VCE EXAM/STUDY SKILLS KIT
PART 1 – 2015
STUDY SMARTER
NOT HARDER!
TUDY CSMARTER
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The School For Excellence (TSFX) is an independent organisation that provides educational services designed to
help students maximise VCE marks. These include revision programs before examinations, intense weekly tuition
classes, study skills and examination strategy lectures, as well as specialised courses that prepare students in
advance of each school term.
Our programs are the result of over 21 years of collaborative effort and expertise from many schools across the
state, ensuring the highest possible quality resources for VCE students.
“I would highly recommend The School For Excellence for anyone wanting to
obtain the cutting edge to get ahead for their final school years.”
our role
The role of TSFX is to build on the teaching that takes place in
schools and to provide students with the opportunity to
strengthen their understanding of course materials – increasing
confidence levels, reducing the amount of time being spent on
homework and improving VCE marks.
Our revision programs further provide students with the
opportunity to revise course materials in an effective and
time-saving manner. Hearing information from a different
perspective enables information to be engrained into
long-term memory more effectively, improving the quality
of exam responses and how well information can be applied
in unfamiliar applications.
To ensure that students are afforded every possible advantage
in their examinations, our programs are prepared and delivered
by qualified, currently practising VCE teachers and official VCAA
exam markers (not university students); individuals who
possess the knowledge and experience to demonstrate the
means by which students can achieve the higher ATAR scores.
what are students saying about
our programs?
“Absolutely Brilliant!” Student – Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School
“Fantastic!! I would come back for another session for Unit 4.” Student – Forest Hill College
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“Brilliantly presented, a pleasure to attend.” Student – Fitzroy High School
“The School For Excellence turned my previous C average in Maths Methods into straight A’s in the final exams.
My place in Commerce/Law at the University of Melbourne is very much owed to this remarkable makeover.”
Student – Melbourne High School
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the notes, students can explore their full academic potential in specific areas of study.”
Student – MacRobertson Girls’ High School
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were so thorough." Student – Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC)
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Student – Brighton Grammar School
“I really enjoyed my time at TSFX. I had been attending lectures by another company which I now regret. I wish now that I
had attended TSFX lectures from the start of the year.” Student – Lalor North Secondary College
“TSFX has really boosted my confidence in class and now I’m really enjoying school.”
Student – Camberwell Grammar School
“TSFX as always presented a thorough and comprehensive set of lectures which will enhance my ATAR score.”
Student – De La Salle College
“This was an amazing lecture that filled me with confidence for the year to come. I feel very ready to attack stress that is
thrown my way. Thanks.” Student – McKinnon Secondary College
“TSFX lectures were far better than any other lectures I have attended as they were more thorough... the notes given to me
at these lectures will prove helpful in the upcoming weeks before the exams.” Student – Loreto College
“What a fantastic lecture!! I chose TSFX over other lectures for their awesome notes and lecturers, depth and breadth of
topics covered and lecture length, and I wasn't disappointed.” Student – Bendigo Senior Secondary College
“The School For Excellence provides all students with the opportunity to excel. Having attended their lectures and Intense
Workshops, TSFX helped me obtain an ATAR of 99.95.” Student – Melbourne Boys’ Grammar School
