Annika Oakley was worried she had not done well in her HSC, but as it turned out, her fears were far from founded.
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The Smith's Hill High School HSC student received the highest ATAR of any student at an Illawarra school, achieving 99.75.
"Honestly, I thought I did really badly in my HSC," Annika said.
She felt "really terrible" after almost all her exams, she said, so when she got her marks back they were much higher than expected and she was "very happy".
Also achieving a high ATAR was Kiama's Lucy Koder, who went to school at Abbotsleigh in Wahroonga.
Her ATAR was 99.95, the highest rank possible, which she told the Sydney Morning Herald was "just unbelievable".
As might be expected with such a high ATAR, Annika scored in the top band for all her subjects: biology, chemistry, Japanese continuers, maths extension one, maths extension two and English advanced.
She said her best mark was in Japanese, for which she got a 97.
Annika said she was "very passionate" about Japanese and did a lot of the subject's HSC course in her own time in year 11.
But she said she liked all her subjects, with the sciences another particular interest, so she would study ahead in the holidays.
This meant class time allowed her to recap what she had already learnt.
Maths, she said, was also enjoyable and the best to study, because it was about applying what she knew to different problems.
Annika said she stayed on top of her studies by staying consistent throughout the year.
"Just being thorough and making sure you understand everything, so there are no gaps when it comes to the HSC grind," she said.
With the HSC now officially behind her Annika is awaiting university offers, with hopes to begin a degree in medicine this year.
"I'm kind of interested to go interstate for a new experience," she said of where she might like to study.
Annika said she was interested in a potential career in surgery, although she was still unsure of what area.
"I'm very interested in science... and medicine, from what I can see, is a really good way to use science to help people in a professional way," she said.
With a new cohort of HSC students about to enter another school year, Annika gave some words of advice to remember in future.
"The HSC is difficult and you are not a bad student, even if you felt you didn't do well - the [exams] are hard," Annika said.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
