How to handle year 12 workload

[lukem2017]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the process of transitioning into year 12 and I'm extremely anxious about next year. The subjects I'm undertaking next year are English, Legal Studies, Global Politics, Sociology and History Revolutions. I'm mostly nervous about Global Politics (despite it being by strongest year 11 subject) because I'm told that it has a very overwhelming work load and is very difficult to learn. I need tips on how to manage the workload for next year.

Have a lovely day 

[zhen]

I personally think that the key to managing a crazy workload is to work consistently and effectively every single day. VCE isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. You should aim to study for every subject relatively often. Studying consistently every single day is much better than doing large amounts of study in small periods of time, as in my opinion when you do 5 hours of study straight, the last few hours become really unproductive. Effective studying is definitely another important thing. Studying for 5 hours with facebook and other distractions on is much less effective than 3 hours of study without any distractions. Also, people learn differently, so you should try to find your best method of studying yourself. Personally I found copying down answers as this unusual but effective way of studying for me cause I would attempt to understand and learn from the answers I copied down. Also, try to find your most effective way of organising your time. Personally, I used an unusual mix of the pomodoro technique, a study timetable, a checklist and going to the library to force me to study. You should experiment on the holidays and find what works for you. There is no sure fire way that works for everyone, so I think you should just experiment yourself and find what works for you. 

[Vaike]

Hi everyone!

Hi there! Welcome to ATAR Notes!

Year 12 can certainly be a stressful year! Firstly, I know it may be difficult, but I suggest trying your hardest to just let school slip from your mind and relax for the next couple weeks and truly enjoy your break! You won't find too many opportunities to relax throughout the year, so it's really important that you refresh your mind now and get ready for next year.

I felt quite anxious too heading into year 12, however, looking back, although it was one of the most difficult challenges I have faced thus far, it was also really exciting and rewarding too. So try and transform those feelings of anxiety to excitement and anticipation of the learning to come. Having done so well in Global Politics in Year 11, if you put in the work into the Year 12 subject  I'm sure you''ll do great.

One of the most important things I found was necessary to get through the year was good time management. This involved not only managing time well between subjects, but also setting aside time to relax; your physical and emotional well being should be the priority, in spite of the large workload. If you are able to manage your time well and look after yourself, I think you'll find the workload is a lot easier to cope with than you might be anticipating.

However, if you are ever feeling overwhelmed or have any questions, be sure to post here! There are so many kind users here on AN that will always be able to lend a hand. Below is some more specific advice I posted in another thread; but I think it's relevant here too.

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.

[zofromuxo]

Plan, Plan, Plan and then Plan
-The best advice I can give you for managing workload is to have a clear plan with a purpose on why you have set it this way.
This guide can prove useful to you
-I like to think of my workload management as priorities and not managing my time. I feel that when "I didn't do x due to not having enough time" is more likely to be used as a cop-out compared to "I didn't do x due to it not being a priority."

Have a set purpose/goal/aim/mission/vision for the workload
-This helps you keep the motivation high and also the discipline into doing the work.
-You'll burn out and slack very quickly in the year, if you don't have a distinct & personal reason for each subject.
-These goals must be long-term and short-term.
Eg: Desired ATAR and/or SS for subjects=Long-Term. Learning a specific concept in a set time period=Short-Term

Maintain a healthy balance between your health and your studies
-Having a break and doing non-academic related things like chilling with friends, doing your hobbies can help improve productivity, boost motivation and also keep your sane throughout the year.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best for your VCE journey.