“TSFX Intense Workshops are indeed excellent, and provide a comprehensive coverage of content in VCE subjects.
Their notes are fantastic and save valuable study time. I recommend their courses without reservation.”
Student – Camberwell Grammar School
“The 600 km travelled and money spent was most definitely worth it. I’d do it again any day.” Student – Red Cliffs College
“TSFX is fantastic, I don’t know how I would have made it through Year 12 without them.”
6 steps to vce success
Step 1: Get Ahead
Step 4: Exposure
It has been well documented that those students who address
materials in advance of school find it much easier to grasp
concepts in the classroom. They also save significant time on
their homework and study, and achieve higher SAC and exam
scores. Our “Summer School” and “Winter School” lectures
are designed to provide students with the best possible head
start in a highly effective, time efficient and relatively painless
manner! During the course of these programs, we will work
through materials to an A+ standard, introduce students
to potential examination questions and deliver vital tips
regarding assessments and VCE survival skills.
In order to perform well in the exams, students need to work
through as many examination style questions as possible, as
well as master the potential tricks and traps that could appear
in the exams. Every student who attends a TSFX program
receives a large collection of unique examination style
questions per subject, to ensure they are optimally prepared
for their examinations.
Step 2: Extend & Keep Learned Knowledge Alive
Rather than ignoring materials after they have been assessed
at school, and then wasting huge amounts of time re-learning
the same materials in the stressful weeks leading up to the
exams, keep learned knowledge alive with well structured,
strategically timed reviews. Our “Master Classes” are highly
specialised weekly tuition programs which review and then
extend on the knowledge taught at schools, and guarantee to
significantly improve VCE scores. These powerful courses are
designed to ensure that students reach their full potential, be
that a two grade improvement or the elite A and A+ scores!
(Note: Our average ATAR score in 2013 was 93.56!).
www.
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Step 5: Effective Study Skills & Exam Strategies
Significant time and effort is placed into study and learning, yet
the majority of students do not obtain the results that reflect
their commitment and potential. Learn how to achieve those
higher VCE scores (and cut down on stress and study time)
with our unique & exclusive study skills lectures (Succeeding
in the VCE & Mastering the VCE) and exam strategy lectures
(Mastering the Exams) at the University of Melbourne.
Step 3: Review and Refine
Our “Unit 3 Revision Lectures” and “Essentials Lectures” are
well renowned for providing the most in-depth preparation
for the VCE exams. During the course of these lectures we will
review and then extend on the knowledge taught at school,
expose students to examination tricks and marking schemes,
and develop the problem-solving and analytical skills that
are required to secure those higher marks. Every student also
receives a thorough set of A+ notes that will save hundreds of
hours in study time!
Step 6: Knowledge is Power
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VCEedgeonline
exam /study tip # 1
Beating Procrastination
During the year, it can be hard to maintain motivation and commit to the expected 20-24 homework/study regime, particularly
across school holiday periods. These periods, are, however, the ideal time to get ahead and make a significant difference to
workloads and stress levels later in the year.
Most students regularly make up clever excuses to justify why they should put off their studies, resulting in feelings of guilt and
even regret when they do not obtain the desired marks. Procrastination also adds significantly more time to tasks, adding further
stress and workloads to an already demanding study regime.
There are many other benefits of overcoming procrastination:

