Driving vs Public Transport: Should You Drive to Your HSC Exams?

Have you already got your Ps and are wondering whether you should drive to your HSC exams?

At face value it seems like a great thing – you can drive yourself and your friends to exams! You also don’t have to worry about checking train timetables or pay bus fares, but there are benefits to taking public transport as well.

Still unsure? Well don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve made a list of the pros and cons for these ways of getting to your HSC exams.

Check it out!

Pros of Driving to Your HSC Exams

Cons of Driving to Your HSC Exams

Pros of Taking Public Transport

Cons of Taking Public Transport

Driving to Your HSC Exams

The Pros

Pro #1 Control

You decide when you leave, how you travel and when you plan to get to school/the exam hall. If you forget something at home or need to pick something up on the way, it’s easy to turn the car around.

Pro #2 Self-reliability 

When you’re the one driving the car, you don’t need to rely on anyone else, decreasing the likelihood of someone else making you late. Plus the car trip is generally door-to-door, meaning you’re not going to miss it because you didn’t walk to the bus stop fast enough.

Pro #3 Freedom 

Driving to the exam means you can pick up friends along the way, arrive at school early for some last minute cramming or even go for a Maccas run afterwards! 

The Cons

Con #1 Safety 

Let’s face it, most P-platers make mistakes every now and then, and the anxiety that comes before exams isn’t going to help on the road.

Driving to your HSC exams can lead to a lack of focus that can seriously inhibit your ability to drive safely.

Con #2 Money

Petrol isn’t cheap these days, so unless you’re driving the family car it’s most likely that you’ll end up having to pay to fill the tank (more than once, if you plan to drive to all of your exams). The $2.80 train fare isn’t looking so bad now, is it?

Con #3 Traffic

There’s always the possibility that you’re going to run into traffic on the roads, and waiting 30 minutes to move half way down the street isn’t going to do anything for your pre-exam nerves. You definitely don’t need that extra stress of worrying whether traffic will make you late for your exams.

Taking Public Transport

The Pros

Pro #1 Reliability 

With trains and buses generally running to timetables, there’s a near guarantee that it’s going to get you to where you want to be, when you want to be there. Trains also get bonus points for not having to deal with traffic.

Pro #3 Scheduling 

Because they run to a set timetable, you’re most likely to choose the bus or train that gets you to the exam earlier rather than right on the start time. This helps prevent lateness and can even lead to you going in early to revise, if the best suited transport is significantly early.

Pro #3 Money

With almost all school students holding a train or bus pass, travelling to and from exams by public transport is pretty much free! Even if you don’t have a bus pass, student/concession discounts mean that you don’t have to fork out a lot to get to your exams.

The Cons

Con #1 Delays 

There’s no denying that Australia’s public transport system can be unreliable, with buses especially facing frequent delays. Though it’s usually only a few minutes, a delayed bus or train can mean extra anxiety or getting to an exam late.

If you’re running late for your exams, learn more about what you should do here!

Con #2 Timing 

If you’re not at the bus or train stop, there’s nothing you can do to make it wait for you. Missing a bus or train, especially on lines or in areas that have infrequent services, can easily mean missing an exam start time.

Con #3 Restriction 

There’s very limited freedom with trains or buses, and once you’re on one there’s generally no turning back for a forgotten blue pen, causing problems when unforeseen issues arise.

Conclusion

At the end of the day the choice is totally based on your own preferences and options; if you want to drive to your HSC exams for the freedom or take the train because it’s quicker, you should make whatever choice is best for you.

If all else fails, ask your Mum or Dad to give you a lift in. Besides – it’s for your HSC!

So, what will you do?

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Maddison Leach completed her HSC in 2014, achieving an ATAR of 98.00 and Band 6 in all her subjects. Having tutored privately for two years before joining Art of Smart, she enjoys helping students through the academic and other aspects of school life, even though it sometimes makes her feel old. Maddison has had a passion for writing since her early teens, having had several short stories published before joining the world of blogging. She’s currently studying a Bachelor of Design at the University of Technology Sydney and spends most of her time trying not to get caught sketching people on trains.