Whatever stage you're at in your journey through senior secondary school, it's good to know you're not alone.
Each year thousands of students graduate from Queensland schools and they have lots of insights that you might find helpful.
Advice from past students’ career stories
Here is some advice from past students we've profiled in our QCE career stories.
Follow your dreams — no goal is too big or small. My grandfather gave me the best advice, which I hold close to my heart: “Be a leader, not a follower.
Amber Heaton
Chef
Always be on the lookout for ways to make new connections and open yourself up to new opportunities. Connections will open doors, and hard work will help you walk through them.
Matt Craigie
Astrophysics PhD Student
Don't be too worried if you don't know what you want to do after school and don't be scared to try a few things until you find what’s right for you. It's okay to take your time and explore different options.
Morgan Liu
Architect
Find something you enjoy and build a career around it. It may take time to figure out what that is, so don't rush the process.
Jess Nick
SES volunteer and future firefighter
I really recommend doing a school-based traineeship. It takes a lot of planning and time management to juggle school and work, but it's worth it.
Angel Thomas
Trainee Nurse
If something doesn’t feel right in Year 10 or the first semester of Year 11, consider if you can do well in Year 12. If the answer is no, think about changing subjects.
Henry Bensted
Aspiring Music Teacher
My advice to senior students is that planning is the biggest thing. Make sure you’ve written out every single assessment due date, and include time for drafting and editing.
Jessica Fellows
Aspiring Actor
Advice from Premier’s QCE Student Award winners
Get advice from top-performing students who have previously received a Premier’s QCE Student Award.
.
The things that seem the scariest to start now will end up being the experiences that have made you grow the most. So just get started, and make all the improvements you need along the way!
Doris Wei
Mansfield State High School
Keep doing the things you love while studying as it’s important to have other interests. It’s beneficial to your mental health. Don’t surround yourself with people who don’t support you and lift you up. Find the people that make you happy and that you can be yourself around.
Zali Engel-Bowe
All Saints Anglican School (Merrimac)
Do what you love, otherwise you’re not going to have a good time. And have fun, because school goes a lot quicker than you think it will.
Jayden Fulwood
The Gap State High School
Take it slow and enjoy the little things. Don’t let your marks distract you from what you love and the people you care for.
Timothy Debattista
St Joseph's College (Brisbane)
Keep having fun along the way.
Maya Heath
Brisbane State High School
Study at the library but go out for dinner with your friends afterwards. Break up your work by taking your laptop to a park.
Finn Hing Fay
Brisbane State High School
Sleep.
Luke Oishi
Somerset College (Mudgeeraba)
Dream big and aim high. The best way to predict the future is to do everything you can to create it. Focus on consistent effort and becoming the best version of yourself, rather than comparing yourself to others.
Sarah Bigg
St Hilda's School (Southport)
Make a schedule and stick to it. Break big tasks into smaller parts. Schedule time for other activities you enjoy — it really helps you feel motivated and in control.
Nevindie Botheju
Mansfield State High School
Pursue what you love, take time for yourself and find strategies to relax and calm your nervous system before exams.
Matilda Grant
A B Paterson College (Arundel)
Stay organised and plan when you will study each subject and when you will work on assignments. Always ask your teachers for help.
Sunnie Lin
Brisbane Girls Grammar School
I would encourage future students to choose subjects they find interesting and are passionate about, and to make the most of high school and the academic and extracurricular opportunities offered.
Mulan Ma
St Peters Lutheran College (Indooroopilly)
Never doubt yourself and always stay confident in your abilities.
Advait Naik
Somerset College (Mudgeeraba)
Be consistent with studying. The best results come from putting in effort over a long period of time, rather than trying to cram for exams at the last minute.
Harini Ramesh
Townsville Grammar School
I would advise future students to push themselves to work hard when they have some energy, so that they can take care of themselves on the days that they really need it.
Jonah Saba
Saint Stephen's College
It isn't all about school. Keep doing things that make you happy.
Ee Lin Saw
Somerville House (South Brisbane)
Plan ahead and stay organised by breaking down assignments and external exam preparation into small, manageable chunks. Consistently chipping away over time reduces stress and leads to a much stronger understanding and outcome.
Omer Shahid
Toowoomba Grammar School
Don’t be limited by the stereotypes of what a ‘good’ student should look like — success is personal, and it comes from consistent effort, persistence, and finding approaches that work for you.
Tianyu Shen
A B Paterson College (Arundel)
Don’t love your studies, study your love.
Zhexi Teng
Brisbane State High School
Ask as many questions as possible, even if it goes beyond what you’re currently learning. Delving into a topic at a deeper level than what is expected will provide a greater breadth of knowledge and broaden your understanding.
Annabel Thomas
Mount Alvernia College (Kedron)
Treat Year 12 as a tennis match: one point at a time.
Tommy Wang
Brisbane State High School
Never underestimate the power of your intuition. For simpler questions, it can discount precious minutes off your thinking. For more challenging questions, it can be the spark that ignites uncertainty into progress.
Hengchen (Eric) Zhang
Anglican Church Grammar School (East Brisbane)
I highly recommend building your skills and qualities through extracurriculars — the discipline learnt from music, resilience at work, and collaboration in sports will always be worth the time they take.
Lily Gochee
Cairns State High School
