Advice for Year 12s

Advice for Year 12s

As you move to your completion of Year 12, we hope that you are balancing healthy lifestyle habits while maintaining the workload in your courses. This includes setting yourself up with a routine that allows you to balance the study and revision that you will need, along with the assessments you are yet to submit.

See the Year 12 Information Handbook Parts I and II for ideas and tips about wellness, balance and study.

Things to remember



It is important to manage your attention as well as your time. Whether you are finishing your course work or studying for the examinations, limit distractions and avoid trying to multi task when studying. Distractions and trying to do too much makes you less effective, more likely to make mistakes and more stressed.



Watch out for thinking traps and automatic negative thoughts, such as ‘I’m going to fail this examination’. Instead, ask yourself ‘is this thought true, am I being realistic, what is the evidence that this will or won’t happen?’



Sleep is essential. Don’t sacrifice sleep to study late into the night – the brain is like a computer and it needs sleep to upload and upgrade what you learnt.



Little actions can have big impacts. Take care of yourself through small wellbeing practices to boost your wellbeing reserves. You might practice meditation, be creative, connect with others, do something that brings you joy.



Exercise as a way to regulating mood and managing stress.



Getting caught up in negative conversations before an examination is unhelpful. Avoid conversations with your friends before you go into an examination regarding what you did or did not study; it is too late at that point anyway and all you will do is stress yourself out. Aim to enter the examination room in the calmest, most positive state that you can.


Remember that you are many things, have many strengths and no examination mark should define you or your worth as a human being.

Ideas for study breaks

Balancing your study with some rest and relaxation is important. It can be helpful to work study breaks into your schedule. This will mean that you can settle to work knowing that you have a break planned – and you can return to your study when your planned break is over.

  • Get some fresh air. Go for a walk or run, spend some time in the back garden, find a peaceful place to sit outside (at the foreshore or a nearby beach) or go for a cycle. Fresh air can do wonders in relieving stress!
  • Watch an uplifting movie or TV show.
  • Listen to some relaxing music, an audiobook or podcast.
  • Use a meditation app, such as Smiling Mind, Insight Timer, and ReachOut Breath.
  • Spend some time with a pet. Walk your dog, play with your cat, snuggle your guinea pig!
  • Cook up a new recipe or a tasty dish – and share it with people you love.
  • Get some exercise and fresh air.
  • Spend some time with your punching bag. Set up a boxing routine to relieve tension.
  • Grab a bite to eat with a friend – in a COVID-safe way.
  • Play an online game with a friend.
  • Have a relaxing bath or shower. Add some aromatic bath salts!

Additional support

You can also find further support at:

Emergency care

In an emergency, the following services are available:

  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Emergency Telehealth Service (Under 18 years – 24 hours – 7 days) 1800 048 636
  • Crisis Care (24 hours) 9223 1111
  • Crisis Care (Country free call) 1800 199 008
  • Kids Help Line 1800 551 800
  • Kids Help Line (Parents) 1800 654 432
  • Lifeline 13 11 14
  • Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL Metropolitan) 1300 555 788
  • Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL Peel) 1800 676 822
  • Rural Link 1800 552 002
  • QLife 1800 184 527.

Telephone 000 for emergencies.