Now that Year 12 is behind you, you likely have had the chance to reflect on the experience. What insights did you gain about yourself?
Yesh Netrapalli: I gained the ability to dedicate myself purely to knowledge and efforts, rather than placing emphasis on results. By focusing solely on my efforts and the enjoyment I received from learning, I was able to disregard any intermediary setbacks or motivations, as the long-term goal of self-improvement was all that truly mattered. I learned that in the HSC, those who commit themselves to their passions and natural abilities are more likely to succeed than those who choose the “highest scaling” or “best” subjects solely for a high ATAR. Class of 2024
Kaavya Joshi: Year 12 was a rollercoaster ride! I’m sure it sounds clichéd but it’s true – there are many ups and downs that shape your HSC year. Above it all, it is the support of my family; my brother and my parents, that helped me persevere through all of the challenges I had to face. They were there to lift me up whenever I stumbled, and I owe so much to them. Upon reflecting, this year taught me a lot. It showed me that effort and sacrifice never fail to pay off, and that in the light of every achievement, there is always potential to achieve more. Achieving a 96.65 ATAR was a proud moment, reflecting both how far I’ve come and the potential I continue to strive for. Class of 2024
Ansh Ahuja: Plan well and work hard. Studying is very important but isn’t everything – at the end of the day all your ATAR is useful for is getting into whatever course you want. I also learned that you don’t have to win them all (that one chemistry assignment); you can lose but always figure out why you lost so you try to win next time.
Arya Wadhwani: If you put your mind to it and are passionate about what you study, you can accomplish anything. You’re at your best when you don’t follow others, and instead focus on your own goals. Even more than knowledge, resilience and motivation are the most important characteristics to take you through life. Class of 2024
What moments from 2024 do you remember most fondly?
Yesh: Year 12 Graduation, Year 12 Clapout/Farewell Assembly, receiving HSC results, the T20 World Cup and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Kaavya: There are many fond moments I can take out of 2024. The first day of Year 12 was a moment that was filled with potential, excitement and ambition. The thought of facing the final year of high school felt exhilarating – one last step before embarking on the rest of my life. The many long nights of study in preparation for my trials and HSC exams, though exhausting, also hold a special place in my heart. I remember my mama staying up with me, offering late-night coffee and quiet reassurance as I worked. Regular visits from my elder brother, my sister-in-law and my cheeky nephew throughout the many highs and lows of Year 12 were moments I looked forward to and will always cherish. Of course, graduating was the crowning memory, perhaps only rivalled by the joy of jumping up and down when I heard about Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari or watching LeBron James take the court with his son for the first time! Class of 2024
Ansh: Aside from graduating, completing the English HSC and realising that I would never have to look for metaphors in texts ever again.
Arya: Spending time with friends, family and those who are most close to me. Year 12 camp, extracurricular activities, the slight relief from the end of exam blocks, variety night at school and of course the end of HSC exams as well as graduation. Outside of school, taking time out to enjoy life – watching India win the T20 World Cup at 5am; going to watch Arijit Singh live in Sydney just before my trial exams.
What is one change you’d make to your state’s ATAR system?
Yesh: One change I would make is to adjust the percentiles so they do not include those who enrol in Year 12 but do not finish it. For example, under the current system, someone with a 99.6 ATAR would only be in the top 0.7%, rather than the top 0.4% as it is meant to indicate. This discrepancy arises because the system includes individuals who do not complete Year 12 in its calculations. Class of 2024
Kaavya: If I could change one thing, I’d introduce a “running ATAR,” kind of like how the GPA system works in the U.S. With this, students could see their ATAR progress after every assessment task, giving them a real-time idea of where they stand.
Ansh: ATAR scores take a while to come out and there is too much anxiety (often more among parents than students). ATAR should be made available much closer to the HSC exams with minimal wait.
Arya: Making it less English centric, as the subject doesn’t really cater to everyone’s strengths. Me and a lot of my peers would have performed much better if English wasn’t a mandatory subject, or at least if it wasn’t guaranteed to be included in the ATAR calculation.
How did you use social media like TikTok and Instagram? Did you ever see any education or study-based content?
Yesh: Did not use social media like TikTok or Instagram, only YouTube, where I consumed both educational and varied content.
Kaavya: Didn’t use much social media. Mostly it was WhatsApp or SMS to stay in contact with friends. One thing I did use was a study-social app to log my study hours. It was good fun competing with friends to see who could study the most over the weeks, and it served as great motivation. Although the occasional wagers for canteen chips did add a healthy dose of pressure to the mix. Class of 2024
Ansh: I only used social media to connect with friends, which kept me sane even through the extended periods of staying at home and studying. But otherwise, I recognised a while ago that random scrolling through social pages wasn’t going to help my attention span or my results, so I stayed as far as I could. I assume there is limited study-based content available on social media, but it is too easy to get distracted and lose focus.
Arya: I tried to limit how much I used these platforms, especially in the leadup to exams, but obviously it’s difficult to avoid the addictive nature of them. There was occasionally some educational content for various subjects, which I never really used (although it acted as a good way to remind me to study again).
What extra-curricular activities or hobbies helped you through the past two years?