You will feel better about the quality of work you produce as well as your overall abilities – procrastination can make you
doubt yourself and question your achievements.

You will complete work in a shorter time-frame (the longer you put off your studies, the more knowledge you forget, hence
the longer it takes to complete a task); creating more free time for things you enjoy.

You will feel more confident about forthcoming tests and exams.

You will improve subject marks.
Combating procrastination entails a little bit of reverse psychology as well as a technique called "Nike".
Step 1: Ask yourself the following questions:
Why am I procrastinating?
What benefits will be derived by putting the task off until later?
What benefits will be derived by NOT putting the task off until later?
These questions are usually enough to propel most students into action, however, if you do need a little more
encouragement, proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Break large tasks into smaller more achievable milestones and/or start with the smallest or most pleasant task. Hopefully
this will get you into the swing of study and provide you with the motivation to tackle the larger tasks at hand.
PTO
"I'm going to stop procrastinating ... once I get around to it."
Anonymous
VCEedgeonline
Step 3: Employ the relevant strategies from the suggestions below.

Trick your brain. Rather than telling yourself that you need to work for three hours straight, which might put you
off starting, tell yourself that you will only study for 30 minutes. Pick something relatively easy to motivate you to
continue. You will be surprised at how easy it is to continue working once you get into the momentum.

