AS thousands of matrics nurse their post-Rage Festival hangovers and take a well deserved break, it’s important for the youngsters to start taking a look into the near future and prepare for life outside the comforting school walls.
Although life appears to be a blank canvas for the Class of 2019 – it’s still important to make plans for next year, whether it’s studying (short or long term), travelling/working abroad, working locally or freelancing in whatever artistic craft you’re in.
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Most, but not all schools, push students to pursue tertiary education as a degree is seen as a direct link to success.
But, going to university isn’t the only pathway to living a comfortable life and matrics need to understand that it’s okay to take a gap-year to re-assess their options going into adulthood.
When looking back at what my peers pursued after school, it was really interesting to see how different all of our paths were.
Some went overseas to work on the yachts in Europe and North America or the summer camps in the United States. Some took a swing at becoming professional athletes and others became lifeguards or surf instructors in Asia.
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The rest obviously went to Uni willingly or were pressured to do so.
I spoke to Thomas Moore’s outgoing headboy, Ligudu Mashige, who will be studying next year and continuing with his Hockey exploits, “I do endorse that those who are confused with their career paths should take time to figure out their future. That time will help you figure out what fuels you to wake up every day and think “yes this is worth it”. A lot of friends I know worked out on ships, took gap years exploring different countries and finding out careers that they didn’t even know existed. So it is another idea for those to take that time out and find what is best for them.”
If you’re starting to feel left out and tired of hearing your peers gloat about how they’re going to enjoy student life away from home, or others who have jobs lined up at mommy or daddy’s business – Wonga Ntshinga, Senior Head of Programme: Faculty of ICT at The Independent Institute of Education, assured students by saying, “Many may not realise they still have options to put things in place for next year and that they don’t need to consider 2020 a write-off.”
Ntshinga is talking about students who’ve left it too late to apply to universities or colleges.
He encourages matriculants to explore alternative options in education. “You don’t have to commit to a three-year degree if you are not yet sure what you want to do career-wise. But at the very least, commit to developing your skills and not stagnating. There is a wide range of courses on offer in a variety of fields, all of which will allow you to get your foot in the door in the world of work,” said Ntshinga.
“Doing a short course will also allow you to both explore and refine your interests, and could lead to you identifying exactly what it is you want to do with your life if you haven’t been sure until now,” he said.
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