How to become dux of school: High achievers impart their advice for senior Toowoomba students

Achieving dux and getting an ATAR of 99.85 isn’t something that happens overnight. Whether it’s balance or knuckling down, these three high achievers reveal how they did it, and how you can too.

In the month leading up to final exams, Aaron Palmer would wake up before sunrise at 4am for a 12 hour day of study.

Having achieved an ATAR of 99.85, the former Toowoomba State High School student had his pick of courses and universities, deciding on a bachelor of biomedicine at the University of Queensland.

The 18-year-old had no concrete plans to be 2021 dux but worked hard to get the highest ATAR he could to help him decide what he wanted to do for further study.

“My intention was just to keep my options open,” Mr Palmer said.

“Grade 12 isn’t just one big stint of academics. There’s times in your Grade 12 where you spend more time on the social aspects then there’s times where you have to knuckle down and focus more on academics.”

After completing the three-year course the high achiever hopes to study medicine and specialise in surgery.

Toowoomba Grammar's Dux of school for 2021 is Aaron Palmer. Picture: Nev Madsen.

For Glennie School 2020 dux Georgia Barnes, achieving an ATAR was the cherry on top of getting into her optometry course.

Having studied online during Covid-19, Ms Barnes said she had more time to focus on school and when the time came for final exams she studied six to eight hours a day.

The 19-year-old, who used handwritten notes and a study schedule, said achieving dux helped her self-esteem.

“I think I tend to have a habit of doubting myself a little bit and coming out of the exam going ‘oh, my God, that was so bad’,” Ms Barnes said.

“It was such a good feeling (getting dux) because I’ve been working so hard and I really doubted myself a lot. It showed me that my hard work did actually pay off and I deserved it.”

After getting an 98.45, the 19-year-old was awarded a scholarship for her first year of college at the women’s college as well as a QUT academic excellence scholarship.

Glennie School 2020 dux Georgia Barnes is now studying a Bachelor of Vision science at QUT.

Doing extra homework for feedback and asking the extra question was what last year’s Toowoomba State High School dux Amy Wells believed set her up for success.

“I was always that kid at school who would ask copious amounts of questions and probably annoy (teachers) and hold them up. But despite that, they supported me,” Ms Wells said.

The QUT law student said while academics are important, senior students should still allow for extracurriculars and time with friends.

“It definitely got to a point where you’d say no to hanging out with friends … but then the academic results didn’t improve much, that’s what I realised you can do both and it usually works out for the better,” Ms Wells said.

Seeking online resources like Khan Academy for maths and Amoeba Sisters for science has also helped the straight A student.

But the 18-year-old was still getting used to university life, with the drinking culture and self-directed study vastly different to the high school bubble.

“Alcohol becomes such a big part of life. Suddenly you and your friends don’t catch up for brunch or lunch anymore. You go out for drinks,” she said.

“I work three days a week now. Which is pretty full on trying to do uni as well, I don’t have it all figured out.”

Having relocated more than two hours away from home, she recommends senior students to build a network outside of school to make the social transition out of high school easier.

Originally published as How to become dux of school: High achievers impart their advice for senior Toowoomba students