From the Counselling Suite

Finishing High School

It has come to that time of year when the Year 12s have nearly finished up at school, many of whom are ready to start new chapters of their lives in further education, employment, a ‘gap year’ or even travel for those who are lucky.  Some students are feeling excited and for others, there is a sense of apprehension about leaving the community that they have been a part of for so long and venturing in to the unknown. Discussions with students and staff about this transition time have prompted me to reflect and think about some of the things that I wish people had told me when I finished high school (many years ago).  As such, I have summarised a few things for Year 12 students and their families that they may like to consider below.  

Attend end of year school events

Many students will feel relieved that school is nearly finished, particularly once their exams are over.  They may also feel tempted to take days off in the lead up to the final conclusion of the year, particularly once their academic commitments have been met, in part due to exhaustion perhaps, or because, well, why not?  I’d like to stress how important it is to still attend school events like assemblies and breakfasts, at the end of the school year. 

These events are set up to give students a sense of closure and to celebrate achievements, including the important milestone of graduating high school, collectively as a school community, for one last time.  Students might regret not attending these events, even if they think they didn’t like school much.  These events also provide an opportunity for students to communicate with and express gratitude to teachers who have supported them, or to connect with peers who they may not see as frequently, if at all, once school concludes.     

Celebrate wisely

Finishing school is a huge milestone and understandably, many students are going to want to celebrate it with their friends.  Some students will attend organised events like ‘schoolies’.  If this doesn’t interest others though, they should not feel pressured to attend these sorts of events, as there are plenty of other ways to celebrate with friends or family (and I hate to be a negative Nancy, but often organised events like ‘schoolies’ tend not to live up to expectations and can be very expensive!).   

While celebrating, it is important that students look out for each other.  They should be encouraged to keep track of their friends’ whereabouts and make plans in advance about what to do if a friend appears to be losing control (ie. let them know that it’s time for them to call it a night, stay with them and take them back to the accommodation/somewhere safe).  Friends may not take it well at the time, but they will be thankful for it the next day.  Post-graduation celebrations are not a good time to experiment with drugs or alcohol, particularly if students have never used these before, as this can quickly turn celebrations pear-shaped.  Curb risk taking behaviours so you don’t end up commiserating instead of celebrating.  

Try not to stress too much if you don’t know exactly what you want to do when you finish school

It’s very difficult for students to know what career path they would like to pursue, possibly for the rest of their lives, at 17-18 years of age.  Having to submit university course preferences only adds to this pressure (yet for many uni courses, you will not have much of an idea about what they involve until you actually start them).  Trial and error is the best way we can learn.  This applies to jobs and higher education courses.  Something students think they might enjoy may be boring once they start it. 

Rest assured that many people change university courses and careers several times, before they find the right match for them.  When making course selections, it is beneficial for students to think not only about the prestige associated with certain career paths (ie. the money they could earn, the calibre of the university), but about their personal and academic strengths and interests.  Students should talk to lots of different people about their options too, as sometimes, students can be limited by their influences (ie. if a sibling studied a particular course, or if friends are attending a particular university, this can seem like the only option).  Encourage students to choose something that appeals to them and not to be too disheartened if they don’t get in to what they want to straight away.  There is always more than one pathway to a desired field.  Don’t necessarily rule out courses with high ATAR cut-offs either as students can sometimes surprise themselves with their results.     

Moreover, don’t beat yourself up about work that you’ve already submitted and may not have achieved as well as you’d like.  It’s done now, you can’t change the past, and worrying about it will only hinder your ability to enjoy these last few weeks of your school life.  Focus on the things you have control over (ie. your exam preparation) instead of ruminating over bad results earlier in the year.

Don’t over-commit yourself once you leave school

It can be very tempting once students finish school to take on new time commitments that they perhaps did not have the freedom to take on when at school.  I worked throughout my university studies and whilst I gained a lot of confidence and skills from this, at times, my casual/part-time retail job took priority over and time away from my studies.  Skipping class to work in a casual job may seem like a good idea at the time, but unless students plan on pursuing their casual jobs, it isn’t worth it.  For students who are pursuing higher education, take full advantage of the opportunity to be taught by experts in your chosen field.  Attend all of the lectures, tutorials or classes, do the required readings and use the expansive resources in the libraries to further your knowledge, in order to benefit fully from the experience.  Balance is, of course, important, but students should remind themselves of their long-term goals when taking on another commitment and fully embrace the higher education lifestyle, as they will gain more from it by doing so.

Dr Lucinda Clifford

School Psychologist

The Counselling Team is available to advise and support all students and families and can be contacted by email on counselling@bps.sa.edu.au

Parents may also refer their son to the Counselling Team by using the Referral found on the Parent Portal. 

Ms Cathie Oswald

SCHOOL COUNSELLOR (Monday, Thursday and Friday)

Dr Lucinda Clifford

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST  (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)