hey sam
im in yr 11 now and all my mates are going to open evenings and stuff for college and sixth form and everyone ino has an idea of their future but i hav no clue at all an idk what to do cos we hav to choose soon where we want to go
Hi there,
Making decisions about the future can be stressful and it’s normal to be worried. Most people don't know what they want to do with their career straight away. A lot of people still won't know in their twenties or even thirties - so it's common for people in their teens to not have any idea. Sometimes people feel like they’re sure what they want to do but change their mind - often several times. All of this is okay and can eventually lead you to new opportunities and to doing something you enjoy.
There are so many options open to you after your GCSE's that it can be overwhelming. Having so much choice can make the decision harder. A good start is to try to simplify everything. Think about the things you enjoy and the things you do well - these may not be the same as the subjects at school. For example, you might be creative but not very good at art, and good with numbers but find maths boring - in which case you might enjoy something like computer programming where you can be both creative and use your maths skills. There’ll be lots of examples like this where thinking about the skills you have, rather than the school subjects you’re good at, can help you decide what to do next. Childline has some more advice about steps you can take and how to make decisions.
Some of the options might be completely unknown to you. This is where getting careers advice can help as there may be careers you didn't even know existed or education options you haven't considered. The Prince's Trust has some good careers advice and the National Careers Service may also be useful. Getting this expert advice now can make your options a little clearer.
Most people try a few different things before figuring out what they enjoy. It's okay to try something and quit if you don't like it, or to fail at something you try. No matter what happens, we can learn a lot from these experiences. The important thing is that what you're doing is making you happy, healthy and feeling fulfilled - and it's okay to change what you're doing if it's not.
Deciding what you want to do can be stressful and worrying – if you ever want to talk to someone about how you’re feeling, Childline counsellors are always here to listen and you can meet other people working through the same things on their message boards. If you are over 19, there are a few other places you can contact for help and advice.
I hope this has helped, thanks for sharing this with me.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
