Cale Matthews, BTN Reporter: This is me in Year 12, a 16 year old kid that didn't know how to study or tuck my shirt in. So here are all the things I wish I knew when I was starting Year 12.
Person: I would say start strong, I think. I was a bit distracted at the start, and I didn't build up enough momentum I think, until the end.
Person: Just work hard and like know that you don't want to finish Year 12 with having regrets.
Person: Just look out for your friends, because it can be really hard year.
Person: I think, take it easy, because I burnt out really quick, I got to like term three and I was so over it.
Person: I promise you, if you chose good mates, they'll look after you and they'll help you get through what you're getting through.
I spent a lot of my time in Year 12, trying to work out how to study effectively. The truth is there are a lot of different methods and it's about finding what works for you.
Person: I would go over everything just like read through the notes and then I would do a study guide for the topic and then I'll do a topic practice test.
Person: Ensuring that you're starting your study early too. You got to start, you know, a few weeks before.
Person: I don't know I didn't do too well with my studying, I was very unorganised.
Person: Pomofocus, it's like 25 minute and then five minute off. It’s like an alarm system.
Person: We’ve, we’ve done that together that that pomofocus.
So what they're talking about is the Pomodoro Technique and studies have shown that this technique does actually work. Pick a task or a topic to focus on for 25 minutes, set a timer and work continuously for that 25 minutes. When your time is up, take a five to 10 minute break. Then repeat that process four times and take a longer half an hour to one hour break at the end.
Person: And we will all stress, we just like to put our stuff away. We get together in like our group and just like talk nonsense I don’t know. Just like not thinking about school for like half an hour.
It's important to find a balance between your study and your life. Listen to your body and make sure you take time to do the things you enjoy during Year 12. For me that was playing basketball and hanging out with my friends.
Person: School’s so like this this this this this, like everyone needs a break.
Person: Me and my friends have had so much fun Year 12, like we made sure to take like balance working and going out into the city, going for a skate around. Yeah, it's just making sure you keep a balance.
Remember, your teachers are there to help.
Teacher: Oh my goodness. Everyone look at Khy’s. They look so good!
Person: I reckon probably one of the most important things is to speak with your teachers, speak to your supervisors, your coordinators, often those are the people that want to see you succeed.
Person: Being from a girl school, there's lots of tears. So you know, there's always a teacher being cried to, but like actually use them, like they're really nice people. They like working with like teenagers and students like that's what they do.
Person: Making sure you have meetings with them, making sure you're checking up on your work, making sure everything's up to scratch and handing in drafts with them as well.
Person: They've been through what we've been through, obviously they're qualified, so you know, lean on them for advice because they would definitely have some.
When I started Year 12 I had no idea what I wanted to do after school and I'm not the only one that felt like this.
Do you know what you want to do?
Person: Ah no I don’t, I'm taking a year because I just, I need to figure it out. I got to think more. Like I really don't know where I'm gonna go.
Person: Well, I've just finished a four-year degree, um and I, at the moment I’m not planning on using it. So that’s not that helpful but um...
Studies have shown about one third of school leavers don't know what career suits them. While about 34 percent say they do subjects or activities with no real sense of purpose.
Person: Sometimes it just takes a while to come to you and you can't really rush into it. So I just think try everything and it will come to you.
Person: You're not meant to know exactly what you're going to do your whole life. You can have an idea of your interest and what you actually like and what you might want to go into as a field of industry but like, I have no idea and that's okay to not know.
Person: Most people I know like, a lot of older people don't even know what they want to do when they're in their 50s. Like it, it might take your whole life, it might take like a year or two but yeah, take your time and find what you're passionate about.