On Thursday, 3 September, the Branwhite Centre and The Shed were completely and utterly transformed.
For one evening, the usual classrooms and corridors were totally decked out. Desks and worksheets gave way to paintings, furniture, prototypes, experiments, data and designs. Everywhere you looked was evidence of an idea that had been started months earlier, and, in some cases, an idea that had probably changed several times since.
This was APEX 2026: the culminating point of the HSC Major Works.
For the Year 12 students exhibiting, however, APEX was about much more than putting a finished project on display. It was the moment when months of planning, making, experimenting, rewriting, problem-solving and occasionally wondering, “Is this actually going to work?” were finally shared with a live audience.
Across Visual Arts, Science Extension, Timber, Design and Technology, Software Engineering and Enterprise Computing, students had spent the year turning ideas into something tangible. The finished works may have looked completely different from one another, but they all began in much the same place: with a Year 12 student asking, “What could I make?”“What could I investigate?” or, perhaps more importantly, “How am I going to finish this?”
After a year of blood, sweat, tears, surviving on iced caramel lattes and more than a few moments of “surely this will be fine,” our major works were finally out of the classroom.
Behind every finished work was a year of uncertainty, problem-solving, revision and persistence. APEX offered the opportunity to step back from the deadlines, drafts and setbacks and see what all that work had ultimately produced.
So, from the students who spent the past year making, researching, designing, building, testing, rewriting and occasionally panicking, we would like to share what happened behind the finished works, and what APEX meant to us.
Science Extension: Blood, Sweat and Smoke
Reflection by Patricia P
How much can go wrong when six Year 12 students are given a year to investigate whatever they want?
Quite a lot, as it turns out.
For us, Science Extension began with six questions and ended with six very different investigations: quantum physics, aircraft aerodynamics, garlic, brain genetics and the surprisingly complicated relationship between time and memory. Somewhere along the way, there were failed experiments, unexpected results, several spreadsheets and enough caffeine to make the coffee machine nervous.
And then there was the smoke.
Aaron R’s original ambitious plan was to investigate quantum physics — despite not actually studying Physics. After teaching himself the necessary concepts and tracking down a specialised slide (worth about $100 btw) from a scientist in California, everything seemed to be falling into place. Then his laser burnt the slide.
With only a term left, Aaron had to scrap the experiment, start again and somehow collect enough data to finish. Not exactly the smooth scientific journey he had planned, but perhaps one of the most valuable lessons of the year: sometimes, science says absolutely not, and you have to try something else.
My own investigation was a little less smoky, but considerably more bureaucratic. I investigated how the time of day might affect curriculum recall in school-aged students, which meant navigating ethical approval, permissions, and eventually collecting data from 265 students. The results differed between Year 6 and Year 10, raising more questions about learning, memory and biological timing than they answered. Apparently, science does not believe in giving you a nice, tidy conclusion and letting you go home.
Angela A took science into the kitchen, investigating whether heating garlic affected its ability to inhibit E. coli. There were bacteria, there was micro-pipetting, and there was, inevitably, a lot of garlic. After months of work, Angela discovered she did not have enough trials for the statistical test she had planned and had to change direction. The bacteria may have been her official enemy, but judging by the amount of garlic involved, the vampires were probably concerned too.
Daniela B and Sonya C faced perhaps the most intimidating opponent of all: RStudio. Through the UNSW SciX program, both worked with human brain data and taught themselves RStudio to investigate biological pathways associated with Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Neither project produced the neat, significant result they might have hoped for. Instead, they discovered something researchers learn again and again: an unexpected result is not a wasted result. Sometimes the answer is not what you expected, and sometimes that is where the interesting science begins.
Connor F, meanwhile, decided to find out how aircraft design affects aerodynamic efficiency. With seven nose designs, nine wing designs, eight tail designs, a homemade wind tunnel (credit to Mr Lincoln) and 44 aircraft models, Connor had certainly given himself enough work to do. His results ultimately found no relationship between the designs tested and aerodynamic efficiency at the scale of his experiment. Not quite the dramatic breakthrough he had hoped for, but a valuable reminder that science does not exist to prove us right.
Looking back, perhaps “blood and sweat” was an accurate description of Science Extension, just not a complete one. There were also tears, caffeine, spreadsheets, garlic, failed experiments and, thanks to Aaron, smoke.
