Life Beyond Year 12: Get Ready for your Future

While in the middle of year 12, it's hard to remember that there is more to life than study. Yes, study is a big component to your year, but there are many other things in life that are difficult to see when we're in the thick of it.
We get so consumed by what is going on in our current life, that we essentially forget why we are in fact studying. Don't get me wrong, part of study and schooling is to give us opportunities in the future, whether that be getting into a university course or a job. But there is more to study than just that...

Here's the thing- in 10, 20, 30 years time, you won't remember what marks you received, or what ATAR you achieved. But here's what you will remember- whether you gave it your all in Year 12 and worked to the best of your abilities. If you do that, irrespective of what marks you achieve, you can be damn proud of yourself. This is the lesson of school. To learn how to persevere, be resilient, focus and stand up for what you believe in. These are skills that you will carry for the rest of your life.

Remember, see the bigger picture and how school will influence your future. Take the skills learnt from school and apply it to life. And be proud of what you have achieved to get to where you are now. So, work to the best of your abilities through study so in 30 years, you can be proud of everything you have learnt and achieved.

By Bri

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How to Find Balance in Year 12

Year 12. Day in and day out, you’re reading, writing and reading some more! As each week passes, you consume more and more knowledge that it begins to feel like your head is figuratively, ‘going to explode!’ More often than not, this causes unbearable stress and leads to a low-mood, which evidently affects both your study and your life!

But how can we avoid this? 

Amongst all the hustle and bustle of this busy year, it becomes difficult to find a balance of study and leisure and focus on what really matters to you most. Study is important as it helps you to receive your best personal mark. Conversely, leisure and time spent with friends and family is of equal value as it keeps you grounded and sane.

How do we balance?

To avoid the overload of stress and find your healthy balance, you’ve got to start working smarter, not harder. That is easier said than done, and I understand that completely! But here are some tips to get you on the right track and keep you there.

1. Be self-aware

Too often we are far more critical of ourselves and our work than need be. Thus, stress and demoralisation set foot in our minds. Use your self-awareness to prioritise your weaknesses and polish your strengths! Utilise your books, teachers and tutors to build a network around you to help reach your goals in the quickest and most efficient way.

2. Prioritise

Be tough on yourself when prioritising! Spending time with friends and family is a healthy way for you to stay connected to your loved ones, but you have to learn to balance life and study! It's important to write a list of all the things you need to study.

Plan it carefully, and be very specific on this list. Instead of saying “study English,” write something specific such as “read pages 34-58 of the English textbook.” When you accomplish each task, tick it off the list! This small sense of achievement pushes you to complete your next task.

3. Appreciate Year 12

It is your most important schooling year, as it is a conclusion of what seems like a life time of studying! BUT, take a moment. Breathe. Appreciate all the friends you have around you. Your family. Your loved ones. Each and every one of these people will have made an impact in your life and you owe it to them to do the very best you can in all that you pursue!

Work smarter, not harder. Year 12 will come and go and in years to come, you may not remember whether you got a 99.95 ATAR, but you will remember the effort that you put in.

By Shannon

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How to Be Organised in Year 12

Organisation is the key to success during Year 12. Of what can seem like a year filled with a myriad of obligations and responsibilities that occasionally clash with one another, it is paramount to form methods and use the resources you have available to achieve at your highest potential. 

Create a hierarchy of priorities

Reflecting back on when I was in Year 12, I found that the first step to avoid feeling overwhelmed, especially during the weeks in which most of my classes would hold assessments, was creating a hierarchy of my priorities which was a very useful tool for myself. This helped me map out what I needed to focus on first, and what tasks I could afford to allocate more time to complete or, sometimes, miss. For example, if I had an assessment that I didn’t feel one hundred per cent ready for the next day or within the next two days, I would place that at the top of the list. If I then had soccer training but had exercised already a few times that week, I placed that at the bottom of the list. Yes, at times it was hard to sacrifice missing out on the activities I loved, but sometimes during your final year of school, in order to reap the benefits at the end of the year, I needed to go forward with the decision that was going to be the most beneficial for me in the long run.

Keep your desk tidy

Another method of organisation I found beneficial during Year 12 was keeping my desk tidy. When my desk wasn’t covered in worksheets and my textbooks weren’t open and askew, I was more likely to focus and complete a task efficiently and usually, more effectively. Stacking your textbooks and novels as well as keeping worksheets either in a folder or hole punched and placed in a binder isn’t just an efficient means of organisation, but will improve your time utilisation and give you the ability to manage doing the things you like to do outside of studying. Buying sticky notes and subject dividers as well as placing your folders and textbooks in a shelf are also an effective means of keeping your desk clear and organised. 

Keep a diary

My final tip in regards to staying organised in Year 12 would be to keep a diary. Not just simply owning a diary and noting assessment dates and when projects are due, but writing in everything! For instance, noting when you were going to allocate time to study for one subject as well as when you were going to schedule time to exercise, to name a few examples. By doing this, you are much more likely to not only finish tasks, but finish tasks at a high standard. 

Organisation comprises of many different factors, including time management and utilising resources to the best of your ability. By staying organised during your final year of school, you will find that you will remain motivated and more likely to achieve at a high standard, fulfilling your potential! 

By Sarah

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How to Cope with Stress During Year 12

Keeping things in perspective is so important in managing stress. Performance in Year 12 measures your ability to learn effectively and examine well, it does not entirely control your future success or happiness. However, when completing assessments and long-term commitments, remind yourself of your goals and reasons for accomplishing these milestones – you are at a point in your lives where you need to engage and stay on top of your work to maximize your opportunity to do well. It is never too late or too early to correct slipups and conquer your learning! Bear in mind that during Year 12 you will gain skills to carry through university and your careers. Stress is a feeling you will frequently encounter; the trick is learning how to manage it. 

Balancing your study and sleep is integral to you achieving your goals and raise your marks! Here is an unbeatable equation for you:

Quality sleep = recover + recharge + concentrate + high energy = HAPPY YOU

We all know the feeling of waking up with sore eyes and an irritability you can’t shake after 5 hours of sleep; if you are experiencing this regularly during Year 12 you will make it difficult for yourself to reach your full potential. Drinking water instead of coffee, relaxing before bed and getting active will help you get some quality rest. Studying smart by removing distractions like your phone and social media will help you feel satisfied with study.  

It is so important to think about your studies during Year 12 in coherence with yourself as an individual. What I mean by this is making sure that you and your support system (which may include your family, friends and tutors) are nurturing your overall growth. Aspects of your life such as health, nutrition, sleep, confidence, well-being and exercise all tie in with your stress levels throughout the entire year. Your mind and body are closely connected, so looking after your body has huge benefits for your concerns, doubts and successes. Keeping moving with fun activities like sport, dance, or walking increase oxygen to your brain improving performance, and will reduce tension from school. 

It’s also essential to remember that a little bit of stress is beneficial in keeping driven and inspired all the way through. However, if you find your stress levels are getting to a point where you are unable to function as you usually do, or that there is a decline in your performance, here are some little strategies that might help you get back on track: 

• Relaxation – try yoga, going on walks with family, meditation, keeping a journal, or apps like sleep cycle or smiling mind
• Time management - write everything you have to do down (sacs, homework, parties, anything) and prioritise! You will save yourself breakdowns by quickly checking what’s on for the week 
• Connecting with others - talk about your worries, laugh, be social!
• Be kind to yourself – if you didn’t go as well as you’d hoped in a SAC, don’t freak out! It will give you an idea of what you need to work on for the exam (you’ll be able to write essays in your sleep by then) 

By Hermione

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