How to Make VCE/ QCE More Enjoyable

Dedicate time in your week to see friends:

By setting aside some time in your week to spend time with friends or family, you will see an extreme increase in your mood. I made a pact with myself that Saturday nights no matter how much work I'd have that week, I'd always go out with friends. This ensured for the whole week I'd have something to look forward to. It also ensured I had a life outside of VCE/ QCE where I could do normal stuff. When I saw friends, sometimes I would make it a big thing where we would go into the city and go to a nice restaurant or we'd go to a party but other nights we would just go to someone's house and make pizza or watch a movie. Either way, any kind of human interaction in an environment that wasn't in school really boosted my mood. 

Continue with your extra-curricular activities:

I know many people stop playing sports or doing all their other extra-curricular activities to focus on VCE/ QCE. However, by stopping all these activities that give you enjoyment, you will really dampen your mood. You need to continue doing the things you love in order to keep you going. If your spending your whole year simply doing schoolwork and nothing else, you will feel like you're a prisoner.

Also, I often found by having a scheduled activity every week at a certain time, it would give me some structure to my day which would ensure when I was studying I'd work harder. Often on the days when I'd have nothing on in the afternoon, I'd spend a long time doing homework that I could've done in 30 minutes simply because I'd feel like I had no pressure to get it done quickly. Studies show that people study more efficiently when they are busy and have to work quickly. 

Take advantage of recess and lunchtime:

Lunch and recess are dedicated times for you to relax. Sometimes there are lunch tutorials or other forms of studying that are necessary during lunch but most of the time, there should be no reason for you to be doing school work during lunch and recess. Do not be that person that spends their recesses and lunchtimes in the library studying. By taking those designated school breaks to study, you will burn out quickly and start to get really down on yourself. At recess and lunch try not to talk about VCE/ QCE. These study breaks are a great time to loosen up and do activities you actually enjoy. 

Schools have recess and lunch breaks for a reason, therefore you should use them! 

Join clubs:

Many people tend to associate school with feeling depressed and stressed because all they do at school is study. However, to actually have fun at school, you should take advantage of your school's clubs and get involved! I personally, was involved in my school's social action committee which meant that throughout the year we held fundraisers and events to make people more socially aware. I am very interested in social justice and charities and it brings me joy to help out in that department. Thus, by joining this committee, I was able to have fun at school and do something I love. Therefore instead of only doing schoolwork at school, I encourage you to try to get involved in activities and clubs your school has such as doing the school musical, playing a sport or taking part in a photography competition. Whatever allows you to associate school with fun!

Studying with friends:

After a while, it can become a bit depressing studying alone in your room. One way to tackle this issue is by studying with friends. It's a great way to maintain a social life through VCE / QCE whilst also getting schoolwork done. However, make sure you choose to study with people you work well with, and that are at a similar level to you. There have been many times where I've chosen to study with a close friend but we would never actually end up studying. This is great if you're just looking to have a good time but terrible if you are trying to actually get work done. I'd recommend studying with a friend that is just as studious as you are and has the same intention to actually study. Also, ensure the person you are studying with is getting similar marks to you in SACs. If they are getting way lower marks to you, then you will end up doing all the work for the other person and not sharing the workload. However, if you study with someone who's getting way higher marks to you, you will end up feeling a bit embarrassed and intimidated which is the opposite of what we are trying to do here. The whole aim is to make studying more enjoyable so make sure you are with a good friend who's just as intelligent as you are! Also, try to study at a library with a friend so then there aren't many distractions. This will limit the chances of you getting sidetracked. 

Remember that it'll be over soon:

My last piece of advice is to remember that VCE /QCE  is just a small part of your life. It will be over before you know it. Don't get too down on yourself in VCE/ QCE  because ultimately there are many pathways to get into different university courses and you will eventually find your way. VCE/ QCE does not last forever even though it may feel like that at the time. Just remind yourself, after you finish school you have over three months of holidays until university starts!

I hope this puts you in a good mood and helps you have fun in VCE/ QCE! 

If you have any concerns, worries, or questions, feel free to message us!

The Studyclix Team