8 Things Taken for Granted in Year 12

Year 12 is a crazy time in every student’s life. From the stress of exams, the mix of impatience and anxiety to graduate, and the bubbling social scene of 18ths, formals, and grad ceremonies, it really is one big whirlwind that can pick you up and spit you out wondering what on earth just happened. 

There are times when you’ll want to run away and start a new life overseas and times when you’ll want to curl up in a ball and cry. But there are also once-in-a-lifetime experiences and opportunities that you’d be crazy to want to miss. Here are eight of them.

Freedom within responsibility

There’s no better feeling than being the big dogs at high school. Starting as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Year sevener and looking up to the Year 11 and 12s, it seemed like an age before you’d be the oldest and biggest on campus, yet here you are. There’s nobody to push you around or cut in front of you in the canteen line, and teachers start to treat you like an adult.

Seeing your friends every day

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there will be people in your graduating group that you’ll be stoked to see the back of once you graduate. But once you’re free, the friends you used to see day in and day out will suddenly be moving away, making new priorities, and forming new groups that you’re no longer a part of.

There’s no designated ‘lunch time’ once you leave school, and suddenly you find that catching up with your mates isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Having teachers who genuinely care

I don’t know if it's the exam stress, extra maturity, or added confidence that comes with being in Year 12 that makes your teachers seem to genuinely care about you. 

They’re willing to meet with you on a rainy Monday morning before class to discuss your essay, reply to your late-night emails, and show interest in your weekend plans. 

Sneaky celebrations

This is one that maybe isn’t taken for granted, but is definitely underrated. I’m not talking about formal ceremonies or picnic days; I’m talking about sneaking out to a gatho with your friends after exams or going to an 18th and (regrettably) having one too many drinks without your parents ever finding out. It’s these adrenaline-filled acts of rebellion that will define your teenage years - so enjoy it, and don’t be afraid to live a little. 

Productivity

I’m still blown away by how productive I was in Year 12. How did my former self manage before-school classes, a full day of schoolwork, and still have the energy to come home and study in the evening? Your brain works overtime in your final year of school, and the mountain of work that you’ll get through will shock you.

Formal celebrations

Year 12 is a formative year for many, as they start to get a taste for what a “proper” party is like. 18ths, formals, speech days, and, oh yeah, that little thing called Schoolies. The celebrations come hard and fast, but they’re a great time to make fond memories with your friends, classmates and family while you reflect on how far you’ve come. 

The end of an exam block

Studying for exams sucks. Note-taking and memorising essays is super draining, and the pressure that comes from a large chunk of your mark depending on your performance in a 2-hour paper can be palpable. But the relief you feel after coming out the other side of an exam block is beyond comparison. 

Even if your celebrations are limited to a simple Maccas run with your mate on his red P’s, the liberating feeling of having exams behind you makes anything feel like a party.

Schoolies

Ok, this one is definitely not taken for granted, but there’s nothing you’ll ever do in your life that quite compares to Schoolies. Going away for a week with no adults, surrounded by ecstatic teenagers celebrating the end of school is a special way to finish, no matter where you decide to go. The stories that come out of that week of madness will be circulating for years after (for better or worse), and whatever blurry memories you have will stick with you for an eternity. 

So even when you’re caught up in all of the stress, drama and excitement of Year 12, don’t forget to take a moment and soak it all in, because it’s an unforgettable time of your life you’ll never get to do again.

Written by Will McCredie