General Maths is one of the most popular subjects in the VCE. As a result it is often marked down and requires making very limited mistakes in order to get a good mark. We interviewed one of our top General Maths tutors, Holly, and asked her how she managed to get a raw 50 in General Maths.
What score did you achieve in VCE General Maths?
I got a raw study score of 50 in 2022.
How did you study for VCE General Maths? What techniques did you use to study?
Studied by doing textbook questions, getting to know my calculator, and writing my summary notes for my bound reference – no fancy techniques!
My advice would be to make it as fun as possible. Yes, I know that it may sound weird or counterintuitive to some, but figure out how you can interlace general maths into your daily life.
I used to complete heaps of past exam questions on my iPad – I would be sitting on the couch on the weekend, waiting to go somewhere (in an instance where I had 10 or so minutes to spare) with my calculator in hand, and I’d complete a set of questions.
It felt convenient, it felt fun.
What is your advice for VCE General Maths students for the SACs?
As general maths is mathematical and therefore rather structured, it makes SAC preparation more straightforward than some other subjects. You will be tested on certain content, so ensure that you know which key knowledge dot points are included in the SAC. This way, you will know what to prepare for!
- Ensure that your notes/bound reference is up to date, easy to navigate, whilst being as detailed as possible, allowing you to maximise your marks for both content/knowledge-based questions AND applicational ones.
- Understand how to use your calculator. The last thing you want is to be slowed down because you didn’t take the time to learn how to use it – it is not too difficult once you have practiced. Consult your textbook and/or your excellent tutor to get the hang of this! It can be helpful to incorporate a section for calculator use in your notes for support, but it is more important that you can operate it independently (so you don’t waste precious time in the SAC).
- Practice. Consult your teacher and tutor, mark your work... And… Do more practice. The best way to improve in General Maths is to practice. It is an applicational subject, and therefore, understanding is gained through doing questions. But… Don’t just answer a question and move on, never marking it. Marking your work and seeking clarification when you do not understand something is key. If you don’t know that you have made a mistake, you will probably make that mistake in a SAC. If you know that you don’t understand something, you are doing yourself a disservice if you do not consult someone (a teacher and/or tutor) to help you understand it!
What is your advice for VCE General Maths students for the end of year exams?
After each SAC throughout the year, look through the paper to understand where you have lost marks, using this frustration to deter you from making the same mistakes in the next SACs, and in the exam.
For instance, if I lost marks due to incorrect rounding or a simple oversight, I was aware that I tended to make such errors, and this attention prevented me from making the same mistakes in the exam.
After each area of study, whilst you are working through the next one, start doing some past exam questions for the topic that you have just completed.
For example, you have just completed statistics and are working through finance: start doing a set of statistics questions, mark your responses, and do this each week. Then, once you have finished finance, start doing both statistics and finance past-exam questions each week. This will make your revision so much easier when you get to the exam as you will have less gaps to fill in!
Furthermore, I put extra time and effort into my bound reference and getting to know it well so that I wouldn’t have to waste precious time in the exam navigating it. I highly suggest doing this!
Doing past VCAA exams is essential. If you can’t always manage to do a complete exam due to time restraints, doing 10-15 minutes, or spending some time working through an aspect you find difficult is a terrific use of time!
How did you balance study with the rest of your life during VCE?
I maximised my time in study periods, making sure that I used that time effectively to reduce the time I would have to spend after school doing study. I would take a short time after school to relax a bit as I was always pretty tense after a long day. This way, I was able to put my well-being first after being surrounded by other people all day.
Then, I would commit to doing a certain number of hours of study (usually 1.5 to 3 hours), but breaking this time up into 40-60 minute intervals, having a 5-10 minute break in between.
I hardly ever studied after 7pm – this was my time to unwind, watch a show with my family, and get ready to sleep for the next day ahead. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and getting sufficient sleep for your personal needs is vital to reducing your stress levels whilst supporting your immunity, your health and increasing focus.
