What to Do If You Didn’t Go to Schoolies and Regret It

Tbh, there’s better things you can spend your time and money on.

Maybe you missed out on accommodation, or schoolies just isn’t your vibe. Regardless of why you’re not surrounded by partying rn, the alternative is certainly not to sit at home and mope.

Schoolies (or 'leavers' for those in WA) gets talked up from the moment you enter Year 7, but there are better things you can spend your precious time and money on—and enjoy yourself more!

Renovate and re-vamp your living space.

Maybe I’m just an interior design fiend, but after living among piles of textbooks and snack wrappers for months, recreating your bedroom or living space can be both exciting and relieving.

Head to Kmart or Facebook Marketplace for cheap furniture and scroll through TikTok for room design inspo.

@iheartapples i’m gonna make this a series since so many of you guys ask where stuff in my room is from haha #roominspo #trendy #roomtour ♬ diet mtn dew demo - Trueee

@alexcosta Items that will make any bedroom cooler 😎 #housetour #selfimprovement #menstyle #homedecor #bedroom #decoration #interiordesign #mensfashion ♬ Dream - The Pied Pipers

The ultimate power move, if you’re ready, is to move out of home altogether. If you’ve got the funds and perhaps a roommate to move out with, apartment hunting is just too much fun.

Skip outta town for a day trip or two.

There are always local getaways that won’t be too swamped with schoolies or holidayers.

The key is to scout spots closer to you. We’re lucky to be surrounded by plenty of lakes, fields, groves, and beaches in Australia, so you won’t be tight for choice!

Start a passion project.

Splurge on a new electric guitar! Start publishing articles on a blog! Make TikTok videos! The world is your oyster.

Everything you wanted to do when your head was deep in the books? You can finally do it all.

Do some volunteering.

This is an epic way to meet people, spend time in the outdoors, and make the community a better place while you’re at it.

You could head to your local council or check SEEK Volunteer for an unending list of things that always need to be done.

This sure sounds better than staying up in a chalet ‘til ungodly hours for four nights in a row.

Attend festivals in your city or town.

Give local talent some love and go check out gigs and shows near you.

There’s usually always an art, writer’s, tech, start-up or some kind of festival going on somewhere. Use Facebook Events to see what’s going on around you, or a quick Google search’ll do it!

Get a summer job.

You won’t regret seeing your bank account increase exponentially in size if you decide to work hard over the summer.

We’ve matched personality types to the perfect summer jobs here, or you can check out our Jobs page to see who’s hiring.

There’s no room for schoolies regret when you’ve got a whole summer ahead of you to live it up. Let your friends come back tired and bedraggled—you'll be living your best life!

Header Image: Elina Sazonova via Pexels