29 Oct 2019

Hey friend,

So here we go again… exam period. I know we’ve been dreading this, but now it's time to hustle. 

It’s been a bloody big year. Essay after essay. Strict deadlines. Mum, dad, ya boss and ya coach on your case. Siblings running a muck and all our friends turning 18. It’s been overwhelming and trust me - I’m trying to keep it together too. But we need to push on.

I need you to know that I’ve got your back during this. I know you’re drained. I know you feel like you physically cannot rote learn any more Shakespeare or function on five hours of sleep every day. But just know I’ll be there. I’ll be there to listen to you ramble off your drama lines, despite the fact that you scream in my face when you forget them. I’ll be there to answer your phone call and stumble out of bed at some ungodly hour simply because you ‘need’ a Maccas McFlurry or you ‘can’t study’.

But I need you to do the same for me.

 

I need you to listen while I run you through bizarre contemporary artists you quite frankly could not give a damn about. I need you to quiz me on human rights movements – despite the fact you full well know I got this down pat.

Basically, can we please just agree to annoy the crap out of each other for a little while?

I’m sorry if I snap at you from time to time. Please know I’m just tired and doing as much as I can to be my best self, but some days I just can’t hack it. I promise in return I’ll be patient with you when you fire up at me for no reason.

When things go a bit haywire and studying causes your brain to quite literally explode – call me. It’s nothing a walk by the ocean, a kick around the soccer field, or a midnight drive singing all our fav songs can’t fix. I know we feel trapped in this study bubble and that we don’t have time for anything else, but let’s try remember that it’s okay to still have fun and make memories.

I want to remind you that this exam stress is temporary and there are bigger things out there waiting for us. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t worry about these exams – because damn, we have worked way too hard to give up now. And besides, we’ve got this. We are so close to the finish line! Let’s do each other and ourselves proud by smashing it. But if it’s a total bust, know that I’m not any less proud of you and you are so much more than an ATAR number.

Whether we go on to use our ATARs, choose to take a gap year, or work – I know that whatever we do is going to be an epic adventure and I cannot bloody wait to share it with you.

Love, your best mate.