Staying motivated during Year 12 can be a real challenge. There are a ton of highs and lows, and you’ve also got to think about the future and what you want to do.
So we’ve had a chat with Pathfinder alumni Azhar, to find out how she balanced her studies with distractions at home, how she prepared for the UCAT and how she ended up scoring two early entry offers.
Let’s get straight into it!
Azhar’s Challenges Starting Year 12
Azhar’s Year 12 Study and Motivation Tips
What Year 12 Strategies Azhar Learnt from Her Mentor
What Azhar Learned From the Pathfinder Program
Why Azhar Decided to Apply for Early Entry
How the Pathfinder Program Helped Azhar Apply For Early Entry
Azhar’s Rapid Fire Answers on the Pathfinder Program
Azhar’s Challenges Starting Year 12
Azhar had been working pretty hard throughout all of Year 11. She took four content-heavy Year 12 subjects — English Advanced, Biology, Legal Studies and Studies of Religion in Year 12, as well as Maths Advanced.
By the time she got to the start of Year 12, she wasn’t feeling ready to take on all the challenges.
“I exhausted myself out, and you just want to sit down and do nothing,” Azhar recalls.
Azhar ended up receiving two early entry offers from Macquarie University: one for Psychology and Cognitive sciences, as well as one for Law and Psychology (Honours).
So, how did Azhar manage to receive two early entry offers and walk out of HSC with an ATAR of 89?
How Azhar Got Back On Track in Year 12
Initially, Azhar was set on opening up her own dental clinic one day.
However, after sitting the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test), she realised she needed to look at other possible degrees as a back-up and at one point realised, dentistry wasn’t actually for her.
Instead, Azhar found that Psychology was her calling. “I love helping people, so definitely something like Medicine or Humanitarian sciences. So Psychology was a good mix of both Science and Social sciences,” she tells us.
A key factor to finding her feet in Year 12 was the support from her mentor Sarah and her parents to help her find that motivation again.
Firstly, Azhar learned to implement the strategy of breaking down big and overwhelming tasks into smaller steps.
“When you have a big task, you look at it like ‘I don’t want it, please take it away from me’. And, so, I told Sarah about this problem,” she explains, “She would actually go through how to actually break it down…so that way I am motivated to do them.”
Sarah also recommended making a vision board with all her goals and dreams. This proved to be a great motivator!
“That was amazing because I’m the type of person who learns through visuals, so when I see something aesthetically nice, I want to get to it. So that’s something that really helped me out with motivation,” Azhar says.
Outside of her mentor, Azhar’s support sysem was phenonmenal. “My parents would encourage me to do the things that I’m good at, and in that way, remind me why I should do what I want to do,” she says.
Azhar’s dad helped her think about different perspectives on things, while her mum motivated her to study when she didn’t want to.
How Azhar Balanced Responsibilities Between Study and Family
Azhar comes from a big family who foster two boys with autism.
Like any big family, it can be quite a challenge to study at home because there’s always a lot happening. She also had to help her mum with various things because English is her second language.
“Being the oldest child, you know, making phone calls on her behalf, taking them [the boys] to like speech therapy, all these other therapies that they needed for the growth and development,” she says.
So, how did she stay laser-focused? By finding the right study space!
Following that strategy, Azhar did most of her study at school, instead of being amongst the distractions at home.
“I know this might sound like it’s such a pain, like at school, I want to hang out with my friends… But I feel like if you really have a lot of responsibilities at home, use that lunchtime, use that free study period, to actually get your work done,” she explains.
“If you finish school early, you can go to the local library,” she recommends.
Applying for the EAS Program
Azhar appreciates how much her family helped her out during Year 12. Now, this isn’t the case for every Year student and it’s important to recognise how your situation might affect your study.
“If your family cannot for whatever reason, you can always apply for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) program, which got me into the course that I wanted, even though I didn’t get the ATAR I needed,” she says.
Note: The EAS program extends to any other kind of commitments you juggle with your studies — whether it’s sport, music, drama, leadership or family commitments.
Azhar’s Year 12 Study and Motivation Tips
How Azhar Made the Most of a Free Period
Azhar had five 45-minute free periods a week — that’s an extra 3 hours and 45 minutes when she could really smash out her study!
“I do five subjects, so that was perfect to kind of divide, one subject per free period,” she says. During Trials, Azhar even got a few more free periods, sometimes two a day.
Making the most of a period comes from marking out your priorities. This would change throughout the year, depending on what was coming up.
At the start of the year, Azhar would write out her study notes.
Towards the end of the year, it was more about doing practice questions and essays. During her free periods, she was “looking at the syllabus point, taking out the key terms and making my own question, using books that have HSC questions, and then answering it from there.”
How Azhart Dealt with Distractions During Study
For Azhar, her motivation boosted when she viewed her study and commitments like a work shift.
This approach ended up providing Azhar with a lot of structure. To really up the ante, she suggests going to the library to get some good-quality study done — or anywhere that’s really quiet so you can concentrate.
