COVID-19 and national lockdown laws impacted us all greatly, but for the students who are completing their final year of high school in the midst of a pandemic, the situation for some has been nothing short of disastrous. 

Students were sent home to undertake home learning, with digital learning becoming a part of their new everyday life. Study groups were no more, in fact, contact with anyone outside their own household was off the cards. 

On top of navigating the education obstacles, there were also emotional challenges to deal with, such as the loss of regular physical and extracurricular activities, and mental health strain.

Here are three integral steps you can take now to help your student go from struggle and stress, to straight As in time for the QCE.

Trying to navigate ATAR? Read our ATAR FAQ’s

1) Determine the cause for the grade slip

There could be many reasons your child has seen their results go backwards. The first step is to determine what could have caused the decline in the first place. For example – is your child overwhelmed with all of the changes and the rapid rate at which their educational goal posts are moving? Did the change in their daily routine leave them with feelings of anxiety or simply struggling to get back into the daily grind of being back in the classroom with assessments coming at them thick and fast? Have they experienced social issues with changed friendships since they were last in the classroom? 

Whatever the cause, it is important to address the reason behind the results. Ask them how they are feeling about all of the recent changes in their life, and see if you can get to the root of the problem. If you are having trouble – it might be worthwhile seeking professional assistance such as an appointment with the school counsellor who can help you in facilitating a meaningful conversation with your teen. 

2) Did their time management and goals change?

Without the need to rise early in the morning and get themselves into the classroom, did your child struggle to get up and get moving in the mornings? Has this impacted them greatly with fatigue issues now that they have returned back to their school campus? A shift in a young adult’s energy levels could be part of the reason they are finding school a little more difficult post-lockdown. 

It is also possible that the career goals of your child have changed since being in lockdown, meaning particular subjects have become less appealing to them and the focus has been shifted. 

It can be tough to rally the enthusiasm for that last push after twelve and a half years of schooling, but it is really important to help your young person find that motivation to get across the finish line and get the ATAR score they have been striving for. If you need to implement structure and routine back into their day, the school holidays are a great time to hit the reset button and help them to hit the ground running for the start of their final term at school. 

Help them to define what their goals are, and clarify the steps they need to take to get them back on track to success. They may need help structuring a new routine to help them with their study goals – whatever it is they need, your support is going to be key in the last few months of their school career. 

3) Did the mid-term assessments reflect their learning preferences or is this an anomaly?

Did your child see a dip in grades in the first semester of Year 12? Did the absence from the physical classroom mean that they missed the push from their teachers to knuckle down and treat their mid-year exams like a trial run for the QCEs? It could be really easy to blame COVID and assume that all other students across the state were similarly impacted, but it’s time to bring the focus back onto your child and what went wrong for them.

Was the learning language unfamiliar to them? Could a tutor be the answer to sharpening your student’s study skills leading up to their final exams? 

A Team Tuition helps students – particularly those in their final stages of learning – to reach their full potential, and it’s not too late to enlist our help for your child. Learn more about how we helped some kids change their results from Cs to As in less than six months. 

Turning it around is about diagnosing the setback and putting real, actionable strategies in place to overcome the poor grades. As a parent, you’ve probably had just about enough of this whole “educator” thing.  That’s okay, we offer intensive ATAR tutoring blocks that all start with overcoming everything above. This is your last chance to help your child kick academic goals when it counts the most. 

Could ATAR tutoring be the answer for your child? Contact A Team Tuition today!

The post How ATAR Tutoring Can Help Slipping Grades appeared first on A Team Tuition.

The post Visual Learning Style Study Tips appeared first on A Team Tuition.

The post Aural Learning Style Study Tips appeared first on A Team Tuition.

How do I get my child to sleep?

Where do you start when you feel like your child is not going to sleep? These are our top 10 tips on how to make a child sleep:

• Establish a regular bedtime. Some studies have indicated that the regularity of an individual’s sleep cycle is more important than the number of hours one sleeps each night. For those asking “How do I get my child to sleep?” it is important your child goes to bed at roughly the same time each night. Their body’s production of melatonin (the chemical responsible for tiredness) will align more closely with their sleep-wake rhythm, minimising feelings of grogginess in the morning.

• Set up a bedtime routine. On top of implementing a regular bedtime, creating a bedtime routine – bath, reading, meditation, etc. – will allow your child to relax and mentally unwind before falling asleep. Cortisol, the hormone associated with stress, negates the body’s ability to shut down and rest. Establishing a relaxing bedtime routine will minimise stress, and increase your child’s chances of falling into a deep sleep (also known as slow wave sleep), the stage of sleep in which information is consolidated in the brain.

• Establish regular waking times. We know children love to sleep-in on the weekend, particularly teenagers, but it may not be the best move in the long-term. Similarly to setting a regular bedtime, it is beneficial for your child to wake up at approximately the same time each day. Again, this helps to align their body’s production of melatonin with their sleep-wake cycle.

