Australia's GK Harinath among Pravasi awardees

Dr GK (Hari) Harinach OAl\f, Chairof 1v[ulticulmra.L NSW, has been awarded the Indian Government's2017 Pravasi BharatiyaSammanAward for community service.

Heisamong30 awardeesannounced in Bengaluruon9January at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD).

Indian-origin PormgalPrimeMinister

AntonioLuis Sanws da Costa and IndianbornUS diplomat Nisha DesaiBiswal are some of the other high-profile winners.

The 55-year-oldCosta,aChief Guest at thethree-day 14th PBD (Non-Resident Indian Day) celebrations, is the son of GoanfatherOrlanda daCosta.

Asa seniorIndian-Americandiplomat, the48-year-oldBiswal, who hails from Gujarat has been overseeing theUS foreign policy and relations with 11 countries in the regionfromBangladesh toUzbekistansince October21,2013.

Costa andBiswalhave been awarded for public service andpublic affairs.

"Of the awardees, six are from theUS, two eachfromBritain and United Arab Emirates (UAE) and oneeach from27 ochercountries the wodd over," noted the statement.

Five otheroverseasIndians fromdie

US sharing d1e honours wid1 Biswal areHari Babu Bindal for environmental engineering,Bharat HaridasBarai, Mahesh Mehta andRamesh Shal1 forcommunity service and Sampatkumar ShidranrnpaShivangi for community leadership.

Priti Patel and Neena Gill are the awardees fromBritain for public service.

Vasudev Shamdas Shroff and IndiaSocial andCulturalCentre from Abu Dhabi in the UAEare me winners for community service and philanthropy.

Two moreorganisationsAntwerpIndianAssociationin Belgimn and SingaporeIndian Association inSingapore have beenhonoured with the award for community service.

Theother winners for community service are),Naseer Abamed 1fohamed Zackiriah (Brunei), Nalinkumar Suman.LalKothari (Djibouti) and Ariful Islam (Libya).

Od1er two winners forpublic service are Pravind KumarJugunath(Mauritius) and WinstonChandarbhan Dookeran (Trinidad &Tobago)

Raghunach Marie AntoninManet (France) and Sandip KumarTagore Qapan) bagged honours for arts and culture. Ocherawardees are1-fokundBhikhubhai Purohit(Canada) andSusbeel Kumar Saraff (Thailand) for business; Vinod Chandra Patel (Fiji) forsocial service;LaelAnson

E. Best (Israel) for medical science;Tan Sri DatoMuniandy Thambirajah (Malaysia) for education & communityservice; Raghavan Seecharan1an (Qatar) for business management; Zeenat MusarratJafri (Saudi Arabia) foreducation andCataniBalaraman Sanjeevi (Sweden) formedicine.

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Students from the community who completed Year 12 with outstanding results share theirinsights

Name:Xenia Lopes ATAR: 99.2

Subjects: English Advanced, English Extension 1, Mathematics, Business Studies, Legal Studies, Economics School: HornsbyGirts High School

Whatwasyouroverallexperienceof Year12?Whatwereyourexpectations goingintotheyear?

XeniaLopes: My initial thoughts going into Year 12 were quite daunting. I wasnot preparedfor the endless hours of work and stress chat would fill the months tofollow and was definitely not prepared to beon lockdown, withno room forsocial events in the HSC calendar. I thought thatmy ATARgoalof getting99+ \Vasimpossible and nomatter how hard I worked, there were alwaysgoingcobekids fromselective schoolsandprivate schoolsaround the state char weresmarter than me and going toget better marks. But it was one of the most challenging yetamaz.ingly fun years of my life. As Iquickly organised thenext few months and planned my srndy accordingly, thestress ran dry and Ienjoyed Year 12 more than any of my other years at high school. It was nothinglikeIhadever imagined,J was travellingmore,goingout moreand makingmore new friends thanall thepreviousyears of high school. Although there weremany latenights at the library, I definitely think chat as rhe months passed, mygoal became more achievable and I realised chatmy results wort.Id only reflect the amount of effort that I had pm m.

PreethamKadappu:Year 12 was exciting, stressful,enjoyable and challengingall the whilefeelingas if it's just another year at school with everyone.There's nothing chat parallels all thenew paths opening upi.n your lifeand beingexposed to more of the "real world". Every year isa fresh slate for me,1 always try to have noexpectations and instead just try appreciate what mrns omin theend, andthis year wasno different. I feel as if it helps me both not slack off or gettoo caught upin past

Name: Preetham Kadappu ATAR: 99.90

Subjects: English, Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1, Physics, Chemistry, Geography School: Sydney Boys High School failures. On the whole havingno set expectations just made the entire experienceof Year 12more enjoyable, it made disappointments less harsh and achievementsmore fulfillingbutthat never avoids the faces that there are alwaysups and downs duoughout diisentire year, which was quite something coexperience.

