Many students struggle to study and stay focused for a long period of time while studying, which prevents many students from completing what they need to do. This can be improved with good habits and practice at studying for longer periods of time. For example, break down study blocks into 30 minute periods with 5 minute breaks in between. This allows you to stay fully focused for longer and be effective with the time, especially if you set a single goal to achieve during the period. After the 30 minutes of strong focus has been achieved, this period can be extended to 45 minutes or 1 hour as the practice of focus improves the brains ability to stay on topic for longer periods of time.
The act of scheduling study can also significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your study. You can block out specific periods of your day and schedule in when you are going to study for each subject, which ensures that you are giving even amounts of time to every unit or give extra focus on subjects when it is needed. With this, you are also able to organise time for taking breaks that are vital in reducing burn out and improving your focus when studying. In between your blocks, you should try and do the activities you love and help you relax. This could be going for a walk, talking with family or watching an episode of TV.

Maddie Manins

Most students become quiet in class because they do not understand what is being taught or need the lesson to be re taught in a different way. They usually become scared to look “wrong” in front of their teacher and peers. This fear is one of the biggest barriers to learning but tutoring quietly solves this in ways a classroom cannot. When confusion builds up, gaps in learning may result and this could cause the student to become overwhelmed. During tutoring, we can identify those gaps and cater to their needs as well assign homework so they can further apply the concepts that are re taught during tutoring sessions. This will boost their confidence and allow them to ask questions. Slowly, their fear stars to fade. Over time, they begin to start raising their hands in class and reach high levels of confidence.

Razan Rustom

When people hear the word tutoring, they often think of students who are falling behind. But the truth is tutoring isn’t just for kids who are struggling. It’s actually one of the best tools for any student who wants to feel more confident, stay on top of their work or push themselves further.

Some students use tutoring because they’re aiming for a top ATAR or want to get into a selective school. Others might already be doing well but feel like they’re not being challenged enough at school. A tutor can give them extension work, advanced feedback and help them explore subjects in more depth.

Then there are students who just learn better one-on-one. Not everyone feels comfortable asking questions in front of a full classroom. Some kids need more time to process things or benefit from learning in a different way. With a tutor, they can ask anything, go at their own pace and learn without pressure.

Tutoring is also great for students who are busy with sport, music or part-time work and just need help staying organised. A weekly session can be the thing that keeps them on track, helps manage homework and stops things from piling up.

And let’s not forget the confidence boost. When a student understands something they used to find hard, it changes how they see themselves. They start to enjoy learning again. That kind of mindset carries over into every subject and every classroom.

So no, tutoring isn’t just a fix when things go wrong. It’s something that can support, extend and inspire students at every level. It’s not about being behind, it’s about getting ahead in the way that’s right for you.

Eireyna Papinyan

Today I watched a tutoring session where David, the tutor, was helping a Year 10 girl with her trigonometry work. Right from the start, the atmosphere felt relaxed. David has a calm, friendly way of talking that makes it easy for students to ask questions without feeling embarrassed. He began by asking her what she already knew about sine, cosine, and tangent. She gave a few unsure answers, and instead of correcting her straight away, he used her responses to figure out where to start.

He drew a simple right-angled triangle and asked her to label the opposite, adjacent, and hypotenuse. She hesitated a bit, but he didn’t rush her. Whenever she got stuck, he guided her with little hints rather than just telling her the answer. Once she labelled the triangle correctly, he explained each trig ratio, writing out the formulas clearly and showing her how they connected back to the triangle. His explanations were simple and made everything feel less intimidating.

As they moved on, he gave her some practice questions. David encouraged her to talk through her thinking while she worked them out. This helped him spot exactly where she was getting confused. When she made mistakes—like mixing up the opposite and adjacent sides—he didn’t make a big deal out of it. Instead, he drew another triangle and even used a real-life example about finding the height of a tree to help the idea stick.

Throughout the session, David stayed patient and positive. He repeated things when she needed it and celebrated the small wins, which seemed to boost her confidence. By the end, she looked much more comfortable with the topic. She was able to work out missing side lengths using sine, cosine, and tangent, and she even tried some harder angle-finding questions with only a little help.

