[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
Awesome session tonight guys, some really great stuff! Here's a summary of what we've talked about:
- First we asked what the first thing you did after you left school was, or what you plan to do first after you finish. Many of the answers centered on the destruction of textbooks and notes alike, whether burnt or thrown away, but some of us celebrated by having our first drink, working or getting a cat!
- Next we talked about finding our true calling. Some of us have taken a bit of time to find what we want to do while others are still trying to figure it out. Overall, none of us seem to have it all figured out, which is totally ok 🙂
- After that we asked you about the people who have helped you to figure out your direction in life. A lot of us are pretty independent, but some answers you gave us were parents, friends, family friends, guidance counselors or uni/TAFE staff members to name a few.
- Then we tackle the topic of the dreaded quarter-life crisis. Some of use are experiencing it right now, others have been through it before and some were able to avoid it completely, but some of the ways we talked about getting through it were reminding yourself that its ok to take time, getting involved with things you’re passionate about, seeking help from others and plain old strength and conviction to get to the other side
- Next we discussed some de-stressing methods to use when being a newfound adult all gets a bit much. Some ideas you had were taking time out for yourself, doing the things you enjoy, catching up on some TV/games, talking to people about what’s stressing you out and general relaxation!
- We also talked about the things we need in life to be happy and healthy that don’t revolve around work. Some of these things included meeting new friends, having new experiences, travelling, hobbies, volunteering and maintaining healthy relationships.
- Then we talked about what our expectations of post-school life were before we graduated. Some of us expected that our after school selves would be super focused and together, which may not necessarily be the case. Others had a very different experience of a gap year than they thought they would. A lot of us have learned that while the world may seem pretty black and white pre-graduation, it’s all a bit more of a grey area than we expected!
- Lastly, we said one piece of advice that we would give to our pre-graduation selves. The main advice we gave was to relax, to make it count and to remember that academic performance isn’t the be all and end all.
And that's all folks! Here are some links you can check out if you want to do a bit of further reading
Browse
http://au.reachout.com/wellbeing/being-independent
Or check out
http://au.reachout.com/thereslifeafter
http://au.reachout.com/graduating-from-high-school-tears-fears-and-peers
http://au.reachout.com/school-of-life
http://au.reachout.com/dealing-with-life-changes
http://au.reachout.com/finished-with-school
Thanks so much to everyone whose participated, goodnight everyone! 😄
Yay! Thanks @Chessca_H , @safari93 , and @Sophie-RO as well as everyone that came on too for a great chat tonight 
@Harper Well this is the perfect place to start! It's awesome that you are taking steps in the right direction. These forums provide a wealth of experience from people from all walks of life that have gone through every struggle and problem you can think of, so you're not alone buddy 🙂
@Harper We're here to help and lend an ear. You don't have to put on a fake smile either!
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?
Same here @safari93 ! I thought that after school ended, I'd really knuckle down for the next chapter of my life. Oh, so wrong 
I still have my dreams and ambitions but I think that now, detours are a frequent bonus! We may not always get what we want but we can change the way we view getting to where we want to be.
Yep completely agree! I didn't realise the real world was this vague and difficult to navigate place 😛 Losing the rigid structure of high school is a strange thing to go through.
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 don't think I'm alone in thinking that I would be a lot more together now when I was in highschool than I am 😛 I think most of us have really high expectation of what will happen after we graduate, but it's important to remember that it won't always go to plan
@j95 true!! Especially since volunteering opportunities are usually pretty unique in and of themselves. They can be a great experience outside of work/study to learn new things
and volunteering isnt just going to africa like everyone pictures it! it can be volunteering at the pound or even the op shop
The end of school creeps up so fast, I didnt even finish and I still felt like one day I was like woah 18 year olds that in year 12 getting their licences so scary, then I was an 18 year old getting my licence and I was like ok.... maybe I'm not as much as an adult as it seemed like.
@Student94 That's very true. Becoming more responsible also involves being more responsible about your own health and wellbeing. I don't think I knew self-care was a thing until after I graduated!! But it's super important and not something that should be sidelined
@FItzChivalry definitely!! Opening yourself up to new cultures and ways of living can make you think about life in a different way
So much of the conversation had around life after school tends to focus on what we want to do with our lives career wise, but there’s so much more we can focus on in life to be happy and healthy adults. What are some of the things we need in order to make life after school happy and fulfilling?
I've found that meeting new people makes for some of the most exciting and enriching experiences, especially when you find you have things in common. I've had a lot of firsts this year from making new friends, including going to a march for the first time!! I'm not sure if I would have gone (and shouted myself hoarse :P) on my own, so having friends who have similar interests and who can even introduce you to new ones is important for having a fulfilling life
Hi @Student94 !! And I think that talking to others with similar experiences is a great idea!! They could have insight into issues you haven't experienced yet or don't know how to deal with
@Myvo same here!! I never thought I'd enjoy doing nothing so much, and yet here I am
Well we all seem to have a lot of good ways to de-stress 🙂
So much of the conversation had around life after school tends to focus on what we want to do with our lives career wise, but there’s so much more we can focus on in life to be happy and healthy adults. What are some of the things we need in order to make life after school happy and fulfilling?
So much of the conversation had around life after school tends to focus on what we want to do with our lives career wise, but there’s so much more we can focus on in life to be happy and healthy adults. What are some of the things we need in order to make life after school happy and fulfilling?
Building healthier relationships with friends/family/partners is also important. I also think self-care should be a big priority when you become an adult, especially since you're expected to be more self-sufficient.
and just trying different things - dont have to be big things but just finding out a bit more about what you love considering now you finally have the time to do that after years of school everyday.
@Student94 Agreeing on self-care! Got to protect your brain - not just for academic or extracurricular stuff but for wellbeing too 
@Student94 I completely agree, keeping up the relationships with the people around you in one of the most important things in life 🙂
@FItzChivalry absolutely! Travelling more is definitely something thats on my list of to dos in the next few years 😄
So much of the conversation had around life after school tends to focus on what we want to do with our lives career wise, but there’s so much more we can focus on in life to be happy and healthy adults. What are some of the things we need in order to make life after school happy and fulfilling?
Hobbies, volunteering, and being sociable! Being around people and learning from each other can make life after school more enjoyable. It gives you the chance to meet new, like-minded people as well as learn and share new skills. Adventure is out there!
So much of the conversation had around life after school tends to focus on what we want to do with our lives career wise, but there’s so much more we can focus on in life to be happy and healthy adults. What are some of the things we need in order to make life after school happy and fulfilling?
I agree with volunteering! Getting a different persepective and experience of life in a different place can you make you rethink what you want to do - which is ok