KabirAgrawal: I enjoyed Year 12,alotof it was quite funfor me,especially Mathematics. GoingintoYear 12 was daunting,as it should be because itis such abigleap. In theencl,it becomes like a cricketgame,if you trainone week, then you should be fine for the weekend. If you train for a year,thenyou should befine for a few weeks of exams.

VineyKumar:The backdrop of d1e HSC loomed over the eventsof Year 12. Coupled with thestressassociated with decidingon universities,subject preferences and career choices,it was anunsurprisingly cough year. However, contra.ry tomy expectations, I stiliimmensely enjoyed my last yearof school despite the exams.I'm surethatmy memoriesof schoollife and the friendships I've forged overthepast few years will remain entrenched,evenafter d1e HSCbecomes adistant memory.

JasnoorMann: Ifound Year 12 tobe a challengingschoolyear,however,at the sametin1e it was excitingas I wouldfinally be finishingschool after 13 years. I was expectingan ATi\R resultof around99, givenhow I hadperformedinYear l1. I exceeded my expectations considerably scoringa high 99 ATAR,as well as achievingDUX of theschool.

HarjaapSingh:Year 12 was just as previoussmdentshad said; it wasgoingto be tough,butenjoyable attimestoo.This wasmy exactexperience.Duringexam times it was quitestressful however during

Name: KabirAgrawal ATAR: 99.70

Subjects: Mathematics Extension 1, Mathematics Extension 2, EnglishAdvanced, Physics, Chemistry, Economics School:SydneyBoys High School

Name:Viney Kumar

ATAR: 99.25

Subjects: Maths Extension 1, English Extension 1, Maths Advanced, English Advanced, Software Design and Development, Physics and Chemistry. School: Knox Grammar School numberof tasks and obligations, moreover, I would strengthen the friendships 1 had made with many of mypeers to come out of the HSCin onepiece.,and it was that levelof supportthat made theHSC a far better experience than Ihadinitially anticipated. holidays it was agood time to easeoff the smdy and relaxa little.

AshvinBandodkar:To bebrutally honest, Year 12 was arollercoaster of both challengesandemotions thatseemed to presenta newchallengearound every corner,however it wasall the more comfortingknowingdiatall yourpeers werein thesame boatas you. If Ihad to summarisemyYear 12 experience inone word, it would be diat of resilience.Year 12 was a huge eye-opener wid1 regardsto the importanceof pushingthrough and ensuringthat you learnedfromyour mistakes,and even more imporrandy did not takeyour successesforgranted. Having done my Chemistry HSC in Year 11, J walked intoYear 12 withgreat hesitation as to how J would balance all my remaining subjects over the courseof only one year. I knew thatYear l2 would be achallenge, however I neverstopped toconsider the fact d1at over the next year, not onlywould Ilearn how to balance a seemingly infinite

ChiraagBhalla:As my final year,I bonesdy found it my best and most enjoyable year. Obviously met with the increased academicpressure, I found thatit wasa great year to form valuable and great bonds with mycohort, as wellas forrning friendshipswith teachersyou mee[every singleclay. Alsomany forget thatYear12 is our transitionalyear to university,sothe increased freedomwasgreatly enjoyed! Beingd1oroughly preppedfrom elder family and friends,I can comfortably say l wasexpectingto beAooded with work and assignments that would i□e\Titably lock me inmy room. As the year continued, however, I learnt di.at d1epace you take. it at iscompletely up toyou, and it is upto you withwhat you decide tomake omof it. lr wasthisrealisationchat helped mesetmy own targets, somethingI hadto develop throughout the year.

\Vhatdidyoulearnaboutyourself?

XeniaLopes: The most important thingI learnt about myself was mypotential to work hard towardsagoal 1 was passionate about. Ididn't realiseunti.lYear 12 chat 1 badthe capability to even smdy for eight hours straight if it meant chat1 would be one step closer toachievingmy encl HSC goal. T learnt to be more resilient,even when I didn't get the mark 1 was expecting and1 chink most of all I realisedhow much growtl, capacity I have as an individual to dogreat thingsin the fumre.

