Aryan Parwal
ATAR 99.65 | Subject merits in English & Physics | University High Distinctions: Nutrition, Physical Activity and Health
What are your post-secondary ambitions?
I hope to study medicine somewhere in Australia
What were some academic highlights for you?
Completing my English comparative was my proudest moment of my Year 12 journey. It was a task I invested countless hours into researching, planning and seeking feedback. Once it was all over, it felt incredibly rewarding and relieving. I am eternally grateful to Mr Bailey for his ongoing support throughout the year. He was consistently approachable and provided valuable feedback and assistance whenever I needed it the most despite his other commitments. This made a significant difference to my confidence and success and is something I truly valued.
Another major highlight for me was studying Chemistry in Year 12. Although I always had a deep passion for chemistry in the middle school, I often fell short of where I aspired to be. This year, thanks to Mrs McKinnon’s teaching and her ongoing support, I was able to understand the content well and thoroughly enjoyed every lesson.
Similarly, Physics was a memorable part of my academic journey. Even during periods when I felt under pressure, Mr Russo and Ms Schofield offered guidance, insightful feedback, and help me grow into the best Physics student I could be but also a better student in general.
What advice would you give to the Year 12 cohort of 2026?
My most important piece of advice is simple, maybe even a little cliché, but I’ve seen its truth play out time and again: the people who succeed aren’t always the smartest in the room, but they are almost always the ones who show up, day after day, ready to put in the work. Raw talent is a great starting point, but it’s sustained, consistent effort that builds the bridge between where you are and where you want to be. I’ve always thought of Year 12 as a rigorous, nine-month project. It’s not something you can casually drift through. To truly stand out, you need to approach it with clear intent, map out your strategy and then commit to it fully, in every assignment and every study session. That relentless, disciplined effort is the engine that will drive you toward your goals.
Finally, I’ll pass on one very practical tip: take your biggest, most important goal and write it down in bold letters. Put it on a whiteboard or a sticky note right where you’ll see it every day. During my own Year 12, there were definitely moments where I felt lost in the grind and started questioning all the hard work. In those low points, I’d look up at that note. It was a direct message from my past self, reminding me that I had chosen this path deliberately, for a dream that mattered deeply to me. That visual anchor reinforced that I wasn’t working hard because someone was making me, I was doing it for my own future.
This idea connects perfectly to a line from one of my favourite films, 3 Idiots. While the movie is hilarious, it offers a piece of profound wisdom through its main character: “Excellence ka peecha karo, success jhak marke tumhare peeche aayegi.” Or, in translation: “Chase excellence, and success will chase you.” Let that be your guiding principle.
What is your favourite memory from your time at the College?
My favourite memory would have been winning Head of River in the Yr10B crew. I was surrounded by great people and a great crew that had worked immensely hard throughout the season and finishing the season with a win when it matters most was something I will always remember.
What were the highlights of studying at university while finishing Year 12?
I have always had a strong interest in the sciences, so the opportunity to pursue a subject like Nutrition at a university level was both interesting and personally rewarding. The course served as a natural and fascinating extension of the foundational concepts I had learned in my Year 12 Biology studies. Beyond the specific subject matter, it also provided an invaluable preview of the expectations and independent learning style characteristic of university. While academic support was available, the course was structured primarily asynchronously. This flexible format, while convenient, required me to cultivate a significant degree of self-discipline, compelling me to manage my workload and initiate my studies without regular external prompting.