Eujiny Cho

What is the most valuable lesson you learned at PLC Sydney?

Never to compare yourself with your peers, especially at an all-girls school in a male-dominated society where women are conditioned to compete against each other; to fight the patriarchy, it's far more important to learn from and be inspired by the diverse young women around you than to compete against them!

If you could offer advice or a tip to someone about to do their final year, what would it be?

As hard as it seems, try to enjoy it! It's so easy to become caught up by the stresses of the HSC and the ATAR, but it's equally important to cherish the friends and connections that you've made in your last year of school as well - after all, long after you've graduated, you're unlikely to remember the marks that you received and far more likely to remember the positive memories!

How important was it for you to balance your academic focus with other activities? eg co-curricular activities

Definitely important - not only did co-curriculars (especially debating and public speaking) allow me to spend time away from studies to participate in something that I love and am deeply passionate about, other activities (like orchestra and sport) that didn't necessarily involve things I was good at still allowed me to spend time with my friends and maintain positive mental health, especially within stressful time periods.