Cleo's Year 12 Journey

Full transcript

This is Cleo — a 17-year-old in Year 12 who started the year feeling positive, with close friends, weekly netball, and Sunday family dinners to look forward to. As the year went on, pressure began to build. Cleo's teachers reminded the class about SACs and exams, and she found herself constantly comparing her marks to her friends' results. Cleo also works two nights a week, and during busy assessment periods she stays up late, gets only five or six hours of sleep, and sometimes skips breakfast just to rest a little longer. Things got harder socially too — one of Cleo's closest friends drifted to another group, and seeing their photos together on social media sometimes left Cleo feeling lonely and left out. But Cleo still has real strengths to lean on — netball training helps her unwind, her supportive sister reminds her that her ATAR won't define her future, and a caring teacher has offered to help if she ever needs it. As exams draw closer, Cleo is learning to balance everything — and recognising that reaching out, resting, and using her support network are just as important as studying hard.