how did you decide what to study?

Question

I'm feeling really overwhelmed at the minute. I'm not going to do any tertiary education until 2018, but I feel that I need to get my shit together now and figure out a plan for myself.

Looking at all my choices I feel really overwhelmed. For a long time I wanted to be a lawyer, and I did work experience in a firm and got really bored. Taking my experience and my mental health into account, it's not a good idea for me. I've also looked at an apprenticeship in jewellery manufacture, but I worry that I'm not cut out for a trade.

I have a huge fear of failing, and I tend to give up as soon as my grades start to suffer. I'm worried about not enjoying a course, failing and having it be a huge waste of time and money. I don't even know what I'm interested in. I almost cry everytime I think about it. 😩

*EDIT*
For those in Australia: I'm wanting to go to TAFE. I didn't do WACE, therefore no ATAR, and I'm not really interested in uni, even so, I'd have to do a TAFE entry.

Answer

First, put aside that fear of failure. I get it's hard, but you need to.

Secondly, figure out what type of things make you happy. Seriously.

Thirdly, figure out your skills.

Where do the first two intersect? How do they translate into a career?

Pick one of the theoretical careers and break down the steps you need to take to get there and what resources you need.

Then, put down your pencil and dive in.

Answer

I'm somewhere in the same boat. 
I'm like three months away from finishing high school. I went through about 10 career direction changes in the past four months. 
The way I see it is "I'm going to go with something I love, and if I end up not liking it, it is never too late to learn a new skill and make a job out of it". 
Seriously. We're teenagers. We could find our true job at 50. I try not to stress over it as much.

Answer

Build the future that makes you happy. I majored in vocal performance and opera studies. I still took all the same core classes as everyone else, and then focused on my major. You know how many times I was told it "wasn't a real major" or a "real education?" Don't care. It made me happy. I travelled with a few opera companies. I was pretty successful. I did well with a singing career. I retired at age 26 for my own personal reasons, got a "real job" that required a degree, but didn't matter what in, and met my husband. Over 10 years later and I have an amazing career working for the federal government and making good money while currently in my pjs on my couch breastfeeding my baby. My degree wasn't a waste. I wouldn't have my current career without it, but the major itself wasn't that important.

Do what makes you happy. Then it won't be a waste and you'll be more likely to stick with it

Answer

I'm the same as you. I've failed out of school before. It's awful and I always give up on myself. You need to find what makes you happy and don't force anything. Looking at a list of majors is not going to help. Go out there and volunteer and work and get life experience. That's when it comes to you. Not taking one of those career tests we did back in high school (mine literally told me I should be a garbage collector lmao). I had no idea what I wanted to do till I started working in a hotel and now I'm trying to go back for hospitality and event management. Don't force yourself to choose. You have time.

Answer

I decided on my major when it kind of just fell in my lap. I'm a liberal arts major with a focus in social science. I've been taking a lot of psychology classes the past few semesters and when looking at the different major options at my school I learned I had already fulfilled a lot of the requirements for this major. I've ended up deciding that I'm going to get my AA, then take a year or so to figure out what I really want to do for a career, then go to a university to get my Bachelors in whatever that is.

Answer

Start writing down all the things you like and the first thing that makes you cry happy tears is your passion! Take that and figure out how to make it make you money!!

Answer

I decided to go to school to be a teacher because of a lot of reasons. I love kids, not a lot of schooling, good breaks, good pay, benefits, and it's a job that won't stress me out super bad.

Answer

You can always just look at pathway courses, a lot you can eventually use to go to uni or just to branch out  to other courses or careers

Answer

I just looked at programs, selected the ones I thought were applicable to real-world careers and then chose what I thought I would enjoy most. 
Now if your really that unsure, don't waste the money. Take a semester or a year off, you can always switch majors but it may cost you extra time or classes in the long run. 
Meet with an advisor at your university for some guidance as well.

Answer

Are u interested in any healthcare careers? Not nursing but other careers. Respiratory therapy, eeg technologists, electroneurodiagnostic tech, polysomnographic tech, radiology tech. All of these fields make good money and its not nursing. Nurses are a dime a dozen. There are so many others you can chose from.

how did you decide what to study?

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey