After school – what now?

After school – what now?

Congratulations! You have finished school and now need to take the next step and it is not entirely certain that you know what the next step should be. But this is where we come in. There are plenty of opportunities, from student jobs to new, exciting courses to sabbaticals and much more, and regardless of what plans you make, you will certainly find some inspiration in this article.

There are really many possibilities and after school is in the house there is precisely time to explore all the possibilities. It is a time when you can travel, work or delve into your hobbies and passions and find out what you are really passionate about. It could be that you have a specific hobby or perhaps a game and would like to do something more out of it, such as using it as a springboard for an inspiring venture. Professional poker and chess player Jennifer Shahade has done this, for example, through her work to get young, vulnerable girls off the streets and into playing chess.

Take a gap year

We start straight and hard with something that many young people throw themselves into when they finish school – namely a sabbatical. A gap year can be spent on many different things. For example, you can go to college , where you can take a short or longer stay, which can help clarify what you should do in the future. There are no grades or exam pressure and you are therefore allowed to explore different things while creating new friendships in a wonderful community of like-minded people. Colleges offer a wide selection of different subjects and activities, and you can both use the subjects to delve into things that interest you, or to prepare for your future by, for example, taking subjects that prepare you for the entrance exam for the police academy.

You can also find an exciting job as, for example, teaching assistant, substitute teacher, work in a factory, in a shop or something completely different. The point is that you get a lot of good work experience and can try out different subjects, while at the same time you earn money to move away from home, go on a stay abroad or something else. And that actually brings us to the next thing, which deserves a whole point on its own. Because you can also go on a backpacking trip.

Go out and experience the world with a backpack

Many young people who choose to take a gap year choose to combine work with a so-called backpacker trip to experience the world, meet new people, see new cultures and learn new customs. It is an adventure of a lifetime. There are several different ways to do it. Some go on group tours and package tours that are already designed and organized down to the last detail. It can be a good way to do it if you are not used to travelling. Others choose to plan their trip either alone or with a group of friends, but you can also ask a travel agency for advice. It is also different which destinations you choose and how long the journey will last. The average backpacker trip takes around 2-3 months, but you can do it longer or shorter. It all depends on how much time you have available and how big a budget you have. The most popular travel destinations for this type of travel are Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Thailand, Vietnam, Fiji and the United States.

Some also combine travel and work and go on so-called working holidays, where they work on a farm in Australia, for example

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It may also be that you just need to go straight on to higher education and in that case there are plenty of options. Go to the various universities and have a look and talk to their study advisor - if you don't already know what you want to study. It may also be that you are just completely clear about what you want to read, and are therefore purposefully looking for a place atthe dream study. In that case, just give it gas. But there is always help from the study advisors if you are not quite sure of your choice yet.

Take an internship

An internship either at home or abroad can be a really good opportunity to learn something about your subject and at the same time gain some relevant work experience. Depending on where you choose to do your internship, it may also be that you can learn a new language at the same time, which is always a plus.

There is thus enough to get started with when the hat is in the house – it's just a matter of finding out what you most want.