24 Feb 2020

Everyone's had that 2am Netflix session where you end up watching a chessy rom-com, ice cream in one hand and a tear-stained tissue in the other, wondering why you’re so damn unlovable. In moments like these it’s hard not to think that love is the be all and end all of our lives. It can seem that everybody is in love, being swept off their feet and settling happily with high school sweetheart in elaborate romantic gestures.

It's hard during times like these to take a step back and actually evaluate whether or not you’re ready for a relationship. Hell, maybe you don't even want one in the first place.

Our final years of school are undeniably the hardest. They put our mental and physical health through the ringer and expect us to come out the other side as healthy and energetic as we came in. For many of us, a relationship is the last thing on our minds.

But there’s moments where doubt creeps in, as you watch happy couples seemingly perfectly balance school and life that make you wonder whether you sacrificed too much for Year 12.

It’s times like these where it’s important to remember that no one handles Year 12 the same way and it’s only you that knows what you can handle in order to avoid burning out before the end of the year. It's only you that will know if you've found the right person or can be bothered with the time and energy that comes with a relationship.

We’ve all met people who are thoughtful, fun and caring and yet we know they’re just not the right one for us. We question whether it’s something wrong with us, a fear of commitment or an inability to emotionally attach. What's important to remember is that it’s okay to not find ‘the one’ while we’re in school. We have the rest of our lives to fall in love, out of love and have as many relationships and flings as we want.

Right now it's fine to just enjoy it all: to kiss randoms at parties, flirt with anyone you think is cute and go out on dates as much as you want. It's okay to have a cheeky festival romance and it's equally okay to spend your weekends in bed with no one, finishing off another Netflix series and procrastinating studying.

Don’t write yourself off just because you haven’t felt that spark with anyone yet or because you just want to focus on school for a year. Don't think that you're not living up to the expectations of your teenage years if you keep getting ghosted or left on read. Your friends may be ridiculously happy in their relationship but comparison will kill you and you need to focus on your own life rather than everyone around you.

Some of us go through high school without ever having a relationship and some of us meet the love of their lives. And that's okay.

by Clem McNabb

Here’s the goss. Year13 is running an online careers exhibition designed to help you find your passion and plan your future!

Whether you’re dazed and confused when it comes to your future plans, or you’re keen to learn how to land your dream job, this expo has something for everyone! Running from May 17-19, you’ll hear from 30+ red hot speakers and over a hundred exhibitors exploring work, study and travel.

RSVP here so you don’t miss any of the speakers (like The Inspired Unemployed, Dr Karl or Kath Ebbs, to name drop a few). Get keen!