PreethamKadappu: I th.ink Year 12 helps

Into Surviving The Finalyear Ofschool

Name: Jasnoor Mann

ATAR: 99.70

Subjects: Mathematics (2 Unit), Mathematics Extension 1, English Advanced, Chemistry, Physics, Business Studies School: Parramatta Marist High

Name: HarjaapSingh

ATAR: 98.35

Subjects: Chemistry, Physics, EngineeringStudies, Mathematics Extension 1and 2, English School: Glenwood High School

Name: Ashvin Bandodkar

ATAR: 99.95

Subjects:: Modern History, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, English (Advanced), Mathematics Extension 1and 2 School: Girraween HighSchool

Name: Chiraag Bhalla

ATAR: 99.50

Subjects:: Advanced English, Mathematics Extension 1 and 2, Physics, BusinessStudies, Economics School:Girraween HighSchool you learn multiple aspects about yourself as a person and orient yourself forthe future

KabirAgrawal: I felt enlightened. o,not really! I just felt that l reallywasa lot better than l thoughtafter changingmy mindset. I mean, youjust understanda lotmore about your own capabilitiesandwhat exactly someonecan achieveif focus is applied and you just have funwith the subjects.

VineyKumar: Ibelieve the HSC and the circumstancessurroundingmy HSC year taught mehowtosec myown goals and bowto systematicallywork toachieve tl1em. TheHSC isnot just one setof exams-it's a marathonoveran entire year that endswitl1 tl1e final examsin October. Ilearnt that by focusingonmygoals for thefuture, I could overcome any barriers toachievement in any aspectof my life. Ialsofoundomhow valuable motivationwasas a resource.

During theholidaysand through first two weeksof term three,I undertook a sixweek researchinternship at the Massachusetts Instituteof Technology (l\lII1),Boston. Thisremoved much of the time I hadto study for tl1eexams,and I rem.med to schoolonly twoweeks before thedreaded trialexams began. Despitethis difficult circumstance,the motivationI had accumulatedfromthisamazing e.xperience allowed mecocondenseeightweeksof smdyintotwoweeksand achieve the best resultdiacI could.

JasnoorMann: Ilearnt thatI had the abilitycoworkhard andstay motivated, which ultimately allowed me coachieve and exceedmy goals.

HarjaapSingh: I learntd1acIwas capable of doing somethingwhichI previously had thoughtwas outof my reach. Developing multitaskingskills and learninghowto manage stresswas all due co my experiences ofYear 12.

AshvinBandodkar: The first thingI learned about myself was that IreaUy needed mysleep, and so toallfuture HSC studentsIwould recommend,at tl1every least, takingnaps to make sure youcan makeit through schooland smdyingat home. As theyearunravelled,Ilearned that I stoppedworryingaboutwhat everyone elsewas doingandstartedfocussing on just myself.Of course, it'salways good to know and care abouthow your peers are doing, howeverI feel chat throughdirecting my attention towards myown challenges that I got throughwork a lotguicker andwith much less stress.

ChiraagBhalla: Itwasthe first time that I realised chat I actually enjoy studying! Previously,I found studying a chore,and my results reflected char. However, aftera clearvisualisation of my goalsand targets,I could see my efforts in studying had a direction. Andthrough thisprocess, I actually began toenjoythe subjectsIwas learningand was motivated to do thework. Whatwasyourstudyingtechnique?Did youhaveanyaddedsupportfromatutor orathome?

XeniaLopes: I had gu.ite a miique studying technigue;Ineverstudied athome,but rather at ilie library.To myparents,thiswas strange at first as they never saw me study and tl1oughtIwasn't caking tl1e HSCas seriously as I should have. But after myfirst assessments, they realised that chiswasdie rightstudy techn.igue for me. Ilooselyprelearned thesyllabus for my content heavy subjectsandwrote my English essays many weeks before d1e exam sotliattheweeks leadinguptoexams werenotas stressful as I had nonewcontentto learn. In the1wo weeks before any examperiods,Iwould start revising and doing past papers -which

I d1ink was the most importantpractice for any exam, especially under rimed conditions.

PreethamKadappu: I always used co cake notesof what we didin classthe day and onceIwasborne,detailthemwith any ocher resources - textbooks, interneeor classmates. EveryweekendI'd go through chem side by sidewith tl1e syllabus,ensuring I'd marked every poinr. Then as my major exams cameup,I'drewriteall thenotesI had untild1atpointin a condensed form. It didn't cakelong, usually less than 1 hour each day, butnearing examswould reach 2-3 hours a day.Tutoringhelped me reinforcewhatIwas learning at school, and consolidated my knowledge. Bue much morenecessary tomy successwasthe ongoingsupportat home,myfamilywere extremely understanding of my situation and guided meilirough the year and more importantlylet me skip doing chores.

KabirAgrawal: Iaimed to study in chtmks. So d1e idea for mewasto groupchunks of common information toged1er and learn chis through a stepby seep Row,and th.is was commonly applicable tophysics, chemistry and econoniics. For English and l\fathemarics, it is purely through practice andperfection,writing essaysand doing questions under rimepressure.Yes,I didget help from other mtors.

