As BSSC Year 12 student, AJ Moon, looks towards the future she names her greatest concern as the apparent lack of consequences for people in power who aren’t empathetic.
Despite the apparent lack of this essential but seemingly elusive quality, she remains positive about the future.
“I think things will work out because there are still plenty of people who see through this sort of thing and are working to make the world a better place for everyone.”
AJ says she is impressed by many people. “Maybe I’m just easy to impress,” she laughs. “But, seriously, I think people underestimate how impressive they are.
“Everyone has a talent and at least one cool story to tell.”
Her decision to travel up the line from Castlemaine to attend BSSC was an easy choice for her.
Once she had attended the Open Days, AJ realised the only place she could be certain of being able to study both Chemistry—her favourite subject—and Theatre Studies, was senior.
Having this option has meant a great deal to her.
“At BSSC’s Open Day I was really impressed by how excited the students were about the college. The teachers I met were so helpful and the facilities were great.”
Open Day is one thing. Did the actual experience meet AJ’s expectations?
Absolutely. She found BSSC welcoming and supportive, and a place where she has been able to pursue the subjects, interests and goals she’s passionate about.
It’s not only the academic standards, fantastic teachers, great facilities and extra opportunities—such as National Youth Science Forum which AJ says everyone should attend—that drew her to BSSC.
“The thing I’ve enjoyed the most at BSSC is my agency in my learning—I’m in total control and the responsibility is setting me up really well for my future life.”
A Student Ambassador during both Years 11 and 12, AJ has enjoyed showing prospective students what a great place BSSC is.
She’s also contributed to major events, built leadership and teamwork skills, and supported her peers in myriad ways.
Although the coursework is heavy and daily travel by train to get here is not ideal—AJ remains a passionate advocate for BSSC.
“I’m always recommending the college to others—it’s so worth the train trip to have teachers who are so supportive and specialists in their area. I really enjoy being in class.”
She has had Sarah Nagle for Chemistry both years and found her fantastic.
Chemistry’s problem-solving challenges, it’s difference to all other subjects, and the way this learning can be applied to other subjects are why it wins her ‘most favourite subject’.
“Last year,” she says, “when I was completing 3/4 Biology, my chemistry knowledge was so helpful in understanding things like the Krebs cycle.”
BSSC is also a place where AJ has met some of the best and most-trusted friends she’s ever made. She says she won’t be surprised if the friends she’s made at BSSC will always be her friends.
This group actively helps each other with their studies. In fact, AJ and her friends have adopted a novel—slightly hilarious but effective—way of motivating each other to maximise their homework and study.
“We’ve all got this app on our phones that tracks our hours of study. At the start of each month we all put in $5 and at the end of the month the person with the most hours wins the money!
“It’s a good motivator and really great fun.”
AJ uses lists and study plans and has a whiteboard in her room onto which she often does a brain dump of everything she recalls about a topic. She then selects practice questions to help build her knowledge of what she’s missed.
Commuting to school has its challenges, but it’s also valuable time for AJ to take a break.
Once home, she paces her homework in all subjects except Chemistry. She finds stopping in the middle of a complex chemistry question, just because a timer has gone off, very unhelpful.
There’s always music from film scores playing too.
There’s little time left for other interests, but AJ works at her local supermarket to save money towards the costs of going to uni.
When she needs downtime, she loves to crochet and is presently making scarves for many of her friends to help stave off the winter chills.
She still occasionally finds times to pick up her guitar and write songs and music—mostly folk pieces.
Her long-term plan is to study Medicine or medical research.
“Career-wise, I want to do something I really enjoy that helps the world.”
She has looked at courses at local universities—including Uni of Tasmania, Uni of Adelaide, and ANU. She’s also considering studying in New Zealand.
Numerous scholarships are available from most universities and AJ hopes to secure at least one of these.
Blessed with parents who are supportive of her interests and encourage her to take every opportunity, AJ says, “Their, and my friends’ support, regardless of my grades or other factors, means the world to me.
“If I could give my 12-year-old self some advice I’d reassure me that things will work out fine.
“I’d say, ‘You feel like you don’t know anyone and don’t know enough, but you are going to make great friends and really, really enjoy school by Year 11’.”
