12 Sep 2019

Schoolies is seen as the rite of passage everyone must experience, ending the sleepless nights and tedious days of studying with a bang. For some, Schoolies is a ray of sunshine bursting through grey clouds of stress, pressure and boredom. It's seen as the prime time to get wild with your mates and bid farewell to 13 years of sitting in a classroom.

Sure, the sentiment is nice but for some, Schoolies just isn't for them and that is bloody A-OK.

There were a few reasons why Schoolies wasn't on the cards for me, the biggest being that I was still tragically 17 whilst all my friends had hit the golden age of adulthood. I didn't feel like being a sad sack of potatoes, waiting in the hotel room whilst my friends partied in a nightclub.

I was also anticipating travelling for a long while during my upcoming gap year, so I decided that saving my dosh was a bigger priority. Sure, I got a little FOMO when my friends sent me photos of them all hanging out in the Gold Coast. But, as I found out later, one of them threw up immediately after the flash of the camera went off. There's a perk at least... my liver wasn't torn apart by vodka shots. 

When I talked to other friends who trekked to Bali for their end of school festivities, I asked for a rundown of events and they all looked a bit dazed and confused before finally admitting: "We don't really remember anything". It didn't seem like I missed out on much. I mean, Schoolies at its core is a lot of partying and drinking with mates, which you can do just about any time. The opportunity to get wild with your besties doesn't suddenly evaporate after Schoolies finishes. That isn't the one and only time to have fun after Year 12.

Maybe partying isn't your cup of tea anyways. That is also FINE! It can sometimes feel like there's a lot of pressure to attend Schoolies and if you don't go you end up shunned in some way, but it really isn't the case. There's no shame in making choices that benefit you and prioritise your desires. 

Focus on what you'd rather do. Maybe it's saving up to move out of home or to travel to India. Maybe it's finding a job or internship. On that note, maybe it's simply navigating what you actually want to do with your freedom. Or maybe you quite frankly just cannot be bothered to give into this tradition and would rather just have some rest and relaxation time.

My friends may have sent it at the Gold Coast and Bali, but I sent it tanning on the beach and reading a good book and I have no regrets whatsoever. Finishing Year 12 is a bloody big accomplishment. You deserve to end it how you want, on your terms, shamelessly.