VineyKumar:Before thestareof the school year,I had been encouraged to come upwith astudy timetable. However, tl1ese timetables hadn'tworked for meinpast years, and I had picked upthe unfornmate habit of discarding d1e plan after aweek or so,asit simplywasn't flexibleenough tobe adaptable. OnetechniqueI used was to construct a "Not Smdy" plan,where I listed down alltbeextra-curricular and od1er activities Iwanted cocomplete during the week (e.g.music practice, sports training rimes ere).Aftercompleting thisplan,1was able cofind theoptimal rimeswhen l could putinblocksof study. Iwas never tempted to disregard theplan as it contained all the things Iwas really excited aboutduringYear 12! 1n addition, the smaUspaces in my plan nor covered by a massof extra-curricular activities made me aware oftl1elimited time I had,which certainly renewed my focuson thetasksathand. Od1er than this, I used past examinationsas my fall back method of smdying,as thesepaperswere reliable ways robecomeexposedtomany different guescion types and topics LL11der exam conditions,while also improvingmy exam technique.

Myparents pmin a lotof effort to accommodate for my study and od1er commitmemswasabsolmely incredible,and ic certainly enabled me to succeed in my studiesand in otherareas this year. My grandparents from India also made aspecial effort andwere here right on rime to support me from tl1e trials all the way to d1e HSC results.

JasnoorMann: My studying cechniguewas focusedon addressingall therequirements of the syllabus dotpointsandcompleting as many past papers as Icould.Also,I had tutoring for afewsubjects which was very helpful.

HarjaapSingh: Ilearntmuch berter when I wrote down all ofmy notes as compared to typingthem upon a PC. I was only tutoredfor Extension2 Mathematics and Chemistry.

AshvinBandodkar: For me, the most important thingtoconsider whilst studying was to ensnrethat I dedicated equal amounts of time roalJof my subjects, whichmeant30 minute rotations between each subject, which1 repeatedoverthe courseof each evening I never really botheredstudyingduringrecessor lunchat school because that was my time tojust rellLx withmates. As far as tutoring goes, I had a wonderful supportnetwork of tutors for Mathematics,Biology andEnglish, alongside my mother who's a Chemistry teacherherself.

ChiraagBhalla:My studyingmethodology relied heavily ontask delegation and recordingalltasks and assignmentsIhadro complete.Thismeam thateachday whenI came from home,I knew what tasksIhad togetdone, andit was these minitargets th.at allowedmetostay ontrack intheJong run. DuringYear 11,1 noticed that l had a fewconceptual gapsin a fewsubjects,so 1 soughtthe aid ofan external tumr.

Howdidyoudecidewhatsubjectsto pickandwhy?

XeniaLopes: Going inco thePreliminary and HSC years,I was often told topick subjects drnr "scaledwell"or I wouldn't be able to get a goodATAR. However, d1ese "high scaling subjects" weren't really me subjectsI waspassionate aboutor enjoyed very muchin junior school. I wasn't keenon studyingScience and l didn't really like Maths so l decided ro stick tomy strengths and focuson socialsciences.Forme, even though these subjects didn'thave "great scaling",1 knew I wouldbe in a better positionstudying for the next two years of my li.fe if I actually enjoyed the subjects and byplayingmy strengths,I would still beable rogetagoodATAR

PreethamKadappu: I decided copick subjects basedon my interest in me subject, my strengd1sand time management. I was alwaysinterestedin the sciencesandin maths,and luckily they werealsomy strengths. Ionly didExtension l rather d1an Extension2Maths becauseof rheextra ti.me [ wouldget which I used to workon my weakpoints.Geography was a subject I wasn't coo interestedin,but ir was a strength of mine, which is why I choseit.

KabirAgrawal: I mainly pickedme sciences because they are the most logical subjects, unlike Englishin which there are so many possible answers mat can be expressedin so many differentways.

VineyKumar: I picked my wbjects based mainly on a combinationof interest and career ambitionsas a Year 10 student. Scalingis alsoan additionalfactor,but it only plays a rolein decidingthe marks one needs to scorein each subject inorder to achieve any particular J\TJ\Rscore.As long as you deem these marks tobe achievable and the marks themselves arenot affected too much bychancefactors thatvary from exam toexam, scaling factors shouldnor inAuencedecisions. However, I would encourageanyonewhois cryingtodecide on subjectsforYear 11 and 12topick AdvancedMad1s and English (orhigher),as these subjects are of vital importancein developing the criticalmin.kingand writing skills which areessential for university.

