When students struggle to concentrate, the first thought is often that they need to study more. Yet often the solution lies not in more hours but in better fuel. The brain uses a significant share of the body’s energy each day, so what students eat and drink has a direct impact on focus, memory and motivation. Good nutrition is not just a health tip. It is a study strategy.

Breakfast is a key factor. Students who start the day with a balanced meal are more alert and better able to retain new information. Foods that combine whole grains and protein help release energy slowly, preventing the mid-morning slump that can make lessons feel harder than they should. Even a simple option like yoghurt with fruit can make a noticeable difference.

Snacking also plays an important role throughout the day. When students reach for sugary snacks, they often get a quick burst of energy followed by a sharp drop in focus. Smarter choices like nuts, cheese, vegetables or wholegrain crackers help keep concentration steady during homework or exam preparation. The goal is to provide fuel that lasts, not energy that disappears after ten minutes.

Hydration is just as important as food. Even slight dehydration can affect memory and problem-solving skills. Encouraging students to sip water regularly can prevent fatigue and keep their thinking clear. Soft drinks may seem refreshing, but the high sugar content can lead to the same energy crash that disrupts learning.

Parents and tutors can support students by helping them create study habits that include healthy breaks for water and snacks. Planning ahead and keeping good options available can prevent the rushed choices that lead to sluggish concentration.

When energy levels are stable, students feel more capable and confident in their work. Brainpower does not come from books alone. It also comes from the simple everyday choices that help the mind stay focused and ready to learn.

Freddie Le Vay

For me, tutroing has always been about more than markts, it also about helping students build confidence in themselves. many students come to our session thinking that they are bad at a subject when in reality, its not the ability that they lack, its the confidence. Once we start to grow their confidence on the topic or subject, their knowledge begins to expand and they are able to learn and retain information better. The first thing I do is find what a student understands about that topic (if they dont understand anything I begin to teach the most baisc part) and then building on top of that. Confidence doesnt come from getting everything write all the time, all they really need is to see progress in their work. If i see progress in the section we are working on, I make sure to higlight it and ensure they understand that they are progressing. It always helps them so much when they start to see their skills and knowledge develop, and their confidence of course comes with it. Antoher method that I aslo use to build their confidence is setting small acheivable goals that we can work towards. This allows them to progress at a steady rate and feel more comfortable with the material, ultimatley allowing for the learning process and their ability to retain and intake information to speed up. I also focus on creating an enviroment where mistakes are seen as normal and opportunity for learning. I always remind my students that errors are not signs of weakness and oppourtunity for progression that are part of the learning process. This helps them feel comfortable taking risks, asking questions and thinking critically. ltimatley, heloing studnets find confidence thorugh learning means guiding them to trust their own ability in the topics. When they realise that they are capable of growth and improvement, their outlook cahnges. They start to see larning as something rewarding and more enjoyable rather than intimidating. Watching this play out and their confidence increase is always rewarding and a great part of being a tutor.

Lishai Rubinstein

I observed a session where the tutor was guiding a primary student on how to write a persuasive text. The topic chosen was ‘should there be regular breaks at school?’, the tutor outlined ideas onto the board including an example of a school day with breaks included as well as reasons to why regular breaks help learning. Giving the student some ideas to start out with, allows the student to get started but also expand on these ideas alone which encourages them to take charge of their learning as well. The tutor also put multiple quotes onto the board, allowing the student to pick quotes they like and encouraging the student to incorporate them into their paragraphs. Along with this, the tutor would also guide the student on how to incorporate these quotes into their paragraphs. There was also synonyms of words like ‘more’ or ‘means’ written on the board, which allowed the student to expand their vocabulary and incorporate them into their paragraphs to be less repetitive. The student also had a vocabulary book that the student added on whenever new vocabulary is learnt, this expands a student’s vocabulary to be used in further tasks. As the student was writing their persuasive text independently, the tutor was continuously helping when the student had question on ideas, grammar or the format of their text. This process allows the student to feel supported while also encouraging them to create their own ideas and write. After the student finished writing their text, the tutor looked over it and discussed feedback on length, ideas and quote usage, which the student then worked on fixing afterwards. This direct and fast feedback allowed the student to work on editing the work with clarification, rather than confusion if the tutor wasn’t there to clarify any extra questions.

