Top HSC Performers Share Their Hot Tips For Success

Thousands of school leavers who are hoping to study further will, today, receive their ATAR scores.

A handful of students who were thrilled with their HSC results (which came yesterday) spoke to the ABC about what strategies they used for success.

“Don’t burn yourself out—make sure you have time to yourself as well as your studies,” said Olivia Michaela. During crunch time she made sure to pursue her hobbies (dance) and catch up with friends. “Then I would go home, review what my plan of attack was for the next day, get my stuff organized and then go to school with a fresh mindset.”

Gregory Loukaitis thinks it’s important to “stay true to yourself” throughout the HSC. “Know what your passions are and what your interests are,” he told reporters. One tip he has to pass on is to go beyond the text book when you study. “Read articles, find cases, use multiple sources, and try and get as much knowledge as you can so it will set you apart from other students,” he recommended.

Other students, such as Charbel Elaro, believe it’s important to choose the subjects you genuinely enjoy. “If you’re hands-on kind of person choose things that are hands on,” said Charbel. “For me, that was art.”

Georgia Stillianesis recommended staying active and maintaining balance in your life. “You can’t always be studying 24/7 or you’ll burn out,” she advised.

Finally: Practice makes perfect.

“When exams are approaching, past papers are the best thing because that kind of allows you to fill the gaps in your knowledge that are missing for particular topic areas,” said Christopher Loukaitis. He studied roughly seven hours a day, but suggested it’s good to have breaks and to pace yourself.

If you’re in Year 11 going on Year 12, take advice from the people who've been and done it. Good luck!

Photo: iStock