JasnoorMann: Building uponmy interests fromYear 7-10, I chosesubjects that I enjoyedand wanted to potentially pursue a degreeor further study in university

HarjaapSingh: Ihad decided what course I wanted to study atunivei-sityby d1eend ofYear 10 so Ichose thesubjects thatmer the prerequisitesto increasemy chances of being given admission. 1 also enjoyed a challenge and d1at iswhy Ipicked more academic subjects.

AshvinBandodkar:After speakingto a lot of my teachersand friends in the year above,it becameevident that if 1 was codo well, I wouldneedcochoosesubjects that I had aninterest in. That definitely meant lockingin my twosciencesubjects,a.s well as Economics and1:vfodern l-listory. I chose those subjects with the aim of having a well-rounded studying experjence. I definitely enjoyedthehigh levelof thinking involvedin Extension2 Mathematics. ChiraagBhalla: My subject selection was basedon my natural interests mat I discovered duringYear 10. Ithink this was oneof my best choices,becauseoften students fallin the trapof pickinghigh scaling subjects. Whilst d1is is goodfor chose whoenjoy the subjects, forcing yourself to study a subject youdon'tlike for two yearsis alot harder than it sounds.

Didyoufeeltherewasmuch competitionwithinyourcohort?

XeniaLopes; At a selective school, there was definitely competition withinthe grade. TheATARsystem works in such a way that it pitsstudentsagainst each od1erin competitionfor thehighest possible rank and naturally with this comes a lot of competition. However, asthe mondis passed andmy cohort began to realise that the HSC exams were soon dawningupon us, thecompetition disappeared and we begansharingnotes andhelpingeachod1er toensure we all did really well,toged1er. It was when we realised d1atwe all needed to work together that we were able to help each other and motivate each other to achieve the best results we couldinour final exams

PreethamKadappu: At any selective school there will becompetition,but l felt as ifwithinourschool,it wasn't a hostile competition,people were sti11very cooperativewith each other,and we would often runpeer tutoring during lunchtimes and before exan1s. The competitivenature of eachpersonmade us strivecobe the best,but alsodidn't make us forget about ourpeers.

KabirAgrawal:There is always competition. Especially at the top endof any cohort. lt becomes really pressurising becauseonce you get to the top, there is always the need tostay there because things can changevery,very quickly.

VineyKumar: While there was competition amongst my cohort at school, it was friendly competition and \Ve never let academic competitionstandin the way of personal friendship. In fact, everyone inmy cohort supportedeach other and helped other students tobounce back afteran exam setback This culture of peer teaching was immensely helpful as it helpedeveryone to succeed, as mere was always somed1ing to]earnfrom the experienceof teachingthe contentto someoneelse.

JasnoorMann:Yes,my cohortwas very competitive, which was beneficial for all students as wepushed eachother to improve.

HarjaapSingh: Competition was always present howeverthis allowedfor positive growth. Withoutcompetitionstudents including myself wouldnothavepushed themselvesas far to gain the bestoutcome

AshvinBandodkar: Throughout the year, I like to think that d1e healthy competition wid1inour gradeis whatmorivated mostof us to achieve our absolute best in every one of our subjects. That beingsaid, there was never a time where individualsin my cohort wouldnothelpone another,andas such I believe thatme competition we had establishedbetweenourselves was mere as a motivator to do our best.

ChiraagBhalla: When 1first started Year 12, l ,vas expecting students tobecome a lot morecompetitive,andfriendships to strain under the stress. However, contrary to my thought,I sawmy cohort become stronger and tighter than ever before.This was largely due to acultural changeour school introduced, and the benefitsinperformance and mentalhealth have beenpositive and encouraging.

Whatextra-curricularactivitiesor hobbieshelpedyoumaintainabalance betweenworkandplay?

XeniaLopes: DuringYear 12, for me it was really imporu'lllt to maintain a balance between work andplay.Being heav ly involved in the community in theyears leadinguptoYear '2,I didnotgiveupany ofmy commitments duringmy T-ISC year. I played netballon Saturdays with my team of five years,practiced music lessonsonce a week and volunteered atd1elocalRedCross Shopas a retail volunteer, completing my GoldDuke of EdinburghAward during Year 12. I became apart of many school committeesto keep myselfbusy during lessons and relieve d1e stress that came up from just beingin the atmosphere of the HSC year.

PreethamKadappu: I always tried to involve myself in as many extracurricular co make sure I didn't overworkmyself, d1ese included sporttennis,basketball and soccer • which I would have games foron Saturdays;music • Iplay the guitar and diat

• hasalways beena sourceof relaxation;and I,vould vohmteerat several different places ona weekly basissuch asat a childcare and at anEnglish IntensiveHigh School.

