07 Nov 2019

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks... At the end of high school, I cranked Alice Cooper’s song ‘SCHOOL’S OUT’ on repeat, screaming the lyrics with my euphoric, newfound freedom. No more would I have to cop Mr Danvers and his epic vendetta against me, giving me detention if I so much as coughed. No more would I suffer from intense boredom in classes that drag on for a millennium, writing notes about topics I couldn’t give a rats ass about. No more would I put on the same uniform every single bloody morning, the same uniform I bought when I was in Year 7 and eventually became way too small for me but I refused to buy a new one. No more studying, assessments, exams, textbooks, pop up quizzes! I AM FREEEEE!

And with that newfound freedom, it’s time to celebrate 13 whole years of blood, sweat and tears. It’s time to get SMASHED!! Or not…?!? Guess what. You can still celebrate the end of school without damaging your liver and spending all your mulla on booze. After school, the world is your oyster and that means you can celebrate however the hell you want. If getting drunk isn’t really your thing, here is how you can celebrate in your own way.

1. Start something new

A celebration is whatever you want it to be. If you just wanna treat yo’self and finally binge-watch that show you haven’t had time for, send it! High school steals a lot from you. Your energy, your brain, your time, your soul… kidding kidding... But now that you have more energy, brainpower and time, why not start something new that you’ve always wanted to try.

Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn the violin or join a football team. Maybe you have a dream of starting a youtube channel or auditioning for Masterchef. Maybe you really just want to be able to do a kick-flip on a skateboard. Set out for something no matter how big or small. Whilst everyone else is at schoolies, you could write a whole screenplay, pitch it and then become rich and famous... The constraints of high school are no longer holding you back so why not DREAM BIG if you want and celebrate the end of high school by starting something new.

2. Travel

If you have enough money, you might as well go to Morocco or Greece or Canada and celebrate the end of high school in style whilst backpacking around the gnarliest places in the world, places you’ve dreamed of visiting for years. If your budget can't really fit any plane tickets, visiting some faraway friends or family or going on a funky road trip would be so wholesome.

At the end of high school, I went up the coast with my closest mates and we spent our days at the beach, tanning, swimming, reading, chatting and eating good food and our nights around bonfires, reflecting on high school and pondering the future. Like I said, wholesome.

3. Spend time with your mates

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a drink in your hand or not, you’ll always have a g time with your mates. Spend your summer celebrating your freedom by going to random events with your friends. Seek out art exhibitions, poetry readings, gigs, concerts, free yoga classes... Celebrate the end of high school by doing what you actually love with your friends. Whether that's literally just beach days, movie marathons or going out for delicious meals. 

So congratulations! You’ve finished 13 whole years of high school. That’s a big feat! Celebrate the end of an era however YOU desire. As I said, the world is your oyster so go out and do what you love with people that you love. If that doesn't involve cheap goon, that's bloody fine!