Yesh: Weekly PRAJNA classes (conducted by the JET Australia Foundation, a charity organisation) were one of the most helpful activities for me during the past two years, as they provided valuable life management strategies from the Bhagavad Gita. These teachings helped me stay focused on my studies and perform my duties as a student while remaining calm and composed, without stressing about the results. Additionally, playing table tennis offered a much-needed distraction from studies and other responsibilities, serving as an enjoyable way to relieve stress. Class of 2024
Kaavya: Training with my friends for our school’s basketball matches in the early hours of the day or sneaking in the occasional basketball/tennis session with my brother over these past two years have been some of my favourite activities. Following the NBA and F1 were also great avenues for having a break from studying (although watching the Lakers stumble their way through the season was more frustrating than fun). Outside of sports, go-karting was one of my favourite pastimes. It was the main activity I looked forward to during my term-breaks! I also enjoyed playing with my 4-year-old nephew, teaching him many things and also learning a few things myself. Spending time with my nephew was the part of the day I most looked forward to!
Ansh: I kept myself busy learning the basics of a bunch of my hobbies: Rubik’s cubes, yo-yos, toy butterfly knives and most recently, a finger skateboard. Aside from these, playing sports like cricket and tennis with friends were a great break from studies, and I would sometimes watch The Kapil Sharma Show with my family (my parents’ favourite).
Arya: I’m really passionate about sport – AFL, NRL, football, cricket. While I wasn’t able to play these as much as I would have liked over the last two years, I made a point of taking time out of my routine to tune into games wherever possible. Besides this, a lot of the pre-graduation activities with friends were a really good way to distract myself, such as the Year 12 picnic day. Also a few comfort shows – Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, The Office.
What would your advice to future final year students be?
Yesh:
- Focus on how you study and understand the concepts themselves rather than their outcomes.
- Detach yourself from your results; only use them (if at all) to motivate self-improvement. For example, instead of thinking about achieving a 99 ATAR, focus on your learning first so you can answer any question properly. This approach will remove any stress and attachment you have while still giving the same results.
- Your only comparison should be with yourself – whether it’s from last week, last month, or any time in the past.
- Make time for friends, family, and hobbies.
Kaavya: Enjoy the ride and embrace the challenges! Hard work always pays off, so develop a passion for your subjects and make the most of your final year. Don’t forget to build lasting memories with your friends while you’re at it!
Ansh: Leaving your study to the last minute will hurt your results. Know the content well in advance and use the time leading up to exams to revise and do practice papers. Don’t ever let panic set in during tests, stay composed. Also, make sure to spend time on extracurriculars you enjoy – refresh your mind regularly, plus these activities will your future resume. Class of 2024
Arya: Do the subjects you will enjoy, because those are the ones you’ll be motivated to study and ultimately do the best in. Having not chosen any sciences and going in with 3 social science subjects (Economics, Business Studies, and Legal Studies), I was uncertain about my choices at first, especially as this was a really uncommon selection. But as it turned out, those three ended up being my best subjects, and studying them was also much more tolerable than potentially doing alternatives in search of “better scaling”. So I would definitely urge everyone to ask yourself what you’re actually passionate about before choosing your Year 12 courses, not just following friends or good scaling.
Also, study a language, especially as an accelerated course! I completed the Hindi Continuers course in 2022, and ended up doing really well. Not only did this take a lot of stress off me in Year 12, it also ended up counting as part of my best 10 units over maths advanced. Don’t get caught up in rumours about bad scaling – every subject will benefit your ATAR if you do well in it.
Aside from that, make sure to enjoy Year 12 – no one remembers your ATAR in a few years, the memories and time spent with friends will be with you for the rest of your life.
Favourite quote from a teacher?
Yesh: “You never stop improving until you put your pen down in the HSC exam.”
Kaavya: “Diamonds are made under pressure”. While it may not be the most original quote, it was one that stuck with me throughout my senior year of high school. I recall asking my Physics teacher how I went for my Depth Study assessment task the day before results came out. He asked me whether I was under some sort of pressure when I had completed the task. Naturally this response was quite worrying. He then followed up his comment by saying that “I guess you must have. You know, diamonds are made under pressure.” That assessment task ended up being one of my best performing tasks for Physics!
Ansh: “Follow your passion – pursue what makes you happy and fulfilled. Life is too short to settle for anything less.”
Arya: Do the subjects you will enjoy, because those are the ones you’ll be motivated to study Year 12 is like driving a boat – we can only help you point yourselves in the right direction, but your success depends on how much effort you’re willing to put in yourself.
What was on your Year 12 jersey?
Kaavya: “KaavyaPrimus”. The name on my Year 12 jersey was one that was given to me over 10 years ago. As kids we would spend our Saturday mornings sitting next to each other watching TV shows. I had a particular interest in a show called Transformers Prime. My brother started to call me KaavyaPrimus, and it stuck with me all the way to Year 12!
Ansh: Tragically, my school didn’t let us put our nicknames, so it was just my last name with the school logo. Class of 2024
Arya: Arya ready?
What are you most looking forward to in 2025?
Yesh: The freedom of university and studying what I’m passionate about.
Kaavya: 2025 is a year full of possibilities and potential. I am most looking forward to entering university next year and taking the first few steps towards my future career! However, before that I am faced with the tough decision of choosing where I want to study next year. There are so many interesting degrees out there, and the path I will eventually take is one that will have massive implications on my life. Hence, as I await second-round offers and the results of a few different scholarships, I’m still weighing up my options. However, I do have a strong inclination for Space Engineering at USYD. So, there are big decisions ahead of me, but I welcome the challenge, and I am excited to see what the future has in store for me!
Ansh: Uni life, meeting new people, developing new skills (and GTA VI).
Arya: Trying a lot of new things, studying subjects I’m interested in at university, and stepping out into the ‘real world’. Above all, spending time with friends and family, making lots of unforgettable memories. Class of 2024
READ MORE: We know by Year 11 what mark a student will get: Do we still need a stressful exam?