KabirAgrawal: My mainextra-curricular activicywasplaying sport, especially cricket, whichwas themajoroutlet forme through school. Iwould also just spend rime watching TVfor some rime,usually a regular showsuch as Scorpion.

VineyKumar: My mainextracurricular activitiestncluded captainingtl1e 1st sguash and chess tea.msand playing tl1e Autein tl1e school symphony orchestra and wind ensemble.These activitieswere definitely bothengagingandrelaxingand helped me to maintain a balance betweenwork and play.

JasnoorMann:I occasionally played video games, watched sports onTVand played sportswith friends.

HarjaapSingh: Flying is a passion of mine and being able to go ro airport and rake control ofa small engine aircraftallowed meto getaway from all the stress of Year 12.

AshvinBandodkar: A lot of whatIdid aside fromstudyinghappened at school, and I am so graceful to havehad the opportunity to dothese activities as my formof stress relief tl1isyear.Serving as the School'sVice-Captainallowed meto heavily imrolvemyself in our school community, and tluough partakingina.lJ the variousprefect-organised events throughout me year, served asa great oppornmity ro rake a break from srudyingwhilst doing sometlungproductive. Other tl1an that,1 canhonestly say char itwasjust me recess and lunchthat Ispent relaxingwithmates thathelped meget through and talk to them about the struggles of 4UNfath of how muchwe all hated English,and tlrnt really helped me find tl1at balancebetweenwork and play.

ChiraagBhalla: I quickly noticed tl1at from the beginningof Year 12 Iwould have to maintain a healthy balanceof extra activities co prevent themetaphorical "burningout"everyonewarns you about. Forme,I did this through regular activities that l found relaxingand allowed to exit schoolthought. Withinmyschool,Iwas in my debating and chess team. In my community,1would regularly volunteer and actingas aYouth Ambassador for che Red Cross further helped me.

WhatisyourmostmemorableYear12 experience?

XeniaLopes: The lastfewweeksof Year 12wereguitememorable.Wehad just finished allourcontent and wewere done with all theschoolexamsand our trialsand itwas time to complete our high school journey. The events that the school put on during d1is time definitely made it harder co enjoy the factthat wewerefinally going to bedonewirnschool anditwasespecially ourYear 12 concerttl1atI tl1ink I,vill remember fortl1erest of my life.

PreethamKadappu: Desp te every great memory of th.is year, ringingme bell aswe walked out of Chemistry,our last exam,has to betbemostmemorablemomentof Year 12. Nothing could compare to the point wherewe finally crossed the finish line, and with our sanity intact asan added bonus. KabirAgrawal: My most memorable experience is related tocricket game in school team where I took 7wickets and gave away 6 run in8 over when we played against SydneyGrammar School.Th.iswasa record breakingbowlingfigure in tl1e history of Sydney Boys' High School. Sure enough,Icouldn'tbelieve Iwas getting wicket afterwicket off smart bowling, and 1 cangenuinelyremembereachof me 7 wickets I took evennow.

VineyKumar: The week before graduating fromYear 12wasabsolutely awesome.lvfy schoolmade this celebrationincredibly special,holdingeventsrangingfrom Year 12 breakfasts, to muckup days and even an entirefunfilled carnivaldaycompletewitha bouncingcastle!Year 12 presenrntion day was anincredible way tocapit all off and finish my schooling career at Knox.

JasnoorMann:Achieving the Duxof my school,as well as receiving theSenior Cup for EnglishandScience.

AshvinBandodkar: Unlike rhe blur of assessments Ifaced this year, my most memorableYear 12 experience would have tobe hostingthe annual schoolMusic,Art, Dance and Drama production alongside my otliercaptains. Havingtheopporumity to justhave a laugh along with our whole school for onenightand view some amazingexamples of music and dance was somethingI will always remember, and was oneof tl1e fe,vmomentsindieyear that we could alltruly forget ourstudying commim1entsand relaxa little.

ChiraagBhalla: My mostenjoyable exper:ience was afterourTr:ial examinations, when several of my mates decided togoon a roadtrip tomentally reset and relax. It was one of the best choices I made to go, andthe memories Ihave aregreat.

Whatwouldyoudodifferently?

XeniaLopes: I'm quitehappy with how this year wentbmI thinkthere aretwo things mat Iwould dodifferently if I had to doit all over again. Firstly, I think l would have wanted tocomplete. an accelerated HSC subject before my HSC year to remove die workloadI had in Year 12 as many of my classmatesdid do ili.is and it really relieved their stress levels. Theotlier rbing would be droppingExtensionMathematics sooner as I feel like 1 did waste half ayear doingthe examsforthesubject and studyingfor it even though I dropped it before theHSC.