Cynthia Lam

I had the great opportunity to observe Kassandra’s session! Year 9 student Theodore has been preparing for his upcoming Maths exam with Kassandra. The lessons have focused on consolidating his understanding of trigonometric ratios and applying them to various worded problems. Throughout the session, Theodore demonstrated a strong willingness to learn, asking several insightful questions to clarify key concepts.

Kassandra explained each step clearly and broke down complex problems into manageable parts, helping Theodore build confidence in applying trigonometric formulas. She provided targeted practice questions and consistent feedback, ensuring Theodore strengthened both his accuracy and problem-solving strategies. By the end of the lesson, Theodore showed noticeable improvement and felt well-prepared for his upcoming assessment.

Razan Rustom

When parents think about school achievement, they often focus on reading, writing and maths. Yet one of the strongest predictors of academic success begins long before children pick up a pencil: oral language. Speaking and listening skills form the foundation for learning across all subjects and continue to influence performance long into the later years of schooling.

Oral language helps children understand how ideas connect. When students explain their thinking out loud, they organise information more clearly and strengthen their memory. This becomes especially important when they begin tackling more complex tasks, such as writing structured paragraphs or solving multi-step maths problems. The ability to communicate ideas confidently gives students a head start in every learning environment.

Listening skills are equally important. In the classroom, students must follow instructions, interpret new information and tune into key details during discussions. Strong listeners develop better comprehension, which leads to stronger results in reading. When students can listen carefully, they build a deeper understanding of words and sentence structures, which eventually appears in their own writing.

Parents can help build oral language every day with simple conversations. Asking children to explain what they did at school or describe a favourite part of their day encourages them to use new vocabulary and practise clear communication. Reading aloud together also supports language growth by introducing richer words and more complex ideas than children may encounter in casual conversation.

As children move into high school, oral language continues to matter. Class presentations, group discussions and debates all contribute to improved reasoning and confidence. Even subjects like science and geography rely on students being able to discuss concepts and justify their thinking.

When we talk with children, not just to them, we nurture crucial communication skills that support learning for life. Strong oral language opens the door to higher achievement, better relationships and a voice that grows with confidence.

Freddie Le Vay

Every year in NSW, thousands of Year 12 students face the high-stakes pressure of the HSC—a series of exams that often determine university entry, future pathways, and, for many, self-worth. The “exam block” format, where multiple exams occur within days, intensifies this stress. Students frequently describe the experience as overwhelming: long hours of study, limited rest, and constant comparison with peers. Yet, while exam anxiety is common, the growing role of tutoring in NSW has become a powerful tool not just for academic improvement but also for emotional support.

Tutoring offers a sense of structure during what often feels like chaos. A skilled tutor doesn’t just teach content—they model effective study habits, build exam strategies, and help students break down large syllabuses into manageable goals. For instance, by practicing under timed conditions, students learn how to manage pressure and pacing, transforming uncertainty into predictability. When students enter the HSC exam room already familiar with question styles and expectations, stress often turns into focus.

Moreover, tutoring provides a personalised learning environment often missing in crowded classrooms. Students can ask “silly” questions without judgment, revisit difficult topics, and gain feedback that is immediate and tailored. This fosters confidence—arguably one of the strongest antidotes to stress. Research in educational psychology supports this: students who feel competent and supported experience reduced cortisol levels during testing and perform more consistently.

Ultimately, while tutoring is often viewed as an academic advantage, its emotional benefits are equally important. In a culture where the HSC can dominate teenage life, tutors play a quiet but crucial role—mentors who not only prepare students for exams but also help them develop resilience, self-belief, and balance. The best tutoring doesn’t just produce marks; it produces calm, confident learners ready to face challenges beyond the HSC.

Gabrielle Tran

Hey everyone, I had the amazing opportunity to observe Kaeley’s session. She did a great job going through her students homework. They spent half the session doing English and Maths. They looked at reading comprehension and spelling words. They went through different difficulties of texts to work out where Kaeley’s student feels comfortable. They did some easy questions and some harder questions.

They started doing spelling words to prepare her for her weekly spelling test. Kaeley’s started by reading out each spelling word and then she would put the word into a sentence and he her student to sound out each word phonetically. She would also get her student to write the word and then put the word into her own sentence. If her student got the word wrong, Kaeley would explain what error she made and would then go through the correct spelling rule her student needs to follow.

