Confused about what to do after high school

[thala3322]

Hey RFD members! i'm studying grade 11 in BC and quite frankly haven't done great in most of my subjects.

I got 70 - Chemistry 11, 70-Physics 11, 87- social studies 11, 98 - apprentice and workplace math 11. Usually I do very well and get A's and B's, don't get stressed but this year changed.

First my councellor puts me in the wrong Math course and end up taking grade 10 math this semester in order to enter pre calc 11 in summer. Secondly, I did poorly in chem and physics which is making me feel nervous about grade 12 and post secondary. Currently doing average in Biology 11, Eng 11 and French 11.

I honestly don't know what to study after high school, I was initially thinking of becoming an Engineering (cause it's been forced down my brain from childhood by my "Indian" parents lol) but that might not be the best idea.

So anyway I was wondering if there's any personality tests or career tests online that I could take.

any help would be appreciated
thank you

[gibguitar]

Well, here's an interesting thought... my parents also forced Engineering down my skull for years growing up and after high school I decided to do my own thing and take something I would "enjoy". Pretty much wasted my money and time since it didn't get me a job.... now I'm 25 and going back to school to be an Engineer. So, I know it's the popular thing to go against your parents and do what you think you will enjoy but sometimes the parents are right.

If you want to go to university, get an undergraduate degree that will be worthwhile when you graduate like a hard science, business or engineering.

Don't worry about about your grade 11 marks. They will only check your grade 12 marks. So step it up in grade 12.

You're young. There are career or personality tests online like careercruising.com but these are not a science. If you don't know what you want to do after highschool, just keep working hard and take Calculus, Physics, Chemistry and Adv. Functions. If you still don't know what to do when you graduate high school, I would say listen to your parents. You could always switch your major if you have an epiphany during university. But, if you work hard and graduate with a nice degree, you won't be a 25 year old going back to university.

[KevC]

Well, here's an interesting thought... my parents also forced Engineering down my skull for years growing up and after high school I decided to do my own thing and take something I would "enjoy". Pretty much wasted my money and time since it didn't get me a job.... now I'm 25 and going back to school to be an Engineer. So, I know it's the popular thing to go against your parents and do what you think you will enjoy but sometimes the parents are right.

If you want to go to university, get an undergraduate degree that will be worthwhile when you graduate like a hard science, business or engineering.

Don't worry about about your grade 11 marks. They will only check your grade 12 marks. So step it up in grade 12.

You're young. There are career or personality tests online like careercruising.com but these are not a science. If you don't know what you want to do after highschool, just keep working hard and take Calculus, Physics, Chemistry and Adv. Functions. If you still don't know what to do when you graduate high school, I would say listen to your parents. You could always switch your major if you have an epiphany during university. But, if you work hard and graduate with a nice degree, you won't be a 25 year old going back to university.

+1. Following your heart is important; however so is being employable.

Do a little market research and think about hard what you want to do/where you want to be. Then, find the necessary steps to get there.
My story was similar. I went to school for physics and math. Absolutely loved the subjects. Turns out most of them end up staying in Academia; only the top certain % get employed in very select fields. I was neither.

Professions such as engineering and commerce tends to have a more well-defined path that's easier to follow. Another thing is co-op. That helps immensely; with gaining experience in the field as well as helping out with the bills.

Whatever you do decide to do; make sure you make the best of it (top of the class if possible) and network network network! It's more often about who you know, rather than what you know. Therefore hone those people skills and get to know everything out there!

[gibguitar]

BTW, I was a terrible student in high school. I know you're probably thinking your low marks means you'll struggle even more in grade 12 but realize this: academics is much more about hard-work than intelligence. Smart people are usually lazy. Take grade 12 seriously, take the university classes and then assess what you should take in university. You can do it, believe me. I don't know you and I can tell you there are people who had worse marks than you and are probably less intelligent than you and have gone on to get their degrees in difficult subjects such as engineering. You'll be fine as long as you stay focused and step it up.

[fuzzy_avocado]

I would have to disagree with the above posters. Yes you want to have a job/career later on in life, but if your intuition is telling you not to do engineering then don't do it (yet). You're looking to spend anywhere from $20k-40k on an undergrad degree, typically that's how large the student loans amount to be over the course of your degree. Do you really want to gamble with that much money 'just to see' if your parents are right or wrong?

My advice, and advice I WISH someone gave me (because I too succumbed to parental pressures of going to uni) is to not spend a single penny or go to university unless you know FOR SURE what it is you want to do with your life. Even if that means working a job for the next little while just to gain some perspective on what you'd like to do with your life that's much better than going to school for something you don't really want to do, spending money you don't really have which you'll have to pay back (and more bc of interest).