Think about what you want to achieve before you sit down to study. You can do this at anytime and anywhere,
such as on the bus or walking home. This will help organise your ideas and goals before you sit down and will help
avoid procrastination, as you will know where to begin.

Get started! If you are really struggling, start with something easy to build your confidence. Don’t wait for
inspiration to hit or for the perfect time, just start working.

Try using rewards to get yourself more motivated to study. This could be a break or relaxing activity for every hour
of work or for every task completed. Use things that are typically classified as distractions (such as TV or Facebook)
as rewards for work done rather than punishing yourself over using these devices when you procrastinate.

After a successful study session, record a message to yourself in which you talk about what you just experienced.
This might include statements such as "you didn’t want to do the work and procrastinated and found it very difficult
at first until you got involved, and only then did the work become easier". Describe how you felt after completing
the work and give yourself a specific message to remind yourself what to do next time: don’t put it off, just do it!
Play this message back later when you are struggling to get started; it will be a tailor made message to yourself,
identifying with how you are feeling and reminding you how good you will feel once you get your tasks completed.

Tell yourself how great you will feel once you have completed each task.

Visualise failure and how you would feel. Now pick up something easy and get on with the task at hand.

If all of the given suggestions fail – just accept the fact that you have to complete the task and get on with it.
Additional Suggestions
Here are some additional strategies to help prevent procrastination and save valuable time:

Prioritise your tasks, homework and study requirements into a list of what needs to be done and when. Ask yourself:
What is the best use of my time right now?
Set realistic and manageable goals so that you know what you want to achieve and you can see clear evidence of your
progress towards your final goals. It may help to visualise what you want to achieve and put up pictures or documents
around your house that remind you of your goals.

Set early deadlines for tasks, especially if you are the type that likes to work under pressure. Rather than leaving your task
until the night before it is due, a ‘fake’ deadline will spur you to complete the task earlier than required and leave you with
time to go over your work before you hand it in.

Use reminders and prompts around your room and house. These will serve as a great source of motivation when you are
distracted or avoiding your studies. Write and put up signs and post-it notes saying things like “Procrastination will waste
your time – do it now and get it over and done with!”
PTO
voted number one for excellence and quality in vce programs
VCEedgeonline

Find a place to work that is quiet and free of distractions. Your surroundings will affect your productivity and the quality of
work. If you are still finding ways to waste time and distract yourself, find strategies for overcoming these distractions. You
may need to turn off your Wi-Fi or close your internet browser. Set yourself specific periods of time to work and then give
yourself timed breaks in order to be more productive.

Keep specific to-do lists or calendars with your tasks and goals clearly documented. This will help you track your success
and recognise your achievements.

Be an active participant in class. You will find that if you ask questions, take notes and look for what interests you
specifically within a subject, you will be more engaged in class, and this in turn will make studying easier and more
interesting for you. You will also be less likely to find gaps in your notes and will develop a greater understanding of subject
materials if you manage to pay attention and clarify the content as it was taught.

Perfectionism leads to many students avoiding their tasks, but your work does not need to be perfect; you can make
changes later. It will be much easier to work from something you have started than to start from the beginning.
Try to overcome procrastination during quite periods – you will be glad you did in the months leading up to the exams!
Good luck!
Regards,
TSFX
voted number one for excellence and quality in vce programs
VCEedgeonline
exam /study tip # 2
Getting the Most Out of the Time Spent at School
Many students make the fatal mistake of daydreaming or tuning out in the classroom, not realising that whatever they miss out
on in school will actually take more of their own personal time to work through. Even if there is only 1 hour in total of new
content presented across a school day – not paying attention could create an additional 5 hours of homework – which is a
complete waste of personal time.
Students spend almost half of their learning time at school and should be maximising these opportunities so as to cut down on
after school study commitments. The more you learn and/or complete at school, the less work that you will need to engage in
your own personal time.
So what should students be doing to maximise their learning opportunities at school?

