HUNTER School of the Performing Arts students are some of the first off the blocks to participate in the newly-announced Higher School Certificate study bubbles.
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Principal Tracey Breese said the school invited all its 155 HSC students to be put in school-organised study bubbles, which lets them study on school premises in groups of five for up to three hours a day, ahead of their October 18 return to classrooms.
Ms Breese said almost every student was in a bubble for at least one subject - and almost everyone visited on Tuesday for English revision within bubbles.
Isabella Fung, 17, Toby Stuart, 17, Ellen Cleworth, 18, and Chloe Linstrom, 18, said they had relished being able to reconnect in-person with teachers and friends.
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Isabella said the English study bubbles used QR codes around the quadrangle to access quizzes and activities.
"English is really great to be able to discuss with people because it's based on themes and ideas, so having it in small groups and bouncing ideas off each other about 'How are we going to structure our responses?' worked well," Isabella said.
"It was a breath of fresh air to see what other people have been doing, how they have been studying and how they are going in general."
Toby said he wanted to "jump in" because he learns best in the classroom, saying seeing his maths teacher helped him better understand three questions from a trial paper than he would have over email.
Ellen said the past two years had been a "rollercoaster".
"Not being there for these lead up weeks before the HSC, it would feel so wrong just sitting at home and then suddenly popping in just for these final exams, everyone would just want to hang out with each other," she said. "It's giving us a chance to collaboratively learn."
Chloe said the school had organised a "beautiful" virtual showcase, so students could see each other's major works.
"Knowing you've supported your peers during such a tough year when it can be so stressful at times and getting to see that end product is very rewarding, especially for friends who have had each other's backs," she said.
The four are vaccinated - Isabella receives her second dose next week - and said while it will be tempting seeing restrictions lift from Monday, they wanted to stay focused in the home stretch to exams, which start on November 9.
"I think it will take a bit of discipline," Toby said.
"But having that end date in mind is a reminder to work as hard as we can up until then and then we can go and really enjoy the normality."
Chloe said she had been considering going to a pub on Monday.
"After being at school this week it has motivated me to think 'It's alright, I have my whole life ahead of me, I just really have to focus on the HSC [for now]'."
Isabella said the exams being postponed and the sunny weather already posed challenges to staying motivated.
"It's one last push, we don't want to waste 13 years of schooling, so we just have to do it."
Ellen said she was trying to focus on the celebrations beyond the HSC.
The students said being active, spending time outdoors and staying connected with friends had been vital for their wellbeing.
Ellen said the pandemic had shifted her perspective and reinforced the importance of family, friends and community, which had kept any exam stress in check.
Chloe said it had prevented tunnel vision.
"Our two years in senior school we've learned there are bigger things going on in the world, that there's a life past the HSC, that there's people dying from a global pandemic - that's bigger than us sitting exams," she said.
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