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SO YOUR YEAR 12 STUDENT HASN’T DECIDED WHAT’S NEXT
As our Year 12 students head towards the end of their TCE journey, the question of “what next?” can loom large for many. Below is an extract and link to an article that mirrors many of the questions and conversations our Year 12s are having when they visit the Futures Centre, and is a useful guide for parents/carers having similar conversations at home.
It also serves as a timely reminder that students are able to visit us in the Futures Centre any time to ask questions and get help with planning
Teresa Darcy
Careers Advisor
So your Year 12 student hasn’t decided what’s next. Here’s what to say – and what not to – about career planning
Authors: Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education, Charles Sturt University and Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania
For Year 12 students, final exams are getting closer and applications for university and other courses are opening. So naturally, conversations at home and with wider family and friends are turning to what’s going to happen next year. Some young people will not have an answer yet when asked, “what are you doing next year?” This can really worry parents. But not having a fully formed plan in Year 12 is not a failure. For many young people, it is a normal part of moving from school into the next stage of life.
What can parents and other family members say to help – and not further increase stress on – young people at this time? What’s helpful right now?
Rather than focusing on why they have not decided yet, families can talk about what information would make the decision feel less overwhelming. So, avoid asking what a young person “wants to be” and instead ask what subjects, tasks, people or places seem to bring out their best. What do they think they are good at? What do they enjoy doing? What makes them happy?
Research shows, when parents focus on skills, strengths and interests, as opposed to specific careers, this can reduce a child’s anxiety about making future plans.