• Napping. Rather than encouraging sleep-ins, it may be more beneficial for your child to have the occasional nap if they’re feeling a little tired. As we all know from experience, though, naps need to be kept to a 20 minute maximum. Any longer, and your child will begin to fall into a deep sleep, confusing their body clock and making them feel too tired or too alert at the wrong times.

• Ensure the bedroom is suitable for optimal sleep. Generally speaking, bedrooms need to be dark and quiet. If your child is a little anxious or afraid of the dark, a night light may be a happy medium. Other things to consider are temperature and clocks. Try and regulate temperature with a heater, extra blankets, an air-conditioner, a fan, or by opening a window, to allow for an uninterrupted sleep. Constant checking of the time may also cause restlessness or anxiety about sleep. If this is the case, try and move clocks so they’re not readily accessible from the bed.

• Eat at the right time. The digestion of food requires our bodies to be active. With that in mind, it is important to allow enough time for the body to complete this process before going to bed. If an individual tries to sleep immediately after eating, part of their body will be alert and active, hindering the mind’s ability to switch off and rest. Additionally, if someone is too hungry before bed, their brain will emit signals to this effect, also impeding adequate rest.

• Be active during the day. Physical activity is important for good health, but it also plays a role in establishing good sleeping patterns. If we exert ourselves over the course of the day, we will naturally be in need of rest come the evening.

• Avoid screens in the evening. The continual advancement and accessibility of technology has made this one harder and harder to manage, but that does not detract from its importance. The production of melatonin is directly linked to the body’s exposure to light. Too much screen time late in the evening will delay feelings of tiredness, making it harder for a person to get to sleep. Furthermore, research suggests that staying off screens an hour before bed allows a child to gain 21 minutes extra sleep a night. That’s more than 2 extra hours a week!

• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants. This one’s pretty obvious. The purpose of caffeine and other stimulants is to assist people in being alert and awake. A small amount of caffeine might be manageable for an older teen, but as a rule of thumb, it is best avoided in the afternoon and evening in order for the body to naturally prepare itself to switch off. In younger children, caffeine and other stimulants should be minimised as much as possible, if not avoided altogether. It is worth noting that we are not just talking about coffee and energy drinks here; tea, cola and chocolate are also stimulating products.

• Get plenty of sun. As mentioned, the production of melatonin is directly linked to light exposure. Getting plenty of light during the day helps to bind the body clock to the natural cycle of day and night.

Getting your child to sleep can be a hard task and cause a lot of stress on the household during the evening. Follow our tips and restore the peace at bed time!

The post What Can Help My Child Sleep? Our Top 10 Tips! appeared first on A Team Tuition.

These terms and more will define the next two years of you and your child’s life… but don’t waste your time trying to understand every nook and cranny of the system. Seminars, although informative, focus on the maths behind how ATARs are calculated, not what is in store for your child during their last years in high school.

By answering the most frequently asked questions, I will introduce the all-consuming world of life for a Year 11 or 12 student in NSW; plain and simple.

Year 11

How are the senior years connected?

Year 11 is called the Preliminary Course. It is during this year that your child will be introduced to content not assessable in Year 12 but emulating the structure of study that will be undertaken during the HSC Course. The purpose of the Preliminary Course is to allow the students to get acquainted with new assessment formats, test strategies, and academic expectations. A perk of the senior years is that the teacher for each subject follows your child through Year 11 to Year 12.

Is Year 11 important for my child’s ATAR?

Not exactly. Although Year 11 results do not inform any part of your child’s ATAR, these results are becoming increasingly more important to form conditional offers or early entry offers at some universities.

On a different note, Year 11 will be the chance for your child to try new and adventurous approaches to their studies.

How many units is easiest to balance?

Units are the means of calculating a student’s pattern of study for the HSC exams. Each subject has a unit value where most subjects are 2 Units with extension courses being an additional 1 Unit. Your child must complete a minimum of 10 Units whereby 2 Units must be an English course.

In terms of how many is too many, it depends on your child whether they want to extend themselves or use Year 11 to try a lot of subjects. No matter what approach is taken, subjects can be swapped or discontinued up until the beginning of Year 12.

Why is Year 11 only 3 Terms?

Some schools approach Year 11 differently, but the wide-spread approach is that Year 11 is 3 terms to allow more time to cover Year 12 content. As the HSC exams take place in what would be Term 4 of Year 12, schools condense the Preliminary Course into three terms with the Preliminary Yearly exams conducted in Term 3. As a result, Term 4 of Year 11 becomes Term 1 of Year 12.

Year 11 isn’t too late…

Get high-school tutoring now!

Year 12

What is the difference between HSC and ATAR?

The HSC, or Higher School Certificate, is obtained after your child completes their Year 12 studies. By completing the HSC, your child is eligible to receive an ATAR, or Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank, which is a translation of their HSC results into a percentile number to compare their marks with everyone else in the state (e.g. an ATAR of 98 is in the top 2% of the state). UAC, or University Admissions Centre, uses the ATAR to connect your child to courses on offer at UAC supported universities.

How is the ATAR calculated?

To not bore you with numbers and statistics, HSC marks are calculated by finding the average between your child’s internal (within school) assessment marks and external (HSC exams in October) exam marks. HSC marks are then assigned a performance band from

Band 1 to Band 6 for that course (eg. Band 6 = mark of 90-100, Band 5 = mark of 80-89, etc.). Bands have no impact on the ATAR, but are rather a guideline of your child’s results.

Your child’s HSC marks for each subject are put into a percentile ranking of all the students who completed that course. Using some complex mathematics, each course’s percentile is compiled into one, being your child’s ATAR.

Learn more about our specialist ATAR Intensive Tutoring Programs

What does Year 12 look like?

Year 12 commences in Term 4 of Year 11 and is conducted over the next 4 terms. In each term, each subject will have an assessment to make up the internal assessment mark. Trial exams are in the fourth term of Year 12 (Trials are the closest replication of the HSC exam period), and the HSC exams take place at the end of October to early November.

What can I do for my child?

This question is infrequently asked but the most important. The biggest thing you can do is just ask them how you can help. Every child is different.

Depending on how your child operates, being involved and taking an interest in their work and their schedule can make all the difference. Acknowledging that this time in their life is busy and important is the ultimate supportive foundation that any student needs.

Additionally, be proud no matter their results or your expectations. Just know they worked their hardest, and achieved their best; which might be enough to achieve their desired ATAR.

Lastly, be conscious of the pressure Year 12 can exert. Every day your child is surrounded by its gravity, and it can be rather consuming for some. Constant reminders from teachers coupled with the seemingly endless countdown to the tests is stressful. Maintain an open dialogue with your child about their wellbeing and be the escape from their studies.

Understanding the most important years of your child’s schooling is the best thing you can do to help them through it. Year 11 and 12 has changed. The HSC is different and requires a new level of effort and commitment that is all-consuming. With the evolving times, there will undoubtedly be even more changes in the future.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but the rest is up to you and your child to find out along the way.

The post The HSC and the ATAR in NSW – What You Need to Know appeared first on A Team Tuition.

The study versus sleep dilemma is one that all students (and parents) will confront at one time or another during the schooling years, particularly as children go through adolescence and seem to want to sleep all the time! Sleep, or a lack of it, has a profound effect on academic performance. In order to give your child the best chance of success, it is important to understand the role sleep plays in humans, and in particular, how it can impact learning and functioning.

So, Why is Sleep SO Important?

As human beings, we need sleep in order for our body to re-energise its cells and clear waste from the brain. When completed successfully, this process enables us to feel sharp and switched on the next day, and therefore allows us to better engage with the demands of our lives. With respect to how sleep impacts a child’s academic performance, two factors play a crucial role: the amount of sleep a child receives, and the regularity of a child’s sleep pattern.

How Much Sleep Do Children Need?

Research suggests that children and teenagers need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep each night in order to grow and function properly. Unfortunately in Australia, however, they tend to average just 6.5-7.5 hours, and this is problematic for a number of reasons.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, too short a sleep reduces the time a person spends in slow wave sleep. During slow wave sleep, the brain replays information learned and processed during waking hours, allowing the brain to store this information in its long-term memory. If a person does not spend adequate time in this stage of sleep, it can compromise their capacity for memory consolidation and information retention.

Secondly, sleep deprivation can negatively affect a child’s mental well-being, including increasing the risk of depression and anxiety. This, in turn, can weaken a student’s level of engagement with schooling, with their grades suffering as a result.

Lastly, too little sleep can cause a reliance on caffeinated beverages and foods high in sugar, as students look to combat tiredness with a quick energy boost. These dietary choices have their own drawbacks, but with respect to academic performance, they can cause fluctuations in concentration and also affect a child’s sleep cycle. Which brings us to the matter of the regularity of a student’s sleep pattern…

What Does Melatonin Do?

Our brains naturally produce a chemical called melatonin. Melatonin controls the feeling of tiredness, and helps to regulate our body clock. A relic from our Neanderthal ancestry, the production of melatonin is heavily linked to the amount and timing of light exposure a person receives. For ancient peoples, this process enabled humans to sensibly align their body clocks with the rising and setting of the sun. In modern times, however, technological innovations ranging from the humble lightbulb through to televisions and smartphones have interrupted this cycle by introducing sources of light into our routines outside of daylight hours. As a result, the body’s production of melatonin has gotten out of sync with the natural rhythm of daylight. Compared with humanity’s ancestors, we tend to get tired much later in the evening, and feel more groggy and out of it early in the morning. When it comes to school then, the average student is unlikely to reach optimal brain functioning capacity until the middle of the day, effectively compromising their ability to learn and perform for the first half of each school day. That’s 50% of class time negatively impacted!

