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Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Matilda star's tough call and ‘insane' routine netted perfect score
All the tips and tricks to help you do your best in this year's exams. See all 9 stories. When Amy Sayer sat her HSC in 2019 at Barker College, she was already a professional footballer with Sydney FC, and part of both the Young Matildas and senior Matildas squads. She also walked away with a perfect ATAR of 99.95. 'It was really tough,' she said. And it wouldn't have been even tougher if she didn't have the maturity required to make a bold, painful but necessary decision. Sayer chose to sit out the Young Matildas' qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 World Cup to focus on her studies. She made that call having seen teammates try to do both and struggle. 'I've seen a lot of the girls, like Remy Simpson and Princess Ibini and Jada Whyman – they had all done their HSC in [whatever] country that we were in, and it was often just a different Asian country,' she said. 'Frequently, it was China. So they were travelling outside of wherever our base camp was, for maybe three or four hours to take their exams at 4am – just because of the strict rules of the HSC. 'I don't think I would have done as well as I did if I hadn't opted out. Because of how important my education was to me ... that was the big decision I had to make.' Sayer abiding advice for those going through it now: don't bite off more than you can chew, if you can help it. Sacrifice to prioritise. She also advises finding a routine that works for you and stick to it. That doesn't mean copying hers which, by her own admission, was 'insane'. 'You're up for school around 6.45, 7am – that's if I don't have a morning training starting at 5am,' she said. 'And then a whole school day. I'm studying in my breaks – sometimes through meals, lunchtimes. And then straight after school, I was off for training. I'd be driving myself out to Valentine Park, so you're losing time travelling. But then most of the time, I would get home, and then I would pretty much just lock myself in my room. 'My parents would periodically deliver me tea and snacks. I was just hunkered down and studying. Pretty much any free-time that I had, I was in the books. 'You kind of have to have this single-track mind in order to do it.' Sayer's other tip is to find and complete as many past practice exams as possible. She studied Advanced English, Extension 1 Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Legal Studies. 'I found that worked well for me,' she said. 'Like really, really worked, because there's only so many times you can go through your notes, read through them, rewrite them before it gets boring, or you're not able to get the right amount of recall. 'Just sitting down and doing a practice test ... you can just kind of go, work through it, like a worksheet. And then you start to pick up the patterns because I found that sometimes, especially in maths, say, you would get the same sort of questions or the same sort of structure, just different variables. 'I distinctly remember in one of my maths exams that there was one question that had always tripped me up in the practice test, but I kind of sensed that they would bring it in – and because of the practice test and the amount of times that I did it, I was able to get really fantastic marks. The same thing with biology: you're seeing patterns of the exact same questions popping up every maybe five, six years.' Vince Rugari Many students nail clever techniques for study revision. Some find using flash cards to be a winner; others explain concepts to others or recite their notes aloud. For pop singer-songwriter Yorke, music was destined to be part of her path to HSC success. 'I'd use my favourite songs at that time – especially Taylor Swift – and I'd write my notes in song form, record myself singing them and then listen to that back over and over as a way to study,' she said. 'I can still remember some of my study songs – I started by doing the periodic table in a song in year 7 or 8,' said Yorke, 27, who has just released her third EP, unfinished business. Growing up in Byron Bay and attending nearby Trinity Catholic College in Lismore, Yorke was driven to pursue a future in music, even while she completed her HSC studies. 'I was very studious and determined to get the ATAR I wanted [for Media and Communications at UQ]. I wanted to go through the traditional ways of doing things. I loved high school for the things I learned and my friends. I wanted to be a high achiever,' she said. 'But I just knew I wanted to be an artist and a songwriter.' Yorke, aka Grace Hughes, reached her goal, with an '86 point something' ATAR. 'I was going to make uni work, but I got signed [by Island Records] in my second year,' she said. Her music career kicked off sooner than planned and success was quick to follow: tours supporting headline acts such as Lewis Capaldi, Amy Shark, The Veronicas and Ruel, more than 43 million artist streams, and shows at great music festivals including Spilt Milk. 'I was really torn up about what I wanted to do. I was quite scared after school finished because I like order and routine and suddenly that wasn't there any more,' she said. The routine might have gone, but life has only become busier. Yorke has developed a strong following in Japan and Korea and has a tour of Asia and Australia planned for later this year. Her advice for those who can't see past the stress of preparing for their final exams? 'Just realise that in 10 years' time you'll probably only remember the good times,' she said. 'Learning to be patient and kind to yourself is really important – I would have liked someone to have told me that. You don't have to figure it all out straightaway.' From Fairfield to New York: award-winning author's road to success Preparing for the HSC at Fairfield High School in Sydney, Tracey Lien had no idea a job at The Los Angeles Times and an award-winning debut novel were just around the corner. The bestselling author of All That's Left Unsaid, Lien knew she liked the arts and writing and chose courses to suit: Advanced English, English Extension 1 and 2, Visual Arts, Geography and Ancient History. 'I needed a certain rank to study journalism at UTS. I achieved that and felt tremendous relief,' said Lien, 36, who now lives in Brooklyn, New York. 