Hi!
2025 will be my 37th HSC group. I have learnt a few things over the years, so I thought I would share a couple of them here.
Have regular doctor’s checkups. Missed days of school will cause you stress. Start the year with a check up of your physical and mental health. Be proactive in both areas.
Know who to talk to at school, and out of school, about any concerns as they emerge. If you are unsure, talk to me and I can guide you as to who you need to talk to.
Work steadily, remembering the old saying, “a stich in time saves nine.” If there is something that you are unsure about, address it immediately.
Look after yourself. Year 12 can be hard for many reasons, but you are not responsible for other people’s hard stuff. Be kind, be supportive and get them to an adult. You are not dobbing – you are doing the right thing.
Establish good habits of eating, sleep, exercise and relaxation.
Be VERY aware that if your phone is in your room at night, your brain is alert to any notification and it does not completely relax. Take the opportunity in your life to get it out of your sleep space. Very soon you may have responsibilities whereby your phone must stay on – enjoy that fact that this is not now.
Do not message your friends in the middle of the night – that is just mean.
Set time limits. If you are sad, let yourself be sad for x minutes, then plan to do something about it – walk, run, gym, cook, clean, shower, etc.
Keep your room tidy! No, your parents did not pay me for this but missing ‘stuff’ takes time to find and causes stress, so avoid it.
Most importantly: use your words. Talk to people, particularly the people who feed and house you – it is a tough time for everyone – but flipside: it can be a great year of growing up and celebrating the adult that you are becoming.
You've got this!
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash