lost

[yes]

Hello,

I'm currently in Year 12 and I've been feeling pretty lost and unmotivated lately. A big part of it is that I’m unsure about what I want to study at university, or what career I want to pursue in the future. I signed up for the UCAT mostly because everyone around me was aiming for medicine, and since I had initially considered physiotherapy, I thought medicine might just be a more secure, better-paying path.

But I’ve come to realise that I’m struggling to stay on top of my subjects — I chose content-heavy courses (because I wasn't planning to do the UCAT at first but also because I was doing well in those subjects), and on top of that, I’ve experienced an unexpected academic drop this year that’s shaken my confidence and my UCAT preparation is going pretty poorly as well.

Right now, I don’t feel like there’s anything I’m particularly good at, and I’m scared of choosing something too difficult (like actuarial studies) in case I fail and end up wasting time and money switching degrees. I’m also hesitant about physiotherapy now because I’ve heard the pay isn’t great.

I think a lot of this confusion comes from not really having much experience with the real world or a clear idea of what different careers are actually like.

Does anyone have any advice on how to figure out what degree or career path might be a good fit?

(Also I've talked to my careers advisor before and they didn't really help me much).

[TrueSeeker]

Hello yes

It's really good that you're taking this seriously and trying to make the best decision you can. As much as others can try to help you, it's very important that you're the one that makes the choice as it's your life.

All I can do is to share how I went about it and what worked for me. I think that it's not only about practicalities as things can change but also about aligning your future career with what you enjoy doing too. When we enjoy what we do, it's much easier to get through the hard times and also it's much easier to become good at it and
money will follow.

It's a hard decision, all we can do is our best, consider all options and hope for the best

[Guest_10253]

Hey there, 

"I think a lot of this confusion comes from not really having much experience with the real world or a clear idea of what different careers are actually like."

This is the crux of your anxiety. You have done well to pick it up!

What you will learn in life is the path to sustained career and success is working to your personality trait strengths and interests. I studied mechatronic engineering, then did Biomedical Science and then Dip Ed in teaching. But at my core i am open-trait (creative) so when i kept trying to push a square peg through a round hole I hit depression at 27, went on ADs, got a low paying desk job in marketing and tried to survive. Im now on 6 figures but its been a long, hard but rewarding journey of breadcrumb discovery that you'll never make if those crumbs aren't just a little bit tasty to keep you going. 

Re Academic drop.. "P's mean Degrees!"  My mental pressure was exactly what you describe above. What's so difficult for you kids is this god aweful pressure to know what you want to do and commit to years of study on exactly what you want.. which you don't know yet!?! No wonder we both got stressed. 

What you study is not deterministic, though it needs to hold your interest and you can't aim to high. 

You know what makes a super wealthy vet? Its not being doctor dolittle (good with animals). The best vets are good with PEOPLE, they manage clients egos, grow their practice (do a great job of course) and THATs why they are successful, not their ATAR. It's not 1-to-1 as it appears from the outside. 

I had a guy that always scraped by where I got HD average and (whilst he worked to get a uni spot) he wasn't super bright and muddled along, but he loved Formula 1. I dropped out but he's now really successful at a precision motor mechanics. The degree is just there to show you applied yourself and you completed something in the general area you want to head. 

[Guest_32234188]

Hi there 🙂

Just wanted to let you know that you’re not alone. Ive been feeling lately like my academic performance has dropped significantly, whilst it seems everyone around me is high achieving and excelling. I am aiming to become a doctor, because that has really been my dream for the longest time - but direct entry is looking very unlikely. But choosing a career path ultimately comes down to what you enjoy or what sort of person you want to be. Is physiotherapy something you think will make you feel fulfilled? Is it allied health in general, and maybe you can broaden your research about what you want to learn more about! 

I don’t know if this was much help, but I wish you all the best 🙂 There are endless opportunities unfurling right in front of you!