It Has To Be Your Choice
I get it. You’re working really hard to keep up with everything at school, you have a billion SACs coming up in the next few weeks and you’re behind in your preparation. And then, you have an assembly where they remind you that you have to work out what you want to do when you finish school and submit your VTAC application in the next month or so. It’s completely stressful and easy to fall into the trap of just doing what other people say you should do.
Maybe you want to make your parents proud by continuing in their footsteps, or they hate their career and even though you think it looks interesting they have warned you off it. Maybe you just don’t want to take the time to think about it right now, and a friend or a teacher once suggested a career that sort of makes sense so you’ll just put that down. The reality is that while the choice you make now is not the be all and end all, making a good choice now can save you a lot of heartache in the long run.
This 30 day journal will help you explore you interests, strengths and values to give you a strong foundation for making aligned career choices. I can’t wait for you to dive in!
Most people just want what’s best for you
Sometimes it can feel like a lot of pressure when people you love are really insistent on you studying a particular course, particularly when you can’t think of an alternative one to do anyway. But the important thing to remember here is that in the vast majority of cases, these people are making a suggestion that they think will be good for you - either they think you’re suited to it, or at the very least it would bring you financial security later on.
Just because they’re suggesting a particular course doesn’t mean that you have to do it. Even if they’ve been hinting at it for years, I’m giving you permission (not that you need it!) to choose a course that you want to do. But by remembering that they just want what’s best for you, hopefully it gives you the courage to have a conversation with them about it. If you involve them in your research, you might be surprised about how helpful they are (afterall, they probably know you pretty well) and they will likely feel less stressed (and put less pressure on!) if you give them some kind of action they can help you with.
It’s also worth considering what people are suggesting
When people around you offer a suggestion, take a step back and look at it with curiosity. Why are they suggesting this particular course or career? Is it about them, or is it actually about you?
For example, they might be suggesting a course that’s prestigious like medicine or law, or maybe they’re suggesting a course they did or something that they wish they had studied. Alternatively, they might actually be suggesting courses that make sense based on subjects you do well in at school or things that they think you are interested in.
Don’t automatically throw out courses that other people suggest. Have a conversation with them about it. Ask them why they’re suggesting it. You might actually get some insight into courses that would be worth considering.
Make your own choice
Once you have had all the discussions and done all the research, it really is up to you to decide what you want to do. Let the people who are around you help, but you are the person that has to actually go on and study the course, work in that area, or make changes later if it’s not the right choice. While changing courses at uni is relatively common, it’s not always straightforward. You usually need to show that you have a good work ethic by having a particular average across your results in the course you want to drop, so take the time now to make a choice that you’re more likely to be happy with, rather than just doing what others suggest to keep things comfortable now.