Taking large quantities of notes whilst listening to a teacher and trying to follow/understand the materials being
covered is not recommended.
You are likely to miss vital concepts or confuse issues; which will subsequently lead to frustration and stress, resulting in
additional study requirements outside school hours. Note: Those students who divide their attention to listening, seeing and
writing notes will only remember in the order of 5% of what was presented, whereas those students who listen, watch and
absorb can remember up to 50% of what is being presented in a lecture or classroom!
To maximise learning, students should spend as much of the time in the classroom listening and absorbing the information
being delivered. Therefore, only copy examples after the teacher has finished explaining concepts and minimise note taking
where possible.

Attempt to keep ahead of the classroom with respect to the material being covered at school.
Know what topic is to be covered in the next class and read through the relevant chapter in your text book. You may even
like to attempt some of the exercises in advance (you will have to complete the exercises eventually – so it will not hurt if you
try a few problems before they are assigned for homework).
By working through materials in advance of school you will be consolidating this information for the second time in the
classroom. Your understanding of examinable materials will be greatly improved, and you will find it so much easier to
complete homework, improving confidence levels and dramatically reducing study time.
PTO
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees
opportunity in every difficulty”. Winston Churchill
VCEedgeonline
Working through materials for the second time at school has the added benefit of engraining examinable materials deeper
into long term memory, which will decrease how much time you will need to spend preparing for tests and examinations.
Your SAC marks (which count for at least 33% of most Study Scores) will also markedly improve, giving you that added
advantage in the quest for the highest possible scores.

By working ahead, students will also minimise the need to write notes whilst their teachers are presenting their classes.
Even if the topics being presented are difficult, students will recognise those concepts/materials that are already in their text
books, eliminating the need to write notes in the classroom. In many cases, you will probably find that the majority of what
your teachers relay in class is present in your text books! This strategy will enable you to maximise learning in the classroom,
and will decrease out of school study commitments!

Complete all homework as it is issued.
Homework is usually assigned to provide students with the opportunity to strengthen newly taught skills so that they are
better able to cope with the next section/topic being addressed at school. Students who consistently fail to complete their
homework are more likely to struggle with the materials being covered in class, requiring that they give up more of their
personal time to complete homework and prepare for tests and examinations.

If you have trouble concentrating in class, sit at the front so that you are removed from as many distractions as
possible.
Don’t worry about being labelled a ‘goody two shoes’ – improving your concentration will allow you to absorb the
information delivered more effectively, and you will spend less time completing homework tasks.

Listen to your teachers very carefully.
This means that you must stay focused and pay attention at all times. Do NOT day dream.
If you do experience difficulties concentrating in class, remind yourself that if you do not pay attention now, you will need to
spend up to 5 times the amount of time to cover the same amount of work on your own. Then think of all the pressure this
will add to your work-load, and the amount of personal time you will end up forfeiting.

Do not tune out even when you think that you know the material being covered in class.
You may just learn something new, pick up some new examination strategies, and at worst, you will have reviewed and
further consolidated the knowledge being addressed into long term memory. And this means that you will have less study
and revision to complete in the lead up to tests and examinations!
Regards,
The Team at TSFX.
voted number one for excellence and quality in vce programs
VCEedgeonline
exam /study tip # 3
Homework and Study Banks
One of the key strategies to obtaining the highest possible scores is consistent and regular study. Those students who leave
their homework and exam preparations to the last minute will never derive the full benefits from their study efforts. Higher levels
of stress reduce the amount of information that can be input into memory and increases the time required to learn materials “off
by heart.”
Those students who are interested in reaching their full academic potential, and want to minimise stress and study time, should
be consistently dedicating four weeknights and one whole day over the weekend for study related purposes.
Weekday study periods should be in the order of 3-4 hours (2.5 hours for Year 11 students) and approximately 8 hours
over the weekend (6 hours for Year 11 students). This means that Year 12 students should be engaging in between 20 and 24
hours of study outside the classroom each week (16 hours for Year 11 students).
Ideal study nights include:
Monday – Thursday with Friday evening off.
A four-hour study session (3 hours for Year 11 students) on Saturday morning, followed by a one to two hour break and then
another four-hour study session (3 hours for Year 11 students). Alternatively, students may choose to execute one 3-4 study
session on each weekend day.
Note:

