If you ask Year 12 students at The Jannali High School which HSC exam they’re dreading most the answer is fairly unanimous.
English.
School captain Blake Paterson, 18, who hopes to pursue engineering at university, said the sheer size of the English exam was daunting.
“We have to do three essays in two hours which works out to be about 3600 words.”
Senior students, like Blake, will take part in a farewell ceremony next Friday at Jannali High before leaving on a three-week break to prepare for exams.
The English exam will mark the start of the HSC examination period on Monday October 16.
Fellow school captain Hayley Bernardi, 17, will sit six exams and said she had received plenty of good tips to stay on top of stress levels, including advice from Headspace who visited the school recently.
“It’s a good idea to keep doing things that you enjoy to break up the study,” she said.
“I can’t sit there for four hours straight at a time, so I will study for an hour and a half then spend some time practicing my dancing or doing something I enjoy.”
She said while the English exam was daunting, their English teacher had prepared them well.
“We have a great teacher, he has really helped us and has taken away a lot of the stress.”
Fellow student Meghan Ashhurst, 17, said it would be sad to say goodbye to all her school mates when they graduate next Friday.
“We are so close. Especially this year – I feel like everyone is very close to each other. It will be sad leaving.”
To add to the pressure of preparing for exams, the school will also hold its Year 12 formal next week.
NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes said it was a stressful time of year for students and he congratulated them on coming to the end of their high school years.
“Over coming weeks I encourage all HSC candidates to look after their health, take time out to exercise and keep the right balance in preparation for the exams ahead.” Mr Stokes said.
“While it is an important opportunity to demonstrate skills and knowledge, at the end of the day it’s just an exam.”
More than 70,00 students are on track to achieve the HSC this year in NSW.
The most popular elective subjects include mathematics, biology and business studies this year, while Japanese is the most popular language followed by French.
Headspace Miranda’s top five tips for HSC students:
- Plan and Prepare: Set realistic expectations, prepare a study plan, reserve a comfortable and quiet study space, reduce work hours and get your hands on as many practice exams as possible.
- Look after yourself: Develop a self-care plan with relaxation strategies, stay connected to those around you, eat well and make sure you find time to exercise.
- Rest when you need it: Try not to study for more than 40-60 minutes without a short break and ensure you are getting at least wight hours of sleep. Sleep enhances concentration, memory and increases energy.
- Stay focused: There are great study apps to help you study such as Pomodoro Timer and The Forest App, which help you record study time and breaks. If you aren’t using your phone to benefit your study make sure you put in on silent and don’t check your socials.
- Ask for help: If you’re finding things tough, ask for help. It’s your teachers and tutors’ job to help you understand the subject. If you need any extra support headspace always has your back. Call us on 95751500.