Getting into Year 12 is a bittersweet experience for students. It’s the final year of high school, but you’re also aware of the VCE exams at the end of the year, which will make a massive difference to your ATARs.
With so much happening in one year, it warrants proper preparation, and it’s better to start sooner rather than later. If you’re heading into Year 12, here are a few tips to help you start and end your final year of high school fun and successful.
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Know what you’re getting into
When choosing your ATARs, it’s easy to get carried away thinking about your post-high school life and career. But once you have a first experience of the lesson and find yourself hating the course, it will only get harder and more challenging to cope with overtime. You can talk to our head of the sixth form. There’s a chance you could change subjects in the first couple of weeks.
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Start as early as possible
You don’t have to wait until the new academic year starts. You can buy your textbooks during the school holidays and get familiar with every subject. This is also an excellent opportunity to jump ahead of the teacher, which will give you a slight edge.
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Research your post-school options
The whole point of Year 12 is to prepare you for university. It’s better to understand what you want to create realistic expectations firmly. It’s a great way to break from studies while also ensuring you stay motivated by reminding yourself of the bigger picture. You can research institutions and courses of interest and even make travel plans for the holidays once you’re done with Year 12. This is also an excellent time to organise things for your gap year.
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Organise and stay organised
It’s critical to get organised as early as possible. You can have a calendar where you mark all the year’s important dates, including the beginning of the VCEs. This will help you keep on track of all academic matters and plan to prepare for any tests or exams along the way. Always keep your diary updated with all the dates within the year as soon as they are released.
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Set realistic expectations
Year 12 is stressful all by itself. Setting expectations that are hard to achieve will only make things worse. It’s okay to have high standards for yourself, but it’s equally vital that they are realistic. Setting ambitious and realistic targets will keep you on track to achieve them.
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Free periods are for work and play
You need some time off study and read books. You can use free periods to refresh your mind and build relationships. Interacting with new people is an unavoidable part of being in Year 12, especially at the beginning. While you want to remain focused right from the get-go, it’s also important that you make relationships that might prove critical throughout the year.
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Keep your notes organised
Some of the habits you had in your GCSE years will come in handy in your A-Levels as well. Use separate notebooks to write notes for different subjects and file handouts in respective subject folders. With an intense curriculum, it’s easy to find yourself mixed up and trying to find notes without knowing where you wrote them. The sooner you get on top of your organisation, the sooner it becomes a habit and you won’t have to think twice about it.
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Ask for help when you need it
You’re a lot older and feel a little embarrassed to ask for assistance. But Year 12 can be stressful, and every student needs help at some point. Whether you’re struggling with a certain topic in class or you generally feel anxious, you have an entire support system that includes the school and your family that you can easily reach out to for help.
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Start your university research immediately
Get some ideas on courses you might be interested in from the onset. It saves you time and a potential crisis in Year 13 when submitting your applications. It also gives you a good idea of which subjects you should firmly focus on based on the courses that pique your interest.
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Don’t forget to live
With the constant pressure of deadlines, mounting notes and upcoming exams, Year 12 can prove a handful, tiring and strenuous. Sometimes, all you want to do with every free minute you have is sleep. But you shouldn’t forget to go out and enjoy yourself. Make sure there’s time in your revision timetable to socialise with friends and give yourself a mental break.
