By Olivia Klostermann
Below, I’ve written a few insights into the schooling experience, and, whilst these are things I have personally taken note of, I’m sure many others would agree. Some of this might be slightly cliché - maybe things you’ve heard ten times before, but it’s so important to remember that tips, tricks, and sayings are repeated for a reason!
For Year 10, who are coming to the final stages of their year 11/12 subject selection (or any years below):
Only choose one subject that you aren’t sure about. Unless you’re taking 14 units in Year 11, you don’t want to trap yourself in two years of something you know you aren’t going to enjoy or put any effort into.
That being said, don’t go into year 11 with your heart set on something to drop. It’s easy to have perceptions of a subject before you actually start the course content, and, to some degree, perceptions will hold elements of truth. However, if you’re going to pick a subject, be open to, at the very least, trying to do your best (otherwise your Year 11 experience will be all the more difficult).
This one is certainly a cliche, but choose subjects that you enjoy. If you enjoy everything, choose a bit of everything - you don’t have to be a humanities person or a STEM person! I know that scaling is something that will inevitably cross your mind during subject selection, BUT, scaling is only going to make a difference if you do well (or at least relatively well) in a subject, and that’s much easier said than done. I know that it can be easy to think that motivation is supplied by a bottomless pit, but, honestly during the heat of exams, after going for an entire year, or maybe even two or three, the only way to keep up motivation is by finding enjoyment in what you’re learning.
For Years 11 and 12:
Pay attention to what your teachers and tutors say throughout the year. Whether it’s something to do with what they need or what they enjoy, this type of “inside information” is so valuable when trying to come up with ideas for gifts at the end of the year or just before graduation.
Yet another cliché: don’t compare yourself to others, especially when it comes to questions about studying. Some common culprits I’ve noticed are, “how do you study?” and, “have you started studying yet?” Of course, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try to learn from others or use a bit of friendly competition to boost your motivation, but you can’t make one person’s experience yours. It’s important to have faith in your own methods of study - both those that are well-practiced and that you want to try out. Something that I’ve always found is a big problem when answering, “have you started studying yet?” is what every person constitutes as “studying.” For some, it might be doing practice papers; for others, maybe it’s just making notes; and yet again, for others, studying might be memorising notes. It’s exactly because of these different interpretations that you can’t compare yourself to others - it’s the fastest and worst way to demotivate yourself.
Usually, your teacher is going to stay the same in both Year 11 and Year 12. Especially in two-unit subjects, you’ll spend a lot of your time with your teachers, relying on them (almost) completely for feedback and advice. The best thing you can do for yourself is craft a good relationship with your teacher. That doesn’t mean that you have to be the archetypal image of the “teacher’s pet,” but acting polite and well-mannered really shouldn’t be that hard. Something else that I think isn’t talked about enough is taking initiative in your own learning, especially when it comes to your relationship with your teacher. No teacher will (or at least should) be offended if you give feedback (mind you, in a polite manner) on how they teach. Every person learns differently, and all teachers understand that, so, if you feel like your learning would benefit from more of something or less of something else, you’re allowed to say that. Remember, it’s your prelims and HSC and teachers want to see everyone succeed.
Remember to take breaks! I’m sure you’ve heard this 100 times, and you’ll hear it at least another 200 before you graduate, but, honestly, sometimes your brain just needs to rest to properly think. There’s no point in sitting in front of your laptop, at your desk, but doing nothing because your motivation is running so low. So, if need be, it might actually be more productive to do nothing than to continually force yourself to do something.
For everyone:
Start trying from the beginning! Of course, your Year 7 results aren’t going to affect your Year 12 self in any way, so please don’t misinterpret me here!! BUT, what will affect your results as you move through high school is how much effort you put in when you’re challenged. Remember, every year in high school is the hardest year of school you’ve yet to experience. And if you’ve never tried, it’s going to be so much harder to learn how to study and revise when you all of a sudden feel the pressure of a higher grade. So, put in the effort because, at the end of the day, that’s what counts, and that’s what’s going to make a difference, even after you graduate.
I know I’ve just written a page and a half of insights, tips, and tricks, but something else extremely important to remember is to take ALL advice with a grain of salt. Not everyone is going to find a particular movie enjoyable. In the same way, not everyone is going to find the same subjects, methods of studying, or even methods of relaxing enjoyable or useful, so remember to have confidence in yourself and your own capabilities.
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