Finishing Year 12 can be a scary thing for many students – you’re not quite exactly sure what to do and how to go about your life. Are you feeling as though you’re halfway through the year and still not sure what all this work is for? I mean, what is this leading me too – you may be asking yourself.
As a current tutor myself, I often ask my students what they wish to do when they finish school and oftentimes they say “I’m not quite sure” or “I have a general idea” or “I want to do X cause all my other friends are planning to do it”.
And guess what? This is normal. It’s normal when you’re 17 or 18 to feel like you don’t know what you want to do. Heck when I was 17/18 (5 years ago!), I knew generally what I wanted, but didn’t really know how to get there. Since then I went through failures, successes and tribulations to get to where I am today, but I knew that I had an internal compass to guide me.
It’s so very important that you know WHAT you’re good at and go all in on that. Ask yourself: “what are my natural talents?” and “what do I enjoy doing?”. If you are unable to answer this (and again that’s okay!), ask someone else close to you (e.g. a family member or close friend) and they may be able to give you an impartial viewpoint.
Ask yourself: “what are my natural talents?” and “what do I enjoy doing?”
When you begin to make a list of your natural talents, strengths and passions, you can begin to map out a pathway to your career choice. You may not know your passions just yet, but taking that first step of trying to work out your talents and strengths will lead to this discovery later on. This will further guide your tertiary studies selection (if applicable) or vocational course. If you are unsure what your passions are (and this is normal at that age), then try as many activities as possible. Try that dance class, try that gym class, or try that marketing course. Either way, if you don’t try, you’ll never know 😉
You may also be thinking “I am not really interested in a certain number of my subjects and not sure how they will be useful in real life?”. Again, normal. I can say from personal experience that the subjects I studied taught me HOW to learn, how to be perceptive and how to critically think and analyse – all useful skills needed in the real world. It also taught me to be highly creative and literate when it comes to writing and expression.
Your school should also have some career counsellors around – so if you can engage them, it would be to your benefit. However, again keep in mind that if you wish to pursue a non-traditional pathway, then this will be met with some apprehension.
Good luck going out into the real world! Remember to always stick to your strengths, talents and passions 🙂
About Learnmate
Learnmate is a trusted Australian community platform that connects students who want 1:1 or small group study support, with tutors who are looking to share their knowledge and earn an income. From primary school to high school subjects — from science and maths to niche subjects like visual communication — Learnmate can help you improve academic performance or boost confidence, at your pace with the tutor that you choose.
Students and parents can easily find and screen for tutors based on their location, their subject results or skill level, and whether they provide in-person or online sessions. Learnmate is proud to provide tutors in Melbourne, Sydney, Geelong, Brisbane, Hobart, Canberra, Perth & Adelaide, and other locations.