Group of high school students exploring their future

What to do after finishing high school: Explore your options

As a Year 10 student, your future career may seem light-years away but you know what? The next couple of years are actually going to fly by. You can expect your senior years at high school to be packed with study and fun times with friends. Maybe even a part-time job to save for your first car. However, you can also start to explore your future options. While you don’t need to have all the answers right now, it’s good to start exploring your options for what to do after finishing school.

What to do after finishing high school: the options

Gap year

If you think you might not be ready to dive straight into further study once you’ve finished your Year 12 exams, a gap year could be right for you.

Taking a gap year can provide you with life experiences before you start a serious career.

If you’re not 100 per cent sure what you want to do when you finish school, a gap year can be just the ticket for extra thinking time. And it can help you develop some experience in the art of ‘adulting’.

If you get to Year 12 and you’re keen to go to uni but not straightaway, the good news is you can lock in your course and defer your offer. Then you’ve got a spot to jump straight into when you return. You can defer most courses at Charles Sturt.

Study

If you want to keep the ball rolling after high school and start on the most direct route to your dream career, a university qualification is your best choice.

Many school leavers apply to uni in their final year of high school so they can continue to study alongside their peers and enter the job market with a competitive degree in hand.

When you choose to study at Charles Sturt, you can expect a holistic study adventure. You’ll learn from the best in the business and gain lots of hands-on experience in your future career.

What’s more, you’ll share amazing social experiences with all your friends. Plus, make memories to share on your socials and keep for ever in your mind.

And it’s even possible to get an offer for uni before you’ve received your final marks. Check out the early offer program.

At Charles Sturt, we offer more than 300 courses across 12 diverse career areas.

It’s a great idea to browse through course options to explore your future. You can start to get a feel for what’s out there and what you might be interested in studying after school if you think uni is for you.

Work

If you’re keen to jump into the workforce immediately after school then that’s totally okay. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

As you work your way up in your chosen field, you can always do further study when it suits you.

And don’t stress about not being able to get the hang of study again after a break. Charles Sturt has you covered with subjects to brush up on the core skills you need to be successful at uni.

You could also jump online and check out some great information about the future of the workforce. You’ll gain loads of insight into different careers – definitely worth adding to your research.

Training

Training through non-university tertiary institutions can offer an alternative to uni and prepare you for further study at a degree level. You may decide studying at TAFE is better suited to you right after high school.

If so, you’ll be pleased to know that Charles Sturt has partnerships with a wide range of TAFE institutions. Plus, you could get credit for completed TAFE study relevant to your degree of choice.

Through TAFE/VET admission pathways, you can upgrade your formal qualifications to degree level and enhance your employment opportunities when you’re ready.

Explore your future – right here

Whether you’re still asking what to do after finishing high school or you know the direction you want to go in, we’re always here to chat. Just reach out to our friendly team and let’s explore your future together.