It can be the most terrifying and off-putting time. However, you must prepare yourself accordingly. Further education is a great option for many people however many have to choose between continuing A-Levels or going to Tech. Others must choose an even further education to make their way to College and University. I’m currently preparing myself for my A-Levels, therefore I know how it feels; choosing your 3/4 subjects and trying to figure out which are the best ones for going to University after.

In preparation for Further Education, you need to figure out where you want to end up. Do you want to work under someone? Become self employed? What profession would you like? Are you interested in a certain job sector but aren’t sure? If you aren’t sure, explore and research the job. This will benefit you as you’ll know more about the role and what would be expected of you on a daily basis. You will also find through research, what qualifications you require for the job role which becomes beneficial as it can help you choose your study subjects for your further education. On top of all this key information, you may also find out the wage or yearly salary that you will receive.

Once you have your chosen job role, you will then choose your pathway. This simply means choosing what College and University you will go to, and what you will study including whether or not you need to do an Apprenticeship. Apprenticeships offer you experience of a certain job as well as minimum wage. They will alternate the days of the week that you will be in doing your Apprenticeship so that you can still continue with your education. If you get stuck and are unsure about anything, you can always speak to your Careers Advisor.

In addition, not only must you prepare your pathway, but you also need to prepare yourself mentally. Further Education can be a stressful and overwhelming time for a student. It is exhausting both mentally and physically therefore I recommend having a hobby to do in your free time. Your hobby should be something that you can do which will ease your mind and relax you when things get too much to handle. An example can be exercise. Personally, I dance in my free time. This is not a lot lately because of all of the things I have to do however, I always do my best to make time for my hobby, especially when enough is enough.