Uni is not the only way and it is not for everyone. It’s up to you to think carefully about what you want your life to be.
Ask yourself: “What am I good at? What do I like? What do I look forward to? What do others say?” Begin by focusing on school and then think about what you like outside of school.
Next, start thinking about what kind of career or job fits with your interests and abilities. Be creative here! And do some research. Because often we limit ourselves when we relate interests to occupations.
Many people assume that if they are good at art, for example, their only career option is to become an artist. However, there are so many more career paths that can be taken.
Have a look at the DEST site for a series of posters that link multiple careers with basic interests: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/career_development/publications_resources/careers_information_products/do_you_enjoy.htm
Ben
Further study is not for everyone, but it is also a key resource that is under-utilised by people who don’t think they could handle it.
Katie
Most of the unis didn’t want to know about me, because I had not done VCE and had old TAFE qualifications. I thought that perhaps the country unis might be more likely to take me, because they had less demand for places. It was too late in the year to apply through VTAC, but I was desperate to get in, so I wrote ‘essay style’ letters of application to the country campuses of reputable unis that offered interesting arts degrees. I was delighted that Monash uni in Gippsland wanted me! I studied hard, and was rewarded with some good marks. At the end of the year, I decided that I would try to study law, so I applied for a transfer to study Arts and Law at Melbourne uni, where I am now in my second last year.