Opinion Piece, published in the September 2010 issue of "CityLife"

Year Twelve a Juggling Match

Year twelve – the very word brings to mind connotations of desk-ridden students hunched over an endless cesspool of homework. Being in the final year of high school myself, I’ve learnt from experience that this is often the case.

But having a mountain of homework does not mean in any way that a student is falling behind in their studies. Sometimes it can be quite the opposite.

When not completing the nightly homework set for them, students in year twelve have many more things to turn their attention to. For instance there is the constant necessity to revise over past notes, prepare for the next SAC (School Assessed Coursework – much like a big test), as well as the looming horror of exam preparation.

On top of this, bring into the equation the added stress that all young people must endure: learning to drive and grasping at independence through a part-time job.

With all these factors involved, it’s no wonder that year twelve is often labelled “The Big Year”.

However there are a few simple things that can reduce the inevitable stress arising from year twelve, and subsequently the VCE exams.

Firstly, it is necessary to keep things in perspective – there is more to life than schoolwork. It can be helpful to participate in something physical or creative, such as a sport or type of art. This not only gives you something to focus on besides your studies, but also ensures that you remain physically and mentally active, ultimately increasing your health and motivation to study.

Secondly, use your time wisely – and do not procrastinate. Study in a quiet place away from distractions, and reward yourself afterwards. Previous top-scoring students cannot stress enough the issue of self-discipline and organisation.

Parents often feel that if their child is not stressing, then they should be. This isn’t the case – everyone learns at their own pace and deals with stress in a unique way. If a parent is worried about their child’s study habits then there are always things they can do to aid them in their learning. The process of actually explaining a topic to a family member (for instance civil pre-trial procedures for Legal Studies) goes a long way to furthering a student’s own knowledge and memory on that particular area of study.

Ultimately, year twelve is meant to be hard. It’s meant to be a challenge. It’s meant to be stressful. But that doesn’t mean that it cannot be a fun experience either.

With exams less than a month away, it is now time for year twelve students to embrace this last hurdle in their secondary schooling.

After all, the end of exams will signal the first step into a student’s future, rather than their last.

By Broede Carmody