Advice for Final Year Arts Students
As an arts student, I really struggled with my last few years of study. When you think about creating art compared to the demands of educational institutions it becomes quickly apparent why many very intelligent, super creative people don’t do well. For me, I was lucky my parents insisted I initially get a year 11 tutor and then a year 12 tutor for the harder subjects I was taking, I know this isn’t an easily available option for everyone so here’s some general advice for getting through your final schooling years
The final year of secondary school is significant, but it will not be the most significant year of your lifetime. Keep things in perspective since you are much more than your ATAR score.
Your performance at Year 12 is just an indication of your skill at a test or exam at the same point in time, it’s more about mastering mindset and acing exams more than anything else. It doesn’t restrain your potential success or enjoyment in the future.
If you believe that the time is not right for you to finish Year 12, or you have a burning passion to do something aside from educational studies, then discuss this with your professional development counsellor and learn what your choices are (TAFE, an apprenticeship, full-time employment, volunteering, or part-time employment). Keep in mind you have several means to achieve your objectives.
Look after yourself
Your mind and body are tightly connected – caring for your own body has good rewards for your brain and increases your possibility mindset. Tasks like games, dancing, yoga or walking can boost your performance by increasing oxygen to your brain. It’s also good at reducing overall stress from tensions in other parts in your life and the demand/pressures of school and/or work.
Some anxiety may be useful in keeping us inspired — without it we’d find it really hard to stay alert! But during Year 12, and particularly during test time, you might locate your stress levels climbing high into the ‘crucial zone’, resulting in a dramatic reduction in functionality. Proven strategies for beating anxiety include:
Comfort: Smartphone programs such as Smiling Mind can help
Time management: Try making a record of actions and prioritise
Connecting with other people: Discuss your concerns, laugh, be positive!
Remember to be kind to yourself: Take time out to perform the things you like or help you keep your wellbeing
Get a Great night’s sleep
Sleep is very important to our bodies to recoup and recharge. Without it, it can be tough to focus and remember things. It may make it tough to maintain your energy levels. Sleep is food for the mind and is crucial to your health, the same as the air you breathe, the water you drink and the food that you consume.
To Help You to Get a Fantastic night’s sleep, it is helpful to:
- Get up at precisely the exact same time every morning
- Avoid too much alcohol or caffeine in the afternoon
- Write down your worries before going to bed so that you may get the job done on a few solutions another day
- Do something relaxing for approximately 30 minutes prior to visiting Mattress
- Prevent fractures in the daytime
- Get active daily.
If you can’t sleep: Get up for around 15-20 minutes in the event that you cannot sleep instead of staying in bed feeling stressed — return to bed if you are feeling more relaxed and tired
Managing your Study Load
After finishing your school evaluations and other long-term Commitments, recall your targets and motives for finishing these landmarks by writing them down and putting them someplace where you may see them frequently, such as close to your PC.
It’s also very important to study clever, by eliminating distractions like social websites. Research proves that students using social websites while learning (even if just from the background) earn 20 percent lower marks than students who do not!
If You’re struggling to stay on focus, There’s some applications that could help by temporarily preventing you from social networking websites, addictive apps and games. Attempt Cold Turkey for PCs or even Self-Control on Macs.
Obtaining support
We all know sometimes life does obstruct our ability to study. Matters Like depression, issues at school or home, body image problems, binge drinking and medication are things that could block you from staying focused.
These issues can occur in almost any year of school and may be overly large to handle alone. Speak to your student welfare officer, a trustworthy adult, online or telephone services for some guidance and alternative solutions.
If You Would like to encourage your buddy but you are concerned about saying the incorrect thing or making the problem worse, the beyondblue Check-in program takes you through four simple, quick actions to decide what you may state and how you may support your buddy.
Remember too that you can also use your friends as support to study. One of my long-time friends practically became my math tutor throughout year 12, every week me and a few other friends would meet to study, but it was also a great way to check-in with everyone and a good productive social event
In Summary
It’s not worth putting yourself through hell for what should be some of the best years of your life. Remember school isn’t everything and never let it kill your creative vibe. There’s so many ways to become an artist and get involved in the art world besides the traditional route. Take school seriously but never so seriously that it’s detrimental to your health, relationships and life