PreethamKadappu: Noiliing, nor because of what I've achieved, bur becauseof the fact that 1 putin my best effott throughout the journey,and the ability togoforward knowingmar evenif I wasn't gifted by sucli results,I would still be ablero say 1gaveit my all.

KabirAgrawal: I wouldhave loved ro changeeverything if I could. I would've done alotbetter if I clianged my study techniqueearlier. But I would also rry and improveme way 1 approached life, especially talkingroothersaboutsomething different toacademics.

VineyKumar:Sleep moreby procrastinatingless.Adequate sleepis increclibly important forsuccessin the classroom as well as in examsituations. Even anhourcan make a huge difference. Procrastinatingon tasks less wouldhave enabled me to sleep a little earlier, enhancingmy performance in thelongrun.

JasnoorMann: InhindsightImink I should have been less stressed and been more optinlistic throughout theyear.

HarjaapSingh: I believe theoutcomeof my results was quite satisfactory so I wouldn't doanyth.ingdifferently.

AshvinBandodkar: Lookingback,I always regretnorgoingbeyond diescope of thesyllabusandonly rememberingwhat I absolutely needed to know.Tbesubjects westudents areofferedhaveanincredible breadth and coverage, and so if 1 were to dothisallover,l would probably setaside more time beforeeachexam tohave a wholesome undersrnndingof my subjects in order to truly appreciatethem.

ChiraagBhalla: I learnt thatin theirutial stages,I was relyingheavily on motivation tokeep megoingand sn1dy.Whilst this doespush you to smdy in the early stages, you quickly learn that motivationis only temporal. It was only later matl learnr the valueof discipline, and it is something 1 hope to integrate duringuniversity and further life.

Whatperksdidyouenjoy(eitherat schoolorathome)?

XeniaLopes: I think the best perkwas definitely not having co do chores at home, haha. Jokes aside, my school did giveYear12s some an1azingperks which included ourveryownYear 12 cottagewitha functioninglcicchen, lunch access coWestfield Hornsby andof course ourwitty name jerseys whichwerethe best perk of being Year 12s.

PreethamKadappu: Our school was notonly academic oriented, but was stronglysupportiveof cocmriculars and excra-curt:iculars andprovided uswith more opportunities topartakein chem than otherschools,which wasthe best perk of my schoolingcareer.

KabirAgrawal: 'i,\'lell, I lovedto playsports andjustas much,I love academics, and having this balancewas definitely a perk of going to Sydney Boys' High.

VineyKumar: I received incredible support from my parents for my endeavours.Thiswas backedup by facilities available atschool. I made particular useof a facilityknown as "eveningstudy",which aUowedstudentsco srudy in the Library after schooluntil 9pm (witha break for dinner). In addition, I did nothave co undertake a part time job during my final year of school.

JasnoorMann: My parents looked after me verywellwitl1food, support and less chores, aUowing meto focus on my studies and atschoolmy friendswerealso motivated to dowell.

HarjaapSingh:Time to rimecoupleof school friends sit cogether inpark andeat pizza dmingstressful rime. Arhome1 asked mtm1tocookmy favourite dishes.

AshvinBandodkar: I think the biggest perkof the HSCis tl1e ability to useit asan excusefor almost anything, and for me, that certainly came in the form of gettingmy brother to do all thehousework (although I'm surehe'll remrn the favour intwo years when hesicsthe HSC).Otl1erthan thatI think that the HSCmakes chose around you a lot morecaringandsympathetic,which acmaUy really marter given the high level of stress involvedin doing everything in the span of only one year.

ChiraagBhalla:To break the monomny of continuous studying, Iwouldprovide myself perks after 1 achieved each of my study goals. Often thiswould be watchinga TVshowor movie afterwards,guilt free,or even just meetingupwith mates. I felt that this method of study first,enjoy later,was personally really effective as it felt more earned and continuedto drive meto smdy inthe fumre.

Whatdoesthefutureholdforyou?What areyouhopingtostudyatuni?

XeniaLopes: I recently receivedan early offer from tl1eUniversity of Sydney to study in the prestigious CombinedLaw Program. In thisprogram Iwill be studying aBachelorof Laws/Bachelor of Commerce.

PreethamKadappu:For me,I never know, I would like tosay Ihave a set out plan or knowwhereexactly I'm going, but over thepast yearI'velearned ro dealwith life as it comes, as it's coo spontaneous for any plans to be made soearly on. I'm hoping to study either medicineor actuaries andscience double degree. lam reallj'and almost equally interestedinboth.

