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Making the move from school is exciting. Just about anything can happen and there are heaps of possibilities. Because life is so full of choices it can sometimes be hard to decide what to do. For some people it can be overwhelming and confusing. Relax - here are some things to remember.

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers.

How many times do you get asked, “What are you going to do when you leave school?” and “Are you going to university or polytech?”. Sometimes you just don’t have all the answers and it feels like everyone else knows what to do except you. It’s not true – lots of young people don’t have any idea what they want to do. Making a quick decision isn’t always the right thing to do, so don’t feel pressured to make up your mind. You’ll know when you’re ready.

The best person to make decisions is you.

Everyday you make decisions. You decide what to wear, what to eat, what to listen to, and what to do when you’re not at school. It’s the big decisions about your future that are a little tougher and need more thinking about. The best person to make your decisions is you - so don’t be pushed into doing something that doesn’t feel right or because someone else thinks it’s a good idea.

You can always change your mind.

Decisions can seem bigger when you feel like whatever you choose you’ll be stuck with for the rest of your life. But it doesn’t have to be like that. You always have the choice to change your mind. The best thing to do is to look at all your options, narrow them down and then make a decision. If it’s not right you can always change it. It’s better to do something than nothing!

There is no one perfect job.

There are more than 20,000 different types of job. With so many jobs to choose from you can’t possibly know about every one of them before you make up your mind. The average person will probably change their job or occupation four or five times in their lifetime. That means you don’t have to get it right first time. What you like right now may not be as interesting in 10 or 20 years. You can always change jobs if you want to.

When you’re not sure what to do, staying at school is a good idea.

Staying in school until you decide what to do next is a good idea. Why? Because it keeps your options open. The longer you stay at school and the more qualifications you get the more choices you’ll have later on. You can spend time with your friends and get help and advice from your teachers and career advisors to make up your mind.

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