Kia ora koutou

Next week senior students sit parallel examinations and many of Year 10 and 11 sit the Literacy and Numeracy co-requisites. Next term Junior exams happen in Weeks 3 and 4. Good Luck to all of our students.

At Otago Girls’ High School, we can be very confident going into examinations. Our results for Level Three NCEA and University Entrance last year are the third highest across all 27 high schools in Dunedin and Otago. Our Scholarship results for girls are second across all schools - both co-ed and girls’ schools - in Dunedin and Otago. Last year, students from this school were awarded tertiary Scholarships valued at $688,000. Students are already in a culture of learning and success - with quality teaching and support all around them. 

The second factor in this success is knowing how to study. Active and proactive study is making study work for you. The Pomodoro method - 30 minute Work Sprints - is a very useful tool for learning. Get a timer. Set the timer for 30 minutes, and focus on a single task with no distractions or other tasks until the timer rings. The pomodoro is an indivisible unit of time and can not be broken, especially not to check incoming emails, Snapchat, Instagram, group chats, or text messages. Notifications must be off or the device left in another room. The beautiful thing about this work method is that you soon discover you can achieve a lot in just 30 minutes. Then, have a break and then start the next pomodoro.

The Careers website on your homepage on the student page on their computer is a treasure trove of very helpful websites and links where they can find all sorts of help and summaries for their topics. LearnCoach, StudyIt, No Brain Too Small and Quizlet are very useful sites. Look under FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions for the section called ‘How do I study?’

Finally, students should pay attention to planning, wellbeing, breaks and rest during their exams. Exercise, good nutrition, clearing the brain and sleep are all very important here. Rest is the one thing we sometimes forget and yet it is the biggest contributor to good concentration, feelings of wellbeing and good health. Students should have a digital sunrise and sunset each day where they are device-free and calm. Students should go confidently into exams and give it their very best effort. I tell students: You are capable of more than you know. 

Ngā mihi nui