International Students Australia

Lifestyle of international high school students

The lifestyle of an Australian high school student, especially in the last few years of study, is an even mix of challenging schoolwork, extra-curricular responsibilities, part time work, and an active social life.

Australian students attend school from Monday to Friday every week; the school day usually starts around 8.20am and finishes at 3.30pm.

Students elect 6 different subjects of study, and within an average day a student will have seven different class times, each lasting 45 minutes, and some double classes lasting an hour and a half. In the final year of high school, students only study 5 different subjects, allowing them ‘frees’, in which they can spend to on private study, either and school or at home.

As well as classes, students are usually required to participate in study periods, physical education classes, sex education and development classes, chapel services (if the school has a religious influence), and interschool sporting competitions.

After school hours, students are required to complete a set number of homework hours for every subject. These hours increase every year. Depending on a student’s workload, most nights of homework can range from 2 to 6 hours. In year 10, some homework nights can be as short as 1½ to 2 hours, and usually no longer than 3 to 4 hours. In year 12, the final year of high school, it isn’t uncommon to have students studying 6+ hours on some days, especially if they have free periods in their timetable.

Some students will choose to participate in extra curricular activities, which is a good way to take a break from study. Extra curricular activities can include sport teams, such as Australian rules, basketball, swimming teams, soccer and netball. In year 10 and 11, some students will choose to take on part time work on a weekend or after school to earn extra money. However, a school generally does not encourage part time work during year 12, as the school prefers students to be 1000% committed to studies.

During the weekend, most Australian students usually have a healthy social and family life. Most weekends include birthday parties or social functions, as well as more casual social outings including going to the movies, cafes, and the beach with friends. During the final year of high school, most Australian students turn 18, which is considered quite a milestone in Australia as being 18 years old allows you to obtain a drivers license, legally drink alcohol, and vote. For these reasons, students usually choose to have 18th birthday celebrations on weekends, which is seen by many as a highlight to the final year of their schooling, and a refreshing comparison to the demanding school work hours they have every week.

After the final year of high school is complete, many students choose to travel down the coast or interstate with their school friends for a week, to celebrate finishing their high school days. This week is known as ‘Schoolies’