The journey begins now

Thirteen years of education ultimately eventuates into a simple 4 digit number. As thousands of students leave behind the tag of “boys and girls” and join the league of “ladies and gentlemen”, it comes with the realisation that the journey is not by any means finished – it is just beginning.

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HSC results for 2009 were released to a record number of candidates (almost 70,000 students) on the 17th of December, with the new ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) sent the following day. Students logged on to the Board of Studies website, or were sent SMS messages on their phones at 6am, along with the more traditional HSC letter summarising their results.

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This year there were some incredible statistics – most students sat six exam papers each, in about 750 exam centres including schools in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. There were 113 different courses, and exams were sat in 111 of them (English Extension 2 and Music extension have no written examinations). Students read from over 13 million printed pages of questions and put their answers into 1.75 million writing booklets. Female dominance in the HSC this year was not surprising. It is a normal occurrence, but even as a guy it is hard for this writer to ignore the level of achievement of our state’s young women – no all-boys institution features in the top 8 schools in NSW.

All these statistics do no justice, however, to the absolutely immense amount of work done by the students. Nights spent dreary-eyed, without food, drink and obviously without sleep were countless. Parents struggled to keep a rein on their child’s sudden desires to study, and topics of conversation would become only too predictable – for the guys, for example, it would be HSC, Katrina Kaif, HSC, Cricket, HSC and so on until every possible sport-related or female distraction had been used up. Even songs became HSC-related songs, because they were released during the examination period – these have since vanished from iPods.

Coping With The Nerves

as my mind resurfaced mistakes made in the examinations. Aside from that, the post HSC relaxed mindset and enjoyment prevented the accumulation of such nerves.”

A common theme among families, especially those in our community, is the strange phenomenon of parents being more concerned about results than the students themselves are!

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Rajan Rehan of Sydney Technical High School passed with an ATAR of 99.1, and says of his parents, “I think they were more stressed out than me as the date of the release for my result drew closer”. This is a positive thing according to him; with the benefit of hindsight, he recalls, “My parents did expect me to do well so there was a bit of pressure in the back of my mind but I believe this positively motivated me to achieve my goal.”

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In any case, November 13th brought relief to every student across the country, whether they studied or not, whether they were going to university or not – and it is this jubilation at completing that last exam, that inexplicable euphoria at realising you’d just written that final word, and that overwhelming sense of calm as the examiner said “Pens down,

Naturally, the wait was a very nervous one for many - however, students like Darshil Shah, who achieved an ATAR of 93.20, felt that “it was actually an exciting wait for the results”. Keeping his mind distracted was easy for him, because he was “involved in so many activities and catching up on things...that at times I totally forgot about the results!”

Srikkumar Ashokkumar from Melbourne, who achieved the maximum possible VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) score of 99.95, felt otherwise, saying, “I didn’t go to bed the night before, I was just up talking to friends the whole night”. How did he cope with the tension? He believes it is in fact talking to his friends who were in the same predicament which helped him deal with the situation.

Shiva Subramanyam graduated from James Ruse Agricultural High School with an ATAR of 99.85 and was at a sleepover when the results were announced. He says, “At the time the results were coming out, we were all watching Pokémon on TV so it wasn’t a very nervous wait, and we sort of didn’t realise we were getting our results!”

Kedar Mehta graduated from Parramatta Marist High School with an ATAR of 96.7. He says, “The few days prior to the release of HSC results were quite nerve-racking

Pressure, however, is a strange thing – it can come not only from parents, but from the students themselves. Rajan says that “The HSC was a huge deal during Year 12, especially coming from a selective school - most students discussed the topic everyday which further built up the hype”. Indeed, peer pressure is a driving force behind the success of many students, as competition is an inherently human value.

Tips And Advice

However, there are many ways to avert pressure and stay on top of things. Priyanka Acharya of Hornsby Girls High School attained an ATAR of 99.90, yet still played numerous sports, including Basketball, Water Polo and Soccer. It is often said that extra-curricular activities can hamper a student’s ability in Year 12, however it is important to note that many high achievers have an outlet through which they release pressure –music, sports, dancing, and even computer games all act to distract the mind from the incessant tension during this crucial year. Of course, this is not an excuse to play computer games all day!

Jayraj Singh Bhatti of Baulkham Hills High School, for example, obtained an ATAR of 99.85, while also winning the Silver in Shot Put and a Bronze in Discus in the NSW All Schools Athletics Competition – indeed, his training schedule included twice-a-week weights training, a daily 3km run and once a week throwing training – all during year Year 12 examinations. He also plays Tabla, and holds a purple belt in Karate.

