HSC students in the Eurobodalla Shire are dealing with a level of uncertainty that they have not experienced before, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to adapt and evolve.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Many students are unsure as to whether they will be able to achieve their original university and career goals set months and years prior, as the unpredictable virus continues to pause our everyday lives.
St Peters Anglican College Head of Senior School, Tracy Scobie, says Year 12 students simply want to experience the last week of school traditions.
"They feel like every little goal that's been set for them has been taken away", Ms Scobie said.
Not only are the students craving more certainty in terms of their HSC exams, many are missing the social life that comes with school.
"They're a really tight knit group," she said.
"They're really missing that sense of connection."
Year 12 St Peters Students Liam Kohler and Patrick Eberle both agree that the level of uncertainty with exams has been stressful.
Mr Eberle says that studying from home has not been ideal.
"In-person lessons are always going to be superior to online ones, but I think I've managed to get enough support in place to make this as easy as possible," he said.
Mr Kohler says that he was expecting his HSC year to be difficult, but he never could have imagined it be this hard.
"I am a person who would much rather operate on 'definiteness'," he said.
"The highly dynamic nature of the virus and its associated restrictions have made planning more a case of "where can I go that won't be as affected?" rather than "where can I go that I believe will best suit my interests."
Other students from around the Eurobodalla Shire who wish to remain unnamed agree that the virus has added a level of difficulty to their studies and are afraid this will affect the university admission process.
"I'm afraid I'm not working to my full potential," one HSC student said.
"I would be concentrating much more and feel more confident if I were in a classroom with a teacher and my peers."
Despite this, the HSC exams are still going ahead in NSW, rescheduled to begin on the 9th of November 2021, with round one university offers to be released on the 26th of January 2022.