As one of more than 200, 000 Australian students who have just started Year 12, you are embarking on the same journey as the students who formed part of a 12 year research study of the Year 12 experience and the factors which lead to student success in Year 12 and beyond. No doubt, you are probably experiencing similar feelings to those students.
The students in the study, like you, come from different cultural heritage, socio economic backgrounds and family units. They attend different types of schools in both urban and rural settings across Australia – private, public, K-12, senior high schools, single sex and coeducational, and university senior colleges. Each has a goal they are driven to attain. Some hold down part jobs whilst others maintain sporting commitments. Some are in romantic relationships whilst others are not.
These students all have one thing in common; they want to succeed.
However, like their peers, they have certain expectations of their Year 12 and experience a range of positive and negative emotions entering Year 12.
Here are some of the student responses received through my research. You might find yourself thinking like some of these students.
- Well, I felt that I was going to be challenged, but I was still pretty confident with my ability to be able to handle that challenge and step up even and I was really just continuing with my … just wanted to keep up my consistency and just not drop off because I’d been working hard all my life really. So …For that moment, yeah, I just didn’t want to drop off really. Really just … because I’d heard about other people that have, you know, they would start the year strong and then they would drop off and then I didn’t want to be one of those people. It would be good to just keep up the consistent level of work and I just thought … I wasn’t really thinking like, you know, in terms of like a score in the end. I just wanted to do the best that I could and then, you know, I wasn’t really too worried about doing badly. I just thought if I did the best that I could and I’d just be happy with that.
- It is my last year and I am so excited about what is to come. I can’t wait to do the work and have a good time.
- I have been with my friends throughout my schooling and I know they will support me and help me when they can.
- I am hopeful that it will be a good year and that I will do well.
- I felt really … I know it sounds really bad but I don’t know how to describe it ‘cause it’s kind of like you’re top the top of the school. You’re like.. Yeah I was and I felt really proud to be in Year 12, liked doing it and…Yeah, we were treated a lot differently and especially at [name of school], because of the other campus, the other end part campus, which is the Year 12 campus. its really weird, it just that mentality when you’re in Year 12 that you’re just the top.
- I was nervous because i knew it was the end of school. A new stage of my life. And also I knew that university was coming next, sort of thing. So there was always that. The future.
- I felt fairly apprehensive because a lot of people had said to me it was a lot like Year 11 but just bigger. So there was going to be more stuff. It was going to be at a similar level though. The level of difficulty wasn’t going to be up that much but there was just going to be more of it. So I was a bit wary of that and my ability to take on a lot of things and do them well.
- Well, I expected it to be fairly difficult. I guess I had that pre-conceived idea. I expected an enormous amount of pressure, and I could just imagine myself being stuck under a pile of books for the rest of the year. I was really, really worried to say the least, but I was very excited at the same time, and honestly, I’d have to say a little emotional. I remember, you know, being in my first home group and just looking around and thinking, no, this is my last first day of school, ever. You know, that was quite a big thing. So I was excited, but terrified of not getting a great ATAR score. I think the letters ATAR were just embedded in my mind. I was pretty much obsessed with getting a good ATAR. That was huge for me.
- I am concerned about the amount of work and the degree of difficulty. Can I do the work, can I reach the standard, can I actually do it? Will I push myself enough?
- It was stressful in that I was putting such an emphasis on the ATAR. I was just pushing myself—get a good ATAR, get a good ATAR, because in our house, you go to Uni.
- Going into Year 12? Excited one. Surprising as that might be. Nervous 2. Because I knew my ATAR was … I didn’t have to get something that was ridiculously high but I wanted to get something good. That I would be proud of. 3 … I guess. I don’t know. … Basically excited and nervous at the same time.Yah. Because i knew it was the end of school. A new stage of my life. And also I knew that university was coming next, sort of thing. So there was always that. The anticipation of the future.
- The fear was about the amount of work I’d have and the degree of difficulty that it would be and just ‘cause I can be very lazy at times, I was scared that I wouldn’t do like things, that I wouldn’t push myself enough. That’s what I was really worried about and I was .worried about the end result, whether I would get what I wanted and I was just really excited to start … like obviously I like the social life like I was talking about and I was really excited to actually get into study mode and I really like learning things so I was really excited to start learning things because Year 12 you pretty much choose the subjects that you really want to learn and I was really excited to start learning the stuff about my subjects.
Do your relate to any, some or many of these feelings? Do you feel apprehensive and nervous of the unknown and what might come whilst at the same time look forward to the journey? Do you feel confident that you will do well if you continue with the study habits that have stood you in good stead until now? Perhaps you feel excited by the fact that you are at the end of your school life and yet only on the brink of the beginning of something entirely new? Maybe you are one of those who thinks about the “What Ifs” but has the resilience to know that they can get through given the support that is available.
Keep in mind that ALL of these students have got through. So, what is it YOU can do to get through too?
You may wish to refer to Cracking the Code to Academic Success in Senior Secondary and Beyond for the success strategies and principles used by these top performing students to succeed and achieve.