The Redland Times journalist Dani Volke visited a number of schools across Redland City to see what school leavers had planned for their future and for the traditional Schoolies Week.

CARMEL COLLEGE year 12 students Alex Downie, Aimee Were, Danika Ferguson, Courtney Fletcher and Will Hagan all chose to start their tertiary studies next year and won’t be attending Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast.

“I am hoping to get an OP 2 in my exams and want to do a bachelor of physiotherapy at the UQ or ACU. I am not going to Schoolies and I would rather spend that money on a car, but I do think Schoolies is relevant to other school leavers,” Alex Downie said.

Danika Ferguson and Aimee Were are going to follow the overseas trend and celebrate Schoolies in Fiji.

“It works out to be about the same costs, but instead of going to the Gold Coast we get to go overseas,” Danika said.

“I think Schoolies on the Gold Coast is still

relevant for other school leavers, but the down side can be boredom and wasting money,” Aimee said.

ALEXANDRA HILLS STATE HIGH SCHOOL students Corbin Van Noort, Steven Detheridge, Lauren Wiemers and Kathleen Breen are going to start their tertiary studies next year and will be celebrating their school days at Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast.

“I will be jumping straight into a four year aviation degree next year, at Griffith University if I get the marks, I need an OP 12 or less,” Steven said.

“I am going to go to Schoolies on the Gold Coast - it’s a school leaver’s tradition – and it will be one of the last times we all catch up together as mates,” Corbin said.

ORMISTON COLLEGE students Geordie Alexander and Amelia Stewart are going to continue tertiary studies next year and are both planning on celebrating the end of their school years on the Gold Coast.

"I plan on studying physiotherapy or medicine on the Gold Coast next year," Amelia said.