YOUR SAY

Our stories on Year 12 students prompted other school finishers to share their experiences and performance

SONALI YARDI Baulkham Hills High School ATAR 99.85

Achievements Ranked 1st in School (Legal Studies), School Academic Achievement awards for Legal Studies and Economics

Sonali wrote: Having witnessed others go through the HSC, I had expected that the year would be filled with stress, piles of homework and an exam every week. However in reality, to my surprise, my HSC year, although plagued with these things at certain times, was much more fun than stress. I was able to strengthen my friendships and make new ones whilst having new experiences and enjoy the last year of school! The most important thing I learned about myself is to have faith in my abilities. By picking a notoriously “low scaling subject,” I was told that I wouldn’t be able to do as well because I chose this subject. But I ignored such negativity and tried to have faith in my ability and love for Legal studies. Further, moving to a new school helped me to realise that I had the strength to adapt to a new environment and excel. I also learnt that strong self-motivation is the only way one can achieve success as only you can get the best out of yourself

My advice to students would be to just relax and enjoy your last year of school. This is going to be a tough, long year but with hard work and perseverance you will get through it. Also, pick subjects you genuinely enjoy. This will make Year 12 a lot more fun and heaps less stressful. And finally, English (unfortunately) is very important, so put as much time and effort into it as you can. You won’t regret it.

Normanhurst Boys High School

ATAR 99.50

Achievements HSC Premier’s Award for All - Round Excellence, Year 12 High Achievers Award from school, HSC Distinguished Achiever

Kiran wrote: Over the course of the HSC year, I learnt the importance of being able to strive beyond one’s comfort zone and reach success beyond my expectations. If I were given the opportunity, I would have extended myself to actively participate in more community events, allowing me to develop my interpersonal skills through communication and networking, all whilst having fun and helping others. Alongside pushing yourself to participate in a vast array of extracurricular activities, a boringly practical yet equally important piece of advice would be to purchase a comfortable pen for the year. Whilst a cheap pack of Biro pens maybe tempting, a couple higher quality pens will allow you to write clearer, faster and in higher quantity without as many painful hand cramps.