Watching David work showed me how helpful it is to keep explanations clear and use visuals when teaching trig. Most of all, I noticed how much difference a calm, encouraging tutor can make. The session felt supportive, steady, and focused, and the student clearly benefited from it.

Maria

I observed Sebastian teaching Year 11 Chemistry to Ekaterina. As someone who never studied Chemistry in high school, I found it very interesting to see how Sebastian explained the content and broke down difficult concepts into something much more understandable. The lesson began with equilibrium system graphs. Sebastian introduced the concept by drawing graphs on the board and writing summaries to explain what they represented. He used these visuals to illustrate how the concentrations or rates of reactants and products change over time, as well as how they respond to external factors such as concentration, temperature, or pressure.

After the explanation, Ekaterina started working through a worksheet based on this concept. While completing the questions, she had many questions that she needed help with, which Sebastian patiently and clearly answered. He guided her step-by-step through how to approach and answer each question, ensuring she fully understood the reasoning behind the solutions. Sebastian also asked why she choose these answers, making sure she understood her reasoning also prompting her to identifying mistakes she made without telling her, by being able to identify it, which helps her feel more confident and understand the work fully.

After this, they also looked at some questions she had been given in school and was stuck on. Sebastian continued to ask Ekaterina guiding questions, asking questions such as which formula she should use and why. After completing some questions and having questions, Sebastian once again used the board to draw images based on the solubiltiy equilbrium, using arrows and small notes to showcase the concept step by step, which once again really helped break down the concept helping Ekaterina understand what is being told before continuing with the work and writing the notes in her book

Daniella Antoun

The first tutoring session sets the tone for everything that follows. It’s not just about determining academic needs, it’s about building a relationship grounded in trust, safety, and mutual respect. A strong rapport helps students feel seen, heard, and motivated to engage.

Start with low-pressure icebreakers that invite personal connection. Ask about their favorite subjects, hobbies, or what they enjoy outside of school. Questions like “What’s something you’re proud of this year?” or “If you could learn anything instantly, what would it be?” spark curiosity and self-reflection. For younger students, fun games or drawing activities can ease nerves and build warmth.

Tone-setting is equally crucial. Be calm, friendly, and affirming. Use open body language and active listening cues like nodding and paraphrasing. Avoid jumping straight into assessments, begin with a collaborative conversation about goals and expectations. Frame tutoring as a partnership: “We’ll figure this out together,” rather than “I’ll teach you how.”

Trust-building deepens when students feel emotionally safe. Validate their experiences, whether it’s frustration with maths or anxiety about exams. Share your own learning journey or a time you overcame a challenge. This models vulnerability and resilience. Be consistent with praise, but make it specific: “I noticed how you stuck with that tricky problem, great persistence!”

Finally, end the session with a positive anchor. Summarize one win, preview what’s next, and invite feedback: “Was there anything today that felt helpful or confusing?” This sets the stage for a growth-oriented relationship.

When rapport is built intentionally, tutoring becomes more than academic support, it becomes a space where students feel empowered to learn, grow, and thrive.

Sophia McLean

Today, I had the opportunity to reflect on how my tutoring approach shifts depending on students’ ages, subjects and individual needs. Working with both primary and high school students has shown me that, no matter the level, creating a calm, encouraging learning environment is always essential. It helps students feel comfortable, engaged and genuinely connected to what they’re learning.

With my younger students, I’ve learned how important it is to switch activities, incorporate hands-on tasks and keep the pace dynamic to match their shorter attention spans. In contrast, my older students often benefit from more discussion, goal-setting and having the space to steer the direction of each session. I’ve also noticed that building their independence—like encouraging them to evaluate their own work or identify areas they want to strengthen—can be especially empowering.

Even with these differences, the core goal stays the same: helping each student feel confident, curious and supported. Working with such a wide range of learners has reminded me how valuable flexibility and patience are, whether that means adjusting how I explain a concept, slowing down a lesson, or introducing strategies that help students self-regulate or stay organised. Each student teaches me something new about what effective learning can look like, and this variety has only strengthened my passion for helping them grow both academically and personally.

Overall, planning your tutoring lesson around each individual student is the most effective way to maximise the benefits of tutoring. Having the skills to adapt according to each student is essential, and likely lead to making a huge difference in both productivity and confidence.

