A MONTH of flicking through study notes and swiping through flashcards has ended for 6000 Hunter students.
Geography was the final subject to tick off the Higher School Certificate timetable, and Cardiff High School students Grace Wilson, Isabelle Fowler and Liam George were relieved to be walking out of the exam hall one last time on Friday, November 8.
"I'm so relieved. It feels so good. I can't wait for all of our celebrations and everything after this," Grace said.
"It's just been weeks of studying, it's surreal it's all over," Liam said.
Grace said the geography exam ended her HSC experience on a high note and was one of her favourite subjects to be tested on alongside PE.
"The exam wasn't as bad as I expected. My hand is killing me [from writing]. I had enough time, so I felt like I could cruise through it. Overall, it was a nice way to finish off," she said.
The students said the HSC was a better experience than their trials.
"There was definitely a lot more spacing and time to prepare," Liam said.
And if they had to choose, legal studies was their least favourite exam.
"I hated legal studies and English; they were the least enjoyable. I think geography was the best," Liam said.
Now the hard part is over, Isabelle said she was excited to enjoy the rest of the year and celebrate her hard work at the school's year 12 formal on Monday, November 11.
"Relief is the only way to describe how I feel right now,"
The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) released more than 15,100 Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) offers to year 12 students on November 8.
The offers are based on criteria other than a student's ATAR, such as their year 11 results and school ratings.
Grace received an early offer to the University of Newcastle to study criminology, while Liam was accepted to study education. Both have decided to defer until 2026.
Isabelle received early offers to study a Bachelor of Science and Environment at Newcastle and the University of New England.
UAC interim managing director Kim Paino said with exams now complete, many students will welcome the news.
"Receiving an SRS offer will ease the pressure on their final results and their reliance on their ATAR," she said.
Students will receive their ATAR at 9am on Wednesday, December 18.
This year, more than 76,000 students are sitting the HSC across the state. With a record 80,166 students completing at least one HSC course in 2024, the HSC remains the country's most popular high school credential.
