Looking back at Year 12

2018 School Leavers Share Their Stories

Roma Mitchell Secondary College, Adelaide

ATAR: 91.90

Subjects: Biology, English, Hindi, Psychology, Society and Culture

Achievements: Outstanding achievement award for Hindi.

BY MANAN LUTHRA

For 17- and 18-year-olds, December can bring many emotions: elation over the joys of finishing secondary school, anxiety over the futures, and a sense of catharsis when the dust eventually settles.

We congratulate the Class of 2018 and speak to a few of them about their journey.

What goals did you set at the start of the year, if any? Did they change? Did you achieve them?

Madhu Iyengar: I set goals such as putting my best into my work and being motivated and not procrastinating. Yes, I achieved my goals however there is still room for improvement.

Liya Joseph: My two main goals were to achieve a 90+ ATAR, and revise or complete assignments in advance; however, as the year got busier, the latter could not always be achieved.

Aditi Kamath: My goals at the start of the year were to do well in the UMAT and achieve a competitive ATAR to allow me to pursue Medicine in the future. The goals didn’t change throughout the course of the year and I ended up achieving both.

Clive D’Silva: It was my big year and you just have to set goals to keep moving forward in busy times like that. I sought out to make a difference as a School Captain, to be passionate, energetic, and inspire people. In the end, I managed to put smiles on many faces, make countless friends, and even inspire the next female School Captain to become a leader herself.

I also wanted to have fun in my last year of school and just enjoy every moment. It’s such an action-packed year and I think I really made the most of it.

Vishwajeet Modi: My biggest goal at the start of Year 12 was to get an ATAR of 99 and get into medicine. To do this I cut back on my leisure time. This meant I had to give up some part of my lifestyle and this was playing video games. I went from spending around 10 hours weekly on video games to none in Year 12. In the end this paid off. I managed to get an ATAR of 99.70 and got offered (and accepted) a direct pathway into the doctor of medicine at UWA.

How did you manage stress throughout your final year of high school?

Madhu: I managed stress by being with friends and family and focusing on reaching the end goal.

Liya: By making lists which ensured I prioritised my assignments and revision and finished everything in time for deadlines. Spending time with friends on weekends was also helpful, as it got my mind off schoolwork.

Aditi: I was lucky that I only had to do four subjects in Year 12 as I had completed some in Year 11 so I had a lighter workload than others. However, I think the key is to plan your time. This can be achieved mentally or using a planner to ensure you have sufficient time to complete your assignments and revise for tests. This way one does not feel rushed the night before they were due.

Clive: You can never eliminate stress out of the equation completely. It’s what keeps you on your toes at times when there’s deadlines flying at you left, right, and centre. It took a while, but I learnt how to distract myself from the pressures and just unwind and relax until I was in a better frame of mind. Whether that involved sleeping, playing guitar, taking my dog for a walk, watching TV - once your mind has been allowed to rest and reset, it will be 10 times more efficient.

Vishwajeet: I always tried tackling the root of the stress. If it was an upcoming test or exam that was causing me stress then I’d study for it. This meant I was more confident and prepared, leading to less stress.

Do you think technology and social media make studying more helpful or distracting overall?

Madhu: They work both ways depending on how students utilize them.

Liya: More helpful, as study-based social media accounts provide students with motivation, apps such as Quizlet make studying engaging and the internet can provide instant assistance or knowledge on specific topics.

Aditi: Technology can be both helpful and distracting. I couldn’t imagine completing

Year 12 without having technology to aid my study. Although, social media was distracting and did keep me up very late some nights, it also helped me chat with my friends about school assignments so that we all had a better idea about how to complete them.

Clive: It’s a double-edged sword. It can fuel the procrastination monkey inside of you because it’s just so easy to waste time online and forget your commitments, but it can also make your study and assessment so much more efficient and actually possible to do. Technology allows us to accomplish unbelievable feats and students benefit from that in their learning every day. Overall, I think you just got to tame that monkey.