You're in a good position in your life right now where you are young, you have a clear slate, and you can make a good decision if you listen to your soul. If your parents are hard on you just explain to them that you don't want to get into a whole lot of debt for a program you don't know you could do well in/get a job you want.

I had to take an extra year of uni and am so happy I did as it really let me explore with what I want to do with my life. Unfortunately though that came at a huge cost, so if I could do it for free and be young like you I would have done it then!

Good luck, be proud of yourself no matter what your friends do or family says (I know there's pressure) and really take a moment out to think about what it is you really want to do while you can.

[qwerty123z]

I would have to disagree with the above posters. Yes you want to have a job/career later on in life, but if your intuition is telling you not to do engineering then don't do it (yet). You're looking to spend anywhere from $20k-40k on an undergrad degree, typically that's how large the student loans amount to be over the course of your degree. Do you really want to gamble with that much money 'just to see' if your parents are right or wrong?

My advice, and advice I WISH someone gave me (because I too succumbed to parental pressures of going to uni) is to not spend a single penny or go to university unless you know FOR SURE what it is you want to do with your life. Even if that means working a job for the next little while just to gain some perspective on what you'd like to do with your life that's much better than going to school for something you don't really want to do, spending money you don't really have which you'll have to pay back (and more bc of interest).

You're in a good position in your life right now where you are young, you have a clear slate, and you can make a good decision if you listen to your soul. If your parents are hard on you just explain to them that you don't want to get into a whole lot of debt for a program you don't know you could do well in/get a job you want.

I had to take an extra year of uni and am so happy I did as it really let me explore with what I want to do with my life. Unfortunately though that came at a huge cost, so if I could do it for free and be young like you I would have done it then!

Good luck, be proud of yourself no matter what your friends do or family says (I know there's pressure) and really take a moment out to think about what it is you really want to do while you can.

I kind of agree except the for sure part, if you don't know what you want to do you can go to work till you find out or try for something cheaper like college and if you like it then you can transfer to a uni they'll give you some credits but barely any (most likely not even a full year) but it'll be cheaper and you can test the waters of the program and switch to an different program quicker and easier than it would've been in a uni.

[thala3322]

Thanks for the advice and motivation guys,

I guess it all depends on how well I do in grade 12. I did some thinking and research for the past few days and finally decided to either pursue in forensic science, History or environmental/computer engineering lol. Told my parents and turns ou they had nothing against my decisions lol =).

[jaxx lite]

Go to college and university websites
and read about the programs

Have you considered working in health care (example: nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, etc)

Go find out about "social worker".

RCMP
police officer

Lawyer

Real estate agent

-

[jaxx lite]

Ask your school counselor if you can visit a hospital, law firm, engineering firm, etc etc etc
to see if you would want to work in these places

Technician in a hospital?

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[thala3322]

I will definetely look into that

thanks

[nemollc]

if you like engineering and want to be "hands on"

i advise you to go to college or through apprenticeship program

i know people in the trades that make twice as much as people with degrees (plus they get overtime)

[kear7856]

BTW, I was a terrible student in high school. I know you're probably thinking your low marks means you'll struggle even more in grade 12 but realize this: academics is much more about hard-work than intelligence. Smart people are usually lazy. Take grade 12 seriously, take the university classes and then assess what you should take in university. You can do it, believe me. I don't know you and I can tell you there are people who had worse marks than you and are probably less intelligent than you and have gone on to get their degrees in difficult subjects such as engineering. You'll be fine as long as you stay focused and step it up.

^^This I did'nt care about high school at all until grade 12 I was satisfied with getting a 50 in a class University is only about doing the work just hand in your assignments and do well on tests and your good

[shmoozer]

Had a similar experience when I was in Grade 12....because of cultural and familial expectations, I took up engineering. And even took a job after graduation based on what my parents thought was good for me. But now almost 10 years later, ZERO REGRETS! Engineering, and the job after were the best decisions ever. You have to realise that the beaten path is beaten for a reason. And if you are unsure of what you "really" want to do, go with the advice of those who have your best interests at heart. And keep in mind that you might not figure out what you "really" want to do until much later in life, if you do at all.

Say you REALLY hate engineering for whatever reason once you're in it, you can switch after the first semester. its not the end of the world. but atleast you'll know you tried.

And I definitely second the opinion of visiting different workplaces and talking to various engineers about what they do on a daily basis. The choices are endless. From my graduating class, I know people who started their own tech or web design companies (startups were a big thing back then), are IT or management consultants, became patent agents, went to law school, are working for the government, are working in the private sector, pursued a masters/PhD. The list is endless.

