Here's a few things I wish someone had told me before beginning Year 12:
Year 12 is significantly more difficult than Year 11
I'm sure this varies from person to person, but having already completed 2 3/4 subjects in Year 11, I thought Year 12 would simply be more of the same. Turns out, doing 5 3/4 subjects concurrently is no easy feat, and requires good time management and study habits. This was a bit of a shock to me at the start of the year and I quickly found myself overwhelmed, however had I known I think I would have adequately been able to revise my study techniques to suit a more hectic Year 12 schedule.
Don't just study hard, study smart
I know this gets thrown around a lot, but I think it is really important advice. In Year 11, I studied really hard, but it wasn't exactly smart study. Although I was constantly studying for my 3/4 subjects, I wasted a lot of energy on things that weren't directly improving my marks, such as continually covering content I already knew back to front, and wasting my time doing rubbish company practice exams. In Year 12, you don't have time to do everything, so you have to prioritise; figure out which things will have the greatest positive impacts on your marks, and go from there.
Make sure each and every practice exam you complete has a purpose
This I guess is an important example of the above point. Completing practice exams without thoroughly understanding what you did well and what you did not significantly undermines there value. I found the best way to ensure I was always learning from each exam was to keep a little document for each subject, where I would record my mark, what I did well, what questions I got wrong and had trouble with, and what I could do to ensure I didn't run into similar difficulties in the future. That way, I knew each and every exam what I needed to focus on, and was actively aware of my past mistakes to minimise my chance of making the same mistake twice.
Value the effort, not the outcome
Year 12 is a stressful year, made more stressful worrying about marks and such. Whilst easier said than done, I found that when I did this at the end of the year, it greatly reduced my stress and made me feel more content. Instead of setting only result driven goals, consider setting effort goals, such as 'I will spend the next two days mastering X concept to the best of my ability.' When I began to work towards focusing on my own efforts, instead of my ranking relative to others, I felt significantly less stressed, and by the time exams came, I felt prepared knowing that I had worked hard throughout the year and had little to regret.
Have fun!
Undoubtedly the most important part of this list. Year 12 is an amazing experience if you want it to be; an incredible opportunity to form great relationships with both peers and students, and a unique chance to push yourself and learn more about you, your boundaries, and how you work best. Make sure you get ample rest and look after your mental, physical and emotional health, and make the year as enjoyable and productive as possible, not only on an academic front, but a personal front too.