Before each of her HSC exams Acacia Ozturk would sit in her car, overlooking the Obelisk and the ocean, and revise her year's worth of notes.
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"It was a short term memory technique that worked well for me," the Newcastle Grammar School Dux said.
For the 18-year-old, receiving her HSC marks, along with an ATAR of 99.8, on Tuesday was not the end of a period of anticipation. Acacia is hoping to study medicine in Newcastle or Sydney and entry is based on the ATAR, interviews, and the results of an aptitude exam.
Acacia's attainment of the title of "All round achiever", however, has bolstered her confidence going into the next rounds of the selection process. The title is applied to HSC students who receive the top band in at least ten of their units. Grammar had seven students earn the title, second only in the region to Merewether High School who had 15.
Like her friend Acacia, Julianna Sebastian achieved the highest band in all 12 of her units. Julianna said she was relieved upon seeing her results. Her grandmother was ill and passed away during her exam period, in which Julianna looked after her younger sister while her parents were overseas with her grandmother.
"I had to show respect to her by doing the best I could," Julianna said.
Grammar's captains, Emily Prickett and Nicholas McGrath, also achieved the all rounder title.
Nicholas received full marks in Extension Maths 1. He said he was proudest of his English Advanced mark, 88, even though it was his lowest.
"It's never been my strong suit, so I've just worked really hard to improve," he said.
Emily excelled in humanities and sciences, completing both English and Maths Extension 1 units, French Continuers, Geography and Biology. She said she was keen to learn more languages at university and was planning to teach herself some Spanish over summer.
Gabriella King picked up the highest band in all subjects bar one while keeping up her singing, soccer and work as a tutor. The 18-year-old has accepted an early offer to study Law at the University of Newcastle.
Ryan Turner, a house captain, is deciding whether to study physiotherapy or business and actuarial studies after completing Maths Extension 2. Either way, he said, he was overjoyed by the reaction of his grandmother, father and mother to his results; they cried.
Lukas Lechner-Scott received 48 out of a possible 50 marks in English Extension 2. For his major work, he compared Nigerian and classical philosophy in the writing style of Shakespeare.
"I feel like that project changed me as a person so I am really glad that was reflected in my marks," he said.
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