by Laura Navarro | staff writer
Some people don’t spend time thinking about what they want to do after high school and consequently, there are some requirements are needed that students may not know about.
“Certain college majors, such as those within the STEM or Health Science fields, require students to take rigorous high school courses in order to provide adequate preparation and a solid foundation for those courses taken at the collegiate level,” counselor Richard Boeger said. “In this case scenario, I feel that it’s imperative for students to wisely and carefully select their high school courses, accordingly.”
Other than the fact that some pre-planning may be required, junior Sam Lippert believes that knowing what you want to do after graduation ahead of time can lift some of the weight off your shoulders.
“To me, it’s important to know what I want to study at least for now because when the time comes I won’t be all worried about the fact that I still don’t know what to do,” Lippert said.
Even if someone isn’t completely sure of their decision, they at least have a head start, and there’s nothing wrong with changing your mind at a later time.
“I haven’t always wanted to be a nurse. I think what you want to be changes over time just by what you see going on around you,” junior Victoria Hartzel said.
Even if students don’t really know how to decide what to study, they can take a look at their grades at decide which career would suit them best based on that.
“Students may start by investigating which current high school courses they are most interested in and those courses for which they are receiving the highest grades. Then, conduct research on those career pathways that are correlated with this expressed interest and high performance in high school courses,” Boeger said.
There are some online tools that can further help students decide which path to take.
“These are some excellent tools that all NEISD students may access, to help further solidify their plans beyond high school,” Boeger said. “Big Future is a College Board site which encourages all students to explore college and career options. My Road is college/career search for students who have taken the PSAT.”
If students have a career in mind but aren’t sure if it’s the correct path for them, there are a few ways to gain experience with that career.
“A great way for students to gain hands-on experience within a potential career pathway is to apply for summer internships, attend summer programs offered at colleges/universities, complete volunteer hours, or job shadow a current professional working in the area of interest,” Boeger said.
If all else fails, and a student has yet to come to a final decision, there is a last resort.
“If students are indecisive about a potential Career Major and currently do not know what pathway that they would like to pursue after high school, then it is advisable to take rigorous Pre-AP and AP courses within the four core subjects and World Languages. By completing courses within these areas, students will have met many of the common core high school subjects required for admissions into most colleges/universities,” Boeger said.
