I'm originally from Mudgee in country New South Wales, but I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a border at St.Vincents College in Potts Point in Sydney. [ReachOut.com presents] [There's Life After Year 12 Exams] [Natarsha Belling] I found boarding a great environment. Because, although I was very diligent as a student, you had the opportunity to have study time. So you were in an environment where you didn't have a lot of distractions. When I did the HSC it was before mobile phones, so we used to have a common room phone where I talked to my parents every day. I was definitely a nerd, but I understood that education was a wonderful gift and I actually absolutely loved learning - except for maths! I always wanted to be a journalist and I knew I had to get a certain TER to get into University. The University that I wanted to go to. If you are looking for an easy job don't chose journalism or the media. It is incredibly taxing. The shift work is incredibly tough. Stories that you report and present on can be incredibly confronting, but I believe it's the best job in the world. The day that I opened my TER - it came in the post. I remember opening it at my parent's place in Mudgee and I was so excited I had my licence and I reversed my Dad's much beloved car out of the driveway and took the whole side of his car out. There's literally half a tree still in the rear vision mirror...I took it out. I said "Dad, I've got some wonderful and terrible news' and this was his pride and joy, his car and I said I've got well and truly the mark and I've taken half of your car out. So, poor Dad was overjoyed, and in their typical fashion, this is why i love them so much, they said it doesn't matter, its materialistic. All that matters is that you've been able to get the mark. Another bit of advice that I would always give budding young journalists, is work experience, work experience, work experience. Every school holidays, I would at university holidays, I would work for free at different radio stations, the local newspapers. So that's how you get the foot in the door. So I kept on doing work experience and then when I was at University at Bathurst, I worked at Prime TV in Orange and then my first boss Peter Andrin gave me my first on the-road journalism job when I was half way through my final year. I think at that moment in your life especially if you have a key goal that you need to get a certain mark to get into a university course, you can put too much pressure on yourself. And at that moment in your life it is everything. But when you stand back looking back, many years afterwards, there is life after exams and if you don't get into university or if you don't get into that course that you want to there are many other avenues you can take. All I would advise budding young students is to do your very best because that's all anyone can ever ask and not to put too much pressure on yourself. [#thereslifeafter] [ReachOut.com]