16 Apr 2019

I graduated two years ago. Year 12 and I had a very love/hate relationship. I adored my year group but the idea of doing another Modern History essay gives me the shakes. I hear a lot of people who I went to school with, two years after, talk about how they wished they were back at school. I wish I could understand the sentiment, but Year 12, while such a special year, is something that shouldn’t be repeated, and honestly, you shouldn’t feel bad about hating it.

 

There’s so much high school does to alienate certain types of people, so if you’re not equipped to deal with such a structured learning environment, high school can mess you up. The Australian exam system is such an intense stressor to students that it can feel like Year 12 is endless. The never-ending exam schedule, the overwhelming amount of work to do for each subject and The Hunger Games-esque competition students isn't a fun time. 

Sometimes you feel as if you’ll never be able to put enough mental energy into an assignment. Sometimes you’ll be so completely and utterly depleted that opening a textbook seems as difficult as bringing World Peace. High school and Year 12 can be some of the most toxic years in a person’s life, and you don’t need to feel bad or guilty if it’s not what society had told you it’s supposed to be like.

So many people love preaching about how Year 12 is such a sacred, defining year, and for some it is. But having a year with that much pressure surrounding it is suffocating and can stop you from seeing things clearly. Remember that this isn’t the same type of year for everyone. Some breeze through high school with friends and memories that they hold dearly for life. Others beg for the minute they can leave and never come back.

Both are okay and regardless, remember that this year isn’t going to make or break you. You are your own person post-high school and regardless of anything that happens during your final year, you can make yourself into the person you want to be after you graduate.