If going to the library isn’t possible, stay flexible! She recommends “making your parents understand how important your HSC is and, in that way, there’s like shifts at home”.
“So, for example, from five to six, I will do the babysitting or the helping and then from you six to whatever time I will study and tell my family look, I have to study, if they’re downstairs, go upstairs, if they’re upstairs, go downstairs kind of thing,” she explains.
How Azhar Developed Her Leadership Skills For Uni Applications
For Azhar, she really developed her leadership skills in her job as a supervisor.
We all want to develop our leadership skills, but there’s usually only a handful of leadership positions at school.
If you don’t have a school leadership positions, look outside of the box! Here are some great options:
- Find a casual job
- Volunteer
- Start a club or organise an event!
Tip: To start a club or event, pitch an issue to your school about something you’re passionate about!
“As as soon as I turned 14, and nine months, I applied for a job and then got jobs from there and then eventually, I got a leadership position at the restaurant,” she tells us.
She also mentions that the Duke of Edinburgh program is another way to develop leadership skills — not only is it a fun experience, it also looks great on the resume!
How Azhar Balanced HSC trials with UCAT
You’re probably thinking that HSC Trials and UCAT don’t belong in a sentence together. It sounds a bit like something out of a nightmare!
Unfortunately, the UCAT tends to be very close to HSC trials. This means if you’re taking the UCAT, you really need to be on top of everything early!
Azhar’s advice: start studying for UCAT early on in Year 11
It doesn’t have to be “intense studying”, Azhar says. But, “once a month or twice a month do a quick practice exam because it does get overwhelming while you’re studying for trials,” she recommends.
During Year 12, Azhar did a UCAT practice exam every Tuesday and Friday, and then studied for trials and the HSC on the other days.
What Year 12 Strategies Azhar Learnt from Her Mentor
Something that Azhar learnt from Sarah that really helped her was breaking down big assignments. It’s all about making an overwhelming goal feel achievable.
“I love this strategy. It’s my favourite…I even have it pictured in my head, the screenshot she gave me it was like, you have a history assignment and then there’s like what you have to do to complete the history assignment, and they’re like, mini tasks,” she explains.
Best Part about Working With a Mentor
Azhar struggled to answer this question: “That’s a hard one. Everything because not only was she like a mentor to me, but she was also my friend”.
Having a mentor boosted her life all around. Of course, Sarah gave her study tips, but she also listened to her and was understanding when sessions had to be cut short because of the disruptions at home.
And, there was also another layer to this. Azhar is the first person to graduate from high school from her family in Australia.
“The fact that I never had anyone, older, a peer to kind of tell me you know what to do. [Having Sarah as a mentor] was really helpful for me because she really guided me throughout HSC,” she says.
Did Azhar Get Extra Work From Her Mentor?
Sometimes students feel like they are getting a whole heap of extra work to do when they start mentoring.
Well, if we’re being real, that’s true. But, it’s the exact amount of work that has be done to reach your goal,
“I did feel like it was added to my workload, but that’s only because I didn’t want to do any work, but that the workload was actually benefiting my study,” Azhar says.
With Sarah keeping her in check, it was like having an accountability buddy. She expected certain things to be done by a certain point, which made Azhar actually do it and hand it on time.
Plus, the extra work is obviously for your benefit. And it pays off!
Study Notes After the Pathfinder Program
“After the Pathfinder program, I actually started to use the syllabus dot points to write my notes,” she tells us, “So I would have the heading, inquire question, specific sort of dot point. And from there, I would write whatever is necessary and then keep going from there.”
This way of writing notes made it a lot easier to search for specific dot points on the computer.
Not only was it a lot more structured and organised way of writing notes, but it also just made studying easier.
Mentoring Support for Post-Year 12 Life
Azhar’s mentor, Sarah, really helped her think about what she wanted to do after school and what she could do to get there.
Like a lot of Year 12 students, Azhar felt like she had no idea exactly what she wanted to do. Thinking about what’s next after school is a daunting question!
In Azhar’s case, she was torn between choosing two potential professions.
“One of the tips [Sarah] gave me was to actually call a dentist or a psychologist, and take as many questions from them and see how their experiences are with the job they’re doing,” she says.
And that’s exactly what she did.
“That was really cool. Not only is it good for you to know about your future self, it’s also a good working networking technique because you’re getting to know people… maybe you can even get an internship with them or something,” she says.
What Azhar Learned From the Pathfinder Program
“It’s so important to take care of your physical and mental health during your HSC,” Azhar says.
You shouldn’t skip exercising because it helps keep your mind clear to be able to study effectively. So, consider working out as essential part of your study routine.
The other important thing Azhar learned to help manage stress: don’t talk with your friends just before the exam about what questions you did and didn’t answer.
Although it sounds counterproductive, not participating in the pre-exam morning chat made Azhar calmer when entering the exam!
“I used to do it all the time and when Sarah told me not to…I realized that they were actually really stressful.” she explained.
Why Azhar Decided to Apply for Early Entry
During the Pathfinder Program, she was encouraged to apply for early entry applications.
