During my time at St Catherine’s, I have been fortunate enough to cross paths with many teachers from the Mathematics Faculty over the years. 

From their tireless, enthusiastic teaching, to their constant encouragement, they have truly instilled a great passion in me for the subject.  

Ever since I came to this school, I have been given numerous opportunities to extend myself and my mathematical abilities. Ranging from the Honours Program in Year 7 to mathematics competitions that I still participate in, even in Year 12.  

This consistent exposure, starting from these younger Year levels, is what I believe to be a real strength of the Mathematics curriculum at St Catherine’s. It has given me confidence, as well as a good foundation for undertaking VCE Mathematics subjects.  

Completing Specialist Mathematics this year, and having finished Methods in 2021, I can candidly state that these two are some of the most demanding and conceptually difficult subjects I have ever done. 

Despite a finite number of dot points on the Study Design, there appears to be an infinite number of ways in which VCAA can phrase a question or test a certain mathematical idea. Even recognising what knowledge needs to be applied – let alone the algebraic manipulation or specific formulas required – can be a challenge in and of itself.  

Furthermore, Mathematics is not a subject in which content can be rote learned or crammed. Speaking from personal experience, continuously darkening circles under the eyes from all-nighters simply does not correlate to a higher score. 

Instead, I have discovered Mathematics to be a subject that rewards genuine, deep understanding of the concepts, as well as flexibility and creativity in one’s approach.  

During my studies I often find more worth in learning how to do the same question multiple ways, than learning how to do multiple questions the same way. Nearly all my Mathematics ‘epiphanies’ have stemmed from mulling over a single question until I finally understand why there are a certain number of solutions to the question, the graphical meaning of the solutions, or some other revelation requiring the sacrificial death of many brain cells to achieve. 

In light of all this, it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the importance of subjects beyond the VCAA Study Design when drowning in SACs and exams. However, the true beauty of Mathematics is in its ability to model, categorise, and predict the real world. Maths is not so much about calculating the correct numerical answer, as it is about learning a way of logical thinking applicable in countless settings. Thus, whilst studying Mathematics can be frustrating at times, I have wholeheartedly come to appreciate, and enjoy, the process.  

Lastly, learning Mathematics has been made so much easier because of the incredible teachers at St Catherine’s. From meeting students after school, to responding to last minute panic emails before a SAC, I believe I speak for every girl when I say that I genuinely cannot recall a single instance where a teacher has not gone out of their way to offer some help, support, or encouragement.

In particular, I would like to thank Mrs Klancic for always being a calm, rational and reassuring presence as I navigated my way through my first Units 3&4 subject last year. Along with Mr Wang, whose love for maths, coupled with his descriptions of every hard Specialist Mathematics question as either “lovely,” “beautiful” or “wonderful,” has made learning the subject even more enjoyable this year.