10 Things you can finally do now that the school year is over

Aaaaand … breathe. You’re done. Exams are over, the sun is shining, you are now free to do whatever you want. The question is, just what should you do with all this freedom? Here are a few tips to get you on your way.

Sleep a lot

Even if you stick to a strict and structured sleeping routine, term 4 assessments and exams are going to take a lot out of you. It’s super demanding of the body and mind, so once you’re done, you’re going to have a good deal of sleep to catch up on. Now’s the time to catch up on it. Sleep in as long as you like, and in no time at all, you should be back to your pre-exam self.

Spend time with friends

You’ve seen a lot of your friends lately, obviously, but sitting around in class together and exchanging exam tips is not exactly quality time. With the pressure off, now’s the time to enjoy each others’ company. Head to the beach, go to the movies, get someone to have an end of year party – basically, enjoy whatever it is you like doing together.

Spend time with family

The final term is a tricky one at home; tensions are high, and even your family’s best intentions to help you get through exams or assessments can start to seem annoying. With that in the past, you just might find you’ve missed that quality family time. Organise a big family dinner or a board games night for everyone, and any exam time arguments will be long forgotten (although if your family is anything like mine, board games could end up just being a recipe for disaster!).

Clean up your notes

Revisiting anything to do with this year may seem like the last thing you want to do right now, but hear me out. Cleaning up all your notes, textbooks, and exam materials - safe in the knowledge that you don’t need them anymore - is actually an incredibly satisfactory experience. Don’t go the whole nine yards and burn them (you never know when they might come in handy for you or someone else down the line), but cleaning them up and putting them away is the perfect symbolic way to lay the ghost of your exams to rest.

Get outdoors

You’ve been cooped up inside at your desk and within the school walls for too long. Time to dramatically overcompensate by spending nearly every waking moment out in the sun! Sunny weather is agony while exams are happening, but it’s arguably the best thing about being done.

Watch everything on Netflix

Ok, not everything. But, you know, maybe everything. Chances are you’ve been deprived of your TV fix throughout the term. Now’s the time to set that right. When you’re not out enjoying the good weather, it’s your duty to watch as much TV - good and bad - that you possibly can.

Get excited for holidays

Knowing that holidays are coming up during the last few weeks of term is torture. You know you shouldn’t be thinking about it, but thinking about how you shouldn’t be thinking about it is thinking about it, so you try to stop thinking about it and … you get the picture. But with no responsibilities to weigh you down, feel free to get excited. Whatever and wherever your plans are for the summer now is the time to get well and truly prepared and excited for them.

Take your hobby back up

Term 4 and exams are a time of sacrifice. All your favourite pastimes are either scaled back or cut out entirely for the sake of getting through exams. Maybe it’s a particular sport, a musical instrument, gaming, dance - whatever your personal hobby is, it’s time to welcome it back into your life like an old friend.

Do something new

Did you ever find yourself deep into your revision, with the end nowhere in sight, thinking longingly of how you’d love to take up some new activity if only you had the time? Well, you finally do, so make that dream a reality. Take a surfing lesson, teach yourself how to play the guitar, start a giant puzzle. Whatever you do, make sure you take a moment while doing it to enjoy the fact that you are finally doing it, guilt-free.

Don’t think about what’s next… too much

Whether you’re heading into the next of school, off to university, heading overseas or have no idea what you’re doing next year, the truth is the time will come when you have to think about revision, exams, and responsibility again. But that time is not now. For the next little while, take full advantage of your total lack of responsibility by just enjoying whatever you’re up to, and leave the serious stuff for when it comes around again. Don’t think about your marks or your ATAR - there’s no point worrying about that now. That’s a problem for future you!

Remember

You’ve sweated and scraped your way through the past year of class, exams and assessments, and you’ve made it past the finish line. Congratulations! Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and do your thing. These next few months will be one of the most enjoyable time periods in your life. It’s summer, you have 0 responsibilities and you have endless possibilities for the future. Enjoy it!