Private tutorials, lectures and weekly tuition classes such as the Master Classes are considered to be study and can be
included in the 20-24 hour weekly study requirement. Time spent addressing homework, writing up notes and working
through exam questions also counts as study.

Aim for at least 4 hours of study per weekday across the school holidays. Year 12 students should be dedicating the
bulk of their school holidays to study.

Time spent studying during free periods, lunch breaks and travelling all count as outside classroom study (OCS) time.
Those students who engage in such a consistent study regime from the beginning of the school year will not be required to
engage in long, extreme and stressful study sessions in the weeks leading up to tests and examinations.
PTO
"Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered, and
the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds." O.S. Marden
VCEedgeonline
Study Banks
How students timetable their study sessions is heavily dependent upon individual commitments and concentration levels. To
accommodate variations in schedules and motivation levels, we recommend that students set up “Study Banks”. As an
example, if your aim is to complete 21 hours of outside classroom study (OCS) each week, you could set up a debt with the Study
Bank for 3 hours each day
 21 hours

 3 hours / day  . If you do not feel like studying one evening or you would like to

 7 days

participate in a special event – you may, but you create a 3 hour debt with the Study Bank each time.
As with normal banks, all debts to the Study Bank need to be re-paid. And the longer it takes you to repay any loans or debts
accrued, the greater the penalties that are imposed! This means that the longer you delay your studies, the more time it will take
you to complete a set amount of work. So if you do wish to save on study time, it is always more time efficient to complete
homework within 24 hours of learning/reviewing that material, and when stress levels are low.
Although it is not possible to measure the amount of time that is wasted/lost when students postpone their studies, we can
introduce a conservative penalty system to help deter students from falling out of a regular study regime.
Any time owing to the Study Bank at the end of each term will have an interest rate of 25% applied. This means that each hour of
debt owed to the Study Bank at the end of each term will accrue an additional 15 minutes of study time.
As an example:
Due to many personal commitments, Sally is only able to commit to 17 out of the 21 hours of OCS per week across her first term
of Year 12. This means that across the 10 week period, Sally has accrued a debt of 40 hours. Sally will owe the Bank 40 hours of
study PLUS 10 hours of interest, which will need to be repaid across the Term 1 school holidays.
Managing the Bank
You will note that the penalties imposed by the Study Bank are considerably higher than at conventional financial institutions,
but the effects of procrastination can be huge. Students who do not engage in consistent study and/or leave their exam
preparations to the last minute will suffer from higher stress levels and larger workloads, and will obtain lower scores than
otherwise possible.
So although the number of OCS hours required may seem confronting, commit to a regular study regime as soon as you can. Set
up a Study Bank each week and aim to repay the Bank what you owe on a fortnightly basis. Chip away at your OCS tally
wherever you can. Give up a lunch time here and there, use your free periods at school, study whilst you are walking, soaking in
the bath, on your way to school and even in the dentist’s lounge! A little effort here and there will help you reach your OCS target
much more quickly – and will also make a noticeable impact on your VCE scores.
Regards,
The Team at TSFX.
voted number one for excellence and quality in vce programs
VCEedgeonline
exam /study tip # 4
The Most Effective Learning Technique Known to Man
Do you spend too much time studying for what you are learning?
Do you forget a lot of what you’ve learned in a few days?
Do you obtain test/exam marks that do not reflect your effort or potential?
Do you develop mind blanks in tests and examinations?
Would you like to find a way of learning that enables you to commit more knowledge to memory in a shorter amount of time?
If you answered YES to one or more of the above questions, then chances are that you have been engaging in ineffective and
time consuming learning techniques!
So how do you commit knowledge to memory?
Do you quietly read your notes and/or textbooks underlining or highlighting key points as you come across them?
Do you re-write materials until you know them “off by heart”?
If you are using either of the above techniques when preparing for tests and exams, you are engaging in the most ineffective
and time-consuming learning techniques known to man! And these are the most common strategies used by students to
prepare for tests and examinations!
Re-writing and/or reading silently are relatively simple tasks that do not engage many zones in your brain. It is therefore easy to
stray or think about unrelated matters – impairing the amount of information that can be input to memory. As an example, whilst
reading a book, have you ever reached the bottom of a page and asked yourself:
"What did I just read?"
Writing, re-writing and silent reading are only effective (and then only moderately so) when the materials being attended to are
of great interest, which is usually not the case when preparing for tests and examinations.
So what method should students be using to effectively commit knowledge to memory?
PTO
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation,
which is the easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.”Confucius (551-479 BC)
VCEedgeonline
Research shows that we remember more of what we learn when we involve more parts of the brain. And there is no technique
that uses more of the brain than DOING, which includes:
(a) Working through examination style questions (80-85% retention rate)
(b) TEACHING (90-95% retention rate).
When teaching or explaining what you are learning in your own words (and out loud), we are engaging in a technique known as
elaborative rehearsal. This technique has been shown to be instrumental in transferring information from short-term memory
to the higher levels of long-term memory, as it enables the brain to draw strong connections between what you are trying to
remember and what you already know.
Not only will TEACHING improve how much you understand and remember, this learning technique improves how effectively
you are able to apply your knowledge; which is highly important in answering analysis-style questions, as well as worded
applications. In addition, when trying to rephrase concepts in your own words, you will very quickly realise what you do and do
not know, and therefore which sections of the course require greater attention.
Learning in this manner will also decrease study time by at least 5 fold.
This means that you will commit 5 times more information to memory in any set period of time!
Note: In general, after 24 hours, people retain:

