TEACHERS are fully aware of the difficulties young people face at school when entering the senior years.
The pressures put on students by the HSC are well documented.
A new Year 11 course called the Preliminary Course is designed to prepare students for the more difficult HSC course in Year 12. Students need to be given the tools to cope.
With that in mind, two study skills days were scheduled for the 60 Year 11 students from Westport High School.
The first was held in the last week of the first term and staff from Charles Sturt University volunteered their time to coach students in such things as, how to relax, how to sleep well, how to eat well, how to plan and be organised and how to feel good about yourself.
The importance of regular exercise was stressed.
Many were glad to hear that studying for too long is not productive. Students were also made aware of how to manage stress.
A follow-up Year 11 study skills day was organised for Tuesday 6 May at Tacking Point Surf Club.
The weather was perfect, the view awesome and the team of presenters was fantastic. This day was also designed to assist students in their exam preparations and the associated stresses.
Dan Kelly from Elevate Education presented the first two sessions which covered the ‘path of the study sensei’ and time management.
Students were shown how to learn, master and create in order to do their best.
Simple rules and steps were presented to students to get organised, study, and stand out. Students learnt tips for avoiding procrastination and making more efficient use of their time.
Dan pointed out interesting research such as the relationship between completing practice papers and improving exam results.
The afternoon sessions were designed to provide students with skills to help them work as a team, improve their sleep and cope with pressures and anxiety.
The team-building activities involved working as a team while having fun on the beach.
The session provided by child psychologist and counsellor Nicole Chilcott encouraged students to analyse their sleep patterns and gave them strategies for improving their sleep.
The yoga session was very popular as Jenny Eggert took students through breathing techniques that provide control and energy to deal with stress and pressure.
Jenny explained how yoga can also help with body alignment to improve posture which is important during studying and exams.
It was the first yoga experience for most students and some definitely felt that they were working through every part of their body.
The study skills day was designed to be enjoyable with all students taking experiences and skills away with them to help with life as a senior high school student.
Year adviser for Year 11 Kirsty Simpson said she was delighted with the positive responses she got from her students which included: “The most useful thing I’ve learnt the whole one and a half terms.”
