Emily Sonter, who yesterday received the first in course award for earth and environmental sciences, barely slept a wink. She woke to a text from her school principal at 5.30am.
“She was at school, screaming with her colleagues, apparently,” Emily said. She received five band sixes this morning in earth and environmental sciences, biology, investigating science, geography, and maths advanced.
“As soon as I opened them and saw the five band sixes, it was a sigh of relief.”
Emily Sonter at the first-in-course event at UNSW on Wednesday.Credit: James Brickwood
She also studied English standard and science extension, for which her major work will be published in a magazine in May. The work investigated the effect of range-shifting sea urchins on temperate marine environments.
The high achiever studied by writing hundreds of palm cards until her “hand was hurting”, and by practising explaining key concepts as if she were the teacher.
“I was basically teaching my wall every single day and every afternoon.”
With plans to pursue a career in field ecology, via a bachelor of sciences and advanced studies, Emily’s advice to science students is simple. “Just go outside, look at your surroundings,” she said, “and you’ll basically see your concepts in your surroundings.”