Annabelle Molloy

The HSC can feel overwhelming, especially when every exam seems to carry the weight of your future. Anxiety is a normal response to this pressure, but it becomes manageable once you understand how to work with your mind instead of against it.
Start by breaking study into small, realistic chunks. Long, unstructured hours often fuel stress, while short sessions with clear goals help your brain stay focused. Pair this with active recall and practice questions — they build confidence far more effectively than rereading notes.
Your physical state matters too. A 10–15 minute walk, stretch, or light workout can reset your nervous system and improve concentration. Eating regularly and sleeping at consistent times keep your brain in problem-solving mode rather than panic mode.
When anxiety spikes, grounding techniques help bring you back. Try the 4–7–8 breathing pattern or the “5-4-3-2-1” sensory scan. These calm your body, making it easier to think clearly again.
Finally, don’t do the HSC alone. Talk to your teachers, tutors, or friends. Asking questions, sharing concerns, and staying connected reduces pressure and reminds you that the HSC is just one chapter — not your whole story.

Anthea Preketes

Most people see talking to yourself as a quirky habit, something you do when you’re nervous, frustrated or trying to remember where you left your keys. But when it comes to learning, self-talk isn’t something to hide. In fact, it can be one of the most powerful tools a student has.

Psychologists call it verbal self-explanation and it plays a key role in strengthening memory and understanding. When a student talks through a problem aloud whether it’s a maths equation, a paragraph of English analysis or a science concept the brain processes the information more deeply. Speaking forces ideas to become organised, structured and logical.

It’s the same reason people often say; “It makes more sense when I say it out loud”.

Self-talk helps students identify gaps in their understanding. When something doesn’t quite make sense, it becomes obvious the moment they try to explain it. This gives them a chance to correct misconceptions before those mistakes become ingrained.

Tutors can incorporate this by encouraging students to “think aloud” during sessions. Instead of silently working through a problem, students verbalise each step such as; why they chose a method, what they expect to happen and how they know if the answer is correct. This turns invisible thinking into visible learning.

Self-talk is also incredibly useful for revision. Students might walk around the room explaining a topic as if delivering a mini lecture or they might talk through an exam question as though coaching themselves. The act of speaking creates stronger memory cues because multiple parts of the brain such as auditory, linguistic and cognitive are activated at once.

Of course, students don’t need to perform a full monologue in the library. Even whispering or quietly mouthing explanations can have the same effect. The point isn’t volume, it’s clarity.

So next time a student feels stuck, overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, the solution might be unexpectedly simple, say it out loud. Sometimes the best study partner isn’t a friend or a tutor, it’s your own voice guiding you through the thinking.

Isabella Naumovski

Studying can be tough. It can feel tiring, stressful, and the last thing you want to do on a school night. It demands complete attention and, with the variety of distractions offered to us by today’s world, it can seem impossible. Well, I’m here to bring some clarity to study and how to do it well.

Firstly, in my years of experience, I have found that you have to treat study as if it is another subject. As much as any person wouldn’t like to admit, studying has its additional demands that extend beyond the classroom and normal homework requirements. Ultimately, studying is for the student and done by the student for the student’s own benefit outside of the classroom. And there it is – your first step. To study better, you must reframe what the study means to you. Maybe it’s getting better at Pythagoras’ Theorem, or learning a new language. It could even be to get a specific ATAR, or to get into a specific course at the university of your dreams. By reframing study as our means of bettering ourselves by reinforcing our own learning and takeaways from the course materials, your own sense of personal achievement is greater during and particularly after studying and seeing the results firsthand.

On top of finding the bigger picture, it is imperative that students’ discover their own best method of study. Studying effectively doesn’t mean studying the same way that the top kid in your school studies. It is about finding what works for you and understanding why it works for you. For example, when I was in the HSC, I could not and would not write out a full essay unless I was in exam conditions. The reasoning: because I did not feel that I could memorise or stay focused for that period of time. I would also keep getting caught up in perfecting it.

Which leads me to my final point, study does not need to be perfect. It just needs to be. Do not hesitate to discover your own study methods and techniques using trial and error.

Emily Mackay