Some students approach the end of high school with a clear plan in their head: where to go to school, where to live, and where to work. It is not a fact that their plans will be 100% realized and that they will not be disappointed in them later. But at least they know what to do right now. Looking at them, those who are undecided about their choice are even more anxious because of their "suspended state". In this article, we will try to figure out how to deal with this situation.
Basic Options
Let's start with what the options are for high school graduates. So, having graduated from high school, it is possible to:
- Go to college, pass the state exams, and take additional exams based on the chosen institution (for some majors). Study at a university, academy, or institute for 4-5 years to obtain a bachelor's or specialist's degree, and two more years in the master's program. Medical students should also take into account the need to undergo a two-year residency to obtain a subspecialty.
- To enroll in a university on a high school diploma. Training in college for 11th graders usually lasts 2-3 years (depending on the specialty) and ends with a specific profession in which you can already look for work.
- Take commercial courses. They may be enough to become a welder, machinist, or, for example, a hairdresser and manicurist. Representatives of such professions may well earn a decent wage and be satisfied with their work, and then there is no need for higher or secondary special education itself. Or it can be completed later, combined with work.
- To take a break. Yes, classmates, teachers, and parents mostly support the rush and bustle of the last months of school, motivating graduates to get somewhere. But at the age of 17-18, not having a clear idea of what you want to do in the future is quite normal. The choice of profession determines a person's life for many years. And if you cannot make this choice at all, it makes sense to take a year off from studying During this time you can work in a position that does not require education and experience, get a better understanding of yourself, prepare for exams, and the next year to enter already much more consciously, so that you do not buy a research paper on a subject that does not interest you, because you chose an uninteresting profession in a hurry.
These are the four main options. As an alternative, you can choose a foreign university or college, but the essence of the options will not change.
How to make sense of yourself?
Let's assume that you have a strong desire to enter an educational institution, but do not get to decide on the specialty. Then you can try to figure out your aptitudes and preferences using the following approximate algorithm.
1. Calm down. To do this, take a deep breath, exhale, and repeat several times. To talk honestly with yourself, you can not be anxious, fidgety, or confused.
2. Think about what subjects or areas you like best. You don't have to immediately try to convert this into a potential profession. Just analyze what interests you. For example, solving genetic problems in biology, reading poetry in front of an audience, counting numbers, and helping people solve conflicts. Don't be afraid if it's hard to fit into a particular school subject.
3. Find out what professions are related to your interests. Our website can help you with this (we have quite a large database of information about professions), as well as the whole Internet in principle. Most likely, there will be quite a lot of answers. For example, someone who likes to communicate with people may suit the profession of a journalist, psychologist, advertiser, teacher, human resources manager, and many others.
4. Filter the resulting sample based on your characteristics. Imagine that you are already doing a job that you like (it doesn't matter which one).
What would the optimal conditions of such a job look like to you?
- Would it include more being in an office or traveling to different places, working independently, or working in a team?
- How much responsibility would you be willing to take on?
- How much interaction would you want to have with co-workers and partners?
- How much would you be willing to keep up with the latest news in the industry?
- If you sketch out a rough list of these limitations, do a little reading about each profession on your list, and cross off what doesn't fit - it's likely to narrow down your choices significantly.
5. Evaluate the actual possibilities of admission and subsequent study. Finally, from the remaining few professions you can make a choice based on practical factors.
- How well are you able to write state examinations in the subjects they require?
- What is the passing score of the universities that teach it?
- Are there such universities in your city, if not - can you live in another (the financial component of the issue is very important here)?
Even if after doing this exercise you do not form one clear final plan that you are sure of - the picture will still clear up significantly. You can repeat the exercise in 1-2 months.
