How To Prepare For Life After High School

Higher Education institutions open admissions and host open days every year. The pressure is definitely on, as matric learners across the country are tasked with making decisions on what steps to take after they graduate high school.

For many learners, the reality of not knowing what to do or where to go after matric is an overwhelming and unsettling feeling.

Careers Portal spoke to Candice Black, Psychometrist, Career Coach and owner of HUMANESSENCE to get some insight into what matric learners can do to prepare for life after high school.

Black says because learners have so much information at their disposal, it can feel very overwhelming when they’re coming to the end of school and trying to decide what to do with the rest of their lives. “It can be a very daunting decision, especially since you are still young and only just starting to truly understand yourself.”

The decisions learners make at school have a massive impact on their life – affecting not only their further education or employment, but also their future opportunities, social life, finances, as well as mental and physical health.

Career Assessments

The goal of any career assessment or quiz is to prepare individuals to transition smoothly towards a career path that they love and that they can be successful in.

Black believes that learners will feel a lot more motivated at school and excited about their future when they have a clear understanding of themselves and how they might want to live and work when they leave school.

"By learning more about yourself and equipping yourself with knowledge, you will be able to feel more in control and have an optimistic outlook on life and a greater sense of purpose and direction."

Weighing Your Options

Many will argue that pursuing Higher Education at a university or college once you’ve completed matric is the best option.

Black stresses that there is no “best option”, only the option that is best for the learner. She continues, “Higher education may be the most suitable step for certain people, but it isn’t for everyone.”

Regardless of what you choose to do after school, change is inevitable and can be overwhelming and scary. If you choose to study after school, you will find that the learning environment is a lot less structured than it was during school.

There are many ways to work towards your career goals, she adds. In some cases, pursuing a degree will be necessary, whereas in other jobs may only require a diploma of higher certificate.

Usually, some form of training is important in order to develop the skills you need to be successful in a certain role, but there are different ways to upskill yourself.

Sometimes formal education at a traditional university is required or recommended, other times a university of technology or TVET college is more appropriate.?For some people, gaining work experience and doing their own independent learning is a suitable option.?

Having access to someone who can help you to understand your strengths and the options that are best for you can help you to feel less alone and a lot more “in control.”

There is so much information out there that it can feel very overwhelming when you’re coming to the end of school and trying to decide what to do with the rest of your life. It can be a very daunting decision, especially since you are still young and only just starting to truly understand yourself.

She explains that a career professional can help learners focus on the key career fields that are best suited to them and help them to eliminate the “noise” and “distractions” that can lead to feeling overwhelmed and anxiety.

Preparing For Next Year

Here Are Five Tips Candice Black Suggests:

1. Get to know yourself: The most important step you can take is to learn about your own likes, dislikes, and interests. Get curious about who you are. Remain open to experiences, speak to people in different careers and take note of what sparks your interest.?
2. Define your values: What do you want out of life? What is important to you? What kind of lifestyle would you like to lead in the future? In order to know what steps to take now, you need to have an idea of where you are headed. You don’t have to have all the answers but start exploring what your priorities are.?
3. Find a mentor: Having someone you look up to guiding you in life will help you in the long run. You could choose a mentor in the career field you want to pursue or someone who has general life experience. A mentor can help you grow as a person and connect you with people in their network.
4. Do your research: Don’t make assumptions about jobs/career/tertiary institutions based on others’ opinions. It is important to do your own research as you can easily be influenced by what your peers think and often this is not based on facts. Also remember that someone that’s right for someone else may not necessarily be best for you.?
5. Take action steps: If you sit back and watch your future unfold without taking intentional steps, you will land up being swept up into anything. You are the expert on yourself and need to take small steps towards your goals.??

Black stressed that it is important for parents to allow their children the freedom to follow their own dreams and passions, supplemented with a dose of reality that comes with life experience.

It is critical that parents don’t force their children to pursue a certain career just for the money or prestige that they associate with it.

She stresses, “I work with many adult clients who chose their careers for the wrong reasons, are miserable down the line and needing to make changes mid-career.”

"It is important to consider what your child is truly good at and interested in, as this is where they will feel happiest and are likely to make the biggest impact in the world of work (and if a person enjoys what they do and are naturally good at it, oftentimes the money will follow)."

Black says that it?is important for matric learners to maintain a curious and positive mindset during times of change, and they should allow themselves to learn and make mistakes along the way.?

Article Written By Ragheema Mclean

Related: National Benchmark Tests NBTs