Bega Valley students report back after first day of HSC exams for 2022

The Bega Valley students were were among more than 76,000 students across NSW to begin the HSC with English Paper 1 on Wednesday, October 12.

Year 12 advisor Tim Dowman applauded the cohort of 18 students as they wandered out of their first exam.

The students immediately started buzzing with discussions about exam questions, images and how they responded. Students had to respond to a syllabus called Texts and Human Experiences.

Poppy Collins said she felt "pretty relaxed" about heading into exams today even though she felt she could easily be a "stressed out person".

She said she took a "laid back" approach about studying for exams and said although she took the time to study she remained in contact with friends and used mindfulness techniques such as meditation to mitigate the stress of exams.

Max Staylianou said he studied a lot, but during the exam took the approach of "figuring it out there and then".

"I was really confident the whole time, whether that is reasonable or not I don't know, because maybe I shouldn't be confident," he laughed with his classmates.

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Like Poppy, Max felt it was really important to keep up healthy balanced habits, such as exercising and spending time with his mates.

Alisi Arbon said she felt good going into the exam because she felt she had done the work needed all year round to do well.

"I've just got to accept that I do actually know what I'm doing and not overthink it too much," she said.

Zali Smith said her experience of senior schooling had been disrupted by the COVID pandemic, but she was proud of her cohort for "getting through it together".

"I've been told I'm a social learner, so having to do things at home alone doesn't go well for me.

"Even studying for the HSC, it's easier for me to go study with a friend, which is good because it means you get to put your ideas together," she said.

Kiera Hruskova said the smaller cohort at SCAC "has been to our advantage because we're all friends".

She said the students all prioritised helping and encouraging each other and came into the exams feeling supported by one another.

She said it was advantageous having smaller classes and closer access to teachers.

"It means my teacher is so helpful and he's able to specialise it to each student."

The students said the only downfall they could think of was not always being able to have ample access to a long list of subjects, but that teachers did their best to accommodate.

Students will complete English Paper 2 on Thursday, October 14.

Students at SCAC will celebrate their year 12 formal on the final day of HSC exams for the school cohort on Thursday, November 3 at Oaklands in Pambula.