Blak and forth: The future

11th December, 2024    |    By  Reach Out Australia    |     29

Alex, Anisha and Mia talk about life after school, about the different pathways they took, and why it’s totally fine not to have everything worked out. Video by Reachout


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Blak and forth: The future

Year 12 was crazy, as if the world was going to end. High school was the world. I’m happy I got it done, but during that time, it was just hectic.

As soon as the HSC, the last exam, finished, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. And then, when I graduated, I was just struck—I was so happy. I had family in the back cheering for me when I was walking up there.

When I got my ATAR, it wasn’t a good ATAR, but I’d already lodged myself into uni. So, looking back, all that school pressure was for nothing, really. I was so happy as soon as I walked out of my last exam—I was like, “Goodbye, Year 12. I did my best.” It was such a relief.

I didn’t think it would feel that way. I was almost worried because I thought, “I’m not going to see my friends every day. What happens if I don’t get into uni?” But I still talk to all my girlfriends today, even though they’re in Adelaide and I’m in Sydney.

Looking back now, it’s just great knowing how hard it was in that moment, but after Year 12 finished, I just felt so great.

What was your goal when you were in high school?

I wanted to get into NIDA. I had to try two years in a row to get in. There was definitely a lot of stress—like, “You probably should just go into teaching.” So I did, and I was kind of set on settling for that.

But I felt like I still had a little more resilience in me to say, “You know what? No, I am going to strive for that.” And I ended up getting in.

Congrats! That’s huge.

Yeah. Well, my dream at the time was to go for law because my dad was a solicitor. But then I started to realize that’s probably not for me. I’ve seen his work life, and I don’t think I could deal with that stress.

Then I got an offer from USYD to go into social work. I never really knew what I was going to do. The plan wasn’t sorted in high school, and now I’m doing a whole different thing.

I feel like they don’t talk about this enough. There’s so much expectation for you to know exactly what you want to do when you’re in Year 12. You’re 18—some people are 17 years old.

And I feel like they don’t talk about how, maybe, if you don’t do really, really well in school exams and study, that’s okay. There’s TAFE, there are certificates—there are so many other options.

I actually didn’t get a very high ATAR, but when I went into uni, I got through a pathway. I ended up getting into honours and teaching, even though I was 10 under the ATAR for it.

Things don’t stop after graduation. Life keeps moving.

I honestly thought when I was in high school that that was it—that the world would end. High school was the world, you know?

[Music]