It’s ‘Game-Time’ people. The Aquinas World Cup. What am I talking about?  Seniors, the make or break term is upon us.

We need a recap on attitudes. Not the speech you have heard from every teacher in every classroom, but the tips to get you over the line and onto the podium. Let’s finish off these last internals and start revising for the derived grade exams.

Recently some of our 2016 student leaders returned to Aquinas College to meet with senior students to discuss academic success. Not surprisingly, the clichés we’ve all heard before were reiterated. “Time to bite the bullet and get started.”  “Everybody has the exact same amount of time.”  “You have the same number of hours in a day as Richie McCaw and as Donald Trump.”

Not sure how to utilise those hours?  Here are some top tips:

1.      Get ahead before the clock runs out. Start preparing early, avoid the rush. No, stop laughing. You really should.

2.      Put your phone on airplane mode and leave it out of reach. You don’t want to be distracted by photos of a friend at the beach while you’re trying to study.

3.      Stop staring at your books hoping to learn via osmosis. Go and make some flashcards.

4.      Make a study plan which corresponds with the class calendars you were given at the beginning of the year.

5.      Ask your teachers for help. They really do know what they’re talking about.

So, there you have it. Now you have no excuses why you can’t be your own Steve Hansen. Let the crowd go wild, time to play beyond the textbook. Just remember how you feel on game day when results are out and others have got the medal and can live their dream. It’s time to prepare that platform.