'I put unreasonable pressure on myself in my HSC year, convinced that my results would determine my future, define my worth, and shape how others saw me. Boy, was I wrong!' The daughter of Vietnamese refugees who grew up in the suburbs around Cabramatta penned a novel that explores the mood and the realities she witnessed in that neighbourhood. The novel, which sparked a bidding war among publishers, tells the story of a young Vietnamese-Australian woman who returns home to her family after her brother's shocking murder, determined to discover what happened. Loading In year 12 in 2006, Lien prepared for her HSC by completing past papers marked by teachers, for detailed feedback. 'This was as tedious as it sounds for everyone involved, but it made exam day less stressful because I went in familiar with the format and, for English in particular, knowing that I had the stamina to write an essay under pressure,' she said. 'After each study session, I also treated myself to a round of Age of Empires II (this was a long time ago!). It's important to bake in a little treat!' Now working on a second novel, Lien said students need not have everything figured out by the end of school. She acknowledges interests, capabilities and passions change all the time. 'I was never considered a gifted writer. I wasn't an English prodigy. And I doubt anyone would have described me as having a natural flair for words,' she said. 'But, here's the thing: you don't need to be brilliant at 18 to have a fulfilling career as a journalist or author. Instead, focus on developing a growth mindset – the world will change, and so will you – believe in your capacity to learn, improve and persist over time.' Contos has completed four uni degrees. She still says the HSC was the hardest she ever studied Since she graduated from Kambala School in 2015, author, activist and Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos has completed four degrees at university – yet she maintains that she has never studied harder than she did leading up to her HSC. 'The hardest I've ever studied in my life was for the HSC. And I've done four degrees. It's not easy,' she said. In 2021, Contos founded Teach Us Consent, a not-for-profit organisation focused on eradicating rape culture and putting comprehensive sex and consent education into the curriculum. Her message went around the world and her campaigning resulted in consent education being made mandatory in all Australian schools. She has received multiple awards for her work, including the 2023 NSW Young Woman of the Year Award, The Australian Human Rights Commission Young People's Medal in 2021 and the Diana Award in 2022. Her advice for HSC students is to sleep well and not 'cram' for the exams. 'Sleep is so important,' says Contos. 'I remember that I literally gave myself a vitamin D deficiency from being inside studying so much and not getting enough sun. I couldn't sleep for days. I went to the doctor thinking I had insomnia or something, and they were like, 'When was the last time you saw the sun?' 'I think that it can also become a bit of a thing to be like, 'Oh my god, I crammed, I didn't sleep.' And it's actually such a bad way to approach studying, because having functioning cognitive ability is going to be better than whatever you do the night before an exam, when you could be sleeping.' Contos said she still applies her HSC study methods to her studies at university. She lives in England where she is finishing her Masters of Public Policy at Oxford University. 'Find the study hack that works for you. I still use the study techniques I learnt in the HSC now,' she said. 'For me, it was acronyms. I used to have acronyms for literally everything. Palm cards are also a really good way for me to learn … I still use those memorisation techniques when I need them. 'It might also seem like an obvious point to make, but use the syllabus as your study guide … they're only going to be able to test you on what's in the syllabus, so use it to your advantage.' One of Contos' biggest takeaways from her HSC years is that the result you receive is really not as important as it might seem when you're in the thick of stress and deadlines. 'Some of my friends who got the highest ATARs have gone on and done things that didn't require a high ATAR because that's what their passion was, and some of my friends who maybe didn't thrive in a school environment and ATAR wasn't a good measure of their intelligence have now gone on to do really incredible things, some in academia. 'So try your best, it's great to work really hard, but at the end of the day, it's not that deep.' What Contos cherishes most when she reflects on this period in her life are not her results but the memories she has of time spent with school friends. She recalls convincing her school to keep the library open late so they could all study together. She looks back fondly on these nights of camaraderie. 'On his way home from work at around six or seven, my dad would sometimes drop off chicken and chips and everyone who was in the library studying would all sit in the common room and eat together and then go back to study. It was so cute, actually, in hindsight,' Contos said. 'Just have fun… because the privilege of being around your friends from 8am or 9am to 3pm every day is something that I just miss so much.' Emily Kaine 'Present, polite, punctual': Weidler's advice to hopeful journos It's not often Danny Weidler has the microphone turned on him – typically it's the other way around. But now it's time for one of Australia's most recognisable sports journalists to have the spotlight on him, as he's tasked with reminiscing on when he decided to pursue a career in journalism. 'I was a very conscientious student. I wasn't one of those kids who could turn up and do an exam. I had to study,' he said. 'I would get up at 3am, they were my best sort of studying hours – 3am to midday – and then I'd go out and do stuff I enjoyed like play golf or go to the park and play with my mates.' Weidler always knew he wanted to be a journalist, but with a Hungarian psychiatrist for a father and a Russian social worker for a mother, sports journalism wasn't considered a real job. 