Your child's Year 12 survival checklist

With the new school year upon us, Year 12 students are feeling mixed emotions. On one hand, there's the excitement of leaving school and heading out in the real world. On the other, students may be anxious about their options beyond Year 12 and how they'll perform in final assessments.

We offer some of our best tips to help your child ˜survive' Year 12 in one piece.

Stay organised

Being organised is always sound advice, but it's never more important than in the crucial senior secondary years. Some simple tips include keeping all study notes, worksheets and files in a single location, and creating study schedules to guide their revision time. It also helps if you can provide a quiet study space for your child, free from distractions like younger siblings.

Research post-school options

˜The earlier, the better' is the best mantra to follow. There's no reason why your child should have a course or institution choice set in stone just yet, but it does help to explore their options ahead of the September course preference deadline. While institution open days are typically held in August, they can speak to their career adviser, subject teachers and institution course advisers to begin exploring their options.

Investigate pathways

There is more than one path to your child's dream course, whether it's starting out in a lower-level course (such as a diploma if they were considering a bachelor degree) or seeking out a similar course at a lower-demand institution. It's a good idea to use a range of resources to determine the optimal pathway and chat with institutions directly. The Good Universities Guide is a great place to start.

Be realistic and keep things in perspective

A poor result doesn't mean the end of the world, so it's crucial that your child keeps things in perspective. Pathways, which we've just covered, mean that their dream course isn't out of reach due to an ATAR or OP lower than they expected. They should also think about why they are choosing a particular course or institution and whether it's for the right reasons. Is it because a course or field of work seems glamorous? Are they looking at job prospects too closely? It's not uncommon for students to pick prestigious fields (say, medicine or law) then realise their heart isn't in it once they've commenced classes, or worse: upon entering the workforce.

Don't be afraid to seek help

Having a good support system is important, particularly as stress levels rise during course application and final assessment periods. As well as support at home, they can reach out to teachers, their year-level coordinator and career adviser, and peers. Asking questions (about study options, subject matter or assessments) should be encouraged. Likewise, taking a break to have a quick chat (or vent!) can make all the difference after a stressful day.

Useful links:

• Five tips for parents of new Year 12s
• How to support your child through Year 12 exams