DS had no idea what he wanted to do at the beginning of yr13. DH and I had also had major health problems during yr12 so we encouraged him to take a year out and apply after A levels. He managed 3Bs which sort of limited his choice but having decided by then he wanted to do Business he applied to 3 RG unis and one non-RG. He didn’t have a fifth choice so decided to pick a wild card course that interested him. He had 3 offers including the wild card. Out of curiosity he went to the wild card holders day and decided that the course was much more interesting and decided that’s where he was going. It’s in the same city as the RG offer but not as close to the centre.
The change of mind was down to the foggy teenage brain clearing and him maturing significantly over the last 12 mnths. He knows now that he is much more likely to excel in an interesting degree and can then go back to business at masters level if he wants.
As one of the Covid years his A level results really don’t reflect his ability.
He is now looking forward to doing a degree in watching sport particularly rugby. Sport performance analysis is an emerging area and has a lot of transferable skills. One career pathway is to an analyst in the sports betting industry where you can earn big salaries. But I think he has set his sites on a job with the All Blacks. One of the unis recent graduates has just landed a job with them.
He has never ever struggled academically which is often a problem in bright boys because they become very aware of just how much work they need to do to get by. It was particularly a problem during the lockdowns because he would hand in a reasonable standard of work but was gradually falling into a black hole of depression. It took a long time for him to find his reason for going on. Just in time for A level exams but not in time to hit his potential.
I am so glad he decided on the gap year. It was a slow start because of having a sports injury repair. But he had a job waiting for him with a friend’s dad which is flexible. He’s having the time of his life labouring with a team of carpenters, electricians and plumbers who are happy to teach him some basics because he is a fast learner.
A university degree is not necessarily the stepping stone for a career at their age. What it should do is give them the life skills that will facilitate and encourage them to take opportunities presented to them. So if they land a job that is 100s or 1000s of miles from home they will have no fears about taking it. So many young people are glued to their front doorstep and miss out on wonderful opportunities because they haven’t the confidence to leave home.
Post uni none of my siblings or I had any interest in going back home. We have all had good careers and successfully made our way through life. Our children are doing the same, leaving home for Uni without a backwards glance. Their confidence born of the encouragement they have had and the roll models within their immediate and extended family.
I hope everyone’s child starts their journey today even if there have been set backs and disappointment, you can use this time to reassess maybe plan retakes or reapply. One year out at this age doesn’t make any difference. I know so many that started in 2022 who dropped out quickly and then started again in 2023 on different courses. 30% of DS’s year had a gap year because they weren’t quite ready. This year will be no different, they were still affected by the lockdowns in that very little work experience or careers stuff was available.