What’s the solution?

Should your child cram into the early hours, or are they best off getting a good night’s sleep? In short, their best bet is to get to bed at a reasonable hour. Of course, time needs to be made for study, but if they don’t sleep long enough for this information to be stored properly by the brain, or they are not adequately awake and alert come test time, research suggests it may be self-defeating. The trick to optimising your child’s academic performance is to ensure they receive at least 8 hours of sleep each night, and maintain a regular sleeping pattern.

The post How Many Hours of Sleep Should a Child Get for Academic Performance? appeared first on A Team Tuition.

The post Kinaesthetic Learning Style Study Tips appeared first on A Team Tuition.

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

Looking for Alibrandi tells a wonderful story about Josephine Alibrandi, a second generation Italian-Australian, who is in her final year of high school. Set against the backdrop of sunny Sydney, Josephine goes through many life changing experiences, and a journey of self-growth. As a first generation Australian, I absolutely loved reading this novel, and could empathise with many of the experiences and thoughts that Josephine had. Furthermore, as a proud Sydneysider, the familiarity of locations in the novel also helped me to grow to love the novel. Josephine’s strong voice, echoing the experiences and tensions of being a dual identity high schooler is a story for the times, and will teach your children, as it taught me, to be resilient, empathetic and accepting. This novel would suit students who enjoy watching characters go on a journey of self growth.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park’s simple love story has warmed the hearts of children for a long time. Eleanor and Park, two kids from Nebraska, who share a love of comic books and mixtapes of music from the 80s, slowly begin to care and fall in love for each other. Rowell’s sweet and caring voice divulges into serious and intense issues that plague many teenagers. I fell deeply in love with Rowell’s voice, and the realism of the characters and the issues they faced. Eleanor and Park’s self growth during the novel is one that your children can empathise with as well, as they journey in both Eleanor and Park’s high school life and their own. For those who enjoy a sweet and simple love story, this book is for you!

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Despite Lee’s acclaimed novel being written over 50 years ago, the themes that Lee uncovers, through the innocent perspective of Scout Finch, could not be more prevalent for modern society. A staple of modern American history, Lee’s novel is bound to make your child more aware of events in society, and their approaches to friendships, relationships and worldly events. I was so profoundly moved by Lee’s writing and the characters, particularly the narrator’s father, Atticus Finch, who became and is still somewhat of a role model for me. Atticus and his two children, the narrator, Scout and her brother Jem, taught me, and will teach your children, to approach serious issues with love and warmth, and be kind and equal with one another. For those who enjoy learning about current social issues in an enlightening way, this book checks all those boxes!

Laurinda by Alice Pung

In the form of letters, Pung’s acclaimed novel is centred on Lucy Lam, who has won a scholarship to the prestigious Laurinda Ladies Academy in Melbourne, Australia. The timid eyes of Lucy are taken on a new journey when a trio of girls in her new grade, known as the Cabinet, take her under their wing, and attempt to help her settle into her new school. I bought this book on a whim and empathised with it wholly, from the Asian background of Lucy, to the class differences between her and her fellow classmates and so on. Lucy’s initial timid voice, which grows to be strong, proud and layered, is a journey that your child will engage with wholeheartedly and the brave efforts of Lucy to find her identity in a world so different to hers is truly a remarkable feat. This novel suits those who enjoy a simple but empowering story.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins’ riveting science fiction trilogy took the world by storm when it was released and still holds a special place in the hearts of many young adults around the world. Set in a dystopian future, the novels follow Katniss Everdeen, as a competitor in the annual Hunger Games, where tributes from the 12 districts of the nation are put up for sacrifice. Intense as it may sound, the gripping nature of Collins’ writing and Everdeen’s character, as well as the originality of the plot, has made this series a favourite of mine and even now, I read the novels with the same awe as I did when I first read it. Katniss taught me and will teach your children, the value of courage and strength, how important relationships with your friends and family are, and to fight for what’s right. If you enjoy different and dystopian novels, this book is for you!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusack

Set against the backdrop of World War 2, the novel follows young adult Liesl in Germany who learns how to read from her foster family and shares books with a Jewish refugee in her home. Zusack’s interesting choice of narrator, the accurate historical depictions of World War 2, as well as a mutual love of reading with Liesl has made this book one of my all-time favourites. Furthermore, Liesl’s self-journey of discovery is poignantly described and uncovered, and any young high schooler will empathise greatly with Liesl’s character. As such, the novel taught me, as well as other readers, that nothing should get in the way of chasing your passion, and to make every day count. For those who love modern history and passionate discoveries, this book is for you!

