Life After School: Life, Advice and Rants

The topic that is often brought up the moment you hit year 11 until your last moments of your secondary school life. Your future. For most teenagers it is such a daunting subject and the word most drilled into your head by parents and teachers. Constantly being reminded that everything you do will result in your future can be off putting for some and can cause confusion, doubt in your ability as well as negativity of your options. Though we want to stay children forever, growing up and moving on is a part of life that we cannot ignore. You have just got to understand the whole range of options available for your future and that you can do anything you want! Here are some possible choices you can make for life outside of secondary school.

- University

The most common decision to make after finishing compulsory education is to then go and search higher education at Uni! Moving away and surviving on your own may not be to everyone's taste however many enjoy the independence and the opportunity to meet new people. You can specialise in a subject that you enjoy the most and gain more knowledge to get that degree 3-4 years down the line. Even if you don't want to do a full degree you can apply for Higher National Certificates (equivalent to the first year of a degree course) or Foundations Degree's/ Higher National Diplomas (equivalent to the first two years of a degree course). Just having a degree can open up more job opportunities and give you good skills to proceed in life. Try using https://www.ucas.com/ for help when deciding a undergraduate degree.

- Apprenticeships 

Combining work and learning can be a win, win situation for some. Earning a wage as well as gaining new skills in a particular profession you want to do in the future. Though they are available when you are sixteen, there will be more opportunities and a chance to do higher apprenticeships after completing A levels. They are also available from all different job sectors, from paralegal to plumbing and even support technician there are a whole range of apprenticeships that suit you. They can be such a good step towards your dream career so for even more info check out https://www.gov.uk/further-education-skills/apprenticeships.

- Travel

Having been at school for a consecutive 14 years of your life may be a good enough reason to have a year out of learning and just go travelling! Whether it is working aboard or just an chance for adventure, there is a whole world out there of chances to gain experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. It can also be a chance for you to decide what to do after travelling, that's if you even come back! With such a competitive job market and university placement, travelling in a gap year can be a big boost on your CV as well as something to please university admission tutors. So if you can and you want to, why not! You might as well do it now why you don't have commitments, bills, debts or a family to worry about. You can find some amazing travel packs on http://www.gap360.com/ to places all around the world.

These are just a few of the options you have after A-levels, so don't stress. Your future is just around the corner so do what you want, you have the rest of your life ahead of you. The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time, so get in control and shape it the way you want to go.

'What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon? And the day after that, and the next thirty years?' - The Great Gatsby

Or you can always take Charlotte's advice: