13 Oct 2022 | 4 mins
Overview
  • Leaving high school can bring on unwanted worry about what comes next? Don’t worry, you’re not alone!

1. The real world isn’t like school

During school, life’s pretty simple. You wake up, eat brekky and head in. Your timetable is set, your teachers tell you what to do. You even have scheduled times for when you eat.

Things change a little once you’re in the real world. If you start full-time work you’ll need to make sure you show up on time or you won’t get paid! If you go to uni, there’ll be assignments to keep track of so that you don’t fall behind.

No one’s going to be chasing after you. When you move out of home there’s a whole raft of things to stay on top of (like rent, groceries, cleaning, meal prep).

2. Do what you want

Life’s short so it’s best spent doing the things we love.

When we finish school we might think we have to do what our parents want, or follow what our mates are doing. However it’s our life so why not do what we want? That Euro trip you’ve been thinking of? Go for it. Backpacking across South-East Asia? Sounds like a plan.

If you choose to go to uni, pick something you’re interested in. You’re the one that’s going to be sitting in the lectures for the next couple of years so do something you’ll enjoy.

3. Your choice doesn’t define you

Worrying that you’ll pick the wrong thing? That’s totally fine. Life is a marathon not a sprint (cliché, I know).

It can take some time to figure out what we really like doing and that’s part of the process. Think of it as building skills to help you once you find that thing you’re passionate about.

4. There is still a lot of growth to come

From 18-21 there’s a lot of growing up to be had. You come into yourself as an adult and become confident in who you are. That’s not to say you’ll have it all figured out by then. Even as an adult you’ll always be a child at heart, just with more responsibilities.

5. Your social circles will evolve

We all think that our high school friends will be around forever. And that might be the case. However don’t fret if you find yourself drifting from certain people. It’s natural as everyone starts to do their own thing and get busier with their lives.

If you miss someone and want to see how they’re doing, shoot them a message and let them know.

Also as you start to find your place in the world you’ll meet people with similar interests, growing your circle in the process.

Hopefully that’s given you some food for thought about life after school. It might take some time to figure it out, but get ready for some of the best years of your life ahead!

Written by Easwar Vijay