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

The plot of this fantastic novel follows a group of teenagers who have returned to their Australian hometown from a camping trip and see that a war has begun. With no idea where their respective families are, the group are forced to adapt to their new circumstances and grow to build relationships stronger than ever. I remember reading this book for the first time and feeling both absolutely terrified and entertained at the prospect of waking up the next day and a war occurring. Marsden’s concoction of a seemingly impossible event in Australia, as well as the intricate characters of the main group creates a gripping tale of friendship, mateship and courage, with such aspects encouraged to blossom in the novel’s readers. Children who love a gripping and intense dystopian tale would love this novel!

Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

Fantasy is such an excellent genre for your child to escape to during the holidays! The Throne of Glass Series follows female assassin Celaena as she uncovers discoveries and secrets whilst working in a corrupt kingdom under a tyrannical ruler. The fantastical landscape that Maas has created, as well as the strong central character of Celaena was breath-taking to read. Celaena’s strong-mindedness and resilience in the face of obstacles, particularly when there seems to be no positive light or outcome in problems that she faces, is admirable, and something that I found myself wanting to build upon whilst reading the book. In particular, Celaena’s resilience aligns with the A Team I.N.S.P.I.R.E acronym, which APTs continually reiterate in their lessons with students, and will be a fantastic option for your child to relate to! For those who love escaping to other fantastical realms and worlds, this book is for you!

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Despite the melancholic title and artworks of the novels, Snicket’s magnum opus profoundly touches on philosophical, ethical and moral values, themes which you might not expect in young adult fiction. The series follows the Baudelaire children, who after a fire which has killed their parents, are bounced around to different foster parents, however are continually hunted down Count Olaf who is after the Baudelaire fortune. The gothic and Victorian context, Snicket’s own contributions to the events of the novels and the sheer resilience of the Baudelaire children as they are plagued with ‘unfortunate events’ one after another, makes for an incredible piece of fiction, and will encourage strong morals, values and character in your child, as they did for me. This series is fantastic for those who enjoy tales of perseverance and historical fiction!

Holes by Louis Sachar

Louis Sachar introduced us to the beloved literary character of Stanley Yelnats, whose palindromic name was only the beginning of the many things that readers would love about the character and novel. Stanley, who has recently relocated to juvenile detention centre,  Camp Green Lake, finds out that he has distant familial connections to the Camp, and grows from being a brash, rude child, to a mature and accepting young adult. The layers of the plot, the variation in types of characters, and representation of people of colour was truly outstanding, and to this day, remains one of my favourite books because of these factors. The ability of Sacher to touch on adult themes of racism, illiteracy, arranged marriages and homelessness in a childlike manner, will open your child’s eyes to the issues around them, and encourage them to be more aware and kind to people around them. Holes is great for those who love family stories and histories, as well as layered plots and characters.

The post Must Read Books For Your High Schooler These Holiday appeared first on A Team Tuition.

When speaking to your child about the merits of going to university, don’t sell them the idea as a back-up plan – make it a part of the ACTUAL plan. An undergrad degree in drama, acting, music or PE can open doors and expose your gifted child to opportunities that they may otherwise never have – regardless of how talented they may be.

Learn how your child can work with a professional tutor to help make their dreams come true.

How to determine what ATAR drama, acting and music students require

Encouraging your child to go to university does not mean that you’re trying to crush their dreams of becoming a rock star or Hollywood actress. A university education can open doors to major industry contacts, talent scouts, exciting new peer groups, and give access to auditions that may otherwise not have been possible.  However, when trying to decipher what ATAR drama, acting and music students need to get into post-secondary programs, it’s important to do your research.

When it comes to performing arts and visual arts programs, it’s not only the ATAR music students need to be focusing on – these programs often involve an interview and audition as part of their selection process as well. However, many acting programs – whether they use the ranking system or not, also look at previous academic results in courses like English. For this reason, it’s important for your child to strike a balance between focusing on their creative talents as well as academics. Figuring out what ATAR arts, music and drama degree programs require may take some time, but with post-secondary options available in all of these areas, the possibilities for your creative child are endless.

Does your child need help achieving the ATAR result they need? 

Find a Music Tutor here

Find a Drama Tutor here

How to determine what ATAR PE students require

Many elite athletes get their big breaks while at university, yet many sporty high school students still need that little extra push to pursue a post-secondary career. Helping your child explore the vast range of sports and phys-ed related undergrad options available might just be the inspiration that they need.

The ATAR PE students require greatly depends on the area they wish to study and the school they choose to attend. Typical programs geared at sports-minded students are anatomy, physiotherapy, sports medicine, and occupational therapy. However, some athletes may be interested in the business or operational side of sports as well. In this case, careers in marketing and promotions, team management, commentating, or facilities management could be options down the road. Regardless of what your young athlete chooses to study, their time at university is likely to offer opportunities to meet with talent scouts, managers and coaches that would otherwise not be possible outside of the campus environment.

Additionally, from a mental health point of view, having interests and achievements in areas other than an athlete’s sport of choice often leads to a more well-rounded, positive sense of self and greater overall well-being.

Is sending talented kids to university really worth it?

Some people may argue that aspiring athletes or budding musicians won’t have time for school and should solely focus on their craft, however, it is extremely possible to pursue a higher education AND perform at a top level outside of the classroom. A university career can help to develop maturity, perseverance, teamwork and coping skills that are extremely important on the field or on stage as well.

Going to university can also take some of the pressure off of individuals as they will graduate with a broader and more balanced outlook on life. A post-secondary degree will provide a sense of security and a new level of confidence that will easily translate to their aspirations outside of the classroom.  Additionally, if your child does become a famous movie star or Olympic athlete, their university experience can only help them to mentally and emotionally prepare for the pressures that those types of experiences are more than likely to present.

What “Follow Your Dreams” means in reality

Does your child want to be an opera singer or a star athlete? Going to university offers incredible opportunities and life skills that enable students to gain confidence, join new networks and learn more about the ins and outs of the industries that they are so passionate about.  An investment in education is always an investment into the future and going to university doesn’t mean giving up on your dreams, it means giving your dream another leg to stand on.

If your child needs help achieving the ATAR music, drama and sports programs require, A Team Tuition is here to help.

The post Discover What ATAR Music and Sports Stars Need to Follow Their Dreams appeared first on A Team Tuition.

How to Support a Child With ADHD in School

The main problem with ADHD is that is often seen as misbehaviour or laziness when in reality it is simply the way your brain works. You may feel as if you are constantly in trouble in the classroom, even when you put in your best effort to behave. This is why your teachers need to understand that you suffer from ADHD so that you can work as a team to comprehend your hyperactive tendencies. It is important to work as a team with your teacher as they are a large portion of your education experience. Letting your teacher know that you have ADHD is an excellent way to open up this conversation and begin your teamwork!

If you feel nervous to tell your teacher, or embarrassed that you have ADHD, there is absolutely no reason to be ashamed. Some of the most famous and successful people in the world, have ADHD – they have just learned how to use their ‘superpower’ rather than let it overcome them. Examples of celebrities who have ADHD are Paris Hilton; who has a net worth of $300 million and Justin Bieber; who is arguably one of the most popular singers on the planet.

How to do Well in School With ADHD – Top 5 Struggles & Strategies to Deal with Them

1. Sitting still is difficult.

In high school, classes can last up to 1.5 hours. This means that you are sitting still for long periods – which is extremely difficult if you have ADHD. Many ADHD students minimise their learning abilities by finding excuses to leave the classroom, for example taking the long way to the bathroom. This can minimise your time in the classroom, and thus have effects on your learning!

The best way to combat this is to find sensory activities that you can use to ‘multitask’. By ‘multitask’ I mean that you should find activities that allow you to eradicate your need to fidget, whilst also allowing you to concentrate. Examples of this are fidget cubes and spinners. If you can’t find these in stores, multiple places sell them online for only a few dollars.

My personal favourite is the fidget cube! As you can see in the picture it is a small cube that has ‘gadgets’ on each side. It is thus a transportable toy that you can bring to class with you and use.

2. There is a lot going on in the classroom, which means plenty of distractions!

Classrooms are filled with distractions, which means that if you have ADHD, it is almost impossible to pay attention. Distractions include posters, your friends, and even anything that is happening outside of the classroom.

The best strategy for avoiding distractions is to do your best to create a ‘distraction-free zone’. Working with your teacher, create a space within the classroom that has as minimal distractions as possible. Ideally, this would be a seat at the front of the classroom, that is far away from windows and friends. This is similar to your ‘Neurospace’ which you learn about in the CAS program. This allows you to gain the most from your time in class.

Unfortunately for people with ADHD, it is difficult to sit with friends inside the classroom as they become a big distraction – but don’t worry, there is plenty of time to spend with them at recess and lunch!

3. You may feel as if your brain is moving faster than your body.

In general, most students with ADHD are highly intelligent, they just struggle to present their intelligence on paper. The problem is, that many students have thoughts that move way faster than their body – which means that the completion of assignments and exams is tough. You may feel that when writing long response questions your ideas are all over the place and that your handwriting is super messy.

The main strategy for dealing with this is teamwork! Having an APT, older sibling, or parent assisting you to facilitate your thoughts, working as a scribe for you, can almost instantly change your results. The best method for this is to have your ‘assistant’ write down the answers for you, as you speak them out loud. In NSW, if you can provide proof of your ADHD diagnosis, you are allowed to sit exams in these special conditions – where you have a scribe with you whilst you sit the exam.

