What you need to know about your last weeks of school

Well, Trials are wrapping up (or have wrapped up) and you’re approaching the end of Term 3. Yay! 🎉🎉🎉 The end is actually in sight right now and it’s easy to forget that these last few weeks of school are super important and TBH, they’re pretty cool as well. It’s going to be a crazy time so before you get caught up in all the madness, take a second to think about exactly how to make the most out of these weeks:

1. Now is the time to stop, collaborate and listen

Who would have thought we’d be turning to Vanilla Ice for HSC advice… 🤷‍ . Unfortunately, it’s so relevant that you’re going to have to tolerate the corniness because once Trials have finished, there’s a real shift in the situation of year 12. You aren’t competing for ranks anymore and it’s going to be so much better for your ATAR if your whole class performs really well. You can check out the logic behind that here, but basically start thinking about ways you can work with your classmates to improve your own study and also help them out.

Whether it’s collaborating and sharing notes, having discussions or QandA sessions to push some critical thinking or even just sharing a great example/resource you’ve found, now is the time to start thinking of the bigger picture.

2. This is your last chance to be in class with your teacher

It’s worth remembering that these next few weeks of school are your absolute last chance to ever be in a classroom with your teacher again. While some of you might be cheering at that idea, it’s still a massive opportunity you should take advantage of:

• Push for those discussions and QandA sessions in class when you have your teacher and everyone is together.
• Sit down with your teacher, get them to explain to you exactly where you need to improve and ask them to pinpoint what content/type of questions trip you up most often.
• Ask your teacher to take your class through the tips and tricks of nailing the exam. Each subject is different and there are little strategies to help you improve in that exam. You can check out an example with maths exams here.

Whatever is most stressing you out about the HSC, these weeks are your last chance to be in that super supportive, super useful classroom environment so tackle those stresses now!

3. It’s a really hard time to maintain motivation

Once Trials are over, the HSC is still a few months away and you’re still at school, it is insanely hard to keep up motivation to study hard.

And that’s okay.

You can’t be putting in 110% effort every day for 3 months because 1) it’s basically impossible and 2) you would definitely burn out. Don’t stress too much if you find that you can’t study as hard as you did for Trials during these last few weeks. Instead, focus on making the most of your teacher’s expertise and feedback, maintain a consistent level of moderate study and have a plan to gradually increase the study intensity so you’re in peak position just as HSC rolls around.

4. Time flies so plan your weeks out

If there is something you want to achieve (study-wise) these last few weeks then you seriously need to create a timetable or plan with deadlines. See, the time is going to fly by and you will be in a pretty disrupted schedule with all your graduation events.

One afternoon this week, set yourself a clear plan or some clear goals so at least you can keep track of your study progress and don’t have to start nearly from scratch when the "holidays" begin. If you need help timetabling your life, check out some tips here.

5. It’s a pretty cool period of your life

Graduation, saying goodbye to teachers, muck-up day, the last days in your uniform… the end of school is a pretty cool time. Even with the stress of HSC coming up and the drama of getting Trials marks back, don’t get so caught up in the HSC that you forget about being in year 12. If you want to put off study for your graduation week, or maybe lock in a bunch of celebratory events with your friends then go for it! You’ve worked hard for basically a full year now and you’ve definitely earned the right to really enjoy the end of school. Just… try not to do anything too crazy thanks. 👌

Remember

It’s so easy to get caught up in the last weeks of school that you forget how important they are! Before you get totally swept away, have a think about how you can make the most of the opportunities there are whether it’s your classmates, your teachers or the graduation events. Cut yourself enough slack to enjoy this time - you deserve it!