15 Nov 2020

You thought it’d be over when you put your pen down, closed your last HSC paper and bolted out of that exam hall like a bat out of hell, the stress and anxiety evaporating from you. No more classrooms, schoolbooks, teachers and studying. You are free as a bird and the world is now your oyster!

Then the universe eventually says haha plot twist, it isn’t over yet sucker! Dread knocks back on your door, reminding you that you still need to get your results...Bugger.

 

The waiting game is an onslaught of nerves and fear. You neg out, just wanting to rip off that bandaid ASAP.

 I wish I studied more. I wish I listened better in class. I wish I didn’t marathon FRIENDS during the HSC. What if I don’t get the marks I need to get into the course I want? What if I think I went well but I actually get horrible results?... 

If only you were mates with Marty McFly and Doc. You could swing back in time and study harder or fast forward into the future and suss out your results once and for all. That'd be convenient.

Your family members keep asking if you’ve gotten your results already, keen to compare you to your cousins. Your friends keep discussing what answers they gave on the maths exam. You wish you could just enjoy your holidays but instead, you’re drowning in dread. You’ve considered maybe never checking the results…ignorance is bliss right? And you can’t fail if you never looked at the marks???… I tried this for a few days but curiosity got the better of me and I finally checked my marks. Then I said 'cool' and went on with the rest of my life. I realised, at that moment, that it's literally just a number.

Sure, that number is as important as you make it. Perhaps it is how you get into the university you want. But there are always other options. I know you’ve heard it before but exams don’t define you.

Sure, the wait can still be frazzling but the harsh truth is, there is nothing you can do. Let go, distract yourself and have a good holiday. Celebrate the end of high school. Hang with your mates. The waiting game cannot be won. You can't fast forward through time, so you might as well have a good time.