'I got into commerce at the University of NSW. I knew I wanted to be a journalist, but my parents knew nothing about sport, nothing about journalism ... They had no concept of sport and even for most of my life my dad would say to me – because I did commerce, and then I dropped out – 'When are you going to go back and finish your degree?' ' Weidler took it upon himself to track down former league and rugby player Russell Fairfax, who was writing a weekly column for the Wentworth Courier in Sydney's eastern suburbs, asking him if he could write the column instead. As they say, the rest is history. Weidler has been one of Australia's most prominent sports reporters in print and television for the past 35 years, and won a Walkley award in 2006 for his reporting on Russell Crowe's purchase of the South Sydney Rabbitohs. His advice for any school-leavers thinking about journalism? 'Be prepared to work long hours, be prepared for people to reject you, but be persistent,' he said. 'Being persistent is the most important thing. Persistent, present, polite, punctual, all of those things, and respect the people around you and be very present. You can learn a lot if you get an opportunity, no matter how small it is.' Billie Eder Influencer and author says 'find a mentor' Hannah Ferguson says that in hindsight, her HSC History Extension major project – an essay on how historical fiction empowers the development of history – actually speaks to what she does for a career now. 'I basically did a pop culture piece on history and how to make it relevant to audiences and digestible and exciting,' she said. Ferguson now runs Cheek Media, an independent media organisation and news commentary platform with a reach of more than two million Australians a month. She is also co-host of a pop culture and news podcast, Big Small Talk, and a twice-published author. She grew up in Orange, in central western NSW, and attended James Sheahan Catholic High School, completing her HSC in 2016. Loading When she was 17, Ferguson's parents went through a divorce. Study was a welcome distraction during this time, but she also acknowledges that for others, personal hardships can really derail their academic journeys. 'A lot of year 12 kids can have their HSC entirely messed up by difficult family and personal stuff … There was a lot of difficulty and that actually meant that work, study and going out were all a distraction from really hard, personal times. And so for some people, it can become your focus point, but for others it does just damage your ability to engage academically,' Ferguson said. 'It was my world, I put my entire value in that, because so much else was failing, and this number would fix everything, and ultimately it didn't… I didn't end up getting that number, and then I got to university, and I never wanted to talk about the ATAR, I never wanted to focus on that.' Despite being obsessive about achieving her goal ATAR, Ferguson also prides herself on how she maintained other important parts of her life during her HSC. She worked a part-time retail job throughout high school and spent a lot of her free time socialising. 'I feel like no one says this, but I'm a July baby, so half the year I was able to go out,' she said. 'Because I grew up in a rural area, I went to a lot of farm parties, I lived on a five-acre property and we would have hundreds of people come and stay in swags and have bonfires on the property, so as much as studying was my jam and I was a big nerd, I did have a lot of fun in year 12.' Ferguson also found that having a trustworthy mentor made a huge difference to her emotional wellbeing during her HSC years. 'Find a teacher that you trust and have that conversation about whether they can be your mentor … that ultimately helped me because what you need sometimes is an emotional support as much as an intellectual support,' Ferguson said. When it comes to essay-based exams that require applying content to longer-form questions, Ferguson says the only content you should be memorising are your quotes and references. 'What you need to be able to do most is respond directly to what's being asked of you, as opposed to information that you've been spoon-fed or developed as a rote learning tool. That's of no use… Your ability to respond to the language in front of you and make it a personal, creative, unique thing is always going to serve you better than just memorising something,' she said. Emily Kaine Dessy spent her HSC making bikinis, the 'secret to her success' For most doing the HSC, taking a study break means going for a walk, having a snack, or hanging out with friends. For Dessy Hairis, it meant creating a global swimwear brand. During one of the most stressful times of her life, the Sydney student found relief in picking up a hobby: hand-sewing bikinis to sell and deliver to school friends, 'between HSC exams'. 'I would have my notes, my study books, and a couple of organza bags of bikinis,' she laughs. This was in 2013. Now, 12 years on, the former student of Brigidine College, Randwick, is the CEO of Bydee Bikinis, a worldwide brand worn by celebrities and showcased at Coachella. In her HSC year, Hairis had no idea the bikinis would become future career. It was 'just a hobby'. 'I really loved year 12. I loved studying. I picked subjects I really thrived in and found interesting. I really enjoyed the subjects I did, which made year 12 more enjoyable which was great,' she said. The student got Band 5 and 6 in all her subjects, something she is still proud of more than a decade on. 'When I wasn't studying, I needed an outlet. Being creative, living by the beach, summer, high school, being able to make myself bikinis was fun. I had something to show for what I was doing at the time,' she said. In hindsight, she believes it was the secret to her success. 'What I loved about sewing it was so therapeutic. I would record my essays or notes and listen to them while I was sewing,' she said. She found that when she 'sat with a piece of paper in front of me just reading it, if someone asked me a question about it later, I wouldn't be able to remember it,' she said. It was a different story when she revised her notes while focusing on her hobby. 'You use two sections of your brain instead of just sitting on your couch with notes in front of you and just staring at them,' she said. 'Getting a hobby, whether that is knitting, crocheting or making yourself a hand-beaded top and sitting there and doing that, and listening to the materials in the background while using your mind for something else, I found really helpful.'
