The HSC can be an extremely stressful and daunting experience for students but online youth mental health service, ReachOut, have launched a campaign to help combat this ahead of the start of exams.
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More than 50 high profile Australians have gotten behind the campaign, ‘There’s Life After Year 12 Exams’.
Well-known Australians such as Karl Stefanovic, Rove McManus, Ita Buttrose, Malcolm Turnbull, Penny Wong, Lisa Wilkinson, David Gonsky, Bill Shorten, Adam Spencer and many more have recorded their unique year 12 stories to show their support for the 220,000 young Australians about to sit their HSC.
The campaign aims to help students manage the stress and anxiety associated with their year 12 exams and to highlight the fact that life goes on after the HSC, no matter what happens.
ReachOut chief executive Jono Nicholas said the end of the year was traditionally the busiest period for the service, as stressed students look for help.
“This is our peak period and what we find is that exam stress is often a good proxy for young people saying ‘I’m not coping’,” Mr Nicholas said.
“There is a lot of pressure put on young people but what we want them to know is that year 12 is not the end point but rather the end point of one journey.”
Mr Nicholas said the website, which deals with issues ranging from sexuality to grief as well as being a gateway to many support services, was often the first port of call for teenagers who were feeling overwhelmed in the lead-up to their exams.
“What we want them to know is, you are not alone, it is a universal experience and it will end,” Mr Nicholas said.
ReachOut invites all Australians to share their message of support for young people this October.
Reach out to a student this month to let them know there’s life after year 12 exams by sharing a video from thereslifeafter.org, or create your own video using the hashtag #thereslifeafter.
To watch the videos go to thereslifeafter.org
