A Story of a College Dux

After being named the 2023 Ambrose Treacy College Dux, Matthew Collins took a moment to reflect on his academic journey and shared insight into how he has achieved his academic goals and the career he hopes to embark upon.

Q: What do you plan to do next year?

A: Next year I plan on doing a Bachelor of Engineering at UQ and am currently considering specialising in Software Engineering.

Q: What was the biggest thing you learnt in 2023?

A: This year I learnt how to study productively without burning out. In the past I tended to cram a lot of content before exams, which can only get you so far. This time around, I stuck to a steady routine each day where I always had something to work on and enjoy afterwards. By the time externals were rolling around, I felt fairly confident and knew most of the content by heart. Still though, its hard to the shake nerves before big exams, especially when they're worth 50% of your mark.

Q: How much work did you have to put in weekly to achieve the high ATAR?

A: The work I put in weekly varied depending on what exams were due. I'd say the max hours I put in was during the second week of external exams with 6hrs per day. For me personally, doing any more than that is redundant since I become exhausted and stop remembering stuff. It's important to relax a bit and get a good night's sleep, especially right before an exam.