by Sequoia Thomson, Year 13 Student, Kaipara College
September has come to an end, and mock week is already over and done with - what a relief!
To all those students who put their very best into mocks, or even just attended them for the first 45, no matter what your results are, you showed up, and you tried. I find that with these exams, whilst not only being substantially harder than the real exams (confirmed by secret sources!), you have so little time to prep you are almost set out to do average or below.
What I have learned from now three years of NZQA exams, is to never let mock results discourage you. While you must feel like there’s no benefit to them, aside from the potential derived grade in case of emergency, there are actually quite a few.
First off, it’s a great learning opportunity to figure out your weak points, try out study techniques, and practice sitting and working in the exam environment.
While that last point may seem silly, (I mean, who needs to practice sitting at a desk?), the empty hall and rows of chairs can be very, very anxiety inducing. Being able to work under stress is a skill, not a given, and it genuinely helps you to adjust to that environment. After a year of working on assignments over periods of weeks, casually in classrooms, and often cozy at home too, exams are very starkly different.
Now, my biggest tip is to remember to have a good look back at the papers you completed for each mock exam, even if the grade was bad. I always like to remind myself that mistakes are not failures, they are simply an opportunity to learn (and to create a great study plan). I also personally recommend spaced repetition, and active recall as great study techniques, as well as the purchase of white-board markers you can use on a window or white-board; for the sake of the trees.
Moving on from mocks, as I am sure we all want to do, one of the most fun holidays of the year is on the approach; Halloween!!!
Whilst not as extravagantly celebrated here in Aotearoa as it is in other countries, it’s a fun occasion to dress up and have fun with your mates. I’m currently having a great time planning out my costume and am very set in the opinion that whilst we may age out of trick or treating, dress up and candy has no age limits. Take a short break and have a little fun!
