Students across the country will reach the summit of their school years when they sit the first HSC exam on Monday.
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English is the first paper to kick off the exams which will be held over the next month.
Parkes High School Year 12 students Chloe Henderson, Ross Collins and Tianna Allen are feeling all sorts of emotions in the lead-up.
“I’m a bit nervous. It’s kind of crazy that all the work we’ve done over the past year is all for these exams,” Chloe said.
Tianna said it’s kind of weird because it’s also their last lot of high school exams – ever.
“It’s coming to terms with the fact that you are actually up to sitting your HSC,” she said.
Ross feels it’s sort of exciting.
“It’s like a culmination of your effort and your energy, everything you’ve done has lead up to this,” he said.
“It’s the exam that matters in the end. It’s not the be all and end all but it has the potential to affect you in the outside world.”
They are relieved to know this time next month it will all be over and they will be getting ready for their graduation.
Next year they are all off to start their university courses.
Chloe was offered early entry for Commerce or Commerce with an Advanced Diploma of Travel and Tourism at the University of Wollongong (UOW).
“I have to choose between the two, so I have a lot to think about,” she said.
Ross also has early entry for a double degree in International Studies and Commerce at UOW.
Tianna’s decision to go to either UOW for International Studies or Sydney for a Bachelor of Arts will depend on her ATAR.
She has early entry to UOW and conditional entry to the University of Sydney.
“If my ATAR is high enough, I’ll pick Sydney because I have a scholarship for the first year.”
They all agree that securing early entry has taken some of the pressure off them.
“I just feel so much better,” Chloe said.
“Now I can sit down and study. You can’t change it once you leave that room so I’m not going to be stressed after, but I think before I’m still going to be - there’s so much to remember.”
They all agree their teachers could not have been more supportive.
“The teachers here really care a lot,” they said.
