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Watch These Year 12 Students Get Real About The Year Ahead

A new series delves into the rollercoaster ride that is the final year of high school.

As thousands of Aussie teens settle into their first term of Year 12, a new ABC series called 'My Year 12 Life' will follow 14 students giving us a fly-on-the-wall look at every thought, emotion and drama of their final year of school.

Through video diaries filmed entirely by the students themselves over the course of 2016, the first episode reveals the extent of emotion that comes with the impending school year and the enormous pressure they already feel before classes have even begun.

"I think it's sad that this is the last 'first' day back to school," Eden tells the camera, the night before her first day of Year 12.

"This is what you've built up from since kindergarten -- this is what the whole thing is about, this is like the game -- you've done the training and now we're up to the game time -- and the game time starts pretty much tomorrow," Eden said.

Being scared of failure is a common theme, and that score at the end? A huge deal.

"My goal is to get 95 and above," Trianna tells the camera.

In what is meant to be the 'best year of your life' each student proves that anxiety sometimes outweighs the excitement.

And of course, there's that old chestnut that it's the year that defines you forever as Shianna shares:

"In Year 12 you've just got so much riding on you, it's the year of your career."

Indeed despite what adults have told them, and youth mental organisation ReachOut's annual message of 'there's life after Year 12' it seems the pressure is still very much on to get that perfect score.

Oh, if only they knew.

Of course there are some students who are more relaxed than others.

"What I really want to do in Year 12 is just have fun, it's my last year of school so hopefully I'll pass so I don't have to do it again next year," Alex said.

The series aims to start a national conversation between students, teachers and parents about the issues they face and how they can be better supported.

And as homework, exams, a suddenly healthy social life and schoolies pop up, our guess is by December, they'll leave their final school year with so much more than just a number.

'My Year 12 Life' airs on ABC ME – Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm from Monday, February 20 and ABC on Sundays at 6.30pm from Sunday, February 26.

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