But beneath all the jokes, there is something we are genuinely proud of. None of these projects went exactly according to plan. Every one of us had to troubleshoot, adapt, start again or accept that our results were not going to cooperate.
After a year of questioning, testing, failing, rethinking and occasionally wondering why we had chosen this subject in the first place, we finally got to stand beside something that was entirely our own, and I couldn’t be prouder of all of us.
Six questions. Six very different journeys. One very sleep-deprived Science Extension class.
We made it!
A word from our Science Extension Teacher – Dr Ontedhu
Aut viam inveniam aut faciam.
I will either find a way or make one. These words from Seneca perfectly capture the spirit of our Extension Science students. These students have shown remarkable resilience, curiosity and determination. They have tackled complex scientific questions, learned unfamiliar technologies, analysed challenging data and confronted results that did not always match their expectations. Yet, rather than becoming discouraged, they adapted their methods, reconsidered their ideas and continued searching for answers.
Extension Science demands much more than scientific knowledge. It requires independence, creativity, patience and the courage to accept uncertainty. Our students have discovered that authentic scientific research rarely follows a straight path. Experiments may fail, data may be confusing, and conclusions may raise more questions than they answer. However, it is through these challenges that genuine learning occurs. Through it all, what has impressed me most is their willingness to remain curious and keep moving forward. They have learned that resilience does not mean avoiding difficulty; rather, it means responding to difficulty with purpose and determination. I am sure that as they graduate from school and begin the next phase of their journey, we will see great things from them.
Timber Reflections – Sawdust and Splinters
Reflection by Keira F
As a Timber student, seeing my project presented at APEX was honestly something I could not have imagined 12 months ago.
For most of the year, our Major Works existed as sketches, measurements, half-finished pieces of Timber and increasingly stressful conversations about how much time we had left. So, walking into APEX and seeing not only my own project but an entire collection of finished works displayed together was a strange and rewarding moment; suddenly, all the behind-the-scenes work that has taken up so much of our Year 12 experience has become something people could actually see.
The Timber projects on display ranged from electric guitars and custom storage cases to fold-down desks, vinyl cabinets, entertainment units, and other pieces of furniture. What stood out was not only the range of designs but how different every project was. Each student had started with their own idea and over the course of a year turned it into something tangible.
From a personal perspective, one of the biggest challenges in completing a Major Work, especially in Timber, is simply getting to the end. There are so many different aspects that have come together: building and designing the project, documenting it in the portfolio, preparing everything for marking and sometimes just convincing yourself to start.
For me, the biggest challenge was switching from “I have heaps of time” to the sudden realisation that, somehow, ‘oh, we have two months left’
If I could give one piece of advice to next year’s Year 12 students, it would be to choose and design something that you genuinely want to make. You will be spending a lot of time with your project, so it needs to be something that you are interested in and something you will still want to work on when the excitement of the initial idea has worn off.
Despite the challenges, I would choose Timber again. It pushes you to solve problems, work harder and develop skills that go far beyond simply making a piece of furniture. By the end of the process, you have not only created a Major Work, but also learnt a lot about how you work, how you respond when things go wrong, and what you are capable of when you finally get yourself moving.
A word from the Head of Timber – Mr Lincoln
Working with our Year 12 students on their Major Projects this year has been an incredibly rewarding experience. More than simply watching projects take shape, it has been a privilege to see students embrace some important life lessons along the way. For many, the Major Project represents an opportunity to attempt something they have never done before, set an ambitious goal and then commit themselves to the sustained effort required to achieve it.
One of the greatest challenges students face throughout this process is learning to manage nerves and self-doubt. It is very easy to second-guess a design decision, question whether an idea will work or become overwhelmed by the scale of the task ahead. Seeing students work through those moments, solve problems and continue moving forward is one of the most valuable parts of the experience.
The APEX exhibition provided a fitting celebration of that journey. Rather than one standout moment, my fondest memory of APEX was the atmosphere across the College. There was a genuine sense of pride and celebration as students, families, staff and members of the wider College community came together to recognise the creativity, persistence and hard work represented in the exhibition. Seeing students present their completed Major Projects for the final time was enormously rewarding.