Mihir Ranadive graduated from Fort Street High School this year with an ATAR of 98.65. He says, “The HSC means you get to study exactly what you want where you want (or what your parents want) but there are countless ways to still do this without it being a “stressful” HSC”. Mihir is pleased he was allowed to choose his own path, saying that his parents were relaxed about his results. “The beauty of doing everything on your own is that when something goes wrong, there is only yourself to blame and you know you have the ability to remedy that mistake”.

Srikkumar says that while he didn’t have a concrete study plan, he just did as much work as he thought he needed to do.

Sunraj Patel of Knox Grammar, who had an ATAR of 96.7, found that the HSC was “not a big deal if you’re motivated and stick to the syllabus.” However, he adds, “Efficiency is a must, and technique is crucial”.

Clearly there are different techniques for different students and they have their own merits – Adnan Chaudhary from Christian Brothers College in Blacktown [ATAR 95.5], along with most other students, felt it was crucial for future students to avoid panic. Adnan assured that “in the end, your marks will go up heaps. While in the trials I was getting maybe 65-70%, in the end they became 80s and 90s”.

Meanwhile, Shiva found that the holidays were crucial periods. His secret was to study in large amounts during the holidays, and to keep yourself motivated. “At school, you have teachers that will push you, and friends that will always talk to you, but in the holidays people get distracted. It’s okay to go out once or twice a week, but people forget that when they’re at home it’s important to remain focused and motivated”.

Srishti Yadav of Girraween High School [ATAR 99.90] reveals, “The support of your parents is imperative. Although they may not have realised it, without my parents telling me they’d be proud no matter what, I probably would’ve felt a bit more pressure and stress, but knowing I had their support and guidance proved invaluable”. Her advice to future students: “More than anything, it is important to pursue what you truly desire...It’s easy to underestimate the knowledge and

Continued on page 8 power you possess but in the end, just try your best, have faith in yourself and you will almost certainly reap the rewards!”

Shruti Jagdale of St Marks College finished with an ATAR of 92.50, and her piece of advice is simple yet very effective: “The more past papers you do, the higher your results will be. Even if you do nothing else the entire year, make sure you do lots of past papers”. She adds, “As long as you’re consistent, you won’t have to pull all-nighters all the time and you will be fine”

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Kamal Parkash Singh went to Girraween High School, and achieved the maximum possible ATAR of 99.95. He has some philosophical advice for future students: “During my HSC I stumbled upon a quote by Malcolm Forbes, ‘Education’s role is to replace an empty mind with an open one’. I believe this is of utmost importance; use your HSC as a chance to develop your perceptions of the world, get involved in your work and enjoy it. If you can maintain such a holistic approach to you education then the marks will follow you!”

All students interviewed agreed that the HSC is definitely overhyped – Srishti sums up aptly, that the HSC is definitely not the be all and end all of a student’s tertiary aspirations. “It really is only as stressful as you make it, so I think that if you work hard and are determined to do well then why should anything stop you?”

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SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

So, after all the scaling is done and dusted, and ATARs start becoming meaningless numbers, it is time to consider the future. There are many thoughts flowing through a student’s mind at this stageclearly, the stand-out question is, what course do I choose?

Darshil chose to do a Bachelor of Commerce combined with a Bachelor of Information Systems at UNSW. He says that while it was a tough choice, “Parents and relatives provided me with invaluable advice on choosing what I wanted to do through their experiences.”

Shiva found his choice fairly easy – although he did economics in school, he preferred to choose to study medicine because “it’s a good job to do for me, as I like talking to people, and medicine is a profession where you meet new people every day”. His parents did influence him, but he says there was no pressure and they assured him they’d be happy with whatever he chose to do. After attaining a UMAT percentile of 99, he is very excited about the future – and plans to be an Ophthalmologist one day.

Medicine and Economics degree at the University of Sydney. He says that “Making the decision regarding which university to attend is never easy. Many of my friends advised me to go to UNSW for their undergraduate Medicine program rather than waste my time in economics. However to me the added bonus of economics makes the experience of Medicine at the University of Sydney even more worthwhile.” parents weren’t expecting me to get it, but they were really supportive”. She is very excited about university, however she feels that while teachers at high school would show her the way to a Band 6, the lecturers at university will have the attitude, “Do the work, or we don’t care!”

