The above video shows a practice session by tennis legend Roger Federer.
It took place a few weeks before Federer won the 2017 Australian Open title at 35 years-of-age, an age when most professional tennis players are long retired.
The interesting thing about this video is that it shows that Federer has two distinct phases of practice where he:
- Works on his skills – agility, forehands, backhands, volleys etc (o to 20 min)
- Works on his game-play – where he plays a practice set against an opponent (from 21 min on)
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering what this has got to do with the WACE Modern History course?
Well, as you’ll see, it turns out that the way Federer prepares himself to succeed in a tennis match is not unlike the way the best students of Modern History prepare themselves for the ATAR exam.
And in this article, I’ll explain how …
How Most Students Study for WACE Modern History Tests
I often ask the students I tutor how they prepare for particular assessments.
Without doubt, the number one reply involves re-reading and highlighting the textbook, whilst the second most common practice is taking notes.
When students tell me this, they do so thinking they’re on the right track.
But according to a report that featured in Time , both strategies fall a long way short of what is required to perform in the typical assessment in Modern History, because the requirements of the assessment are so different from the way the students are preparing.
For example, in a WACE Modern History Source Analysis test, you’re required to examine sources, decipher their meaning, and respond to specific questions about those sources, within a limited time.
Reading beforehand won’t help much with that process.
And as for essays?
They require you to examine a question, decide what it is asking you to do, remember appropriate content and organize that content into a detailed cohesive argument; again, within a limited time.
Reading beforehand might help you a little more with the content, but as for the rest?
How the Best Students Prepare for Tests in ATAR Modern History
So what should you do?
In fact, a better question might be “what do the best students do?”
Practice.
As best they can, they create the conditions they will experience in the test (eg type of question, content, time constraint) and then they test themselves under those conditions – often repeatedly.
From 80% to 99% in Seven Months
As a case in point, a few years ago, I tutored a student from Perth Mod who was eager to make up for lost ground having switched to Modern History in Year 12.
When she first came to me, this student was averaging 80% or so in the various assessments.
When she finished, she was averaging in the mid 90s – in fact, she got 99 point something on the ATAR exam.
While I’d love to take the credit for such a dramatic improvement, the real reason she improved was her work ethic, particularly in relation to essay writing.
You see, this student was always writing essays and emailing them to me for feedback.
And in the weeks leading up to the ATAR, I distinctly remember watching her improve with each essay to the point where the last few scores I emailed back read something like 22/25, 23/25, 24/25, 25/25, 25/25, 25/25 – the same 25/25 she must have attained when she actually sat the ATAR.
When you think about it, this makes sense, especially if you apply the same logic to other pursuits…
By putting herself under the same test conditions she would be experiencing in the ATAR, this student was forced to synthesise the skills required to succeed in those conditions.
And though Federer could practice tennis by hitting forehands and backhands, a much better guide as to how good a tennis player he is would be how he performs in practice matches – where he’s required to combine all the elements needed to play tennis, instead of the isolated one or two.
When studying the WACE Modern History course, feel free to read, highlight and take notes.
But if you want to really excel in that upcoming test, know that you’ll probably be found wanting if that is all you do.
Instead, recreate the actual task and conditions that you’ll be required to do in the test such as doing Source Analysis papers and writing essays …
And then, practice those tasks.
Often.