VCE student Will Geerling was just starting to get used to things returning to normal at school when the floods hit his home town of Shepparton.
Now he is trying to prepare for his all-important Year 12 exams next week while floodwaters lap at the door.
Shepparton Christian College is closed, the school is flooded and roads between the campus and students' homes are totally underwater, leaving many families with no way to leave their homes, let alone get children to school.
Will is trying to study from home in preparation for his exams, but said some of his classmates had "totally given up".
"It's very depressing, I want to move to Melbourne next year to university and this just adds a whole other layer of challenge," he said.
Will said several of his classmates were stuck at home, with no access to wi-fi, school reading or work material, fresh food or supplies.
On Tuesday, the Victorian government announced that a derived ATAR score would be used for students who had been impacted by flooding in Northern Victoria.
Students eligible for derived examination results will have their final ATAR calculated based on earlier test results.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the government will work with schools to identify students to ensure they are not disadvantaged.
"Obviously it is going to be incredibly difficult for students who can't be home, and they can't remote learn either because teachers are being flood affected as well," he said.
"It means your results will reflect your level of achievement, hard work, and skill, and not these challenges that you are facing right now," Premier Andrews said.
Evacuated a week out from exams
Echuca student Greer Thomson has been displaced and separated from her mum, as her house is damaged by flood water.
"The house isn't OK, there's a metre of water. We probably won't be back until at least after Christmas," she said.
She said while study had not been a priority over the past week, she was now stressed about her exams.
"I haven't studied in a week and my final exams are in two weeks," she said.
"I've sat down to study and I just stare blankly at the screen ... there's always the sound of sirens in the distance. It honestly feels a bit apocalyptic."
Greer attends St Joseph's College in Echuca, a town that is currently building a 2-kilometre levee out of sandbags to try and protect itself from the Murray River.
"The English exam is supposed to be on the 26th of October and my school is going to be underwater by then," she said.
Textbooks at flooded school
Will said he and his classmates were just thinking about their basic needs and were unable to focus on exam preparation.
He was worried he and other regional students affected by flooding would be at a disadvantage compared to students in Melbourne and other areas who were able to attend school and get help from their teachers.
"I actually don't have my textbooks because they're at school, because we didn't know it was going to flood when we came home," he said.
"I'm able to use internet when the power is on but when there's no internet, I can't rely on that."
Will needs an ATAR of 70 to get into RMIT's Bachelor of Business in Melbourne.
He said he had been performing well all year but now was not sure whether he would get the results he needed.
"It's going to have a significant impact on my class' exam results," he said.
Flashbacks of COVID lockdown
Will said the flooding and effect on his studies felt like a flashback to Victoria's COVID lockdowns.
"It definitely shows a lot of resemblance to when ... we'd be at school and a teacher would come into the classroom and announce that we're going back into lockdown again," he said.
"It's hard to surprise us at this point.
"It feels that it's just normal life to be given these sorts of challenges."
VCE students can contact a dedicated hotline for support on 1800 717 588 or 2022VCE@education.vic.gov.au
