22 Sep 2016

You’re currently munching on a sausage at the annual “ATAR Release Party” your high school is hosting. You’re feeling somewhat miserable. Two teachers have already walked up to you and told you they were disappointed in your results and three of your classmates have told you they were surprised and “thought you were smarter than that”. You’re chewing your sausage and trying to shrug it off with a smile. You’re only there because the food is free and you don’t really give a shit about what they think of you anyway. You think being defined by a number is overrated and outdated.

What you don’t know is that it will affect you, a month later, driving from one friend’s house to another after watching your Facebook feed flood with reactions to University acceptance letters. You don’t know that you’ll break down on the side of the road and sob into Mum’s shoulder and confess you didn’t get any first round offers. You don’t know you’ll admit defeat and call yourself a failure and question who you are and what you want to do in this world.

You will freak out because social media will convince you that you’re the only one ‘not doing anything’. That you’re going to lag behind the rest of your ultra successful friends from now until forever.

But don’t forget you’re not the only one. Over the years you’ll watch those who decided against University go on and do incredible things: travel the world, get a trade, study through other means and start businesses of their own and you will be proud of them. Sometimes you’ll be jealous of them. You’ll quickly learn that the speed in which you complete a degree – if you want to complete one – matters little.

What you don’t realise mid-sausage is that despite your shocking ATAR grade you will be going to University next year. You will phone your local institution and send them your grades from previous years and tell them how keen you are for the challenge of higher education, and how passionate you are about learning. You will learn that they want you as much as you want them. You will graduate with a Masters.

I know right now you’re a bit lost and confused and very much ‘stfu’ to everyone around you and that’s okay. Chill out and revel in the magnificent school break before you! Whatever you want you to do in your life you can achieve it, you’ve just got to go and do it. When you’re faced with two paths, there’s always a secret door in between. Pull away the weeds that sprout in negativity, find the handle, turn and PUSH.

Sincerely,

a graduated and liberated you.

P.S. Take an extra piece of that chocolate cake. It’s the best thing you’ve ever tasted and you’ll regret it otherwise.

By Ruby Bisson