To think it really isn’t necessary to have your whole life mapped out at 15?

[VanillaMummy]

DD (15) has just finished her Year 10 exams. There’s since been a lot of talk at school about A-level choices and what’s required for different degree courses.

She’s got herself all in a panic this weekend that she doesn’t have her whole life mapped out. She’s erring towards humanities subjects but doesn’t really have any more direction than that currently.

I’m trying to reassure her that lots of people are the same at her age and still go on to be perfectly successful as adults. It’s also easier than ever these days to change direction later on and careers are often not for life anymore. Yet she won’t hear it from me. Any good advice/anecdotes/encouraging stories?

Most adults have no idea what they want to do and just fall into jobs don't they? Most of us also change path along the way.
Hate all the pressure on kids. Just tell her to do something she enjoys.

Tuition was free. Grants were mean tested. I didn’t get one. A friend who also couldn’t get one had parents refuse to pay and had to work to support themselves.

I don’t think you need to have your whole life mapped out at 15. However dropping certain subjects can close doors. Eg DC in y11 wants to drop physics but also an bit interested in engineering. If they drop physics it will close that door.

I'm 72 and have similar thoughts!

I'm a couple of years off state pension age and still don't really know what I want to do when I grow up. I have had four very different jobs, I currently run my own business and have been doing so for over 20 years. I still might change jobs, I have no plans to retire.

Of my school friends, one had a very clear plan from 11 or 12 and still works successfully in that career. None of the others are doing anything remotely like what they planned at A level stage. Eg, one did languages, worked as a translator for a bit, now manages a dental practice. Another did engineering but he and his wife own a 4 star hotel on the south coast. Someone else trained as a nurse, got burnt out by the NHS and now does a lovely craft, selling her work and running workshops.

Life’s what happens when you’re busy making plans. Some things will work out, some won’t. Whatever is meant for you won’t pass you by x

lmao I'm 34 and still don't have my life planned out...

I would just make sure she knows it's ok not to go to uni if she doesn't want to, or not to uni straight out of school, it's much harder to go back funding/time wise and she can take a gap year/work for a bit. I'd want her to understand she doesn't need to do these things right now just because everyone else is, and that sometimes working, living life, travelling a bit, can all be worthy experiences that help educate you about what you actually want to do.

At 16 I did have next 5 years mapped out - A-levels and degree - it wasn't enough for people.

You change a lot in those years - and while you can close down options with choices further study or taking career chance can get you where you want in the end it's just not as cheap or straight forward.

I did a Master conversation course post degree to change subject area - and as it was a much better paid area paid that cost back in a few years. DH has chosen jobs carefully and manage to migrate from straight physics area to a specialised computer science area - wasn't always straight forward but he had his ideal job for last 15 years now.

Just mentioned about DD1 on education board - couldn't take GCSE she wanted and thus due to local condition couldn't take that subject at A-level - but ended up in the area - well related area anyway - and that was decided mid UCAS application - but she is very happy and it's a good fit for her in so many ways.

Try and work out which A-level she likely to enjoy and is good at - and at same time try and keep as many door open as possible with good range of subjects.

As my wise careers teacher friend remarked "Many of the present school generation will be doing jobs / have careers which haven't been invented yet".

More concerning than not having a clue is when parents decide a child's career.I overheard a 14 yr old pupil say "my dad wants me to be an Actuary", in a way that made me think she'd already accepted that.

Why is she panicked? Is she quite anxious generally? Ds2 doesn't really know. Many don't in year 10.

Plus in year 10,11,12 our school does lots of assessments online, talks about different opportunities and careers, what you like and what suits your personality, so there's plenty of time yet.

This is one of the few occasions when so called facilitating subjects come into play. If she takes at least two facilitating subjects then she leaves as many options as possible within her current interests open to her.

But even so all is not lost.

At 15 my dd thought she knew exactly what she wanted. She took English Literature, Religious Studies & Dance. After 3 years of pursuing a career in the performing arts she has now changed her mind completely and in September is starting a degree in a science based subject. Her lack of science A levels just means she has to do a foundation year, that is all.

Just hopefully a helpful tip here. My son applied to uni to do Engineering and the only subject that would close that door is not having Maths. There were very few Engineering degrees that insisted on Physics though it is a desirable. He got offers from 4 Russell Group uni's, he did do Physics A level but none of them asked for it. He did find a CTEC (Alevel equivalent) in Engineering useful though, he did that as a fourth subject and it really paid off in his uni applications

Oh, that's interesting, thank you very much! I'd only looked online at the entry requirements to Cambridge, Imperial and Oxford (which all stated Physics) and asked DH who did engineering whether he thought Physics was necessary and he said yes. Maybe he was thinking of knowledge, rather than admissions criteria (though he was at one of afore-mentioned universities). I think I may have checked Southampton too.

I've just checked Sheffield and Bristol and I see they don't require physics.

I'll check out the CTEC, thank you for that.

I was determined I would do chemical research for a pharmaceutical company. Double maths, physics and chemistry A-level, Cambridge NatSci, Imperial organic chemistry PhD. So far so straight forward.

Except by the end of the PhD I could have thrown the lab kit out of the window and danced on it. I did finish through gritted teeth.

It was a shame as I’d adored chemistry to that point.

So I joined a Big 4 accounting firm. Spent a decade there and then shifted into industry. My only slight regrets are that I never took a gap year and that I didn’t decide to become an actuary rather than an accountant.

I did English, history and German A level and then English at university. Had no clue about careers. Literally none. Have had a very successful career in the NHS in a non clinical role. Just sort of fell into it, no plan at age 15 whatsoever.

No idea really. I'm just kinda winging it and hope no one finds out.

Did Classics at university cos I liked it. Harboured ambitions to go in to media/broadcast but volunteering at our student paper and radio station put me off - all that sweaty ambition.

Pursued my other love - History - and got a trainee researcher position at a local authority archive. Took up a role as a researcher in a charity and took on more policy work. Focussed more and more on consumer policy, then regulatory policy and now at 46 I work in economic regulation!