The time has arrived to leave your school days behind and get on with the future. As easy as this may be for some, for others it is stressful and daunting. To study immediately or to travel? To work and not study at all? Here is some sound advice for dealing with this challenge.
1. Not everybody has to choose the same route:
A number of students know precisely what to do after school and have their career paths all mapped out. Others are battling to make a decision and feel pressured by parents and friends. Most parents would hit the roof at the idea of their child ‘wasting’ a year abroad, but there are a number of individuals who take a year off to find themselves. They return, having made a final decision and enter into University a bit older and a bit wiser.
2. Ask for Advice:
When faced with the nerve wracking decision about your life after high school, you may have tons of questions you need answers to. Take a minute and realize that you are still on the road to adulthood and you need advice at times. Ask your parents, friends, relatives, even a school counsellor that you trust for help. You may find some very useful tools to aid you in your decisions.
3. Do what You want to do:
Your siblings and friends may have decided on their careers, but you don’t have to right away. That age old saying “follow your dreams,” has stuck around for a reason. You are at the point in your life where you have the power to affect your entire future. Make the decision about what to do after school for yourself, as you will most likely have to spend many years in this position.
4. You Can Change Your Mind:
A great deal of students enter into a study course because their parents have pushed them towards a certain career path, or they have decided to study one thing and after a year realized that their passion lies elsewhere. Many young adults feel they have to see things through due to financial issues or fear of disappointing others, but this should not be the deciding factor. Remember: we all have the right to follow our dreams and passions and you deserve to enjoy your working life.
5. Dedicate Yourself:
Once you have made a choice and set up a plan of action for your future, stick to it. The choices you make about your life after high school are in fact affecting the rest of your life, and you are the master of your own destiny. When you have chosen your path, commit yourself to making a success of it.
We hope these tips have aided you with the myriad of decisions that you are being faced with at this slightly scary, but very exciting time. Good luck and enjoy the life you choose to lead!