TIGS school captains Isaac Young Dae Kim and Lisa Fernandez finish classes tomorrow. Picture: ROBERT PEET
Thousands of Illawarra and South Coast year 12 students are feeling mixed emotions this week as they complete their final few days of school.
Illawarra Grammar School captain Lisa Fernandez expects to find it harder than most students to walk out her school gates for the last time tomorrow after attending the same school from kindergarten to year 12.
"I've been here for 13 years now so this school is like home to me," she said.
"I'll miss being able to walk around a place where I can smile and say hello to almost everyone ... I still don't know how to process that school is ending because it hasn't hit me yet."
Fellow TIGS captain Isaac Young Dae Kim said the end of school meant the start of a new adventure.
"It's quite emotional - sad but also happy because we're about to finish school and start our real lives," he said.
"I'll miss the school environment and being around my friends but I guess I won't miss the study too much."
Despite mixed feelings, the two school captains are looking forward to life after school - Lisa hopes to gain the marks to study medicine and Isaac hopes to work in finance.
Classes end tomorrow but they still have several weeks of hard work ahead of them as they prepare to sit their Higher School Certificate exams.
Lisa said the best study strategy was to make a timetable for free time, revising notes, doing past papers and spending time with family and friends.