Login

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

March 29, 2024, 02:54:09 am

Author Topic: How do you pick what path you want to take?  (Read 1556 times)  Share 

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

technodisney

  • MOTM: AUG 2018
  • Forum Obsessive
  • ***
  • Posts: 350
  • Master Procrastinator
  • Respect: +456
How do you pick what path you want to take?
« on: September 11, 2018, 03:20:26 pm »
+6
I am so confused right now with what I want to do with my future. I have 4 main options of things I would like to do next year, the problem is that all these things are in completely different fields.
My options are:
- Study Primary Teaching
- Study Computer Science
- Apprentice as a videographer (I have a friend that has offered)
- Find a way to get into the technical behind the scenes of live theater (I haven't looked into this route at all)
- take a gap year
- maybe somehow a combination

I have a big interest in all of these things and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed over what I want to choose, I feel like I will enjoy all of them just as much.

Have any of you been in a place of not knowing what to choose? How did you end up choosing what to do? Are you happy with what you chose? Do you have any regrets?
My Informatics 3/4 SAT Guide

2018
Methods, BusMan, EngLang, Informatics, VET IT
technodisney's VCE Journal
2019
Cert IV Live Production and Technical Services RMIT (City Campus)
technodisney's journey into Live Theatre
The Disney Nerd needs to get fit

The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique. ~ Walt Disney

Joseph41

  • Administrator
  • Great Wonder of ATAR Notes
  • *****
  • Posts: 10823
  • Respect: +7477
Re: How do you pick what path you want to take?
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2018, 03:44:47 pm »
+12
Great thread. I can guarantee there are literally hundreds thousands of students in a similar position atm. My initial thoughts to answer the questions at the end of your post:

Spoiler
Have any of you been in a place of not knowing what to choose?
Yes, and I don't think that's ever really stopped, to be honest. Through high school, I sort of figured it'd come to me by the end of Year 12, and I'd be really clear on what I wanted to do. I had friends who were really set on Law, or an apprenticeship, or Med, or Education, or working, or whatever it was they wanted to do. And I was just there like "... okay..."

I eventually felt pretty confident that I wanted to study Industrial Design, but in one sense (in hindsight), I think I might have just talked myself into it to feel as though I was confident, even though I wasn't. By the end of the year, I was sort of panicking. The only open days etc. I'd gone to had been for design, but I was starting to doubt it pretty heavily due to a few reasons. I ended up panicking and changing my preferences the night before they were due. And then I changed them again after ATARs were released.

I ended up studying Arts largely because it was so broad, and I figured I'd be able to find something enjoyable. I was right - I found Linguistics, about which I became very passionate - but at no point was I like, "okay, sweet - 100% want to do Arts - life sorted!" I think a lot of people would be in this boat. I then studied Honours partly to procrastinate from making a different decision.

Working full-time, I still don't really know what I want to pursue. You're certainly not alone in that respect, and I think sometimes you just have to let things fall into place, and back your gut.

How did you end up choosing what to do?
Process of elimination, basically.

"Do you want to study next year?" Yes.
"Do you want to study Engineering?" No.
"Do you want to study Science?" No.
"Do you want to study Education?" Maybe.

And so on, until I fell on Arts. It was, in some sense, the least objectionable hahaha. But I still definitely wanted to study and go to uni, so it seemed a good option. If I had my time again, I'd probably do a double degree instead of straight Arts.

I think it's helpful speaking to as many recent graduates as you can, though. See what they did, see how they find it, see what they'd change. Your decision is ultimately yours, of course, and you should take anything anybody says with a grain of salt, but it's all useful information.

Are you happy with what you chose?
Yep. I loved Arts in the end.

Do you have any regrets?
Not with doing Arts, but as above, I might have done a double degree. It only would have been one more year for a full extra degree.

Regarding your specific situation, it's definitely a tough one. I guess I'll ask you a question: you say you think you'd find them equally interesting, but if you go through those options and really think about them, what do you think would give you the most satisfaction as a career?