The Age
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
Matilda star's tough call and ‘insane' routine netted perfect score
All the tips and tricks to help you do your best in this year's exams. See all 9 stories. When Amy Sayer sat her HSC in 2019 at Barker College, she was already a professional footballer with Sydney FC, and part of both the Young Matildas and senior Matildas squads. She also walked away with a perfect ATAR of 99.95. 'It was really tough,' she said. And it wouldn't have been even tougher if she didn't have the maturity required to make a bold, painful but necessary decision. Sayer chose to sit out the Young Matildas' qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 World Cup to focus on her studies. She made that call having seen teammates try to do both and struggle. 'I've seen a lot of the girls, like Remy Simpson and Princess Ibini and Jada Whyman – they had all done their HSC in [whatever] country that we were in, and it was often just a different Asian country,' she said. 'Frequently, it was China. So they were travelling outside of wherever our base camp was, for maybe three or four hours to take their exams at 4am – just because of the strict rules of the HSC. 'I don't think I would have done as well as I did if I hadn't opted out. Because of how important my education was to me ... that was the big decision I had to make.' Sayer abiding advice for those going through it now: don't bite off more than you can chew, if you can help it. Sacrifice to prioritise. She also advises finding a routine that works for you and stick to it. That doesn't mean copying hers which, by her own admission, was 'insane'. 'You're up for school around 6.45, 7am – that's if I don't have a morning training starting at 5am,' she said. 'And then a whole school day. I'm studying in my breaks – sometimes through meals, lunchtimes. And then straight after school, I was off for training. I'd be driving myself out to Valentine Park, so you're losing time travelling. But then most of the time, I would get home, and then I would pretty much just lock myself in my room. 'My parents would periodically deliver me tea and snacks. I was just hunkered down and studying. Pretty much any free-time that I had, I was in the books. 'You kind of have to have this single-track mind in order to do it.' Sayer's other tip is to find and complete as many past practice exams as possible. She studied Advanced English, Extension 1 Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Legal Studies. 'I found that worked well for me,' she said. 'Like really, really worked, because there's only so many times you can go through your notes, read through them, rewrite them before it gets boring, or you're not able to get the right amount of recall. 'Just sitting down and doing a practice test ... you can just kind of go, work through it, like a worksheet. And then you start to pick up the patterns because I found that sometimes, especially in maths, say, you would get the same sort of questions or the same sort of structure, just different variables. 'I distinctly remember in one of my maths exams that there was one question that had always tripped me up in the practice test, but I kind of sensed that they would bring it in – and because of the practice test and the amount of times that I did it, I was able to get really fantastic marks. The same thing with biology: you're seeing patterns of the exact same questions popping up every maybe five, six years.' Vince Rugari Many students nail clever techniques for study revision. Some find using flash cards to be a winner; others explain concepts to others or recite their notes aloud. For pop singer-songwriter Yorke, music was destined to be part of her path to HSC success. 'I'd use my favourite songs at that time – especially Taylor Swift – and I'd write my notes in song form, record myself singing them and then listen to that back over and over as a way to study,' she said. 'I can still remember some of my study songs – I started by doing the periodic table in a song in year 7 or 8,' said Yorke, 27, who has just released her third EP, unfinished business. Growing up in Byron Bay and attending nearby Trinity Catholic College in Lismore, Yorke was driven to pursue a future in music, even while she completed her HSC studies. 'I was very studious and determined to get the ATAR I wanted [for Media and Communications at UQ]. I wanted to go through the traditional ways of doing things. I loved high school for the things I learned and my friends. I wanted to be a high achiever,' she said. 'But I just knew I wanted to be an artist and a songwriter.' Yorke, aka Grace Hughes, reached her goal, with an '86 point something' ATAR. 'I was going to make uni work, but I got signed [by Island Records] in my second year,' she said. Her music career kicked off sooner than planned and success was quick to follow: tours supporting headline acts such as Lewis Capaldi, Amy Shark, The Veronicas and Ruel, more than 43 million artist streams, and shows at great music festivals including Spilt Milk. 'I was really torn up about what I wanted to do. I was quite scared after school finished because I like order and routine and suddenly that wasn't there any more,' she said. The routine might have gone, but life has only become busier. Yorke has developed a strong following in Japan and Korea and has a tour of Asia and Australia planned for later this year. Her advice for those who can't see past the stress of preparing for their final exams? 