IT'S heads down and pens at the ready from 10.20am Monday as the 737 year 12 students of the Hastings sit the first English exam for the HSC.
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For Newman Senior Technical College students Tyla Peak and Isabelle Stortenbeker it will be a little less of a stresser as they have all been studying to attain Certificate III qualifications which do not require HSC exams other than English.
Similarly Frank Smith, who has been studying a Certificate III in Financial Services, will sit just English and Mathematics.
Frank, 18, already has a position at St Agnes Parish offices and will continue to work there while undertaking a Bachelor of Business Studies at Charles Sturt University. He completed a Cert III in mid-September and will "just go with it" when it comes to his two HSC exams.
"Our teachers have said it's not the end of the world or the only way to get into university," Frank said.
All three students admitted to being "crammers" - and will have spent many hours on the weekend refreshing their knowledge.
Tyla, 17, is completing a Certificate III in Children Services.
"I want to have a gap year and then go to university in Newcastle," Tyla said.
She will work here in Port Macquarie next year but said she wants a change and that's why she will attend university away.
Already a dab hand at working with children, Tyla said she enjoyed the one day a week work placement she had over 10 weeks as part of her course.
"I love playing with kids," she said.
Isabelle, 18, said she is not stressing out about her English exams.
"I'm a little bit nervous, but fairly calm. I really want to do well," she said.
Isabelle also finished her Certificate III in Business Services in the middle of September.
Skills she has learned include communication in the workplace, how to work well with others, and business software.
She will take a gap year and has plans to travel to Europe in May next year.
"I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I might go on to do a Certificate IV in Business at TAFE."
"I'll just take it as it comes."
All three students will miss "hanging out with friends" and the routine of school work.
Isabelle said she will miss the teachers and Frank added he will miss "not being a kid anymore".
