Blak and forth: The future

This video was produced in partnership with Studio Gilay. Words by Phoebe McIlwraith, a Bundjalung Githabal and Worimi Saltwater dubay/galbaan (woman). Phoebe is a journalist and content producer based in ‘Sydney’.

Read a transcript of the video.

There’s more than one way forward

There’s so much weight put on exam results as being the thing that will shape your future and ensure you hit your goals. While getting good grades is great, they aren’t the be-all and end-all. 

Let’s say your goal is to get into uni. Direct entry is just one way of doing that. Like Alex, you could always get there with an early entry pathway. Or you could look into alternative entry pathways, TAFE, traineeships, bridging courses and more. 

It can help to research what pathways are available while you’re still at school. This can give you a strong understanding of what’s out there, and help to ease the pressure and feelings of uncertainty. 

Not sure where to start? If your school has someone in the role, yarn to your Aboriginal Liaison Officer/Aboriginal Education Officer. They can help out with things like career guidance, pathways, scholarship info and cultural support. 

You can also dive into our Deadly Pathways quiz. It’ll give you a solid idea of where your passions, skills and talents could take you, as well as the steps to get you started. 

Stay grounded with ceremony

While the world definitely doesn’t end after school, a big part of your life is changing. And as exciting as it might be, thinking about the future can also be pretty scary. 

Across cultures, including First Nations ones, ‘ceremony’ is a way to recognise and welcome big changes in your life. It can help you to cope with the stress of transitions, to stay grounded, and to embrace the positives of what’s ahead. 

Graduations are a type of ceremony, but anything can be, as long as it feels significant and grounding to you. It might be as simple as taking time to sit with yourself, to reflect on where you’re at and to celebrate how far you’ve come. 

You could even mark the occasion by having your favourite meal or traditional foods, by going on Country to your favourite places or visiting important family graves to leave flowers, or just by taking some time to reflect on this big change with your loved ones.

It’s okay not to know everything!

Since graduating, Alex, Anisha and Mia have been able to reflect more on the relief they felt when finishing school, but also on how it’s totally fine not to have your whole future locked in.

For example, Mia went from studying teaching, to applying (twice!) and getting into the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Alex first thought he’d pursue law but changed to social work after rethinking his values. 

The most important thing to remember is that it’s okay to change your mind, or even to not know what you want to do. And it’s okay to feel anxious about all the uncertainty, too. So, just in case you need to hear it right now: you got this!