King's 2020 Alumni | Matthew Naicker

Academic

King's was happy to hear from last year's House Captain, Matthew Naiker, who graduated in 2020 with a very high 94.6 ATAR score. Matthew shared some of his best-kept study secrets and anti-procrastination techniques, as well as more about his plans for 2021, and beyond...

"What was your favourite subject at King's?"
- Biology. 100%!
"What is your best piece of study advice?"
- Divide your time well. I found the most efficient way to study was by giving priority to tasks. I would split up tasks and subjects into categories and then allocate and devote certain amounts of time per subject
"What do you do when the going gets tough?"
- I pray a lot and take a step back from what I'm working on. I find it effective to take a break to reevaluate a situation, and then come back with a fresh mind.
"What do you recommend for time management and avoiding procrastination?"
- Have a checklist. I would plan what subjects and content I needed to cover that night and strictly adhere to that. That way I had a sense of accomplishment for checking things off my list and didn't feel guilty for relaxing once I'd earned it!
"What's your best piece of advice for obtaining good results?"
- Study hard, as EARLY as you can. That makes recalling the information easier when it comes to end of year exam preparation because it's already in your long-term memory.
"What do you wish you knew going into final Year 12 exams?"
- I wish I had slept more! I lost a lot of sleep and that made me ill, which then meant I couldn't stay awake or study as efficiently as I'd hoped.
"What achievement are you most proud of?"
- My Year 12 English mark. In Year 11, I was average-below average in English but I really focussed on breaking this chain and I have never put more effort into a subject or sought more advice from my teachers than Year 12 English. As a result, I achieved the second-highest grade average which showed me that if you dedicate your time and effort to something, anything is achievable.
"What are your plans for this year and beyond?"
- I'm studying Biomedical Science at Griffith University which is the beginning of my journey into hopefully becoming a doctor one day.

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