10 percent of what they read or re-write (typical learning techniques adopted by students)

20 percent of what they hear (audiotapes)

30 percent of what they see (flip-charts)

50 percent of what they hear and see (as in the case of school classes and revision lectures!)

70 percent of what they say and discuss

80 percent of what they say and do (i.e. questions & teaching)
Note:
Unless you possess a photographic memory, 100% knowledge retention can only be gained with regular, structured reviews.
PTO
voted number one for excellence and quality in vce programs
VCEedgeonline
A Foolproof Approach to Committing Knowledge to Memory
Step 1: Read through all the major headings and subheadings in your chosen set of notes, topic or chapter OUT LOUD.
Why is this important?
Information is easier to learn and retrieve if it is organised in some structured manner. In addition, the learning process
is more effective when we link new information to information that is already known. By reading through the headings
and sub-headings, you are forming a scaffold to which new learning can attach to.
Step 2: Read through a small section of the notes (no more than 2 pages at a time) slowly and out loud. Take the time to
understand the materials that you will be committing to memory. This will ensure that you have a global overview of
the topic, as well as an understanding of how principles relate to one another.
Why is this important?
We should always learn the general concepts before concentrating on specific details. Learning sessions should
commence by producing/reviewing a general framework or overview. Once the general concepts are understood, the
specific details will make more sense, and will be significantly easier to commit to memory. By seeing how the smaller
details relate to one another, you will also process the information more deeply (which helps you store, and later
retrieve, it from memory).
Step 3: Read the first paragraph out loud, and then see how much you can recall.
Rephrase what you have read in your own words and out loud. If this is not possible, break each paragraph into smaller
sections. Read the first sentence out loud then rephrase what you have read in your own words. Read the second
sentence out loud and then rephrase what you have read in your own words. Continue in this manner until you reach
the end of the paragraph. Then read whole paragraph and rephrase what you have read in your own words – out loud.
At this stage, you can be sure that you fully understand what you are learning and that you are well on your way to
committing this knowledge to long-term memory.
Step 4: To keep knowledge in long-term memory, read your materials out loud and rephrase in your own words at least once
within the next 3 days. This will keep the knowledge you have learned in your long term memory for at least 1 week.
Step 5: To further engrain information into long term memory, read through each set of notes on a regular basis. Difficult
sections should be reviewed each week and until such time that the material is well understood. After that, review
materials once each month (difficult materials) or once each school holiday period (materials you are confident with).
Remember – the more times you review information – the more thoroughly it will become engrained into long-term
memory and the higher your test/examination scores!
Regards,
The Team at TSFX.
voted number one for excellence and quality in vce programs
VCEedgeonline
exam /study tip # 5
Brain Food
Like a car, your brain works best when you feed it a high quality fuel. Those that compromise on fuel quality will require more
revving to get going, they will chug more slowly when driving up hills and will run out of fuel faster than those who use a high
grade fuel!
The type of foods we eat have a direct bearing on how we feel and how fast and effectively we learn.
Foods rich in choline have been shown to be instrumental in forming circuits between brain cells whilst we learn. Its derivative,
acetylcholine, has also been shown to protect brain cells and preserve memory. Students wanting to maximise memory and
learning should therefore be eating a diet rich in choline, such as almonds, beef, cauliflower, egg yolk, liver, navy beans and tofu.
Tyrosine is an amino acid that is found in high concentrations in chicken, dairy, fish and oats. The body converts this amino acid
to a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) called dopamine, which plays a crucial role in concentration and motivation. Deficiencies
in this neurotransmitter result in many concentration disorders, including ADD.
The amino acid L-phenylalanine is converted in the body to dopamine, as well as another important neurotransmitter called
noreprinephrine – both of which are important for memory and motivation. Foods that are rich in L-phenylalanine include
chicken, dairy, lima beans, peanuts and sesame seeds.
B vitamins, especially B6, B12 and folic acid protect neurons (brain cells) by breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid that is
toxic to nerve cells. They are also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen. Best sources of Vitamin B include
spinach and other dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, melons, citrus fruits, soybeans black beans and other
legumes.
Antioxidants like vitamins C, E and beta carotene fight free radicals, which are atoms that form when oxygen interacts with
certain molecules. Free radicals are highly reactive and can damage cells, but antioxidants can interact with them safely and
neutralise them. Antioxidants also improve the flow of oxygen through the body and brain. Best sources of antioxidants includes
blueberries and other berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, green tea, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits, liver.
Omega-3 fatty acids are concentrated in the brain and are heavily associated with cognitive function, including concentration,
speed and effectiveness of learning, as well as recall of information. These healthy fats also protect against inflammation and high
cholesterol! Food sources rich in omega 3's include cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, halibut, and mackerel; walnuts
and walnut oil; flaxseed and flaxseed oil.
PTO
"In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best
thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." Theodore Roosevelt
VCEedgeonline
Water is also required for healthy brain function as it is needed to move neurological signals throughout the brain. Low water
concentrations in the blood diminish the rate and efficiency of these signals, and hence learning and retrieval. In fact, it has been
shown that partial dehydration (which is characterised by a dry mouth and dry lips) can reduce test scores by up to 20%!
On a final note, brains need a good quality breakfast on a daily basis.
People who eat breakfast perform to a higher standard in tests and exams (up to 40% in one study!), they are twice as likely not
to suffer from depression and are four times more likely not to suffer from anxiety! Eating a high protein, low simple
carbohydrate breakfast has also been shown to enhance concentration and memory, so avoid lots of sugary cereals, juices,
white flour/sugar products and substitute these for whole-meal bread, eggs, dairy, porridge, bacon or baked beans!
Regards,
TSFX
voted number one for excellence and quality in vce programs