Can't Decide What to Do After High School?

Here are some tips to help you navigate through your uncertainties.

Uncertainty is a universal experience when it comes to deciding what to do after graduation. Do you want to pursue post-secondary education? What program should you take? What program will be the best for you?

All these thoughts are common and yes, can be scary, but luckily, they can also be navigated. We've got some tips that'll help you consider what your next steps should be!

1. Think about your favourite subjects

Think about all the courses you've taken; which ones were your favourite? What do you enjoy learning about? Would you be happy learning more about that subject in university?

Studying something that interests you will make it easier to get to class, study, complete assignments, pay attention in class or during labs, manage your time, and get good marks.

2. Identify your strengths

It's important to acknowledge what you're good at. Here are some things you can try doing to identify what your strengths may be.

Ask others

Go to the people around you, your friends, your family, even co-workers, and teachers and ask them what they think your strengths are.

Look at your grades

What classes have you done well in? Consider if what you're good at matches what you love. For example, you may want to be the next Bill Nye the Science Guy (or Gal!) but can't handle writing lab reports. It's important to consider whether you can see yourself studying a single subject for four to five years.

Try something new

Another tip is to try something new — a new part-time job, a new club, or a volunteer opportunity. You might find out more about yourself regarding how much you enjoy working in a specific field or with a specific demographic.

3. Do some research

Knowing is half the battle! Doing some reading and thinking ahead will help you.

Career opportunities

Before you apply to a specific program, read university brochures and talk to students in the program at an open house or during a campus tour. Make sure the program interests you and lines up with your career path!

Earnings potential

University is about so much more than getting a job after graduation. However, you may want to look at potential earnings for your field of interest and consider whether job opportunities in that field are growing.

Use first year to explore

Make the most of your first year! Talk to your professors and other students. What are grads doing? What courses are upper-year students taking?

Try taking electives in other subjects you enjoy. You might find that you'd be happier studying something else. If this happens, you can change your program.

Choose a program with a general first year

There are lots of programs that allow for some flexibility. A lot of programs have general options. For example, if you know that you want to study math, but you don't know what kind of math you want to study, Waterloo has a general first-year math program: Honours Mathematics.

Get the university experience you want

When choosing a university program, you want to choose the university that is right for you.

This includes your program, but there are also factors other than academics to consider when choosing a university. What kind of environment do you prefer? Do you want to study in a big city or a small town? How far away from home do you want to be?

Next time you find yourself getting stressed and confused, take a moment and try using these tips to help. Good luck!