The HSC officially gets underway on Thursday, October 17 with the final exam on November 11.

There will be 123 written exams totalling around 350 hours in this year's exams.

Of the 75,006 students across state, 36,149 are male and 38,857 are female. Most of the students started their 13 years of school in 2007.

On the Mid-North Coast - taking in Great Lakes, Kempsey, Nambucca, Taree, Gloucester and Port Macquarie - there are 1828 students sitting the HSC.

The top five subjects are English, 68,490 students; mathematics, 57,769; biology, 19,057; business studies, 18,013; and, personal development, health and physical education, 16,772.

It is compulsory to study an English course for the HSC.

Some 68,490 students (91% of the total cohort) are enrolled in at least one of the following HSC English courses, English Standard; English Advanced; English Extension 1; English Extension 2; English EAL/D; English Studies; English Life Skills.

MacKillop College Port Macquarie student Phoebe Blundell admitted to feeling "a little nervous" in the lead up to the start of the HSC.

Along with a group of friends, Phoebe was spending time studying on Tuesday morning at the Port Macquarie Library.

"My first exam is Thursday and the last one is on November 8," she said.

"I am feeling a little nervous because the studying has been a little bit overwhelming, at times.

"I had a plan in place and it is working out quite well. It is certainly better than my trials."

Although focused on the impending start of the HSC, Phoebe says she plans to take a gap year undertaking full time dance before looking to attend university the following year.

Another student taking advantage of the library's facilities was Hastings Secondary College Port Macquarie Campus' Ruairidh Granger.

His physics exam - and the final HSC exam - is on November 11.

He described his feelings about the start of the exams as confident, but not over-confident.

"I am feeling pretty stressed but I plan to keep studying and keep on learning," he said.

"I am studying around eight to nine hours a day but at the extreme of it all I was up to 16 hours on some days.

"But you have to find the balance between studying and learning," he said.

"The one thing I've learned is that I didn't believe my teachers when they told me that you can learn a lot between your trial and your HSC.

"I didn't think that was possible, but I was proved wrong, by far. You can learn a lot more."

Ruairidh says he is aiming to achieve the highest possible ATAR as he can and hopefully achieve dux of the school.

"I am happy with what I have done so far. I'd say I'm confident but not over confident," he added.

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