What I Wish I Knew Last Year
This time last year I was midway through my final year of high school and had also just finished one of my first university subjects. Since there’s a few of you in similar positions I’m going to give you a heads up on what you can expect in the coming months.
For the grade 12s finishing this year, term 3 will be one of the most stressful times of your life. It’s a longer term, but the amount of assessment you need to do is going to really hit you hard if you don’t stay organised. The first few weeks of this term will lull you into a false sense of security, but make no mistake; by week four or five you should be on top of everything due in week six. The best advice I have for you is keep your parents updated, they will keep you accountable and give you a slight push when you need it. My second bit of advice is write up all the due dates for assignments as soon as you get your task sheets.
After term 3, term 4 will feel like a little bit of a joke. It’s a very short term, and people will try and tell you that the marks you get in term 4 don’t count towards your OP. It does. When term 4 comes around just keep doing what you’ve been doing all year. Don’t be lazy, because the people that do the work will beat you. As an example, I was ranked second in one of my classes with rank 1 being ahead all year. In term 4 he slacked off slightly when I didn’t and that was the difference between being rank 1 and staying in rank 2. So do not slack off and you could go up a few ranks which can make a difference to your OP.
The final thing I wished I knew last year is that graduating high school changes a lot of things. There’s the positive things like more independence, studying or doing what you’re passionate about, travelling and all the 18th birthday parties. Unfortunately, the negative side of this is that friends drift apart, you spend a lot more money, and you might feel like you don’t know what you’re doing with your life. And that’s okay, because 90% of the time every one else is winging it anyway.
