Year 12 identical twins Deana and Marissa Finka are sick of people getting them confused.
“We can’t go out with the same hairstyle,” Deana says. “It takes a little bit to figure out the differences … sometimes we’re not known as ourselves, we’re known as ‘the twins’.”
The pair are students at Picnic Point high school, a government school in Sydney’s south-west which has five sets of twins and two sets of triplets completing their Higher School Certificate, with exams starting on Wednesday.
Twins and triplets make up more than 10% of the school’s 123 year 12 students, making it the the highest rate of twins and triplets of any year 12 cohort in New South Wales, according to the state’s Department of Education.
The Finkas are completing all the same subjects apart from one, although they emphasise that they have different personalities and interests. After they finish high school, Deana wants to study occupational therapy while Marissa wants to study speech therapy.
“We chose [our subjects] separately and then came together and realised they were the same,” Deana says.
Marissa adds: “We’re both not good at maths.” They both say their favourite subject is English.
Last year the University of New England published a decade-long study into the school achievements of thousands of Australian twins, triplets and non-twin siblings to reveal the extent to which genes contribute to educational success.
It found genetic differences among students were the single biggest influence on how they performed in literacy and numeracy tests. The research also found that identical twins who were in different classrooms with different teachers performed almost as similar on literacy and numeracy tests as twins with the same classroom and teacher.
Rogan Tischler and his sister Freya are also completing the same subjects bar one and have similar interests in art and history. But they have different approaches to studying – Rogan pores over practice essays and is feeling the nerves, while Freya is calm about her coming exams.
“He probably studies a lot more than I do,” Freya says.
Rogan says: “It’ll be great once we finish together, we’ll celebrate together with family and friends. But I want to get into arts and education at university and become a history teacher, so I’m feeling nervous.”
A Picnic Point deputy principal, Suzy Tarasenko, says the final-year jumpers, which are inscribed with students’ names, have been helpful in telling the identical twins apart.
“To me they’re so similar, in their subjects, their manner … and they’ve picked similar programs to each other,” she says.
Jayla and Jamana Yaghi describe themselves as “far from” similar.
“We have lots of differences,” Jayla says, pointing to their differing subject choices and outgoing and shy personalities. “We just had a fight this morning – over the hair straightener.”
The pair have both chosen to complete year 12 without Atars, taking the stress off for exams. Jayla is keen to pursue a career in the beauty industry while Jamana plans to study childcare at Tafe.
Blake Iofrida is also completing his HSC without an Atar, leaving him reasonably relaxed. His twin, Joshua, is calm too.
Asked if they like being twins, they reply in unison: “It has its ups and downs, pros and cons.”
“Pros, you’ve always got your best friend there at the end of the day,” Joshua says. “There’s always bickering, but that’s natural.”
Zac Helais agrees. Also one of two, he reasons: “It’s good, because I always have someone there, but then it’s also annoying, because he’s always there.”
Paige Godwin and her brother Brodie can’t wait to finish exams. “I’m so nervous,” Paige says with a grimace.
The only subjects they are sharing are English and ancient history. Brodie is a self-described “massive nerd”, opting for Dungeons & Dragons and books on the weekend, while Paige likes going out with friends and socialising.
Yet despite their differences, they are best friends and can’t wait to graduate together.
“We can help each other with different viewpoints, share our knowledge,” Brodie says. “We have each other’s back, always.”
