School choice after high school? We found it quite a challenge here, I must say. Not that we have to choose, of course the adolescent has to do that himself. But if you passed your diploma at a young age, it is not always easy. Nevertheless, Luc had to register for his next training a few months ago. In any case, he has now made his choice and he will start his new training in September. I am happy to tell you how you can guide your adolescent in making his or her new school choice.
The choice of school after primary school is actually a breeze. You receive clear advice from the teachers and all secondary schools adopt this advice. If the choice for a school can be made after group 8, then you already know which level you are going for. Selecting the (for you) right school is then all that remains. However, we have noticed that the choice of school after secondary school is a bit more complicated.
Fortunately, at secondary school quite a bit of time is invested in guiding students in their further choice of education. But despite all this guidance, it remains a difficult choice at such a young age. Of course it also feels like you have to choose for the rest of your life. We quickly talked our teenager out of the latter. Our advice? Now make a choice where your heart lies or where you think you get the most pleasure out of it. Don't think too much about 'later', because who still works in a profession for which he or she has studied exactly? We certainly don't!
Frank, for example, graduated as a physicist, but he has been working as a programmer for many years. And I? After my (half) study I had all kinds of jobs. From programmer to business unit manager to ultimately independent entrepreneur. So you can see that it is difficult to estimate whether your new school choice will also lead to a job for the rest of your life. You simply do not know in advance whether you are going to make the right school choice. But what is important is that you enjoy your studies. Or at least with as much fun as possible, because teenagers don't like studying that much anyway 😉 .
As mentioned, students in secondary education are supported with information about the options for a new study. For example, Luc has had days in his final year , they do sniffing internships and a profile assignment made. This has been very meaningful. In addition, we are still with him to education fairs wanted to 'taste' something of the follow-up courses that are available. Even before the Corona luckily. In the end we also read a lot on the internet about the various courses to be informed about the school choices to be made. But also profession pages can help to gain insight. For example, I read at the Tio Hotel School about the professions you can end up in after completing this study. And that was a lot more versatile than I would initially expect from a hotel school.
Does your son or daughter really not yet know which study they prefer, then the latter is, for example, a study with a very broad basis. From hotel manager to account manager at other companies and from marketing manager to professions in the food sector and independent entrepreneur or wedding planner. You can learn it all there, which means that you follow a training that will also broaden your career options after your training.
Tip:talk about it at the dinner table † Adolescents can be quite in their own world, which means that many thoughts take place internally. We have noticed how important it is to talk about it a lot. In this way you can sketch all kinds of scenarios during non-binding conversations with your adolescent, so that he or she gets a better picture of his or her own future.
Luc eventually also succeeded in his choice of training. Also a training with a broad base and multiple possibilities. And so there are more courses with a broad base. So no need for young people who are faced with making a choice of school and who do not yet know what they want. And no worries for the parents either. There is a lid for every pot and that also applies to your child. Perhaps one child is a bit faster at making choices than the other child, but your child can also eventually find the school (and job) that suits him or her via a detour!