'Just realise that in 10 years' time you'll probably only remember the good times,' she said. 'Learning to be patient and kind to yourself is really important – I would have liked someone to have told me that. You don't have to figure it all out straightaway.' From Fairfield to New York: award-winning author's road to success Preparing for the HSC at Fairfield High School in Sydney, Tracey Lien had no idea a job at The Los Angeles Times and an award-winning debut novel were just around the corner. The bestselling author of All That's Left Unsaid, Lien knew she liked the arts and writing and chose courses to suit: Advanced English, English Extension 1 and 2, Visual Arts, Geography and Ancient History. 'I needed a certain rank to study journalism at UTS. I achieved that and felt tremendous relief,' said Lien, 36, who now lives in Brooklyn, New York. 'I put unreasonable pressure on myself in my HSC year, convinced that my results would determine my future, define my worth, and shape how others saw me. Boy, was I wrong!' The daughter of Vietnamese refugees who grew up in the suburbs around Cabramatta penned a novel that explores the mood and the realities she witnessed in that neighbourhood. The novel, which sparked a bidding war among publishers, tells the story of a young Vietnamese-Australian woman who returns home to her family after her brother's shocking murder, determined to discover what happened. Loading In year 12 in 2006, Lien prepared for her HSC by completing past papers marked by teachers, for detailed feedback. 'This was as tedious as it sounds for everyone involved, but it made exam day less stressful because I went in familiar with the format and, for English in particular, knowing that I had the stamina to write an essay under pressure,' she said. 'After each study session, I also treated myself to a round of Age of Empires II (this was a long time ago!). It's important to bake in a little treat!' Now working on a second novel, Lien said students need not have everything figured out by the end of school. She acknowledges interests, capabilities and passions change all the time. 'I was never considered a gifted writer. I wasn't an English prodigy. And I doubt anyone would have described me as having a natural flair for words,' she said. 'But, here's the thing: you don't need to be brilliant at 18 to have a fulfilling career as a journalist or author. Instead, focus on developing a growth mindset – the world will change, and so will you – believe in your capacity to learn, improve and persist over time.' Contos has completed four uni degrees. She still says the HSC was the hardest she ever studied Since she graduated from Kambala School in 2015, author, activist and Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos has completed four degrees at university – yet she maintains that she has never studied harder than she did leading up to her HSC. 'The hardest I've ever studied in my life was for the HSC. And I've done four degrees. It's not easy,' she said. In 2021, Contos founded Teach Us Consent, a not-for-profit organisation focused on eradicating rape culture and putting comprehensive sex and consent education into the curriculum. Her message went around the world and her campaigning resulted in consent education being made mandatory in all Australian schools. She has received multiple awards for her work, including the 2023 NSW Young Woman of the Year Award, The Australian Human Rights Commission Young People's Medal in 2021 and the Diana Award in 2022. Her advice for HSC students is to sleep well and not 'cram' for the exams. 'Sleep is so important,' says Contos. 'I remember that I literally gave myself a vitamin D deficiency from being inside studying so much and not getting enough sun. I couldn't sleep for days. I went to the doctor thinking I had insomnia or something, and they were like, 'When was the last time you saw the sun?' 'I think that it can also become a bit of a thing to be like, 'Oh my god, I crammed, I didn't sleep.' And it's actually such a bad way to approach studying, because having functioning cognitive ability is going to be better than whatever you do the night before an exam, when you could be sleeping.' Contos said she still applies her HSC study methods to her studies at university. She lives in England where she is finishing her Masters of Public Policy at Oxford University. 'Find the study hack that works for you. I still use the study techniques I learnt in the HSC now,' she said. 'For me, it was acronyms. I used to have acronyms for literally everything. Palm cards are also a really good way for me to learn … I still use those memorisation techniques when I need them. 'It might also seem like an obvious point to make, but use the syllabus as your study guide … they're only going to be able to test you on what's in the syllabus, so use it to your advantage.' One of Contos' biggest takeaways from her HSC years is that the result you receive is really not as important as it might seem when you're in the thick of stress and deadlines. 'Some of my friends who got the highest ATARs have gone on and done things that didn't require a high ATAR because that's what their passion was, and some of my friends who maybe didn't thrive in a school environment and ATAR wasn't a good measure of their intelligence have now gone on to do really incredible things, some in academia. 