All worth it in the end

Top Limestone Coast student now focussed on future

Gemma Ralph has a clear vision for her future and part of that is challenging herself which is why her gap year is all about stepping out of her comfort zone.

Gemma was the top ranked Limestone Coast student when it came to 2022 Year 12 results, posting an impressive ATAR of 99.05 and for 2023 is working at Gildera Forestry Services – she is on the fire crew until April.

“I knew that I wanted to do something completely different and out of my comfort zone during my gap year,” Gemma said. “The outdoor job also really appealed to me after spending all year sitting inside at my desk studying.

We also live in the pines and I go walking and riding my horses through the tracks every day, so it’s an environment that I love.”

And everything she is doing as part of her gap year job is a world away from last year when sitting and studying at every opportunity.

“During moderate weather we do maintenance jobs such as pruning the trees and stocking counts and on days with higher forecasts, I am currently manning one of the fire towers, which involves hourly weather reports and calling in any smoke which I spot,” Gemma said.

CFS training so she is qualified to be on a truck and fight plantation fires has also been part of Gemma’s new look 2023.

“I have loved the experience so far and have been blessed with an amazing boss and colleagues who I get along with very well,” she said.

Of course hard work is in her DNA – it is how she ended up with an ATAR that opened up a world of possibilities for her future.

She applied to the University of South Australia (Adelaide campus) to study a Bachelor of Business (Economics, Finance, and Trade) with a Master in Finance (Financial Planning) but now the ball is in her court given her impressive results.

“I had a slight panic after receiving my ATAR as I suddenly realised that I am eligible for every course and didn’t know how I would possibly choose,” Gemma said.

“Ultimately though, business is the course which excites me the most and which I know will be sustainable in the long term.

“I am someone who can get bored quite easily if I am not trying new things, and I hope that business is varied enough for me to have many different opportunities rather than being in a confined field.

“I am also considering studying a Diploma in Languages (French) alongside my degree, for no particular reason, other than that I think it will be enjoyable and further diversify my career and life opportunities.”

Gemma also knows she will need to do more than sit in a lecture theatre with plans already afoot for internships, work experience and she has also flagged some time studying overseas. She also anticipates study will always be a part of her life.

“I have a feeling that I will go to university more than once in my lifetime,” she said.

“I love studying and learning, and as I said, can get bored easily without doing something new.

“I can definitely see myself earning a degree in midwifery or law at some point down the track.”

And who would bet against her given she has established a great work ethic and study habits as well as a positive attitude with her final year of high school cementing what works best for her.

“At the beginning of Year 12, I told myself that my one goal was to finish the year with no regrets,” Gemma said.

“I was scared that I might get to the end and wish I had studied more or worked harder, and this really motivated me to keep going during the year when my motivation sometimes wore off.

“Although I felt a moderate level of stress all year, I did my very best to stay on top of assignments and methodically move through my studies to avoid any additional stress from leaving things until the last minute.

“I always handed assignments in before their due dates and began studying for tests weeks in advance. I also ensured that I utilised the school holidays to get on top of assignments or work on understanding difficult content.

“It was very helpful that my friends were doing similar subjects to me, so we could all help each other and keep each other accountable. “

Of course behind every successful student is also at least one quality teacher and Gemma certainly had her share or inspiring and supportive educators.

“I had a few great teachers, namely Miss Lush and Miss Redman, who really helped me during Year 12,” Gemma said.

“These teachers both had a really good understanding of the subjects they taught, and therefore could explain it to me in ways I would understand.

“I was someone who would be emailing my teachers constantly to ask questions and clarify even the smallest pieces of content, and these teachers always replied promptly within and out of school hours.

“I especially appreciate Miss Lush. She was always up for a chat, whether it was related to school or not, and it was nice knowing I had someone at school who could relate to what I was going through and have a bit of a laugh.”

There is also no doubt that Gemma’s well constructed plan to spread her Year 12 study load over two years also contributed to her academic success.

In Year 11, in 2021, she studied Year 12 general mathematics, English literary studies, and research project B, while in 2022 she studied chemistry, biology and psychology

“I also undertook Extension Studies through Flinders University, where I did a health topic in semester one, and a nutrition topic in semester two,” Gemma said.

“These topics were challenging as I did them online with little support, but I am very glad that I completed them as I got a great taste of ‘uni style’ learning and my results, one distinction and one high distinction, substantially increased my ATAR.”

Despite her best planning, Gemma still had to juggle her other commitments in Year 12 and it was a year of sacrifice.

“I had to scale back a lot of my extra curricular commitments in Year 12 because my studies quickly became more allconsuming than they ever had been,” she said.

“I worked every Saturday morning at San Piero Coffee Bar and during the first half of the year, I also worked a few nights a week and on Sundays for my own business, Sunnyvale Horse Riding, in which I did pony rides for young kids but I had to eventually stop this as school got more stressful.

“Apart from school and work, the only other thing which I made time for was exercise. I love being active and know how important it is for my mental health and to keep me sane while studying.

I would go for a walk/run everyday, and played netball through the winter months.

“Unfortunately, my life did not feel balanced, and it honestly felt like I was studying every waking moment. I started to feel quite miserable by the end of Year 12 after having to give up most of my hobbies and miss out on a lot of fun events, but I knew it was only for a year and it was simply a sacrifice which I had to make.

“Now that school is over, I feel as though I have much more free time, even while working a full time job. I have been able to start horse riding again and also take up many new hobbies such as swimming, tennis, reading, listening to records, and spending much more quality time with family and friends.”

When you delve into Gemma’s study habits two things are not surprising – one, that she had such successful Year 12 results and it is clear her study methods left little time for those outside interests she was prepared to forgo in the interests of achieving her best.

“The only thing which worked was being extremely consistent and disciplined, and essentially making school my only focus in life,” Gemma said.

“Time management is extremely important, staying on top of assignments and knowing when things will be due.

“The other main thing which helped me was the way that I approached studying. In previous years, I would study in order to remember the content.

“This year, I studied in order to genuinely learn and understand the content, rather than just remember it.

“This meant that I could easily apply my knowledge and achieve high marks no matter how tests or exams presented the questions.

“The best method I found for understanding the content was to receive it in many different forms.

“First my teacher would tell me the information, then I would read about it in the textbook, watch YouTube videos, draw diagrams, and talk to my classmates.

“No matter how the information was woven into a test, my understanding would be solid enough that I could get the correct answer.”

That kind of dedication to a task required support, not just from her teachers but also her family and they were a huge part of Gemma’s Year 12 triumph.

“Without a doubt, Mum and Dad were my biggest supporters through Year 12,” she said.

“Although neither of them are conventionally academic and couldn’t directly help with my studies, their indirect support in other areas made all the difference.

“This included lots of little things, such as Dad feeding the horses for me at night when I had a test the next day, or Mum bringing me cups of tea and snacks while I studied.

“This took an immense amount of pressure off me and allowed me to fully focus on my studies and give up other commitments when needed.

“They also provided encouragement for me to keep going, while also helping me recognise when it was time to step back a bit and rest. We are a close-knit trio, and I cannot express how grateful I am for their help this year and always.”