It is essential to understand that this is not cheating!! All of the ideas are still completely your own, someone is just helping you present them in a way that makes sense.

4. Filtering your thoughts is tricky

As we have already established, students with ADHD have a brain that is pretty much moving at 100000 miles an hour. You probably feel like you have lots of thoughts at once, or are constantly jumping from one thought to another. This means that a lot of ideas and thoughts are blurted out without thinking. This can cause students to get into trouble, as it can typically interrupt the teacher or disrupt the classroom.

Unfortunately, there are no strategies that will help you in the short term with this one, however, there is one strategy that can help you in the long run. The strategy is called ‘positive reinforcement’, which is a program that rewards good behaviour. People with ADHD tend to react well to positive reinforcement. This can be achieved by working with your teacher to organise a program which only rewards good behaviour, and ignores negative behaviours. An example of this is sticker charts, in which you work towards receiving one large overall prize.

5.The ability to stay focused.

If you suffer from ADHD you will relate when I say that it feels as if your thoughts are all over the place. This can often cause you to forget special events such as exams or the due dates of assessments.

The best strategy for this is to create written timetables. Having a hard copy of your monthly timetable at a place where you can easily access it is an important part of excelling when you have ADHD. I have a large white-board calendar that sits right above my bed – so it is the first thing I see when I wake up. The below template is retrieved from Twinkl.com.

Inside the classroom, work with your teacher to make sure that you don’t lose focus by making sure that you are completely aware of all instructions. This can include having them written down for you or having them repeated to you individually.

Overall, it is important to remember that ADHD is not a negative thing. Although I have only dwelled on the struggles in this post, it is important to understand that ADHD is more of a superpower than a disorder. As long as you make sure that your teacher is aware of your superpower, and utilise the above strategies, you have the ability to excel in the classroom.

The post How to Help a Child With ADHD in School appeared first on A Team Tuition.

It’s been a year of ups and downs – well, mostly downs! – and a lot of disruption, and you may have noticed your child’s report card looking a little less than impressive – particularly if your child is in Year 10 or 11. If your child’s results aren’t setting the world alight with their brilliance, you might consider school holiday tutoring. This suggestion will probably be met by groans and moaning, but the benefits can be massive! Read on to find out how you can get your child into school holiday tutoring with A Team Tuition these school holidays!

The benefits

School holiday tutoring is always going to be met with complaints from your child – but we think the benefits speak for themselves!

• Revision. School holiday tutoring can be tailored to focus on revising what your child learned the previous school year. Studies show that school-aged students display a dip in their academic ability after an extended holiday. Teachers also speak of a noticeable backslide in the performance of their students post-holiday. Revision during the holiday period can help your child to feel more confident about themselves when returning to school. They also have an assured head-start for the term over their peers.
• Routine. School holiday tutoring can continue your child’s academic momentum. Routine is also very important for children and helps them feel secure. Returning to the swing of things can be difficult after an extended holiday and continuing with tuition makes this transition much easier.
• Maintaining and developing good study habits. The reinforced structure of school holiday tutoring can help create a schedule your child can maintain throughout their academic career and even on to university.
• Tackling gaps in their learning. School holiday tutoring gives students the opportunity to revise and reflect not only on what they learnt in the school year, but also on what they struggled with. A tutor can help your child to bridge any gaps in their knowledge and work through any problems they might have had with the material studied in the previous year. They’ll be back on track for the new school term and will have gained new skills to help them tackle new topics.

How can you get your kid interested?

You already know the bad news here – your kids aren’t going to want to do school holiday tutoring. The good news though, is that our tutors at A Team Tuition are experienced with kids of any schooling level, and they understand that making tutoring sessions enjoyable and engaging is the key to success. Your child’s tutor can turn what seems like a chore during the school term into something fun and entertaining. They’ll develop a unique study plan based on your child’s individual needs. And it doesn’t have to be every day, or even every single week – just enough to keep them on track!

To book your child’s School Holiday Tutoring sessions, contact A Team Tuition today!

The post Tutoring During School Holidays? Yes, it’s a thing! appeared first on A Team Tuition.

Thinking about studying medicine? A career in this prestigious field is an admirable goal for any student to set themselves. And the quest to become a doctor begins in secondary school by achieving the required ATAR for medicine. 

Medicine has a reputation for being one of the most challenging and competitive university programs to gain entry to. For most programs, students will not only need to meet the academic requirements, but many schools also require students to sit the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) and the UMAT (Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test) , attend an interview, and submit a written application. In addition, medical student hopefuls will also have to navigate the changes to admissions criteria going from the Overall Position (OP) system to the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

Learn more about our ATAR Intensive Tutoring Program

Although there are many positive aspects to the new ATAR system, all of the changes can feel a bit intimidating to both parents and students alike. So what is the required ATAR for medicine in Queensland? It’s a bit complicated, but the info below provides a good place to start. 