'So try your best, it's great to work really hard, but at the end of the day, it's not that deep.' What Contos cherishes most when she reflects on this period in her life are not her results but the memories she has of time spent with school friends. She recalls convincing her school to keep the library open late so they could all study together. She looks back fondly on these nights of camaraderie. 'On his way home from work at around six or seven, my dad would sometimes drop off chicken and chips and everyone who was in the library studying would all sit in the common room and eat together and then go back to study. It was so cute, actually, in hindsight,' Contos said. 'Just have fun… because the privilege of being around your friends from 8am or 9am to 3pm every day is something that I just miss so much.' Emily Kaine 'Present, polite, punctual': Weidler's advice to hopeful journos It's not often Danny Weidler has the microphone turned on him – typically it's the other way around. But now it's time for one of Australia's most recognisable sports journalists to have the spotlight on him, as he's tasked with reminiscing on when he decided to pursue a career in journalism. 'I was a very conscientious student. I wasn't one of those kids who could turn up and do an exam. I had to study,' he said. 'I would get up at 3am, they were my best sort of studying hours – 3am to midday – and then I'd go out and do stuff I enjoyed like play golf or go to the park and play with my mates.' Weidler always knew he wanted to be a journalist, but with a Hungarian psychiatrist for a father and a Russian social worker for a mother, sports journalism wasn't considered a real job. 'I got into commerce at the University of NSW. I knew I wanted to be a journalist, but my parents knew nothing about sport, nothing about journalism ... They had no concept of sport and even for most of my life my dad would say to me – because I did commerce, and then I dropped out – 'When are you going to go back and finish your degree?' ' Weidler took it upon himself to track down former league and rugby player Russell Fairfax, who was writing a weekly column for the Wentworth Courier in Sydney's eastern suburbs, asking him if he could write the column instead. As they say, the rest is history. Weidler has been one of Australia's most prominent sports reporters in print and television for the past 35 years, and won a Walkley award in 2006 for his reporting on Russell Crowe's purchase of the South Sydney Rabbitohs. His advice for any school-leavers thinking about journalism? 'Be prepared to work long hours, be prepared for people to reject you, but be persistent,' he said. 'Being persistent is the most important thing. Persistent, present, polite, punctual, all of those things, and respect the people around you and be very present. You can learn a lot if you get an opportunity, no matter how small it is.' Billie Eder Influencer and author says 'find a mentor' Hannah Ferguson says that in hindsight, her HSC History Extension major project – an essay on how historical fiction empowers the development of history – actually speaks to what she does for a career now. 'I basically did a pop culture piece on history and how to make it relevant to audiences and digestible and exciting,' she said. Ferguson now runs Cheek Media, an independent media organisation and news commentary platform with a reach of more than two million Australians a month. She is also co-host of a pop culture and news podcast, Big Small Talk, and a twice-published author. She grew up in Orange, in central western NSW, and attended James Sheahan Catholic High School, completing her HSC in 2016. Loading When she was 17, Ferguson's parents went through a divorce. Study was a welcome distraction during this time, but she also acknowledges that for others, personal hardships can really derail their academic journeys. 'A lot of year 12 kids can have their HSC entirely messed up by difficult family and personal stuff … There was a lot of difficulty and that actually meant that work, study and going out were all a distraction from really hard, personal times. And so for some people, it can become your focus point, but for others it does just damage your ability to engage academically,' Ferguson said. 'It was my world, I put my entire value in that, because so much else was failing, and this number would fix everything, and ultimately it didn't… I didn't end up getting that number, and then I got to university, and I never wanted to talk about the ATAR, I never wanted to focus on that.' Despite being obsessive about achieving her goal ATAR, Ferguson also prides herself on how she maintained other important parts of her life during her HSC. She worked a part-time retail job throughout high school and spent a lot of her free time socialising. 'I feel like no one says this, but I'm a July baby, so half the year I was able to go out,' she said. 'Because I grew up in a rural area, I went to a lot of farm parties, I lived on a five-acre property and we would have hundreds of people come and stay in swags and have bonfires on the property, so as much as studying was my jam and I was a big nerd, I did have a lot of fun in year 12.' Ferguson also found that having a trustworthy mentor made a huge difference to her emotional wellbeing during her HSC years. 'Find a teacher that you trust and have that conversation about whether they can be your mentor … that ultimately helped me because what you need sometimes is an emotional support as much as an intellectual support,' Ferguson said. When it comes to essay-based exams that require applying content to longer-form questions, Ferguson says the only content you should be memorising are your quotes and references. 