KabirAgrawal:Thefumre isalways unexpected. But I aim to be a successful Actuary graduatewhoisalso agood cricketer,andthis much I can strive to achieve in thefumre. Obviously, it is not going to be easy,butI can alwaysendeavour for the best.

VineyKumar: Ihopecocombine my passionforMaths andSciencewith my love for debating,publicspeakingandwriting by stud)�nga combined degreeinLawand Mathematics at meUniversity of Sydney. It's incredibly exciting for me and I'm looking forward to seeingwhat the future holds for me there!

JasnoorMann: Iwasvery interested in sciencein my schooling years andwant to study AdvancedScience in theTalented

Smdent Program (TSP) at UNSW. HarjaapSingh: 1 am planning to study at tl1eUniversity of NewSouth \Vales inthe courseBachelor of Aviation (Flying) and attain myCommercial Pilot License.

AshvinBandodkar: In all honesty I'm not smewhere exactly Iwill endup,bur Ihope that next year l v.rillhavetbeopportunityco smdy l'v[edicine or somehealth-related course at universicy.

ChiraagBhalla: In2017,l am planning on studyingLawandCommerce atme Universityof Sydney.Thechoicewas hard tomake as Ihad co declineaCo-Op scholarship and Cadetship, but itwill help me better reach my professional and personal goals.

Whatwouldyouradvicetofuturefinal yearsmdentsbe?

XeniaLopes: I th.ink the best adviceI can give is never give up. Duringthose 12 monthsof tl1e HSCyear,it can bequite hard to continue toworkco me best of your abilities andget back upwhen something has knockedyou down,bur tl1e an1onnr of effort that you pmin to your Year 12 studies will definitely be reflectedin your reslllts, andyouwill receive a reward for youreffort! Also, don't forgetto treat yourself, take breaks and take some time to chill out once in awhile before you start co burn yourself out. The Year 12experience is somethingthat canteachyou many dungs about yourself anditisalso oneof the most enjoyableexperiences of yomlife so make sure you take advantageof all opportunities thatcome yourway!

PreethamKadappu: Although it'll be a 100111 sprint on tl1e racetrack in the course of our lives,whilewe go through ic,it feels more likea 1000 mile kayak across the Pacific Ocean.Remember co nor let the tides of results, hobbiesorrelationships carry you too far from your goals,and alwaysknowthat you'llnever be alone. Good luck for your endeavours!

KabirAgrawal:The best piece of advice l can give isrelax and balance the\vork. During tl1eexam period,always relax so diat youcan remain mentally strongwhen doing me exams. When I say balance the work,1mean make sureyouput equal effort intoeach one of the subjects that you do,because tl1eHSC is dependent on multiplesubjectscores, not just onesubject.

VineyKumar: Despiteexams,thefinal year of school can be as enjoyable asyou make ic. Findways to makeit enjoyable and fun, andtl1e examswillbeoverin no time! Also,watch our for alternativeentry pathwaysinto Lmiversity, aseach university has at least one of these programs. Apply for them midway throughYear 12,as these pathways can ease the added burden of universiryplaces beingdependent upon exan1marks, and enable you to focus on the exam and ease thenerveswhen tl1ecrunch rimecomes.

JasnoorMann: Itis important to setgoals, study hard andconsistently,while maintaining a balancewithleisure activities and lastlyto do yourbest.

HarjaapSingh: Iwouldadvise future students to keepcairn and collected because if you put your mindto studying, you can achievetheresults yonwant.

AshvinBandodkar: Honestly the best pieceof advice I can give foranyone sitting the HSC chis year is to bewell-aware for what you'rein for, and ensure that you do not place all your efforcs intoone subject. I also constantly remember pushingmyse.lf to writeheaps of English essays because,at me endof me day,ic has to count! Ocher than that be sureto not burn yourself out, coexerciseregularly andkeep your family and friends close; you'll definitely need them toget throughit all!

ChiraagBhalla: I am surestudentsgeea lot of adviceabout smdying hard and getting good results,and that .is really important. 1 personally feel itis aJoe easier when you knowthe WHY of why you are smdying, andwhat itis dedicatedcowards. Also make sure you enjoy Year 12. leis honestlythebestyear of high schoo� and the friendshipsyouform areones that you willtrulyvalue.

Xenia: Stressful yet rewarding

Preetham: Unforgettable challenging adventure

Kabir:

IMAGINE with all your mind

BELIEVEwith all yourheart

ACHIEVE with all your might

Viney: Veni, Vidi, Vici

Harjaap: Challenge persistence commitment

Chiraag:Justhavefun

Ashvln: Exciting, challenging and humbling

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