Good luck!

[neonlily]

Just wanted to mention, don't feel like you HAVE to go to University. It seems it's now a guaranteed coming out of high school and fewer people are going into a college for a profession. If you want to do something hands on (building, lab work, etc) I would really recommend going to check out what a college has to offer. I went to University for 4 years to get a degree and now I'm in a college program I could have entered straight out of high school.

[arora1994]

I know how you feel. I'm in grade 12, and also have brown parents. If they are the typical brown parents, than there's a lot of pressure to do as well as people you see in tv shows(frickin OMNI news) and newspapers being interviewed on how successful they've been, and how they've gotten there. There's the added pressure of cousins and family friends that tend to do well (personally, in my extended family, theres a couple of engineers, a couple of lawyers, 2 MBA's, and a medical doctor that I know of).

I don't really have the option to NOT go post secondary after high school, its just not done in my family. I've applied at SFU, UBC and BCIT. Personally, I'm leaning towards to BCIT, and finishing a degree in Ontario. Its basically a two year technology diploma at BCIT in mining, and than a two year civil engineering program at Lakehead University in Ontario. Its cheaper in the long run, I gain hands on skills, and I can work after the diploma, and go to Ontario at any time. In the end, you can come out any type of engineer you'd like, based on your course choices. I have a buddy who did that, and he's making some heavy money AND he's happy with his job.

How I see it is just take the classes you have an interest in, look at programs that match with those interests, and just pick one that feels best. I took Chem 12 because it seemed interesting and would get me ahead, but I don't need it for admissions. Same with Geography, Punjabi (though I admit, that was just for an easy grade) and Philosophy. I actually liked those classes, and got high marks. Math I had to do for admission, but still I found Math 12 a lot easier than 11 for some reason.

Summary, since the above post was disjointed: IMO, Do what you like, look up careers and programs (careercruising.com is awesome, if your counsellors don't have an access code just msg me), ask around and find out what type of environment suits you best. Thats what I've been doing

[jaxx lite]

Hey RFD members! i'm studying grade 11 in BC

after you finish school and go to work
would you want to continue living in BC

or move to another province
or USA

some Canadians left Canada and now work in USA
just saying
example: engineering, computer science, health care, law, finance / investment banking



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[thala3322]

I would most likely stay in BC

[windforcexx28]

Maybe what you should do if you have no clue what you want to do later on is to stay a 5th year in high school. For some people, that helps because it gives them more time to reflect and figure something they want to do before they actually do it. If I had to choose now, I might've stayed back as well. Those years in high school were some of the best years of my life.

[jaxx lite]

Maybe what you should do if you have no clue what you want to do later on is to stay a 5th year in high school.

If he has some good friends and they are going to college or university
I think that it would be nice if he went to college or university
at the same time as his friends

He definitely has to work harder in school
or he will be left behind
by his friends
- possibly be rejected by colleges or universities
because his marks are too low

-

[JK400]

after you finish school and go to work
would you want to continue living in BC

or move to another province
or USA

some Canadians left Canada and now work in USA
just saying
example: engineering, computer science, health care, law, finance / investment banking



-

Jaxxlite just
wondering why do

you type like this?
its quite disruptive

and hard to read, with
unnatural breaks and
interrupts

also, give the dogs
in the heat thing a rest

it is winter now

[windforcexx28]

If he has some good friends and they are going to college or university
I think that it would be nice if he went to college or university
at the same time as his friends

He definitely has to work harder in school
or he will be left behind
by his friends
- possibly be rejected by colleges or universities
because his marks are too low

-

Education is not a race. Some people do need that extra year to make a more informed decision with regards to what they plan to do later on in life. I had that exact same mentality when I was in high school, thinking that staying back would be a horrible choice and looked at people who stayed back a bit differently. That's why I ended up just choosing a random program (well, not entirely random) and just went with the crowd so I didn't have to feel like I got left behind.

[lordnikon]

First decide whether you want to work or continue schooling.

If you go to college or university, you should keep in mind what subject/field you want to undertake. (Although some people end up doing a different job than their studies)

Ask yourself 3 simple questions.

1. What subject(s) are you interested in? What do you like/love?
2. Can you do well in them in school? (i.e. not badly or flunk out)
3. After graduation, are you employable and can you make a living out of it?

If you can answer YES to all 3 questions, then you're good to go.

Just my 2 cents.

[Jun]

Ditto what lordnikon said. Although, I would suggest applying to uni or college rather than working.
You can apply for non-degree or similar programs where u can take a variety of courses and from there, u can find what u can see yourself pursuing as a career in the future, but keep in mind lordnikon's second and third point!