General News
26 October, 2023
End of schooling bittersweet for students
Local year 12 students have officially wrapped up their 13 years of school classes, with a handful of exams all that stands between them and putting revision notes and textbooks down. It’s been a long and windy road for the 2023 year 12 cohort and...
Local year 12 students have officially wrapped up their 13 years of school classes, with a handful of exams all that stands between them and putting revision notes and textbooks down.
It’s been a long and windy road for the 2023 year 12 cohort and while the pandemic and its restrictions may not have impacted their year 12 studies, it’s certainly a recent memory throughout their secondary education.
There’s a resounding feeling of relief among students, who on Tuesday finished their three-hour English exam, and now look ahead to the coming weeks of study, revision and exams to top off their schooling.
Highview College year 12 students Teagan Cole, Tom Myers, Hannah Lanfranchi and Sidney Robinson are among those relieved the English exam is done and dusted.
“I found the English exam was quite a relief, the topics were good and we were well rehearsed for what was in the exam,” Teagan said.
“English is probably one of the subjects I perform better in so getting it done and out of the way was nice.
“Considering the spacing of most of the other exams there is still quite a bit of pressure and stress though.”
With the English exam completed on Tuesday, students studying Literature, General Mathematics, Biology and select others have also completed their exams, which run right through to November 15.
Teagan said picking up a year 12 subject in year 11 was a great help to her, as it freed up study space this year and provided a taste of what was to come.
“Doing a subject early is probably the best thing you can do, it set me up so well,” she said.
“Ensuring you set yourself up early is really important and helped me a lot.”
One of the school captains for 2023, Hannah said she’s focussing on trusting herself in the coming exams, knowing she’s put in the hard yards.
“If you go into your exams trusting yourself and trying your best I think that’s the way to handle it,” she said.
“At the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t do well — there’s so much coming for us afterwards.
“If you get to this time of year you should be excited about what’s to come.”
Feelings are much the same across town at the Maryborough Education Centre, with students like Jack Kerr, Sophie Mark and Isabelle Chatfield relieved to have finished classes and completed their first lot of exams.
“I’m relieved it’s over,” Jack said.
“It’s been very stressful, it’s been a big year but also the best year of schooling for me personally.
“You were allowed to be a bit more of yourself in year 12, you picked the subjects you wanted and the teachers are lovely.”
For Sophie, finishing her classes is a bittersweet feeling.
“I’ll definitely miss the social part of school and being around my friends every day, I think I’ll notice that the most,” she said.
“It’s nice to be finished but I’ll definitely miss that side of it.”