Can you be TOO “locked in”?
When people hear “99+ ATAR”, they often imagine someone studying 18 hours a day, glued to their desk, never taking any breaks. Always pushing for one mark higher, one hour longer.
The reality is, that’s not sustainable for anyone. Even the best of the best, do not work themselves into burnout beyond recovery.
Hi, I’m Jason, and I graduated from North Sydney Boys in 2021 with an ATAR of 99+. I had no idea how to structure my day at the beginning of Year 11, but I think I got it down pat by the end of my high school journey.
Today I wanted to share my two cents on how you can do it too, if you’re in Year 11 and looking to make some seriously powerful changes to your study routine in prep for Year 12.
It’s all about efficiency, consistency, and balance.
A good study routine should be easy to maintain, and allow you to live a balanced life that includes studying, but also includes meaningful rest - days out, seeing friends and family, adequate exercise, nourishing meals, and all the other things students tend to forget to do for their wellbeing.
After struggling through 2 terms of senior school, the final term of Year 11 was when I began to systematically structure my day. Not rigid or perfect, but structured enough to survive the chaos of being a high school student, and never miss a deadline.
