![Oxley High graduate Matthew Barrett is adjusting to life after school. Picture by Peter Hardin Oxley High graduate Matthew Barrett is adjusting to life after school. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/205515339/9c81188d-4058-4d42-bcad-69cebbcef2a2.jpg/r0_0_8256_5504_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Recent Oxley High graduate Matthew Barrett has found the transition from school to adult life to be a bit of a "head spin".
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"It's so strange. It is like a whole different shift of dimensions," he said.
"I have gone from the routine of: go to school; leave school; spend the day with you friends; come home; have dinner; and go to sleep, to my days not being necessarily being structured.
"It has been weird adjusting to it, but I have started to come round to it."
Matthew was one of the 70,000 students across NSW who completed their HSC last month.
It can be an exciting time, but school leavers can also feel vulnerable because of the change in routine and can even struggle with their mental health as a result.
"Research shows that young people finishing school often struggle with their mental health and suicide risk is heightened," Hunter New England and Central Coast (HNECC) Primary Health Network (PHN) CEO, Richard Nankervis, said.
"The pressure of the perceived level of expectation from friends and family can be overwhelming, particularly when the young person believes the expectations exceed what they are able to achieve."
Having noticed this vulnerability and a lack of resources for ex-students, Hunter New England Health launched a new online platform: Your Road Starts Here.
The site was designed in collaboration with Central Coast Local Health District, headspace, and creative agency 'Lead by Story'.
The platform focuses on six key elements in a young person's life including goals, money, friendships, career, community, and support networks.
Each category is provided videos, advice, and other resources to help young adults navigate life beyond the classroom walls.
Compared to his peers, Matthew has opted for a 'non-traditional' pathway. He will live out of his van and roam across the country as a travelling musician.
The platform is "such an amazing tool", he said, for young people who are struggling to find their footing.
"There are kids who have known what they have wanted to do since they were 12 years old and that is like four per cent of a year group, who 100 per cent know what they want to do for their life journey.
"Having that tool for the majority of kids who don't know what they want to do, or where to start, is such a great advantage."
All resources can be accessed on: https://www.yourroad.au/
- If you or anyone you know needs help you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.