Some of the best and most memorable moments of a young person’s life were created during high school.
Some of the people that became close friends to you were met in high school and some of the lessons that guide our lives were learnt in high school. Whether we like it or not, the five years spent in secondary school had an impact on our lives in one way or another. Graduating from secondary school is normally an exhilarating time for the youth. It’s a heavy load of weight lifted off their shoulders and a taste of freedom that has been kept from them. It’s also the beginning of an extended summer holiday that has more time than they know to use. While some get productive and keep themselves busy, most are seen out and about enjoying their new freedom from school related obligations. 

However, for those who have not found employment or acceptance in an institution of further learning, the end of the summer holiday can be the start of a long period of hopelessness for them and their parents. A dose of reality and a glimpse of adulthood hits them softly at first, but as the concern of their parents increases, it translates to worry and fear of an uncertain future for the young hopeful school graduates.

The longer that school graduates remain idle, the greater their disillusionment when they compare their situation to that of their more fortunate friends and the greater the risk that they will be tempted to obtain money by illegal means.  Selling stolen property, illegal drugs, and their bodies become possible income options. 

Not all of them go that route, there are some that just give up, after getting rejected so many times all the hope, fight and optimism simply flies out of them. To them the world has halted, and specifically picked them out to give them the worst treatment out of all their peers, the life sold in high school was not supposed to play out like this.

Then, of course there are those that have everything go their way, everything they wished for to happen, happened and life continues as it was supposed to. To them the end of the summer holiday is just the beginning of another exciting time.
Life after high school is different for everyone. There is a difference between what is learned in high school and what is taught outside it. That is something that the youth learns to accept and deal with as they accumulate living experience in the real world. 

*Olavi Popyeinawa has a diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is currently studying law, LLB at the University of Namibia (Unam). He will weekly contributing this column on youth matters Instagram: niceguy_ olavi Facebook: Olavi Longfellow
Twitter: @OlaviPopyeinawa