The biggest cohort of HSC students in the state’s history have said goodbye to textbooks, teachers and anxiety, as the 2024 exams came to a close this week.
Geography students, the last of the 71,619 pupils to finish, were greeted by sun on Friday afternoon after their three-hour paper.
HSC geography students from Concord High School after their exam: (from left) Marcus Tassone, Lily Butcher, Tully Shipton and Elizabeth Goloubeva. Credit: Wolter Peeters
While it could be tempting to replace exam stress with other fears – have they chosen the right university degree? Will they ever earn enough to buy a house? – those finishing on Friday were looking forward to a few weeks free from worry before their results are released on December 18.
“I am just relieved it’s all over,” said Tully Shipton, 18, after stepping out of the geography exam at Concord High School on Friday afternoon. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, but I’m sure it will eventually.”
Asked what it felt like to finish 13 years of schooling, Tully said he thought it “went by so quickly”.
“In the moment it doesn’t feel like that. But it really did,” he said.
Tully hopes to get into a university course studying marine biology. His summer plans include going on a holiday with friends and visiting Daydream Island with his girlfriend, as well as a camping trip with his family.
“It’s just going to be very relaxed … I am looking forward to not having anything to have to worry about in terms of school and study.”
Classmate Lily Butcher, 18, found geography to be her hardest subject, even though its focus on the state of the world’s ecosystems gave her plenty to think about.
“I hope that we take climate change a little more seriously,” she said. “The political climate isn’t promising much with climate change, but it is a super serious issue: it doesn’t just impact the environment, it impacts us.”
She gained early entry to law at Western Sydney University on the proviso she finished the HSC.
Before that begins, there will be part-time shifts at Target – and she has two holidays lined up.
“I am going to work because I am going away on a holiday,” she said.
Elizabeth Goloubeva, 18, hopes to study business at university, but will take a gap year.
Marcus Tassone, 18, will spend some of the summer trying to choose between his early entry offers for studies in construction management and sport and exercise science.
The salary of a career in construction management is more lucrative, he said, “so I will probably pick that”.
Indecision about the future is nothing new to Concord High head teacher Dee Santos.
“We always have great conversations with students about where they’re heading,” she said.
“I think it is one of the best parts of being a teacher – you get to meet so many young people who have so many different dreams. I am sure the ones who don’t know what they want to do yet will find that over the next few years.”
with Archie Carter
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