Oxford comma, Garamond, Avett Brothers, Orla Gartland enthusiast.

sdfg

  • Trendsetter
  • **
  • Posts: 108
  • Respect: +42
Re: How do you pick what path you want to take?
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2018, 03:56:20 pm »
+9
Personally, I think the only way to really know whether or not you a career path is right for you is to try it out yourself (doesn't necessarily have to be a job in that field though). What other people and what you think about a career might be significantly different to what it's actually like, so the only way to know for sure is experience. For me, I don't know what I want to do yet, so I'm doing a broad course and taking subjects in everything I'm interested in, and also taking every opportunity to dabble in different fields. Might sound like waste of a tertiary education by not having a specific, set goal for doing it in the first place, but I don't regret it at all and 100% happy with my choice (and plus, the skills I'm learning are transferable to any career, anyways).

That said though... seeing that you're not entirely sure yet and your options are all very different (and therefore hard to narrow down to one thing that encompasses everything), maybe take the gap year? That way, you'll have more time to think about it and also the freedom to try out all your other options. For example, for primary school teaching maybe you could try volunteer for some after school programs and see how it's like working with primary school aged kids? And for computer science, maybe learn some coding in your spare time and see if it's something you like and can see yourself doing as a career?

Just my thoughts.  :)
« Last Edit: September 11, 2018, 06:56:18 pm by sdfg »
Psychology [45] | HHD [47]

Bri MT

  • VIC MVP - 2018
  • Administrator
  • ATAR Notes Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 4719
  • invest in wellbeing so it can invest in you
  • Respect: +3677
Re: How do you pick what path you want to take?
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2018, 06:25:14 pm »
+6

Have any of you been in a place of not knowing what to choose? How did you end up choosing what to do? Are you happy with what you chose? Do you have any regrets?
Spoiler
I've wanted to be a marine biologist since I learnt what the word meant at 6 years old.  But overtime the people saying " oh yeah I know a person who wanted to be a marine biologist they're a ______ now because they couldn't get a job due to the competitiveness"  got to me,  & I had doubts.  In year 11 & 12 I started thinking I should be a doctor (this one was suggested to me a lot) or a biomedical engineer instead. [This is how I ended up with my 4th preference requiring a 98 ATAR...] When I was in that phase of "maybe marine biology is unrealistic so I should maybe do med" it didn't feel right.  I was constantly questioning my decision,  and when people asked about my future plans I felt that I had to launch into a speech.  Now I can just tell people "marine biology" and be comfortable with that. 
This semester I closed myself off from a med pathway by choosing an enviro bio rather than the standard bio one & I have no regrets. I'm happy - or jubilant - to know that one day I'll be a marine biologist. I might change careers later in life,  and bring my marine biology skills to policy or education but I  will study the oceans and help protect biodiversity.

I think you should ask yourself why you wanting to pursue each of those,  and maybe ask why on your answers to that.  This might give you some insight into how to choose

AngelWings

  • Victorian Moderator
  • ATAR Notes Superstar
  • *****
  • Posts: 2456
  • "Angel wings, please guide me..."
  • Respect: +1425
Re: How do you pick what path you want to take?
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2018, 09:14:40 pm »
+6
Have any of you been in a place of not knowing what to choose? How did you end up choosing what to do? Are you happy with what you chose? Do you have any regrets?
Many people on AN know that I actually had really random choices in my preferences. Seriously. The only theme was that the highest preferences included a Bachelor of Science. In the mix, there were also:
- Bachelor of Architecture (which I did the task + interview for).
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Commerce
All really far fetched areas, am I right? Reason I wanted to do the Bachelor of Science was simply because I evaluated my skill set and figured - "Hey, that fits a broad degree like science. Let's do that." That continued on until... well, I got the offer. I was happy with my choice and it really did help me narrow in on my intended career. I also probably wouldn't be doing Honours now without at least somewhat enjoying the previous 3 years. For the course itself, no regrets.

Also, remember that you don't have to know either. You can take another degree, transfer, defer and/or take intermissions where necessary. Side note: 900 posts. Huh.
VCE: Psych | Eng Lang | LOTE | Methods | Further | Chem                 
Uni: Bachelor of Science (Hons) - genetics
Current: working (sporadically on AN)
VTAC Info Thread