'What you need to be able to do most is respond directly to what's being asked of you, as opposed to information that you've been spoon-fed or developed as a rote learning tool. That's of no use… Your ability to respond to the language in front of you and make it a personal, creative, unique thing is always going to serve you better than just memorising something,' she said. Emily Kaine Dessy spent her HSC making bikinis, the 'secret to her success' For most doing the HSC, taking a study break means going for a walk, having a snack, or hanging out with friends. For Dessy Hairis, it meant creating a global swimwear brand. During one of the most stressful times of her life, the Sydney student found relief in picking up a hobby: hand-sewing bikinis to sell and deliver to school friends, 'between HSC exams'. 'I would have my notes, my study books, and a couple of organza bags of bikinis,' she laughs. This was in 2013. Now, 12 years on, the former student of Brigidine College, Randwick, is the CEO of Bydee Bikinis, a worldwide brand worn by celebrities and showcased at Coachella. In her HSC year, Hairis had no idea the bikinis would become future career. It was 'just a hobby'. 'I really loved year 12. I loved studying. I picked subjects I really thrived in and found interesting. I really enjoyed the subjects I did, which made year 12 more enjoyable which was great,' she said. The student got Band 5 and 6 in all her subjects, something she is still proud of more than a decade on. 'When I wasn't studying, I needed an outlet. Being creative, living by the beach, summer, high school, being able to make myself bikinis was fun. I had something to show for what I was doing at the time,' she said. In hindsight, she believes it was the secret to her success. 'What I loved about sewing it was so therapeutic. I would record my essays or notes and listen to them while I was sewing,' she said. She found that when she 'sat with a piece of paper in front of me just reading it, if someone asked me a question about it later, I wouldn't be able to remember it,' she said. It was a different story when she revised her notes while focusing on her hobby. 'You use two sections of your brain instead of just sitting on your couch with notes in front of you and just staring at them,' she said. 'Getting a hobby, whether that is knitting, crocheting or making yourself a hand-beaded top and sitting there and doing that, and listening to the materials in the background while using your mind for something else, I found really helpful.'
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Sydney FC signs son of former Socceroos star
A day after signing Al Hassan Toure, Sydney FC have secured the services of emerging Socceroos midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica. The Sky Blues have signed Okon-Engstler - the son of former Socceroos defender Paul Okon - on a three-year deal. The 20-year-old joins from Portugal's most successful club Benfica, who made the last 16 at the recent FIFA Club World Cup. Okon-Engstler was called into Tony Popovic's Socceroos squad for recent World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Although he is yet to make his international debut, he is considered a rising star and remains in the mix to feature for Australia at the 2026 World Cup. Okon-Engstler progressed through Benfica's academy and featured in the Portuguese second division throughout last season. "I'm really excited to be joining Sydney FC and to start this next chapter of my career back in Australia," Okon-Engstler said. "Sydney FC is a fantastic, forward-thinking football club with a progressive football philosophy and strategy which really drew me in. "It's a special moment for me and my family, I'm coming here to win trophies and fast-track my career and I can't wait to play in front of the Sky Blue members." Okon-Engstler could make his first appearance for Sydney on July 29 when they take on Western United in the Australia Cup. Toure, who started his career at Adelaide United, signed a two-year deal. The 25-year-old returns to Australia from FC Tulsa in the USL Championship after stints in Turkey and France. A day after signing Al Hassan Toure, Sydney FC have secured the services of emerging Socceroos midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica. The Sky Blues have signed Okon-Engstler - the son of former Socceroos defender Paul Okon - on a three-year deal. The 20-year-old joins from Portugal's most successful club Benfica, who made the last 16 at the recent FIFA Club World Cup. Okon-Engstler was called into Tony Popovic's Socceroos squad for recent World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Although he is yet to make his international debut, he is considered a rising star and remains in the mix to feature for Australia at the 2026 World Cup. Okon-Engstler progressed through Benfica's academy and featured in the Portuguese second division throughout last season. "I'm really excited to be joining Sydney FC and to start this next chapter of my career back in Australia," Okon-Engstler said. "Sydney FC is a fantastic, forward-thinking football club with a progressive football philosophy and strategy which really drew me in. "It's a special moment for me and my family, I'm coming here to win trophies and fast-track my career and I can't wait to play