Kaeley got her student to read the text out loud so she could practice her reading skills. They also did some maths questions. They looked at addition, subtraction and number lines. The number lines will help her student to visually understand the process of adding and subtracting numbers. It was great to see her student practice her addition and subtraction skills. When her student got stuck, Kaeley would give her student some hints to help her. Kaeley gave her student some maths homework, based on what they went through in the session.

It was great to see how friendly they were and how comfortable her primary school student was with her. They had a great relationship and they got along really well. Overall, Kaeley did a great job helping her student. It was a great session and such a pleasure to observe. Keep it up!

Ashley Cohen

When building a machine learning model, analysis is the step that transforms raw numbers into meaningful insight. It’s the bridge between data collection and intelligent design, helping you understand not only what your dataset contains, but also what story it tells.

The first stage of analysis involves exploring the dataset’s structure: identifying key variables, checking for missing values, and understanding distributions. This process reveals whether the data is balanced, biased, or needs cleaning before any model can be trained. For example, noticing that one category dominates another might signal the need for resampling or weighting. Each observation becomes a clue about how your model might behave later on.

From there, you begin forming conjectures, educated guesses about which factors may drive outcomes. In a predictive maintenance context, temperature or vibration signals might emerge as leading indicators of failure. In music analysis, perhaps tempo or frequency patterns correlate with emotional tone. These hypotheses don’t have to be perfect, but they create a logical foundation for model design and experimentation.

Analysing data also helps shape your report. Instead of writing in the abstract, you can anchor each section around evidence: describing what you found, why it matters, and how it informed your next steps. A clear analytical narrative turns your project into more than a technical exercise, it becomes a story of discovery.

Ultimately, dataset analysis is where intuition meets evidence. It’s about asking the right questions, recognising patterns, and using those insights to guide model development. When done thoughtfully, it ensures your machine learning report isn’t just a record of process, but a reflection of how understanding emerges from exploration.

Allegra Pezzullo

Many student use the phrase “I hate maths”. This can be one of the most harmful things a maths student can say. The power of mindset is something underestimated by most and the statement “I hate maths” is something that many students say absent mindedly without knowing the implecations. When a student says this they often are simply stuggeling with the subject thus making their experience negative, but by saying this they are only making it harder. Their mentality shifts from I am stuggling and need to work on it to I don’t like it and don’t want to try. This lack of effort often creates a cycle and pattern of students who have convinced themselves they don’t like maths and then stop putting in effort which causes them to struggle more and dislike the subject more. This can become extremely disheartening for a student and can cause them to fall behind further.

By changing their mindset it can unlock many oportunities for growth, with students learning that it’s okay to stuggle and need help. I have had students begin tutoring with this hatred for maths and as they improve and begin consistently getting questions correct they have realised they never hated maths, they hated struggling in the subject which is something universal. This shift in mindset can take time and effort, but this change can be key for motivating students to improve rather than struggle and live with the notion that maths isn’t for them. With the correct support and guidence I believe everyone can love maths.

Olivia Moustakis

In a world of crowded classrooms and on-size-fits-all instruction, one-on-one tutoring offers the opportunity for focused responsive attention. This individualised approach doesn’t just boost academic performance, it reshapes how students learn, think and study.

At the core of personalised tutoring is the ability to tailor strategies to a student’s unique learning, style, pace and goals. Tutors can observe how a student approaches tasks, identify unproductive habits and co-create routine that actually stick. Whether it’s breaking down assignments into manageable chunks, using timers to build focus, or designing visual planners, these strategies are most effective when they’re built with the student, not just for them.

Procrastination, often rooted in overwhelm or fear of failure can be gently dismantled in a one-on-one setting. Tutors can help students reframe their mindset, celebrate small wins, and build momentum through achievable goals. Over time, students begin to internalise these tools, minimising the fear of failure that causes procrastination.

A transformative development is the student’s ability to reflect upon their own thinking. In a tutoring session, students are encouraged to reflect” What helped you remember that? Why did this strategy work better? These moments of guided self-awareness foster independence and resilience, turning passive learners into active problem solvers.

Ultimately, personalised tutoring is about more than catching up or getting ahead. It’s about equipping students with the habits, confidence, and self-knowledge to thrive long after the session ends. When students feel seen, supported and empowered, their study habits don’t just improve, they evolve.

Sophia McLean