Many students' social lives have been put on hold and casual job hours have been cut back to fit in the work load.

Year 12 students Jess Spirat and Tiffany Tully want to go to university and are doing what they can to assure high tertiary entrance ranks.

Jess said she would do about 21 hours of homework a week, which meant she had to give up many things including volleyball.

Jess also does an external subject; English studies open access, doing one over the phone lesson a week and the rest of her work without a teacher.

She said the exam for the subject required her to write three essays in three hours.

Tiffany recently won a university scholarship in nursing and wants to be a psychiatric nurse.

On top of school and homework, she also juggles 20 hours a week of casual work.

She said most nights she wouldn't get to sleep until about 12pm.

Jess has to sit five exams and Tiffany will sit four exams, both throughout a three-week period, which has already begun.

Although in year 11 teachers made year 12 sound daunting, Jess and Tiffany said the main thing was about keeping on top.

"Keep up with the work load and commit yourself, give up your social life because it will come back and make sure you get sleep," Jess said.