Like a lot of Year 12 students, Azhar didn’t think it was necessary to apply until she learned about all the benefits of early entry!
“I was very thankful for that. I feel like that’s one of the highlights of the Pathfinder program,” she says.
With the help of the Pathfinder program, Azhar ended up getting two early entry offers.
“It did take out a lot of stress. It made me really happy, and at the same time simultaneously, and very ironically, it did motivate me because it made me feel like…I’m not going downhill, after all, I got a chance,” Azhar recalls.
How the Pathfinder Program Helped Azhar Apply For Early Entry
When Azhar sat down to apply for the Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme, she didn’t think she had any leadership qualities.
“At first, I was confused…I’m just the supervisor and whatnot,” she says.
“As we discussed with the mentors within the intensive, I realized that I have actually done a couple of things. That was really helpful because, without the input, or the advice from you guys, I would have not known what I’m so great at,” Azhar tells us.
Azhar is also thankful of her mentor Sarah’s help in the process, who helped Azhar select which activities to write about in her application and editted her application before she sent it off!
Azhar’s Advice for Students Applying For Early Entry
“You might not know how great you are, so there are many things that you’ve done, that you’re just not aware of,” Azhar says, “Brainstorm everything you’ve done and pick out the best ones, because this will sell you out pretty much,” she added.
It’s important to make sure you list your most impressive things first and write clearly. Universities really appreciate it because they receive so many applications!
Check out our guide to applying for early entry schemes here!
How the Pathfinder Career Intensives Boosted Azhar’s Confidence
Half the worries in post-Year 12 life are about your future career. This is where the resume, interview and networking intensives in the Pathfinders program come in.
Azhar has written plenty of resumes throughout her life, but the tips during the Pathfinder program taught how to actually write a good resume — something “you don’t find on Google”.
“Your resume is supposed to just highlight what you do…and then there’s a cover letter that kind of shows your personality,” she says, explaining a few basic concepts of resume-writing.
During the Pathfinder program, she also got to practice interviews and got feedback on how she did and what she could do to improve.
Something else she found motivating was the networking intensive. “After that intensive, I was so excited to go out there and meet new people, because I realised how important it was,” she said.
Azhar’s Rapid Fire Answers on the Pathfinder Program
Favourite Workshop?
For Azhar, the Pathfinder workshops just before HSC were her favourite.
“There were the actual tutors who came in and kind of answered our questions, that was really helpful,” she recalls.
She also found the ones on how to study effectively for each subject really helpful.
“The maths one really stood out for me because the tutor in there said a couple of good tips memorise the formulas because you don’t want to spend too much time looking in the formula sheet,” she says.
Which Year 12 Pathfinder Intensive Stood Out to Azhar?
The resume, interview and networking intensives stood out the most to Azhar.
“It was really effective because [the intensives focus on life] after HSC. HSC is just one year and the networking intensives are actually for your future and that is more effective in that sense,” she explains.
Favourite part of the Pathfinder Program?
“I didn’t have anyone to help me. So having a mentor, intensives, workshops and meeting new people —all of it was just amazing,” she tells us.
Would Azhar do anything different?
“I would definitely try to finish my notes as fast as I can. I know you’ve probably heard that 100 times,” she said.
And the other thing? She’d do more consistent work for every subject.
“Your HSC study is not what you do one month before the HSC, it’s actually what you build up throughout the year,” she says, “I actually did most of my study throughout the year. That’s what really gets you to a high ATAR more than the one month before HSC and how much you do there.”
Advice for Students Thinking About Pathfinder program
“Definitely do it,” Azhar says, “It’s really helpful, one thing it did for me as well was decreased my stress because I remember studying Year 12 seemed like the biggest deal.”
“After joining the Pathfinder program and seeing how chill it was, you know, HSC is just HSC, I realised, it really made me more calm, and made me more focused,” she adds.
Studying for Year 12 has never been easier!
We’ve covered a lot in this one!
Everything from how to balance UCAT and trials, how to study effectively when there are distractions at home and tips for applying for early entry — now it’s time for you to shine during the Year 12!
Check out more of our Year 11 and HSC resources here:
- How James Went From a Band 2 to a Band 6 in HSC Maths Advanced
- How Ashim Went from a 35% to 85% in HSC Advanced Maths
- How Ali Stepped Up His Study Game in Year 11
- How Kira Balanced Her Year 12 Major Works and Got a 95 ATAR
Looking to join the Pathfinder Program? Check out more info here!
Looking for some extra help with your studies?
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We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or the Hills! We can help you with our tutors in Bella Vista if you’re based in the Hills area.
To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor get in touch today!
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Tanna Nankivell is a Senior Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently in Germany completing a year of study for her double degree in Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Arts (International Studies). She has had articles published on Central News – the UTS Journalism Lab and wrote a feature piece for Time Out Sydney during her internship. Tanna has a love for travel and the great outdoors, you’ll either find her on the snowfields or in the ocean, teaching aqua aerobics or creating short films.
