03 Nov 2019

It’s done. High school, Year 12, homework, assignments, teachers you couldn’t stand, parent-teacher nights. It’s all done and you’re free…

Almost.

But everyone else finished last week and have been going absolutely HAM ever since.

So, here’s you, stuck in your room studying because you thought Spanish Beginners sounded like it’d be a bludge, but every time you check your Insta story all you can see is your mates celebrating. Flaunting their freedom to the world. Rubbing it in. Mocking you!

How could the world be so cruel? You’ve worked your ass off at school for just as many years as everyone else, but the gods of setting exam dates have for some reason looked unkindly upon you and decided you should work a whole extra week for your freedom.

What a load of bull.

Well, yep, it does suck. But didn’t your other mate have to do four exams in the space of three days?

And aren’t you glad you didn’t have to do that crazy hard physics exam your mates were complaining about last week?

And isn’t schoolies just around the corner?

I mean, you could go out for one sneaky night with your mates, couldn’t you? You’ve got a whole week to study for just one more test – surely one night of fun couldn’t hurt. Surely you could just pretend you were free for one day, then knuckle down for the rest of the week.

To be honest, you probably could get away with it. You could probably do it and still do fine in your exam.

But when you’re out with your mates, celebrating their freedom, how real will it feel? Will you really be having as much fun as they are, when there’s that thought lingering in the back of your mind whispering, “I’m not done yet”?

Wouldn’t it kind of taint your big celebration when you finally do finish in a weeks’ time?

I know that after a year of holding myself back, studying, and saying no to social events, I’d prefer to let it all out of my system in one big celebration. What’s the point in semi-opening the valve, letting out half the pressure and then letting out the other half in a week’s time?

I’d prefer to go out with a bang.

In the grand scheme of things, one more week is nothing.

Once this final exam is over, you’ve literally got your entire adult life to look forward to. There will be parties. There will be schoolies, moving out of home, maybe more study, probably more work.

Year 12 might be the hardest thing you’ve worked for so far in life. But trust me, you’ll be doing way harder things than that in the years to come. And I’m not saying that to scare you or make you less keen to finish school.

If you consider how excited you are to celebrate finishing school, imagine the festivities when you finish uni. Or finish your apprenticeship. Or land your dream job.

There are much bigger parties to come, my friend.

The best things in life are worth waiting for, and your freedom will taste oh so much sweeter if you can just hold out for one more week.

Trust me, it’ll be worth it.