It’s easy to feel lost when you’re leaving school. Although it can be exciting to have so many options and possibilities ahead of you, it isn’t always easy to make sense of the choices you have. Perhaps you’ve sat your final exam and know you’re destined for a particular trade. It could be that you don’t know what to do next and want to keep your options open. Either way, it’s often challenging to know what to do after Year 12.
The good news is that the world is your oyster. There are so many alternative routes you can take, and you can always choose a new path if you decide to adjust your goals.
While there are literally thousands of things you can do after Year 12, here are some of the most common choices that you may wish to explore.
Enter the world of work
It might be that you’re sick of classrooms and want to start earning your money. If that’s the case, further education might not be your best bet and getting a job could set you on the right path. There are tonnes of different sectors, fields, and roles to explore out there – both in Australia and internationally.
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Whatever you do, just make sure that you have a great CV that stands out to potential employers. This will be a lot easier to create if you have a solid set of grades behind you, and if you’re looking at this before your exam season, it’s not too late to get help from our expert tutoring team.
Depending on what you want to do, you might still need to get some further qualifications. This is particularly the case if you want to progress, and it’s important not to write off the value of a good education. Still, you can be very successful even without any further learning – but don’t think that your only options are to get a job or to go straight to university.
Study at university
Nowadays, university is a non-negotiable requirement for many jobs. Even if a degree is not strictly included on the job spec, lots of candidates are likely to have one and so it’s vital not to write off the importance of continuing your education after Year 12.
University is also a great place to grow as a person. It’s not just about lectures and essays, but also a fantastic social life, societies, and finding your feet as an adult. In some cases it’s an absolute necessity, particularly if you want to enter a vocational profession such as law, medicine, dentistry, architecture, and countless other skilled jobs.
Getting into university can be daunting, but if you’ve been studying hard, you’ll have nothing to worry about. Just don’t feel as if you have to go, because there are plenty of other options available to you.
Go to TAFE
Technical and Further Education colleges (TAFE) are quite different from university, not least because they focus on a different set of courses. This might be a good option if you want to learn a trade, get into the hospitality business, or hone your hairdressing or beauty skills. These courses are fantastic, and they can open a lot of doors to you.
The beauty of going to TAFE is that you can always change your mind and transfer to university or out into the working world if you decide that’s best. Just make sure that you weigh up all of the costs and find out what works for you.
Find an apprenticeship
Another option is to learn a trade by getting stuck in at the deep end. An apprenticeship allows you to combine work with study, learning on the job as you go.
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In many cases, your employer will even pay for a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course at a local educational provider. This will give you all the theory behind what you’re learning out in the field.
There are lots of careers that you can get into via an apprenticeship. From retail and construction to business administration and mechanics, many of them are in high demand and can command a very respectable salary. To top it all off, you’ll earn money as you learn – which is always an attractive prospect.
Take some time off
The most important thing to remember is that there’s no rush! Whatever you want to do will still be there in a year, and the pressure to get on with things as fast a possible is artificial. Often, it’s better to sit back, take your time, and have a long hard think about what you want to do.
Travel, take a part-time job, and enjoy life. You’ve just spent 13 years in the classroom, so nobody would blame you for letting loose on a gap year before you enter the big wide world. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your passion somewhere along the way.
The bottom line
Whatever it is that you want to do next, the most important thing to know is that you have options. From university and apprenticeships to part-time jobs and round the world trips, the choice really is yours.
Of course, the options available are likely to look a whole lot better if you’ve got a decent set of grades behind you. For help with that, get in touch with Alchemy Tuition, and book your first tutoring session today.