Kedar aspires to study Commerce at UNSW. “It was a rather tedious decision for me as I frequently weighted issues such as future job security against personal interests whilst contemplating a career. My parents had strong input into my choice however yet again it was more constructive guidance as opposed to pressure. Ultimately, I believe their input enabled me to make the right decision”.

Mihir sees himself either working in the Department of Public Prosecutions or establishing his own law firm in ten years’ time. While he is a bit uncertain as to what path to follow in his first year as a result of narrowly missing out on his first preference of Law/Criminology at UNSW, he says “Ultimately I would like to transfer into my course after first year. It wasn’t a tough choice for me, I had chosen law as my field as early as Year 10 possibly.”

Srikkumar aspires to do medicine at Monash University in Melbourne. He says, “Science is an area which interests me and I look forward to the practical application of science which medicine offers me”. In ten years’ time, he hopes, “I will have my M.B.B.S., and be a general surgeon or cardiologist”.

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Similarly, Rajan also says, “Following the Indian stereotype, I plan to further pursue my studies in medicine.” It was a tough choice for him and he wasn’t 100% sure about his future aspirations during the year, but he soon developed a genuine interest in medicine with the guidance of his parents.

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Srishti also wishes to pursue medicine – although if this does not work out, she would like to go into psychology. Although she was “thoroughly against the idea of medicine once upon a time”,

Priyanka intends to study a combined degree of Law and Commerce at the University of Sydney, where she has been awarded a Merit Scholarship – in fact, Priyanka was also awarded two other scholarships, at the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales. After being named Dux of Hornsby Girls High School, the future definitely looks bright.

Adnan plans to do a Bachelor of Actuarial Studies degree at Macquarie University, saying that while initially his mum wanted him to do medicine, he “wasn’t really into it - in the end she said she was happy with my marks and would be okay with whatever I wanted to do”.

Sunraj aims to undertake the new Bachelor of Applied Finance with Bachelor of Commerce-Professional Accounting degree at Macquarie University. He says, “It was not a tough choice, as this course,

So now that one part of the journey is over, it is time to look forward to the future – it is up to us to take hold of the extra independence, the new-found confidence and the renewed ability to believe in ourselves. An exciting chapter of our lives is about to begin – and the story is in our hands...

Ritam Mitra finished his HSC at the Sydney Boys High School with an ATAR of 95.7. Having played state level volleyball, his ATAR effectively became 99.7. He has gained entrance into UNSW under the Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme. He will work towards a Bachelors’ degree in Commerce/ Law.

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Racist radio comment

I am writing to inform you of a nasty bit of radio work on Power FM on January 4. I think they deserve to be held to account for their “entertainment”.

Below is the email I sent them immediately and I urge you to complain also, to them and to broadcast authorities. I am an ordinary Anglo Aussie, but I see the racism in the more ignorant sections of my society and it makes me angry.

Dear Power FM,

I want to complain in the strongest terms possible about a sickening attempt at humour by your male breakfast presenter on Power FM in Ballarat at about 8:50 am on January 4, 2010.

Referencing the fatal stabbing of an Indian student in Footscray your presenter said, “It’s not racist because EVERYBODY in Footscray gets stabbed!” (Ha, ha, it was said as a joke!)

I am sure the man’s friends and family would find that comment hilarious.

I don’t see humour potential in the tragic murder of a reportedly, good and decent man on his way to work. I waited for the presenter to apologise after the break, perhaps it was a mistaken attempt at humour that he thought better of after a minute or two. Or perhaps his producer would see it and correct the blunder. But no, it seems that brain cells are few and far between at Power FM.

I will be lodging a formal complaint with the Broadcast Authority and your main sponsor. I hope your sponsor Booth and Lee can appreciate how their name will be associated with such a low and callous variety of humour, but I doubt it.

Steve Rhodes Ballarat, VIC

Pathetic justice

I have been campaigning for more police presence now for five years, to no avail. The Police Association has a large petition circulating for more police and so far we have over 60,000 signatures, and are aiming for 70,000.

The law and order situation in this state is pathetic. It is not only Indians being assaulted; two of my friends have had sons bashed - one of them twice! We have had many people murdered on our streets and the justice handed out when these people ever get caught is pathetic. You can kill someone, get a sentence of a couple of years, then get out and do it again.

We need stronger sentencing and longer sentences. Many of the offenders come to this country from overseas, but it is not politically correct to say this. I want to see these offenders deported, instead of sitting in our motel-style prison while we residents pay for their keep. I feel very angry about Mr Garg death and pray that the killer is