Coming To Terms With The End

Sorry For The Pun

D. H. Kang

HOW FAST TIME FLIES. Many of the boys in Year 12 have no more or one exam left this Term. After that, it’s Term 3 – which can basically be summed up with the word “Trials.” Trial prep, the exam, and then the readjustment and final launch into the HSC. And after that, well…the unknown?

I apologise if I’m being cliche, but for me, the last couple years have been a blur – perhaps owing to the fact they were on the tail-end of COVID. As I’m writing this article, I struggle to come up with a worthwhile number of significant events for close to 6 years of high school life. I really have no clue how my brain functioned in Years 7 or 8.

I’m sure any boy in the younger years reading this must think Year 12 is crazy scary – after all, that was the case for me too. A portion of your future rests on the hinges of your exams – what university you get into, what career, what kind of life. But caught up in the midst of it, my experience has been rather serene. Exams seem daunting from afar, but the closer you get, the more it just seems like another exam. 

I’m going to admit – a number of times, the question of “why?” has popped into my head while I’ve been studying. I’ve tried to find some reasons – whether it be for my future, my career or having “financial freedom.” But it all does seem kind of silly, for universities and other individuals to summarise your life up to the end of high school with just a number. Sometimes, the intangibles far outweigh how well you perform in exams. What kind of friend, son, brother, or boyfriend (I’m single by the way) are you to the people that matter most to you? What kind of values do you hold onto, whether they be religious or not? If you can’t answer the question of “why?” with a satisfying answer for yourself, like me, just “play the game”, as our favourite existential hero, Holden Caulfied likes to say. Down the line, I may or may not regret writing this paragraph for being cringe. 

My biggest lesson thus far has been to never assume that things will change just because you’re in Year 12, or you’re put into a position that has lots of pressure where you need to “clutch up” and “lock in.” If you act the same way, your results will be the same. Change in your results only stems from changes in your individual actions. The truth is rather harsh. There really is no magic. It isn’t the environment, but rather the individual actions you take that lead to results.  If you’re in the younger years, be patient about things. Whether it be sports, music, academics, or whatever you’re interested in and want to do well in. Believe in your work and yourself even if you don’t see any results or changes in the short term – if you’re failing badly, maybe consider switching up your strategy and tactics for training or studying, but don’t stop showing up. Consistency, even if it is just small steps and small improvements every day or week, surpasses spurts of motivation and then falling off. Improvement is a lifelong process, but trust me, even if you’re in Year 11 or Year 12 and you start being consistent with whatever you do, starting now, by the time you need to perform, everything will work out. Have fun, and enjoy the ride.