For a lot of learners, the mental aspect of matric results can be challenging. The outcome may not be what’s expected, and decisions need to be made quickly. Anticipating what comes next might be both exhilarating and daunting and your path ahead may not unfold as expected. If you didn’t get the results you were looking for, it is not the end of your journey. In fact, it’s the beginning of a world filled with opportunities. Di Charton, a seasoned lecturer at the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, recently spoke to eNCA with advice for matric students, and she is here to guide you through the maze of possibilities, the mindset to get into and what to do next.
1) How do I deal with the impact of receiving my matric results?
One of the first things we must recognise is how stressful this period is for young matriculants coming out of a very long period of studying at school, and who are ready to embark on what comes next. Our role as parents in this space is to be supportive and help them figure out their next steps.
It’s important to bear in mind that there isn’t only one option that will lead to success. Often there are a number of routes to get there. You might have your heart set on one path that you had mapped out, but things can change and life can offer challenges. So firstly, we need to understand that there is no single straight line to success – there are multiple avenues that can get you to the career you want. If you’ve received results you weren’t expecting, realise that everything is going to be okay and that there are countless opportunities in front of you.
2) What do I do if I receive a rejection letter based on my matric results?
You’ve come out of twelve years of schooling where everything has been very linear for you. What you think you want to do, and what you end up doing can be completely different. The path is not straight and there are so many ways to get there. Big public institutions can only take a small percentage of applicants and being rejected by one doesn’t mean you’ll be rejected by all tertiary institutions. This forces you to see all the other opportunities that are available to you, and we’re seeing more and more of this. There are many young people today who want to get in touch with their creative side in their career path and build their commercial logic, who end up coming to Red & Yellow. When one door closes it doesn’t mean they all shut.
3) How do I cope with not studying the degree or programme I wanted to study?
Understand that the way people are studying is changing. How do you prepare for that? You need to remember that there are countless opportunities to learn.
As an institution that’s been around for 30 years, we have developed programmes for students who are matriculating and who want to move on to tertiary education but need additional training and support to do so. We wanted to provide other ways to upskill yourself and launch your career without a degree or diploma, and that’s where Higher and National Certificates come in. They’re a way to get the skills you need to get into the workplace, within one year.
4) What if I want to start working immediately?
Work experience and upskilling yourself is a critical element for your career. If you are looking to work I advise also looking for part time study, so that you can start to build your human skills while getting a qualification. To succeed in the workplace, you need to learn to work in teams and also show future or current employers that you can do that from the word go. Unlike many institutions, we integrate this thinking into all of our programmes. Getting workplace learning experience is crucial, and getting to work on real projects where you can show an employer that you’ve done real world work. It’s something that we focus on at Red & Yellow.
5) What if I can’t afford to study at a university and don’t qualify for NSFAS?
Red & Yellow provides bursary and funding opportunities for deserving learners to give them opportunities to study with us, especially if they don’t have the financial means to do so. Learners need to be supported and given the chance to study to give them a step up to realising their potential.
6) What happens now?
This is one step in your life-long learning journey. You need to remind yourself that it’s your next step in a path that’s not linear. Keep an optimistic growth mindset and grab your opportunities. At Red & Yellow we say Be A Sponge, and absorb and learn as much as you can.
Get in touch with us and we’ll help guide you through the next step of your career journey. Remember, you still have opportunities that will lead you to a great career.
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