What is the ATAR for Medicine?

The ATAR for medicine depends on which path students choose to get their medical degree. Bond, Griffith, James Cook and the University of Queensland all have designated medical faculties which are highly competitive. The minimum requirement for these schools has been equivalent to an ATAR of 93-99+ in recent years. However, completing an undergrad degree in Biomedical Science/ Medical Science at one of Queensland’s other universities can often be a stepping stone to gaining entry into medical school and often allows for a lower ATAR score.

Aiming to get a top ATAR SCore? you need to know this

Studying Medicine in Queensland

Studying Medicine at the University of Queensland

UQ offers an array of pathways to medicine for students to choose from - including a variety of undergrad degrees in science disciplines. Regardless of what your undergrad is in, students must successfully complete these two subject prerequisites prior to enrolling in the MD program. 

• Integrative Cell & Tissue Biology
• System Physiology

The Faculty of Medicine at UQ also provides provisional entry into their MD program for students who are completing Year 12 (or equivalent) at the time of their application. This option provides a guaranteed pathway into the MD program for students who meet the minimum entry requirements and complete their first bachelor's degree at UQ. This option is HIGHLY competitive and requires an ATAR of 99 (OP 1). 

Griffith University's School of Medicine

There are a few routes students can choose to gain entry into Griffith’s Doctor of Medicine program. Out of the list of relevant undergrad degrees, a Bachelor of Medical Science is the only one that provides an opportunity for direct access into the Doctor of Medicine Program. Aimed at attracting the very top secondary school leavers, this program requires an ATAR of 99. As an alternative, a more attainable popular route is to complete a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (requiring an ATAR of 81.45) and applying to the Doctor of Medicine program upon completion. 

Bachelor of Medical Studies at Bond University

Bond University offers students the shortest pathway to becoming a doctor in Australia making it another highly competitive option with a minimum ATAR of 97 required. The Medical program at Bond is made up of two back to back degrees - the Bachelor of Medical Studies (BMedSt) and the Doctor of Medicine (MD).

Bachelor of Medicine at James Cook University

James Cook University offers a 6-year, full time Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery course. With a focus on tropical medicine and rural and remote communities, admission requirements include a written application, high academic results and an interview. While ATAR requirements for Medicine at James Cook fluctuate from year to year, previous minimums have been around 93 (OP 4). 

Bachelor of Medical Science University of the Sunshine Coast

Although USC doesn’t have its own Doctor of Medicine program, it offers high achieving students with an ATAR of 99 or higher a chance to gain provisional direct entry into Griffith University’s Doctor of Medicine program at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. Enrolment is capped at just 20 places a year making it highly competitive and not all students with the minimum ATAR will be accepted. 

Calculating your ATAR Score for a Medical Degree

Calculating the ATAR is complicated at best and can often be viewed as being unfair at first glance. There is a series of components that go into the calculation, including a student’s individual exam and assessment marks, and how they rank in their class and in their school. Scaling plays a big role in the process as well and is determined using many factors including the number of students and average exam marks. The ATAR is then calculated from a total of scaled marks to achieve an aggregate mark - or ATAR. To get a thorough understanding, QTAC has created a guide to calculating ATAR (a 31 page PDF). However, our cheat sheet on understanding how ATAR works might be the best place to start. 

Is your child concerned that they won’t have the ATAR they need to become a doctor?

As medicine is one of the hardest courses to get into, students need to do whatever it takes to achieve top marks (particularly in maths and science) - and the earlier they start preparing, the better. The new ATAR system may feel daunting for some but help is available should your child feel that they need a little extra boost in achieving the grades required to go to medical school. 

If your child needs a little extra help getting top marks to get into a medicine course, then see how they can get an A in Maths and Science subjects like Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

How to achieve the ATAR for Medicine in Queensland

When it comes to achieving the required ATAR for medicine, there is no room for error. Entry into medicine is highly competitive and will require endless hours of rigorous studying and dedication to achieve an ATAR of 99 that is required for some medical programs. In such a competitive field, it’s more important than ever to help your child feel confident and ask for help if they have any concerns. A Team Tuition has a highly skilled team that can assist high school students in achieving any goal they set their sights on.  We can help to improve confidence, mindset and attitude - all crucial when dealing with the seemingly impossible high pressures that come with applying to med school. We’ve got your back.

START MY CHILD’S TRANSFORMATION TODAY!

Whether you need help with homework, assignment & exam preparation or just a confidence and motivation boost at school – we can help!

FIND AN atAR TUTOR!

The post ATAR For Medicine: What Students Need To Know appeared first on A Team Tuition.