For next year’s Year 12 students, the best advice is simple: start early and manage your time carefully. A Major Project is a marathon, not a sprint. Try to problem-solve before arriving in class, then use your teacher to confirm your thinking and refine your approach. It is also wise to design some flexibility into your project. Additional processes, such as an inlay or a shaped feature, can add complexity and refinement but can also be removed if time becomes tight. And finally, to echo Keira’s words, choose and design something you love; you’ll be spending a lot of time with it!
Ultimately, APEX is about much more than the finished products. It celebrates the determination, growth and achievement behind them, and this year, the pride shown by the whole College community made that especially evident.
Visual Arts Reflections – Marziyah
As a Visual Arts student, seeing my body of work hanging at APEX was something I couldn’t have pictured twelve months ago.
For most of the year, our Major Works existed as half-formed concepts, trial pieces that didn’t work, and increasingly stressful conversations about how many weeks we had left. So walking into the exhibition and seeing not just my own work but the whole cohort’s displayed together was a strange and rewarding moment. All the behind-the-scenes work that had taken up so much of our Year 12 experience was suddenly something people could actually stand in front of and look at.
The works on display ranged enormously — painting, photomedia, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and pieces that sat somewhere between all of them. What stood out was not only the range of media but how different every concept was. Each of us had started with our own idea and spent a year turning it into something resolved. We called the exhibition “Metanoia” because artmaking genuinely changed how we saw things, and putting the work up shifted how other people saw them too.
From a personal perspective, the hardest part of a Major Work in Visual Arts is the beginning. Like a lot of my peers, I spent months searching for a concept I actually cared about, and most of what I tried in that time failed. My teachers gave me the confidence to keep experimenting and eventually pointed me toward something that stuck. The final work was unrecognisable compared to where it started.
The other challenge was time. I stayed at school until 5 pm more times than I can count, and worked through holidays and weekends. The little major work room tucked in the corner of the Branwhite became a second home — a place for problem solving, making and refining, and honestly, a place of stress and tears as well. On those days, there was always someone in the room to sit with you, and teachers who would talk you back down. Mrs Arcella, Mr Christie, Mrs Viegal, Mrs Meleckas and Mrs Messina became mentors and friends to our class, and the chocolates, charcuterie boards and Olivia Dean playing in the art rooms are as much a part of the year as the work itself.
If I could give one piece of advice to next year’s Year 12 students, it would be to choose a concept you genuinely care about. You will live with it for a year, so it has to hold your interest long after the excitement of the first idea wears off.
Despite everything, I would choose Visual Arts again. It pushes you to think differently, to keep going when an idea collapses, and to trust your own judgement. By the end, you’ve made a Major Work, but you’ve also learnt how you work, how you respond when things go wrong, and what you’re capable of.
It is easy to look at an exhibition like APEX and see only the finished works.
A polished piece of furniture does not show the hours spent measuring, sanding and remaking. A painting does not show every discarded idea that came before it. A scientific investigation does not show the experiment that failed, the data that refused to cooperate, or the 30-page Excel spreadsheet that we cried over for weeks.
For those beginning their Major Works next year, our advice is simple: start earlier than you think you need, expect things to go wrong, and don’t be afraid to change your original idea. Your experiment might fail. Your design might need to be rebuilt. Your artwork might take an unexpected turn. Your deadline might suddenly become alarmingly close. That is all part of the journey.
Also, a small piece of advice from those who have been there: when your teacher says, “You have plenty of time,” believe them!! When you say, “I have plenty of time,” perhaps get a second opinion.
But don’t let the challenges put you off.
It’s pretty awesome and special to be spending a year making, investigating or creating something that is genuinely your own. You get to make mistakes, solve problems, change your mind, learn things you never expected to learn and, eventually, hold up the finished product and think, “WOW, I actually made that.”
So, to next year’s Major Work students: good luck, and we send our prayers (you’re going to need them)!!
Start early. Find out what your favourite coffee or energy drink is. Back up your files. Make use of your free drink at the cafe, and whatever you do, don’t burn your equipment.
And enjoy it!!
Although you may spend a few (many) moments wondering why you ever chose this particular subject, when you finally reach APEX and see your work sitting there, surrounded by everything your friends have created too, you’ll probably find yourself thinking the same thing we did:
It was worth it.
