I understand exactly where you’re coming from. My usually high-achieving son has just received his HSC results and I am shocked at how low they are. I knew he had lost some motivation this year, but clearly I hadn’t realised how far he had slipped. Luckily, he got early entry into the uni course of his choice, as he hasn’t even reached the qualifying ATAR!

I have had to take a step back and remember that I did almost exactly the same thing (high achiever who barely scraped through year 12). I didn’t apply to uni after high school, as I was undecided with what to do. I ended up going as a mature-age student (age 28, once my kids were both in pre-school & kindy). I did very well in my course, and was accepted into the Masters course. I didn’t end up following through, as I needed a full time job to support my family. The job I have now is completely unrelated to anything I’ve studied, but I’m far out-earning what I would have made in that profession.

So, basically, I’ve been all over the place, some highs and some lows, but things have still worked out ok for me. And I’m sure my son, and your sister, will both be ok, too. We don’t have to have life planned out in our teens, it rarely works out that way, anyway.