Life: 19-Year-Old Trying to Find Direction

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SUMMARY

A 19-year-old student, currently in their second year of Year 11, expresses feelings of confusion regarding future career paths despite excelling academically. After a challenging apprenticeship as a chef, they have returned to school with aspirations of achieving a high TER for university entrance. Although they have considered engineering, they remain uncertain about their ultimate career direction, feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to make definitive choices about their future. The discussion highlights the common struggle of young adults in navigating their educational and professional aspirations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Australian education system, particularly Year 11 and TER (Tertiary Entrance Rank).
  • Familiarity with various career paths, especially in STEM fields like engineering.
  • Basic knowledge of academic performance metrics and university entrance requirements.
  • Awareness of personal development concepts, including career exploration and decision-making.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the different branches of engineering to identify specific interests within the field.
  • Explore career counseling resources available for high school students.
  • Investigate the book "What Color is Your Parachute?" by Richard N. Bolles for insights on career planning.
  • Learn about alternative pathways to university, including vocational education and training (VET) options.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for high school students, career advisors, and educators who support young individuals in making informed decisions about their educational and career paths.

Mr_Orsum
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Ok... I'm 19, in year 11 (not sure of the American equivalent) this is my second time in year 11, I'm the oldest in my school. when i dropped out the first time, i had no drive, no support from anyone, nothing. I got an apprenticeship as a chef, hated it, continued for about 2 years, moved around a lot. Then decided to go back to school. just finished first half of year 11, top of most of my classes.

So that's pretty much where i am now, trying really hard, i want to be prepared for year 12 so i can get the best TER (uni entrance thing)... but i still don't know where I'm going, i said that i wanted to be an engineer at the start of the year, and have researched that quite a bit, but i don't even know if that's what i want to do now (yes iv read the "should i become an engineer" thread) I'm just so utterly lost, i mean sure science is awesome, physics is crazy and cool, maths is oddly fun and chemistry is really interesting, but out of all the careers iv looked at, nothing really jumps out at me, i mean I'm creative, but i think far too out side the box, this normally blinds my common sense, hell i don't even know what I'm asking... is this all worth it? like going to uni, getting a good job. I just feel like I'm this confused teenager that is about to become an adult, and i don't think I'm ready for that.

Any input would be appreciated, I am in a weird place right now, thanks for taking the time to actually read this...
 
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Don't worry about it, I'm in my second year at uni and don't know where I'm going. I probably won't know until half way through grad school if I want to do a postdoc or go to law school.

The only place I know I'm going for sure to is the funeral pyre. That's about it. I think that's the case for most of us.
 
In terms of knowing exactly what you want to do right now is a going to be a hard thing to confirm right now, and it's perfectly fine to question your ability to be able to achieve what your ultimate goals. Everyone does it.

Sometimes, especially when you have not been exposed to the subject in hand, it is easy to get caught up with the mind-numbing idea of having to 'know' all the things you need to know to become good at a particular subject. It might help to know that you are probably not as naive you might think you are. With hard work and a good attitude to help others learn, I think you'll have a good chance with anything you want to learn.
 
thanks for taking the time to read that and reply, since I don't have any sort of high achieveing family members or friends its hard to talk to them about it, coming here is really helpful, thanks again :approve:
 
What Color is Your Parachute?
by Richard N. Bolles
 

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