Basically all of Year 12 would have finished your Trials by now, and are possibly left with a couple of small weighting exams and of course the HSC itself. With around 45 days left to go, before the first HSC Exam, I’m sure many of you are undecided about how to feel, whether to be feeling anxious, stressed, tired, rejuvenated, motivated etc.

However regardless of this, I’m sure over the next 45 days or so, all of you will be challenged at one point or another, so I’d like to provide you all with a couple of things to keep present in your mind, as they are what helped me push myself through this final stage.

When you enter that Exam room, your final results will already have been predetermined:

On the day not far from now, when you’re sitting at your exam table, about to commence your English Paper 1 exam, the truth is, your final HSC results will have already been determined based upon the amount of work you have put in over the last 45 days. In short you will get the marks that you deserve, and it is up to you to make sure, that these marks are the marks that you want.

So over these 45 days, keep in mind, every single past paper you do, every single mind map you draw up, every extra second you decide to put in your best effort, is directly translating to another mark come exam time!

Focus on your own goals:

It is very easy to become stressed if you constantly look at what other people are doing and compare yourself to them. Remember everyone has different goals and different ways of preparing to achieve them. The most effective thing that you can do, is stick with your own plan and trust in your preparation. Remember only you know what are the best methods for achieving your goals, and it is only through achieving your own personal goals that you can be truly satisfied.

Take each day by itself:

This last stretch of preparation can seem like it’s taking forever if you are constantly focused on the looming HSC exams. Waking up every morning and only focusing on doing your personal best for the day at hand, can really help lessen the build up of stress and will enable you to stay motivated because you are faced with just a single day of good studying, rather than the prospect of looking at all 45 days at once.

Remember how much you all have already accomplished, regardless of the results:

Everyone, regardless of how you went during Trials, keep in mind that you have actually already conquered the most difficult part of the HSC. You know you have the capability and determination to push through this last stretch and the HSC, so keep on going!

Finally, I just want to remind you all, that at the end of the day, the HSC is really just another obstacle in the entire scope of things. So study hard and do your best, but don’t forget the most important people in your life and keep them close, as their support will give you that extra bit of strength, when you feel like you can’t possibly go a step further.

Don’t give up! Give it everything you got! The summit of Mount HSC is already in sight!

Harrison Chen, Senior Coach