Cube mk2 and WIR

[GreenGirl]

Its good that you are considering options, more than I paid attention to at school I think!

 

I back up what Christian, Milly, Henwatch and others say - pick what you enjoy, and most likely those will be what you will do best in purely because of the interest, in my experience anyway! As long as a breadth of basics are covered, language, a science, maths and english, they can lead into many things.

 

I always thought I wanted to be a teacher, all through school and a levels, then changed my mind and decided to take a year out before uni and work. Then the pay and independence meant I didnt go back to uni full time but picked courses I could do in the evening. I did the chartered institute of marketing 3 years, then other professional bits and bobs, all the time working and becoming eventually a management consultant with a good job and a good lifestyle.

It is only now, at 34, I have found what I want to do , and have been training in the evenings for the last 2 years as a counsellor and psychotherapist with 1 year still to go. It feels different and I am more committed as this is my choice and is what interests me. And no exams I did at school are related to this!!

 

So all in all, as long as you do your best in what ever you select it will work out

[mrsallen08]

I really liked reading this thread. I am a bit unsure over which way to go atm with my job/career I always feel under pressure to know what I want to do and that's led me up various wrong paths! Starting two degrees but then not enjoying them! After reading some of your posts I know that actually Im okay to just wait till Im ready to change career paths, I have plenty of time now.

 

I'm sure your options are still a way off yet Scrambled but I chose what I enjoyed and what I was good at. It never fails.

Year 9 I wanted to be a graphic designer

Year 11 I wanted to be a drama teacher

Year 12 I wanted to be a Construction Mangager

19 I was training on a building site to be a surveyor

21 I wanted to be an Art teacher

23 Now want to be a primary school teacher or teaching assistant!? Maybe!?

 

In between all this I have worked different retail/sales/office jobs, been living with Mr for 5 years and got married, learnt to drive, had chcikens! All these life changing experiences which none of my school friends have really done. Many got pushed in to a degree that they now don't know what to do with. Back home with their parents as they have no money. So maybe I am better off being indecisive!

[Louise]

When I was at school we had a questionaire thing which asked us all about various aspects of our lives and then a computer gave us a list of career choices based on our answers

 

I always knew what type of thing I wanted to do but I wasn't (so I thought) smart enough for my dream of becoming a vet but then I went to a really bad school

 

I took Chemistry, Biology, Physics, German, History, Typewriting and the compulsory Maths and English

 

I did very badly in my exams and ended up doing one of the options on the printed list we got when I was 13 I got a job through a friend of someone who worked at the school having said when I saw it as a career choice I said I would never do this type of work

 

I then discovered vocational training and spent years doing college courses and am now more or less at the top of my career and got there aged 28 It took some doing and I worked and studied earning 2 degrees eventually which when you have a full time job is not easy But I am happy with what I do I am good at it and I had no University debt as my employer paid for the courses

 

I am 37 now and don't think I will ever change career

 

I did typing because it is a skill that will guarantee a job etc in the event I need one

 

Sad thing is I now know I am smart enought to have become a vet but now I know I wouldn't have wanted it after all I know alot of vets now and most of them gave up practice after a few years because of the hours and the pay

[Phonix]

Hi Scramble

 

Im at uni now doing Law and I was lucky as I always (for some wierd reason) knew that I wanted to do law!

 

With law there is no subject that you MUST do, however they do prefer you to have traditional or "academic" subjects rather than the more artsy stuff.

 

If like you say you take a range of subjects at GCSE you can narrow these down when you get to A level, giving you a lot of options of what to do.

In my opinion I would say that for GCSE take what you enjoy as those are the subjects that you'll excell in as you'll enjoy doing the work and find it interesting. I took all the compulsory options (obviously) and then chose to do french, history, graphic design (i wanted to do geography but at that time our school didn't have an opt out for the practical stuff - you had to do one )

Basically, the school will make sure that you do the most important options like english, maths, science and for the others I would just choose what your good at and see how you like it and then you can narrow it down at A level when you've had more time to think about it.

 

I think that there's no way that you can be expected to pick a career at 13 and stick with it forever unless you're one of the lucky people like me who've always known what you want to do.

Well until uni ends anyway and then im stuck lol!

 

Stacey

xXx

[MedusA]

Way back in the dim and dark 1970s, I chose to do A levels that I thought I should do (Sciences and Maths), rather than the ones I really wanted to do (Arts and English). After one term I realised I was hating it so asked if I could switch and surprisingly, they let me! That was the best time of my school life. I was able to do the things I loved rather than what was necessary. My advice would be to do what you love not what you think you should!

 

I went on to Art College and then worked as a Graphic Artist in a printing firm. But when they went bust, I drifted into secretarial work for a bit, which I enjoyed but it wasn't what I would have chosen.

 

Then, when my daughter was born, it was such a positive experience that I retrained as a nurse. I had a fabulous career in nursing for many years and loved it! I retired last year and can honestly say I have no regrets about my work choices. I kept up with the arty stuff throught hobbies (painting, drawing, stained glass work).

 

Go for what you really want, Scramble, and you just may get it!

[Guest]

My advice would be to choose subjects that you enjoy and are good at. 3 or 4 of those will be your A level choices and it is important not to close any doors for what you might want to study in years 12 and 13.

 

If you're going to be doing A levels, then IMO really the best thing you can do at GCSE is get high grades across the board - so choose the subjects you are likely to do that in.

 

The last thing you want to do is choose a subject you really don't like because you think you ought to do it.

 

I don't think people really begin to know what they want to do as a career until years 12 and 13 - and even then many can't see beyond university. Try not to worry about it! It'll work out one way or another!

[jlo]

Scramble, thanks for starting this thread. As a real nosy parker, it has been fascinating to look at the different routes that everyone has taken.

 

I did law. Always knew that I wanted to do it but that might be because my dad was a policeman and my eldest sister did law so I thought I knew what it was all about. I was also in the dark ages of O levels!

 

I agree with everyone who says for you to do what interests you - no way can you be sure of what you will want to do in later life in Year 9. My ES (also in year 9) is convinced that he also wants to do law (OH is also a solicitor BTW) but I wouldn't be surprised if there are jobs around in the next decade that don't even exist now.

 

I also agree about a language. If I had a choice now I would go for Spanish (not sure if that is available in your school) Many of my friends who have gone off travelling have found it really useful.

[Scramble]

My sister told me the same thing, as that's what some of her friends are saying...

 

I didn't take it, and according to you, im the comp genius

 

Very funny,

 

That quote came back to haunt me didn't it?

 

 

 

Thanks for the advice everyone, I've just been really curious about how everyone's options affected the jobs that they wanted to do, and it turns out, not a lot really.

No offence.

 

I'll let you knowwhich I choose, but foe now, keep the advice coming please!

 

 

x

[ubereglu]

my best friend has already decided she wants to be a doctor or architect!

or just marry a rich guy!

 

My sister is year 11 taking some GCSEs at the moment, she's a bit to live up to tho

So far after a couple of mini exams from their science teachers, her class now has the equivalent of 1 science GCSE each.

She got A* full marks in every one.

 

.....

 

 

hope I do okay on mine, but reading things you've said on her it's A levels,

So I'm gonna work real hard, yeh hear!?

 

Thanks a lot you've put my mind at ease.

x

 

Glad you've at least ruled some things out-it does tend to make it a bit easier. Personally me and my Mum think that it's usually a bad thing if someone knows exactly what they want to do by the time they're that age.

 

Don't worry about trying to live up to your sister-you don't have to. After all you are not her, you are your own person.