AS students across the state await the release of their HSC results on Friday, December 18, the pressure to score high marks has been alleviated by an increase in early entry university offers.
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In this year of Covid-19 and subsequent HSC uncertainty, local students have been working to secure their futures independent of the final exams.
At MacKillop College, 60 per cent of the 2020 year 12 cohort has already received offers for university courses based on school recommendations and Year 11 results.
Riley Mallyon is among those celebrating early. He was accepted into the aeronautical engineering course at Newcastle University even before he sat his final HSC exam.
"I still want good HSC results, but the early entry university offer takes a lot of pressure off," Riley said.
"I've always been interested in engineering - I made aeronautical engineering my first preference through the Universities Admissions Centre and I received an offer two days before I finished the HSC."
Riley is hoping to build a career in aeroplane engine design, production and maintenance, but acknowledges he will need to work hard to fulfill the dream. This was a lesson learned during the HSC year as students across the state were forced to adapt to online learning for the Covid-19 lockdown period.
"I realised you have to stick to your study program, put in the effort, and you'll receive the results." Riley said.
Having studied Extension Maths at school (in addition to Chemistry, PDHPE, Studies of Religion, and Standard English) Riley hopes he is prepared to succeed at university, but first he plans to take a gap year.
It won't be the typical travelling gap year, Riley acknowledged, but he wants to take a break from study and work before heading off to university. Riley has deferred his course and will enrol for 2022.
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