The HSC isn't all there is to life
I was a timid 15-year-old walking my way through the long corridors that towered over me, covered in posters like “Let’s stop bullying!” and “How to get the ATAR you want!” I had gone to see the principal of the school, after nine years of home-schooling I went to go talk to him about whether it would be a good idea for me to complete my HSC there. I was contemplating, stressing and asking all the gods whether I should do the HSC, or do the Tertiary Preparation Certificate at TAFE (TPC). When I asked him that exact question, he said: "Let's face it, you want to do a course that will get you somewhere in life, you won't go anywhere without the HSC."
They then handed me the timetable, filled with subjects like Maths, History and even Plumbing (SWEET). I left with the paperwork that would enroll me as a student for two years to do the HSC, and I never thought about it again.
We’re constantly told that the HSC is the be all and end all. That to be successful the HSC is a prerequisite. The two years of panic attacks, exams, late nights and tears. All for a number that appears on a slip of paper. He had told me that without the HSC I wouldn’t stand a chance getting into a good university, that the HSC would be the best thing I would do.
A few months later I started the TPC at TAFE. With classes aimed more at my interests, like film studies and human rights, with no roll call, homework or staying up late at night regretting what I've done with my life. I ended up doing very well because I was in an environment I wanted to be in. I was in a course that didn't desperately push me to top the state or get the best ATAR. I was learning things I felt were relevant to my life and my career. So please, don't tell me the HSC is the only thing that will get you far in life.
I finished the course and ended up getting into my first preference for university at the University of Technology, Sydney. I was more prepared to start university because I had been in a course that prepared me for that, unlike the HSC that bombards you with unnecessary exams. So, to the man who claimed the HSC would be the only way do well in life, or to anyone who felt the same way, it’s not true. At the end of the day, it’s just a piece of paper that has your name on it.
