Leaving School is Daunting

The end of the school life is a milestone in life.  For years, the school routine has been the bedrock of daily family life.  We plan our holidays and work commitments around school attendance.

School students often look forward to the freedom adult life brings.  Uniforms start to feel restrictive and heavy school bags a burden.  The final cycle of fifth and sixth year are at the cusp of this freedom.  When leaving school, there is a palpable feeling of excitement at what this freedom will bring.

With this excitement, fear can also exist

The anticipation of new beginnings and more independence is delightful.  However; with that comes an individual responsibility.  For the first time in life (usually), students now have to make their own choices and plan for their own lives.

This can be daunting and overwhelming

It is vital we support students leaving school.  School leavers appear confident, articulate and assertive.  They are #livingtheirbestlives but not all of them are feeling comfortable with this transition.

Check in with the school leavers in your life

Perhaps they will surprise you by opening up with their thoughts and fears.  It’s great if they do.  Final year students are in an era where “it’s ok to not be ok” and that’s great.  However; they’re also in an era where social media prevails and a lot of heads are in phones.  Let’s not forget to communicate at a basic level and ask someone how they’re doing with the prospect of moving onto another stage of life.

Communication is key

School leavers are perhaps looking at Summer jobs, third level education, apprenticeships or indeed looking to enter the work force directly on a full time basis.  All of these options involve huge change.  It’s vital we offer support to ensure these changes allow these school leavers to transition successfully to the next stage of their lives and enjoy becoming independent adults in society.