27 Apr 2021

You’re either studying for hours on end and hate that you’re not making memories with your mates or living life to your heart's content and worried about your exam result. There is a fine line in between where you get the best of both worlds but it is quite hard to find your medium.

By finding your medium, I mean a balance that works for you. I can’t give you a list of things to do for that balance to work but I can tell you that if you’ve found that place, you’re one of the lucky ones. Being happy with where you are in life is the ultimate goal, right?

We’re always striving to be better and that may come at a cost - compromising what you were put on this earth to do - live. 

It’s hard to focus and motivation may be wearing thin but just remember to trust the process and that all your hard work will count towards your future.

On the other end of the stick, we want to make the most of our lives. I’ve heard plenty of people say the best moments of their lives were created in high school. 

 

Those pointless two in the morning Kmart runs, sleepless sleepovers, drunken nights, deep and meaningfuls, heartbreak, new connections - the fear that jumping into the world of adulthood and never having time for your friends is only a few months away. Times like these are temporary and study is always available.

Then you’ve got all the external factors in the middle. Work, family and taking care of yourself. My part-time job was probably the only thing that kept me distracted from missing out on gathos (don’t get me wrong, I still suffer from FOMO), studying and it felt great not having to worry about life or exams because I was doing something completely different.

The feeling of finding a balance may come and go. Some days, it may feel like you’re in control and on top of everything around you. Other days, life and school kicks you in the butt and you’re struggling to keep it together.

Let’s get one thing straight - there is no perfect balance between your life and your exams that is replicated from you to your best friend. People have different outlooks on life and their journey will differ to yours. So don’t feel ashamed spending more time with your head in the books or partying it up with your mates because you ultimately want to be happy with where you end up. 

I think the best way to go about figuring out your balance is to channel into your future self. Would they be happy to look back on their teenage years and think “I am proud of how I took upon my teenage years”?

And if you’re struggling to be present in that balance, that's okay. You may not even realise you’re there.

Feel like a space cadet when thinking about the future? Have a rough plan of what you want in the next few years? Know exactly what you wanna pursue?

Our Year13 Expo has something for everyone and is designed to help you find and follow your passions!

Running from May 17-19, you’ll hear from 30+ red hot speakers and over a hundred exhibitors exploring work, study and travel. There’ll be comedians, pro surfers, veterinarians, hip hop artists, doctors, scientists, influencers, lawyers, netballers, and business owners, just to name a few. RSVP here so you don’t miss it (and can suss out all the red hot competitions).