Over the last couple of weeks, my posts have been directed at helping Year 12 students prepare for the HSC. This week will depart from this, in response to an email I received last week from a student who asked:

What about students who are just beginning Year 12?

This article is proof that I have not forgotten that the new Year 12 term has begun.

So, as a new Year 12 student, what should you be doing study wise? Is there a change in workload? Should you be changing your routine?

Well, this of course depends on your current habits! The following is designed to give you a bit of an idea to guide your own study:

First of all, the while the workload per se does not really change, everything this year counts! So, while in Year 11 you may have gotten away with doing less, you do not want to leave it to chance this Year. Now, that is not to say that the more time you study will in fact produce more results. See previous blog posts, and Secrets of HSC Success Revealed to find out why this is not the case.

The first step that students should be doing is building positive habits and routines. Year 12 is one of those years where there is plenty of time to complete the required workload, but if you don’t have a disciplined time table and routine; it will feel like you never have enough time!

So, my first suggestion, based on my research with top students is to sit down, and using a rule of thumb of 2-3 hours study per night, plan out when you are going to:

a) Complete Homework

b) Construct Notes (you really should begin this from the start, as it will save you time come assessments)

c) Write Practice Essays (again, if you begin now, by the time your assessments come, you will already have 20/20 essays prepared and ready to go)

Focus over the next 3-4 weeks in building this habit. It takes 28 days to build a habit, and from my research, success in Year 12 turns on habits – both positive and negative. Get this foundational principle correct now, and it will set you up for reaching your goal at the end of next year!

All the best to students currently sitting the HSC!

Rowan