The corridors and grounds of Bega High School will look slightly empty when teaching returns next term, as its Year 12 students have come to the end of their classes.
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The year’s presentation ceremony was held on Friday, September 21, where students were recognised with awards.
But of course some may say the hardest part is yet to come, as the teenagers now have to study for their HSC exams.
One student who received multiple awards at the presentation was Renee Cooper, who was unsure about how she felt that school was ending for her.
“I don’t really know how to feel, it’s exciting but terrifying,” she said.
“I have plans of what I want to do, but I don’t know what to do just yet.”
At the presentation ceremony, she was given the Pierre De Coubertin Award recognising her commitment to sport, the RSL sub-branch Keith E Otton JP scholarship for $500, first in Primary Industries and the Bill Adlide Scholarship for social justice and student involvement.
“It’s not just the academic ones, because I’m not the top of anything and I know that, but it’s good to get other awards. It’s good because the staff have recognised me over the years,” Renee said.
Renee was reasonably confident she would do well when she sat her HSC exams.
“I shouldn't do too badly, I know if I put the work in I can reap the rewards,” she said.
Year 12’s Keira Hoyland - who was handed an application for study award, a bronze merit certificate and first in Community and Family Studies - said so far Year 12 had not been as hard as she expected it to be.
“But I should probably start studying more now the HSC is coming up,” she laughed.
Her friend Abby-Rose Simpson was given an academic excellence award and a bronze award, and said she was going to do plenty of study for her exams.
“We’re going to have study days for each subject,” she said.
Renee looked forward to finishing school, but there would be a bit of sadness when it came to leave.
“It’s going to be great, but I’m going to miss everyone,” she said.
Her friend Jared Porters, also of Year 12, said he was looking forwards to the future.
“I’m not sure what I’ll do after school, I’m just rolling with it; I’m very open,” he said.
“I could stay in Bega for all I know.”
Renee said many students left the Bega Valley once they finished Year 12.
READ MORE: The 50-year-old HSC student
“It’s kind of hard to stay if you want to get a higher education. We do have the uni but we have limited degrees,” she said.
Her goal was to go to the University of Canberra and study pharmacy.
Both Keira and Abby-Rose planned on going to the University of Wollongong, with the former hoping to study a double degree of law and psychological science while the latter wanted to do a Bachelor of Exercise Science.
The HSC begins on October 18 and finishes on November 9.