It’s halfway through your HSC year, and in no time you’ll need to start planning for the future. Why not use that to help motivate you throughout the year?. It might not feel like it now, but Year 12 will be over in a flash.
Done.
You’ll have finished High School, dealt with the HSC, received some mark that will have little impact on the rest of your life, and never look back (unless you’re like me, and can’t quite seem to escape the HSC altogether).
That being said, there is still a way to go. Trials, the actual HSC exams, night after night of study. It isn’t going to be fun. In my opinion, having a specific and clear light at the end of this horror-ride is the number one way to stay motivated, and these holidays is the perfect time to start researching and deciding what that light could be.
I’m going to talk about two potential lights; one seems pretty obvious, the other somewhat less so. First, I’ll talk about to possibility of planning some sort of post-HSC trip. Whether you want to go on Schoolies, a road trip with friends, or a Europe-wide extravaganza, is totally up to you. Then, I’ll talk about the next step. Tafe, Nida, University, an apprenticeship, whatever you think you might want to do in 2017/18, can really help keep you going throughout this year.
Travel
A bunch of friends and a travel plan is a beautiful way to stay motivated throughout the year. Planning my overseas trip in my spare time kept me going; mainly, it was looking at pictures of Portuguese coasts and researching the best restaurants in Venice. Having something in your future to be excited about really makes a difference. I was lucky enough to go on a trip to Europe with some friends (Photos below are all mine); we spent literally all of the money we had, got back to Australia completely broke, but it was completely worth it.
The Plan
If travelling is an option for you, start planning early. Talk to someone at STA, research Youth Hostels, and come up with a rough price range to work towards. We used to sit in a room with a whiteboard, trying to come up with a rough plan. Decide what kind of trip you want; do you want to be playing everything by ear, or follow a spreadsheet?
The Location
A trip could be driving down to Melbourne for a week, or camping in Kiama. It could be volunteering in Cambodia, or cruising around the Caribbean. Having something planned, and having something to plan for, takes the focus off the HSC and onto the great parts of life (ie. not study).
The Preparation
If you’re planning a big trip, timing is everything. The earlier you book flights, the cheaper it will be, which makes these holidays the perfect time to start planning! Start a Facebook conversation, mention it to your close friends, and spearhead the initiative. Too many trips fall through because nobody is decisive enough.
The People
Don’t forget that, when you go on a long trip with a group of people, you’ll be spending a lot of time with them. If you think that after a few days you’ll start tearing each other to shreds, that probably isn’t the right group to go with. You want people who you’re really close with, but who are also independent enough for everyone to get some down time. Tensions will rise and fights will happen; you need to be mature enough to resolve them quickly, or else someone could end up abandoned in a Moroccan market, never to be heard from again.
The Reminder
Use the trip to keep you going throughout the HSC. Send photos to each other of places you’re planning to visit, or food you’re planning to eat. Start preparing now, while you have time, and while you don’t have too much on your plate. You’ll thank me later.
The Next Step
Whilst it might not seem like it, planning for the future can really help get you through the HSC. Whilst you have time these holidays, why not start thinking more about the next few steps, and even doing some research yourself?
Whether you want to get an apprenticeship at Glass or do a Business degree at UTS, its important that you do your research so you can make an educated decision about your future. There are so many resources online; if you want to enter an institution, there will always be student handbooks you can access.
Talk to students who have followed similar paths, and see whether you think you will really like it or not. See if you know anybody who can give you a taste of what next year might really be like.
This sort of research might not seem the most fun thing to be doing in your holidays, but once you have a better idea of why you’re putting all of the work in to get a mark at the end of the year, everything becomes a lot more manageable. If you’re aiming for a specific ATAR, or training to become proficient in a skill to a specific level, life seems easier. By being goal-oriented, as opposed to just aimlessly studying in the hope that some day it will pay off, you will be more likely to have a good year, and less likely to feel overwhelmed.
We’ll release more guides with specific information regarding university research and information in the future, however for now I would definitely recommend sending some feelers out. The longer you think about an idea, the more well thought-through your conclusion will be!
Do you have any other ideas about what your light at the end of the tunnel will be? Feel free to comment on this post with suggestions; maybe you’ll help out a few fellow students in staying motivated throughout the year?
