Finally the end is here.
Or almost here for most students around Australia.
While wrapping up the studies, sitting the last of exams and shuffling notes into real or virtual bins, millions of young Australians are trying to figure out what’s next – what big decisions need to be made in the near future for the future.
Will it be uni, tafe, travel, work … ???
The choice is yours ultimately.
Do keep in mind though that when it comes to actually making these choices all is not doom and gloom as many make it seem. Don’t let the pressure get to you.
Trust me. There’s no need to panic (or become blasé either) about the whole thing.
Yes, leaving school is a pretty big deal and can be overwhelming at times when you feel as though things are out of your control or that you’re still trying to figure things out. But remember this: No, you are not alone.
This is why SO has chosen to launch its first School’s Out Edition this month.
Every week over the next three months we will be publishing a variety of School’s Out posts to coincide with the end of high school right through to the beginning of the 2018 academic year.
You will come to know the stories of women and men who have been able to pass that School’s Out threshold and come out on top in their own ways.
I’m not suggesting you play the imitation game here but you might find something in their stories that you can either relate to or draw inspiration from to help spur you on at this time in your life.
Sure their journeys weren’t always easy, clear or straightforward, but the decisions made and the risks taken created experiences that were meaningful, fruitful and honestly worth sharing around.
At first the notion of having a School’s Out Edition seemed limiting considering the broad range of readers our humble online magazine has attracted over the years. We’ve had readers and writers that range from high school and university students, professional women from a variety of fields to mothers of all different ages.
SO… why not learn from each other?
Backtrack to the beginnings
SO Magazine Australia officially started in 2014 with the aim of giving young women a real and personal voice in the already noisy space of digital media publishing. We definitely entered a very crowded space but are convinced that SO serves a special purpose.
As we’ve gotten to know our readers and their varied interests over these last few years we’ve discovered that SO not only served as a virtual megaphone – enabling women to share their thoughts and ideas on a range of topics and issues – but has also served as a source of collaboration and real support among women.
And it was this positive collaboration between readers and writers that intuitively inspired the launch of SO’s School’s Out Edition.
I’ve had women tell me that collaborating with SO in one way or another has helped them feel more free in expressing themselves and confident in sharing what they’ve been through with others. It’s been humbling to hear that kind of response from a number of people too.
I know SO doesn’t look as glamorous, stylish or as polished as other online magazines out there but what I do know is that what we’ve published to date and the people we’ve collaborated with are truly priceless. Real gold.
One day I’d like to get our look just right to reflect that very gold that is at the heart and centre of SO but, in the meantime, what I can guarantee you is that what’s to come will be something pretty special for both our readers and writers.
Here’s to new beginnings!
Kristina
SO Magazine Australia 