in front of the Sky Blue members." Okon-Engstler could make his first appearance for Sydney on July 29 when they take on Western United in the Australia Cup. Toure, who started his career at Adelaide United, signed a two-year deal. The 25-year-old returns to Australia from FC Tulsa in the USL Championship after stints in Turkey and France. A day after signing Al Hassan Toure, Sydney FC have secured the services of emerging Socceroos midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica. The Sky Blues have signed Okon-Engstler - the son of former Socceroos defender Paul Okon - on a three-year deal. The 20-year-old joins from Portugal's most successful club Benfica, who made the last 16 at the recent FIFA Club World Cup. Okon-Engstler was called into Tony Popovic's Socceroos squad for recent World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Although he is yet to make his international debut, he is considered a rising star and remains in the mix to feature for Australia at the 2026 World Cup. Okon-Engstler progressed through Benfica's academy and featured in the Portuguese second division throughout last season. "I'm really excited to be joining Sydney FC and to start this next chapter of my career back in Australia," Okon-Engstler said. "Sydney FC is a fantastic, forward-thinking football club with a progressive football philosophy and strategy which really drew me in. "It's a special moment for me and my family, I'm coming here to win trophies and fast-track my career and I can't wait to play in front of the Sky Blue members." Okon-Engstler could make his first appearance for Sydney on July 29 when they take on Western United in the Australia Cup. Toure, who started his career at Adelaide United, signed a two-year deal. The 25-year-old returns to Australia from FC Tulsa in the USL Championship after stints in Turkey and France.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler signs three-year deal with Sydney FC
FIFA World Cup hopeful Paul Okon-Engstler has joined Sydney FC from Portuguese club Benfica. The 20-year-old midfielder, who was named in a senior Socceroos squad for the first time last month, has signed a three-season deal with the Sky Blues. 'Sydney FC is a fantastic, forward-thinking football club with a progressive football philosophy and strategy which really drew me in,' the son of Socceroos great Paul Okon said. 'It's a special moment for me and my family. I'm coming here to win trophies and fast-track my career.' Born in Belgium, Okon-Engstler has spent the past three years at Benfica, where he played for the club's youth and reserve teams. The former Marconi and Western Sydney Wanderers youth player had a leading role in Australia's AFC Under-20 Asian Cup triumph earlier this year, and is set to be part of the Young Socceroos squad at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, which starts in September in Chile. Our first look at @paulokonjnr in Sky Blue 🤩 #WeAreSydney — Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) July 25, 2025 A strong season with the Sky Blues will also put Okon-Engstler in the selection frame for Australia's squad at next year's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Sydney FC coach Ufuk Talay said Okon-Engstler was a 'fantastic young talent with a huge future ahead of him'. 'Paul has excellent positional awareness, a real calmness in possession, and can break up play while also building from the back,' Talay said. 'He's come through top systems, and we believe he's ready to take the next step in his development here in Sydney. 'His potential is enormous, and we're proud to play a role in his future both at club level and hopefully on the international stage.' Okon-Engstler could make his Sky Blues debut on Tuesday night when the Sydneysiders travel to Ironbark Fields to meet Western United in an Australia Cup round-of-32 clash.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Sydney FC signs son of former Socceroos star
A day after signing Al Hassan Toure, Sydney FC have secured the services of emerging Socceroos midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica. The Sky Blues have signed Okon-Engstler - the son of former Socceroos defender Paul Okon - on a three-year deal. The 20-year-old joins from Portugal's most successful club Benfica, who made the last 16 at the recent FIFA Club World Cup. Okon-Engstler was called into Tony Popovic's Socceroos squad for recent World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Although he is yet to make his international debut, he is considered a rising star and remains in the mix to feature for Australia at the 2026 World Cup. Okon-Engstler progressed through Benfica's academy and featured in the Portuguese second division throughout last season. "I'm really excited to be joining Sydney FC and to start this next chapter of my career back in Australia," Okon-Engstler said. "Sydney FC is a fantastic, forward-thinking football club with a progressive football philosophy and strategy which really drew me in. "It's a special moment for me and my family, I'm coming here to win trophies and fast-track my career and I can't wait to play in front of the Sky Blue members." Okon-Engstler could make his first appearance for Sydney on July 29 when they take on Western United in the Australia Cup. Toure, who started his career at Adelaide United, signed a two-year deal. The 25-year-old returns to Australia from FC Tulsa in the USL Championship after stints in Turkey and France.
