“It’s awesome,” said Orange High School student Mel, who sat Wednesday’s visual arts exam, the last of the HSC.

“Because the exam was so short, I couldn’t believe it once I was done.

“I just thought to myself, what do I do now?”

The CWD has followed the four students as they prepared and completed their HSC exams.

Yesterday, all agreed that the feeling of post-exam freedom hadn’t really sunk in.

“For the past few months, we’ve all been saying all the things we would do after the HSC, but it still hasn’t really hit us yet” James Sheahan Catholic High School student Doug said.

“We’re so happy,” Canobolas Rural Technology High School student Emily added.

“It’s just weird not to have anything to do every day.”

With the exception of the HSC maths exams, the students rated this year’s HSC as fair and straightforward.

“I think some of the exams, particularly English, were easier than previous years,” Orange Christian School student Megan said.

Doug said he had prepared for some tough papers, but was pleasantly surprised, particularly by the studies of religion paper, which drew complaints from staff and students in 2009.

Doug and Mel have already been accepted for early entry into degrees at Wollongong University, while Emily and Megan are awaiting offers.

Emily hopes to receive early entry into a social science, psychology and education degree at Charles Sturt University.

Megan hopes her HSC results, which she’ll receive in December, will be good enough to study psychology at Macquarie University, after a working gap year in 2011.

Doug will also take a gap year but, like many students, plans to travel.

“I’ve been to the west coast of America, I’d like to go to the east coast,” he said.

“My friends and I have been looking into summer camp counselling there.”

Mel said she was looking forward to enjoying four months of freedom before the beginning of university.

“There’s little things we’ve all wanted to do, like go on a road trip or to the beach,” she said.

“And all those things that you would normally do when you weren’t worrying about study.”

Kinross Wolaroi School student Zara Rolfe wasn’t available for yesterday’s photo.

lisa.cox@ruralpress.com