Moree Secondary College students started Monday with English paper one.

Eighteen-year-old, Maddison Bye, said she had given up her Friday and Saturday nights to study in preparation for the tests.

“My trial exams were in the week of August 22 and I was pretty nervous to take them, but not as nervous as I have been with my HSC exams,” she said.

So far she has completed her English paper one and two (advanced) and her hospitality exams.

“I was more confident in my English papers than what I will be when my business exam rolls around. I am looking forward to completing them all, that’s for sure,” Madi said.

She said after completing three out of six, she was able to focus on her legal, business and visual arts exams that are yet to be completed.

“I am most nervous about my legal and business exams as they’ve been the hardest subjects all year, but I am ready and have been studying every day,” she said.

Madi will complete her last exam, visual art, on November 3 and hopes to achieve an above 80 Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

“There have been a long line of nurses in my family and I would like to follow on the family tradition to attend university and become a nurse,” she said.

Madi has applied for the early entry scheme at the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale.

“I won’t hear back from them until the HSC is done, but I’m hopeful. It’s been a long journey to get to this point and I’ll miss school but after exams is when the fun begins,” Madi said.