > Tips for picking the right subjects > Understanding the VCE system
Like Madeleine, throughout high school, Claire Mawley had a clear idea of what she wanted to do once she graduated — she wanted to teach.
“I had a massive interest in physical education, so I did that at VCE. I also loved science, particularly biology, so I chose that. I also did further mathematics, English, health and human development and outdoor education — all subjects that I enjoyed and that I thought would help me in my teaching role,” she says.
“I think the key is to choose subjects that interest you while also being aware of any prerequisites for courses you might be interested in. If you don’t know what you want to do, then English, maths and a science are good basic choices. But above all else, choose subjects you’re passionate about because you’ll work harder and do better.”
Claire, 19, did her VCE at St Augustin’s College in Kyabram and she’s now in the first year of a Bachelor of Secondary Education at La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus. She wants to teach VCE PE and biology, and physics and chemistry.
“I like the idea of teaching older students and teaching more complex content,” she says.
READ MORE: Best education guides for parents
TIPS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
A little preparation and some good habits can help students cope with the pointy end of their school years.
Here, psychologist Dr Mandy Deeks of the Health Information Company, shares some tips for students and parents about how to ease the stress that can build from Year 10.
FOR STUDENTS
● Don’t see VCE or VCAL as a scary time, see it as an exciting time.
● Try not to put too much pressure on yourself. It can be a jump from Year 10 so give yourself time to adjust to the increased in workload. You can settle into the workload with time and by making use of the supports around you, like your family, friends and teachers.
● Develop good organisational and time management skills. We’re all different when it comes to managing our time so ask yourself questions like: what has worked for me in the past? Do I like writing a list of things I need to do and ticking them off? Do I work best by doing a difficult task followed by an easy task? Where is the best place for me to study? Do I study best when I’m alone or with a friend? What distracts me and how can I remove those distractions?
● You can make mistakes — if you stuff up a test or an assignment, it is not the end of the world. See it as an opportunity to learn and to get feedback and support.
● Outside interests create balance in your life and help you recharge. Physical activity is good for your mind, too, and can help you think more clearly and focus better.
FOR PARENTS
● Encourage students to solve any problems they’re having. By falling down they can learn to get up themselves which adds to their resilience and self-confidence.
• Be physically present in your child’s life and be there to listen. Often as parents we want to “fix” and organise things for our children but sometimes they just need to download what is on their mind so they can then get on with their learning.
● Help children establish and support good homework patterns.
● Create an environment at home that helps study. Maybe reduce noise and set up a quiet space with good lighting. And keep the kitchen cupboards stocked with healthy food.
● Negotiate a plan around how much screen time children have each day or week.
● Be careful of the language you use around students so that you don’t add more stress. Focus on things that your child does well, rather than what they aren’t so good at.
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