Vishwajeet: I think the pros outweigh the cons. The majority of my test prep material I found was from other schools and this was through the internet. Social media can be distracting at times but I found it useful for group studies.

In 2018, the English Literary Studies exam in SA was done electronically for the first time. As a student, how did you find the technology change your study patterns and the exam in general?

Vishwajeet: Even though it’s quite possible for my state (WA) to do this, I’m personally against it. Doing English exams online will mean that students who’re faster typers will have an edge over others who aren’t.

JOSEPH St Aloysius College, Adelaide

ATAR: 99.30

Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, Math

Methods

Achievements: Merits for biology and English

Traditionally, writing with a pen/pencil does not lead to such an advantage for fast writers, as the difference in writing speeds between a fast writer to a slow writer is not as pronounced as the difference between a fast typer and a slow typer. I think this will slightly alter students’ studying process, it would encourage them to use their computers rather than their books which I think in the long term could make students more attached and dependent on their computer.

Clive: I’m not familiar with this new trial but if it is electronic, a lot of students could benefit from the ease of typing compared to writing.

Favourite quote from a teacher?

Madhu: “There is so much more in life you’re yet to experience.”

Clive: “If you do what you always do, you will get what you always get.” Mrs Karen Tanks (Principal)

Vishwajeet: “Sometimes you have to take a detour to get where you want to be in life.”

What would your advice to future final year students be?

Madhu: My advice would be to first help themselves and focus on their mental wellbeing which can improve their studies as well.

Liya: Your last year of high school should be a memorable one, so in addition to studying, make sure you enjoy school activities like athletics carnival, as this is your last opportunity!

Aditi: My advice would be for students to choose subjects they enjoy and are interested in. Also, it is important that students allocate enough time each week for themselves to relax, whether that be to take short naps after tiring days at school or watching TV on the weekends, all in moderation of course.

Clive: Keep smiling. Enjoy spending time with your friends and all the memorable events you guys get to do together. After all, the last year high school is an incredible year with countless epic moments that you do not want to miss.

Vishwajeet: Make choices today that you won’t regret tomorrow.

What are you most looking forward to now that school is over?

Madhu: I am looking forward to having more independence and being able to learn

ADITI KAMATH Wilderness School

ATAR: 99.90

Subjects: English, Maths Methods, Chemistry, Information Processing and Publishing, Research Project

Achievements: Merits for English, Chemistry, Information Processing and Publishing, Research Project School Prize for Information Processing and Publishing (2017) School Prize for English (2018) School Prize for Outstanding (2018) within what I’m truly interested in.

Liya: As I’m taking a gap year, I’m looking forward to relaxing, and spending more time with my family and friends.

Aditi: Relaxing as I finally have some free time without having much to do.

Clive: Following my passion of film and just enjoying life with new and old friends.

Vishwajeet: I plan on relaxing for a while and then working so I can have some savings to help me in the next year.

Do you plan to stay involved with your school in any way?

Madhu: Yes I plan to stay involved as my younger brother will be attending there.

Liya: Yes, through attending school reunions.

Clive: Being the 2018 School Captain and getting to know nearly everyone in my school, including the staff, makes me always feel very welcome and eager to return and visit the school. There’s definitely a part of me in Mansfield State High and I know I will be returning in the coming years.

Vishwajeet: Definitely. My school isn’t well known in WA, it’s known for VET courses. And I want to change this by encouraging more students to dream big like I did in Year 12.

How do you think university will compare to high school socially and academically?

Madhu: Social-wise, university is broader than high school so there will be more interaction and involvements. Academically it is more independent and there is more responsibility.

Liya: I think university will be more academically challenging; however, it will provide more opportunities to meet new people than high school did.

Aditi: I look forward to the new academic challenges in a different setting. I understand that going to university will mean that I will have to organise my time differently and ensure that I allocate enough time to meet with my friends from school as well as new friends in university.