Life After High School: A Guide to Your Choices

This post is presented in collaboration with Box Hill Institute, NSR and SAGE.

It may seem a while away – what with all the homework and assignments and exams still to come – but before you know it, your time at high school will have come to an end. Congrats!

But… then what? After the celebrating dies down, that’s the question that strikes most students. You’re about to enter the world outside of school and start making moves towards your dream career. However, a lot of students find themselves overcome with the burden of choice, because there are just so many options suddenly available.

Should you go straight to university or TAFE? Is it worth taking some time off to travel for a bit? Maybe you’ll be tempted to start working and earn money. The choices are seemingly endless.

First of all: Don’t panic. Having heaps of options is actually a good thing, because each of them can be considered a pathway to get you wherever it is you want to go.

Student Edge has compiled a special Life After High School guide to help explain what those options are, exactly, and what each can offer you, including university, bridging courses, vocational education and training at RTOs and TAFE institutions, apprenticeships, the Australian Defence Force, gap years and employment.

We’ve also thrown in some articles from fellow students who’ve taken this journey already (and have some handy tips to assist you on your journey).

Check out the relevant guide for your state below:

Queensland

New South Wales

Victoria

Western Australia

All Other States

As with most things in life, each option will appeal to different people for different reasons. But all of this is exciting. All the highs, all the lows, all the challenges, all the triumphs. No matter which pathway you choose, you’ll meet new people – your people – gain independence and learn fascinating things.

There’s no right or wrong way to get from point A to point B in your life. It’s even okay to change your mind and change track midway through one particular pathway. You’re not expected to know everything right now, or even later on. Hopefully though, this guide will help you start carefully considering what the next best step for you is.

Good luck! Life after high school is rapidly approaching, and the best is yet to come.

If you want to know whether or not you’re on track for uni, you can estimate your ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) here.

Photo: Student Edge.