AFTER just two hours sleep before his Higher School Certificate results, Luke Wilson has prepared differently for today's university offers.
"I had a few mates over and we were all trying to stay up to make it through," Luke, 18, said of last Friday, when he received his HSC results at 6am and Australian Tertiary Admission Rank at 9am.
"I was the last one standing so was on my own for a bit until 5am, then crashed and was back up at 7am."
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The former Whitebridge High student, who gave up an opportunity to play for Broadmeadow Magic Football Club's reserve-grade team to focus on his HSC, received marks in the highest band possible for four of his five subjects.
He achieved an ATAR of 95.8 and hopes to study medicine at the University of Newcastle (UON).
"I was over the moon," Luke said. "It all felt worth it in the end. It was a big sigh of relief that everything paid off."
The Universities Admissions Centre will release its December Round Two offers online at 7.30am on Wednesday. These will be the first offers made to year 12 students based on their ATARs.
Luke sat the University Clinical Aptitude test in July and said getting an offer was the next step towards his goal of many years.
"I think for uni offers I'll be going to bed early and waking up early and waiting eagerly," he said this week.
"It's pretty nerve wracking. I'm excited yet nervous to find out if I do get in, but if I don't there are plenty of opportunities to get into other courses and hopefully transfer over next year or find another pathway."
Former Warners Bay High student Khiara Langham, 18, is also waiting to see if she has been offered a place in the nursing and paramedicine double degree at UON.
She was an All-Round Achiever - meaning she received subject results in the highest band possible in 10 or more units of study - and achieved an ATAR of 95.95.
"I was very shocked and happy," she said. "I was hoping for at least in the 80s and possibly the early 90s."
She has already accepted an early offer to nursing at UON and been accepted into the Air Force Gap Year program, which would see her learning about airbase protection and security from June.
"There's lots of reevaluation, I wasn't expecting the mark, so there are now more options open."
Her dad works with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and she's always been interested in the emergency services.
"I've always thought it would be a very interesting job, very hands on and something different every day."
While paramedicine is a priority, she said nursing was a good back up option and would allow her to work overseas.
Luke would like to become a surgeon and specialise in one part of the body.
"Ever since I was young I've been fascinated with how the body works and finding ways to help other people."
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