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[CHAT] Life After School
School can seem like the longest time of your life, especially when you’re still in it. The Monday-to-Friay 9am to 3:30 pm routine can seem like it could continue forever, and homework, responsibilities and social drama can push the prospect of graduating into the dim corners of your mind.
If you were anything like me, by the time you in year 12, you were absolutely raring to graduate. The minute my last exam ended and the invigilator called out ‘pens down!’ I was like:
HELLO INDEPENDENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!
But once you graduate highschool, suddenly a million options open up in front of you. Do you go straight into higher education? If so, is it university? TAFE? And which one do you choose? Do you take a gap year? Find work? Fall on the floor crying because you’re having a quarter-life crisis??
The uncertainty may not stop there. You could be one of the lucky people who immediately finds their true calling - or you could be lucky and be one of those people that is totally OK with not knowing! Or you could have an existential crisis in the middle of studying/working/gap-year-ing (that’s a word now) because you aren’t sure about what you’re doing.
And of course, the post-highschool experience could not be complete without – dun dun DUN –Sudden Responsibilities!! You now have to actually care about your own education! Pay your own bills and buy your own groceries! Have a car of your own and look after it! Maybe you have even started a family! You are now a Fully Functioning Adult apparently, even though a few months ago you stress-ate a tub of ice-cream and went to bed at 3 am.
WOW - that really made everything sound really stressful, this is the best time of our lives right?
The gopod news is that with some confidence, positive self-talk, the right support, good people around you and spinkling of luck it really will be a great time. Will be talking about all this and more on Monday the 8th of December at 8pm right here!!!!
Join us if you’re looking for answers, advice or maybe even just a place to rant, as we grapple with Life After School
Thanks to @Chessca_H and @Sophie-RO for helping me moderate this chat, and to all of you guys for getting on it!! Hope you enjoyed yourselves, and enjoy the rest of tonight 😄
Finally, if you could give your pre-graduation self one piece of advice about handling life after school, what would it be?
Look after yourself and do what makes you happy.
Finally, if you could give your pre-graduation self one piece of advice about handling life after school, what would it be?
I think the one thing I would say is to relax!! Take time out to learn new things about the world and about yourself. Your academic performance is not the most important thing about you!!
Hi there @Harper , things don't sound like they're going all that great for you. Have you checked out our emergency help? We also have the tough times board for more difficult life issues
@dreamcatcher I think one of the unexpected joys of adulthood is eating candy whenever I feel like it. Noone there to tell me that I can't have dessert before dinner
I left school three years ago and I am still scared about adulthood and my future, I sort of feel like I should have my crap together by now... oh well.
Before we graduate life after school can seem like a massive deal, both in good and bad ways. How does your experience of life after school measure up to what you thought it was going to be like before? If you’re not finished yet, what are some of your expectations of what your life could be like post-graduation?
I seriously thought everyone travelled in their gap year, just 'let loose' and partied hard. Nope. Adultness and responsibility slaps ya in the face. But then again, you get a chance to breathe, nap during the weekdays and eat candy whenever you want....
@dreamcatcher hahahaha I'm constantly getting in touch with my inner child 😛
Sorry guys, had to pick up my bro from work! Time for a #catchuppost
Who are some people in your life who could help you to figure out the direction you want to take or help you when you weren’t so sure in the past?
Usually I can depend on myself... I tend to overthink things and worry about every single detail about my future. That's when I just write some lists; things i want to do, jobs I would like to have, places I want to go.... just writing all that down works most of the time.... Other times I'm just like 'Screw the future LIVE IN THE NOW #YOLO (did I use that right? I'm down with the hashtags, yo!)
While some of us manage to escape it, a lot of us fall victim to the dreaded quarter-life crisis at some point after we finish school. Is this something you or someone you know have experienced before? How did you/they get through it?
I think I go through little phases where I just panic and want to drop everything with uni, work and life and literally run away and deleting myself off the internet and starting totally fresh....It only lasts a few days usually. The best thing I can do (because I'm usually uber stressed with 2809430948 jobs) take it hour by hour and only focus on one task at a time... Slow and steady 🙂
What are some tips you have for relaxing and de-stressing when the idea of fledging adulthood becomes a bit much?
College and being at uni is kinda slowly getting me warmed up to adulthood, but sometimes I dip my toes in too quickly and I panic and run away.... That's when I start watching things like Rugrats or The Saddle Club. I'M JUST KEEPING THE CHILDHOOD ALIVE OKAY!!!!
What are some of the things we need in order to make life after school happy and fulfilling?
Don't take on all the things (even though we want to) because you'll just wear yourself out (+ you need 'me time'), do things that make you happy and that you enjoy, pay your bills, don't be afraid to ask for help and don't eat icecream for breakfast every day 🙂
Before we graduate life after school can seem like a massive deal, both in good and bad ways. How does your experience of life after school measure up to what you thought it was going to be like before? If you’re not finished yet, what are some of your expectations of what your life could be like post-graduation?
I definitely thought I would be more focused and have a direction in life!! I had really ambitious expectations of myself, but now that I've graduated I think I was a bit naive. I have a lot of freedom to pursue things I never thought I'd try and I'm glad for it 🙂
Before we graduate life after school can seem like a massive deal, both in good and bad ways. How does your experience of life after school measure up to what you thought it was going to be like before? If you’re not finished yet, what are some of your expectations of what your life could be like post-graduation?
I thought I'd have everything figured out after school and it would be breezy compared to life in high school. I've since figured this assumption is wrong, but for the better too! If you know what you want to do after school, you're free to chase it - it's up to you how you spend your time.
what if you dont have the will to graduate? if you have one more year of depression to cope with alone? there is nothing more depressing than having it all and still being sad
@Harper That can be really tough! Especially getting towards the end of your studies and not having the motivation, kinda feels like you've wasted your time a bit! I went through the same thing and the best thing for me was to just take a break from it all and re-evaluate. Your mental health is the number one priority!
"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."
while this site labels me as a rookie, i have had experience with this depression for years. noone knows and it is killing me plastering on a fake smile every day so i dont have to eaplain why i am sad all the time. i cant tell anyone
We're going to close this chat in a few mins but you can start a thread in "something's not right" if you want to talk to others who have been through depression and can share what helped them... But it can also be good to chat with a counsellor on webchat at headspace. Hope you consider it.
https://www.eheadspace.org.au/
Wow, there were some pretty different expectations! It's important to remember that while it might be different, that doesn't necessarily mean worse 🙂
Last question!
Finally, if you could give your pre-graduation self one piece of advice about handling life after school, what would it be?
Honestly I don't think there's any advice I would give myself, I went through some struggles and problems but they all helped to make me who I am today! 🙂 If anything though I would probably tell myself to not stress so much about exams! And maybe try harder to maintain high school friendships
Finally, if you could give your pre-graduation self one piece of advice about handling life after school, what would it be?
Phew, this is a tough one! There's so much advice that I'd give my noob pre-graduation self. But I'd say this:
- Make it count, just as long as you're happy with it