Confetti was thrown and smiles were shared as seven students from St Francis Xavier’s College and St Mary’s Catholic College reunited to share their HSC results this morning.
After a tough year where they faced COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, it came with a sigh of relief – their high school experience was finally over.
Charlotte Dever from Hamilton’s St Francis Xavier’s College said it was amazing to walk through the school gates again.
“It felt really nice to see everyone because I hadn’t seen them in a few weeks,” she said.
“There was a lot of excitement in the atmosphere, it was really good to see how everyone went and that everyone’s hard work paid off.”
With a 98.45 ATAR, Charlotte is stoked with her results.
“I am super happy,” she said.
“I was a bit surprised I did so well.
“It was a good surprise, obviously, I had been working pretty hard ever since the start of Year 11.
“I did have an idea of what I wanted but I didn’t have a certain number or goal that I wanted to reach, I just aimed to do the best I could.”
Charlotte added that undertaking an accelerated course last year helped her prepare for her final exams.
“I had a little bit of an idea of what I was in for but in terms of juggling it all I just tried to stick to a routine and maintain concentration and focus a lot,” she said.
Like the other graduates NW has spoken to today, Charlotte also found the COVID-19 lockdown had positives and negatives.
“It was definitely challenging, being isolated was obviously not what everyone was used to but I think it was good just in terms of me trying to maintain focus,” she said.
“I had a lot of contact with teachers and other students in my class so that really helped me try and keep that concentration and my will to keep going.”
Her advice for this year’s students is pretty simple.
“I think maintaining that balance of having fun while also developing a work ethic and routine early on and trying to stick to that is really important,” Charlotte told Newcastle Weekly.
So, what’s Charlotte’s plan for her life after school?
The 18-year-old is planning on studying a Bachelor of Physiotherapy at the University of Newcastle.
“I got an early offer a week before the HSC exams,” she said.
“I was very relieved to have that under my belt just in case something did happen in the exams.”
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