what they don't tell you about matric.

Your matric year is said to be the most stressful and important year of your life (but just wait till you get to university if you thought it was hard!) Here is what matric is actually like.

You're at an awkward age where you have adult responsibilities like choosing the career you will have for the rest of your life at the age of 17 and you can even be tried as an adult, but you are still treated like a child. You are still spoken down to and are expected to do what you are told to without questioning it.

In matric you are told to focus on your academics, however you are required to represent the school simultaneously. To be real - it is not possible to do your best academically if you have all these other responsibilities, like having to attend every school event and participate in extra-curricular activities and attend every sports practice and prioritise your family and friends and do chores and look after siblings and sleep (with perfect class attendance too).

One thing they don't tell you about your matric year is that it isn't only academic pressure from family, teachers and yourself and three sets of exams and a shit ton of work but it is also:

- NBTs ( + an NBT course if need be)

- university applications

- ID (if you don't already have one)

- Learner's license (if you don't already have one)

- community service (if you haven't already done it)

- Driving school

- Driving license

- MD dance dates and prep (which is a lot more work than you think)

- Looking for a car

- bursary applications

There aren't holidays. Not one school break goes by in which writing feels foreign to you. The holidays are used to do all the things mentioned above and there is always a plethora of projects waiting to be done. Some projects are even carried over to the next school holidays because you didn't have time to get them done.

Another thing they don't tell you is that you simply cannot try your best with every subject all the time anymore. You have to prioritise your time and efforts. You have to choose which projects and subjects you want to work the hardest in and which ones you can slack off with, simply because you don't have time to focus on all your subjects at once. And if you have extra subjects it gets even worse.

You HAVE to sleep. Whenever adults give you advice in matric they withdraw it towards the end. For example, they will tell you to get sufficient rest...but wait - not TOO much rest. Sleep is actually more important than working. Lack of sleep directly does double damage to your performance. Establish a regular and realistic sleep schedule to stay afloat in matric. IT IS VITAL.

AP subjects DON'T MATTER. There isn't even an option to enter your AP English mark when applying for some unis.

Also, unless you apply for medicine or want a bursary, extra curricular activities, leadership, sports and general participation is meaningless. All these things serve to do is enhance your highschool experience and help you to be more social, confident and be better at time management, but for matric, I would recommend you skip out on those things.

Being naturally good at a subject doesn't cut it anymore. A lot of time and hardwork and tears has to be put in a subject for you to do well. Even if you are naturally a mathy person, you'll need to put in the work.

You just should not give up. Ever. Because sometimes you can work your hardest and do so badly, but I promise that if you keep working consistently and efficiently and for long enough you will be rewarded.

Your school marks do not define your intelligence. All that your average determines is how many subjects you can juggle at the same time. ONLY FOCUS ON THE SUBJECTS YOU NEED FOR THE COURSE YOU ARE APPLYING TO! Your average does. not. matter.

Everyone is going through THE EXACT SAME THING. Support eachother because you're all in it together.