Your secret weapon for year 12 exams: Words of wisdom and inspiration from TikTok tutors
From classroom teachers to uni students, a new breed of tech-savvy educators are giving year 12s an exam edge – on a platform best known for memes and dance videos.
In the countdown to exam week, year 12 students busying themselves with study resources might overlook a familiar social media app that’s commonly considered a distraction – TikTok.
Beneath the memes, fast edits, music, and skit content that the platform is typically known for, there’s a budding community of helpful academics growing on a side of the app known as ‘StudyTok’.
Chris Tembeleski (@rubix_learning), a 24-year-old corporate finance worker turned director of Rubix Learning tutoring services, is one of these creators.
“I’ve always been an extroverted person and love talking. I saw TikTok as an opportunity to spread my love for maths to the younger generation on a platform that they literally use every day,” he said.
The Sydney local said that TikTok’s algorithm and short-form style means that students “can learn something so valuable very quickly”.
“TikTok’s FYP (For You Page) literally shows you the content that’s for you. Watch one exam video and you’ve got 10 more coming your way … we are always on the platform, so even when you think you’re doing something unrelated, you could still be learning,” he said.
Mr Tembeleski’s content is focused on teaching students about maths and the ATAR system in an easily digestible fashion. He believes that “education is the ‘unlock’ to success”.
“Doing well and working hard in school can set you up for success across all aspects of your life and career, and the fundamental work ethic needed to succeed in school will be carried with them for life,” he said.
Samaya Uecker (@samaya5023), 18, also uses TikTok to share advice for students in their last year of schooling.
“I create short, one-minute TikTok videos all about year 12 life – from advice on making the most of study sessions and relatable year 12 experiences, to step-by-step guides on how to complete and mark practice exams to maximise marks,” she said.
The Melburnian prides herself on keeping her content “honest and real”, with her own high school experience serving as the blueprint for her advice.
“Whether you’re going for a 99+ ATAR or a 60, I want to help students feel confident in themselves and the work they’ve done along the way, so they can walk out of that exam room knowing they’ve done everything they possibly could,” she said.
The inspiration for her videos is simple, the belief that “if even one person benefits from my videos, it’s worth it” and the desire to create “the kind of content I wish I’d had at the start of year 12”.
Ms Uecker believes that relatable meme content about year 12 can be just as important for students to see as serious advice videos, saying that “balance is everything”.
“The funny content that circulates every year also creates a sense of community. I think it really unites year 12 students across the country, helping them feel a little less alone as they deal with exams, study pressures, and even the tricky transition into adulthood,” she said.
For students interested in following a peer currently doing year 12 while keeping up a busy posting schedule on TikTok, @arii_studies, 17, mixes vlog style slideshows and revision tips. She has a four-minute full study guide for the subjects of chemistry, math, biology, and English on her page, alongside short-form showcases of the online resources she uses for revision.
On a lighter note, the account @thefitzytwins combines humour with university study tips that year 12s could apply to their own schooling experience.
One post details the idea of timing out anyone in the study group who says something off-topic for two minutes.
Another encourages viewers to take breaks from study, with the caption “No study nights are FINE (I’m trying to learn that too)”.
And for everyone facing a maths exam, head to YouTube and @misterwootube, where you’ll learn why Sydney teacher Eddie Woo has become a social media sensation with his explanations of complex year 12 maths concepts.
Have any advice that year 12s need to hear? Leave a comment below or email us at education@news.com.au
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Originally published as Your secret weapon for year 12 exams: Words of wisdom and inspiration from TikTok tutors
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