Having undertaken the training myself, I do know what was involved above and beyond our ‘normal’ expectations.  It was great to ‘feel’ like a student again – with deadlines and expectations.  It also highlighted the learning is life-long.

I have long held the view that it is difference that makes the difference.  Normal is mundane, it just becomes routine.  As with any meal, the spices and the love put into the cooking process makes the difference.  As we saw at our Graduation Dinner, the food was incredible – and it was created by Anna and Mylee; it was grown with care; and it was served by our own Year 11 students.  The evening – the meticulous planning, the environment, the music (our teachers), the weather – all made for an incredibly memorable moment.  It was exceptional.

All of our graduates will enter a very different technological workforce.  There will be machine intelligence,  artificial intelligence, and robots.  This is our future.  Computers were birthed into our mainstream world in  the 1980s, into our homes in the 90s, and the internet became publicly available on April 30 1993.  ChatGPT  was birthed on November 30 2022.  Next year, Optimus (Elon Musk’s robot) will start production with a  ramp up in 2026.  People will have robots in the near future.   Orion glasses Meta believes will be the next ‘platform’.   This is the level of technological change we are  educating young people to adopt and/or adapt. 

It has long been said, Human Exceptionalism will thwart any computer and artificial intelligence.  I long  thought human exceptionalism was our emotional being. For instance, a computer doesn’t get angry; a  computer doesn’t get sad; a computer doesn’t feel fear.  A computer just processes information as quickly  as its algorithms allow.  A computer doesn’t have emotions.  However, now – I don’t think it is just emotions.  To be exceptional takes effort. 

Effort is having a focus on striving for excellence, which means putting in time and energy.  Effort is giving  things a shot.  Overcoming procrastination and resisting the pull to do nothing or something other than  study. 

Effort leads to success and nothing succeeds like success.  Effort is exertion.

Computers and AI are not able to put in effort.  They cannot exert focus – they process information but they do not put effort into the process.  Returning to the graduation evening, we had the best music from our teachers, we had the best food, we had great service. But what people don’t always acknowledge is the “performance” is just a small part of the process.  It took hours to prepare and to pack up.  After a gig, musicians have to pack up all of their kit.  After the food service, there are hours of cleaning and packing up.  What makes humans exceptional is effort: the effort exerted before, during and after. 

My advice for our graduates is to see the opportunity of the HSC experience. It is a learning opportunity – like a grand final.  It will offer insight into your capacity to persist, in your capacity to give of your personal best, in your capacity to focus.  The HSC is a challenge.   It will test your competency to be organised, your will-power to practise and review your notes, your drive to synthesise information.  I can assure you the next two months are not long!  It will pass quickly. Your future will not be based on your score in a test.   The HSC is not going to define your future.  The HSC is all about effort within a short period of time.

So what leads us to take the time to make the effort?  That’s something we are all learning. For some it’s money. For some it’s what you can gain.  For some it’s acknowledgement.

If I can leave you with one snippet that resonates with me – and hopefully hits a chord with you.  Hugh Mackay wrote a book about what makes for a ‘good’ life, and his conclusion is provocative. 

The good life is not the sum of our security, wealth, status, postcode, career success and levels of happiness.  The good life is one defined by our capacity for selflessness, the quality of our relationships and our willingness to connect with others in a useful way. 

Use your study to find your passion, and direct your effort to be purposeful.