10 Best Things to Do After High School Besides College

Things to Do After High School Besides College – Most students find it difficult to decide what to do after high school. They sometimes struggle to plan their life after school. Some may not want to pursue higher education, and some may take a year or two to figure out what to do. Even for those looking to pursue an academic career, it is still difficult for some to choose what to do after high school and before college.

We’re going to share some ideas here to help you figure out what to do after high school besides college.

Things to Do After High School Besides College

10 Best Things to Do After High School Besides College

1. Get Yourself a Job

If you decide that you’re not going to college after high school, then getting a full-time job might as well be the ideal way to transition into adulthood. Getting a job will be important considering the fact that you will soon have financial responsibilities.

However, while looking for a job to do after completing your high school education, we recommend finding one that offers career growth rather than one that just employs teens on a temporary basis. This way, in the event that you later change your mind and wish to pursue further education, then you will have a solid foundation and work experience.

2. Start a Business

Internet age has made things better in a different way. It gives you dozens of business opportunities to venture into and make a life for yourself.

We recommend to start by identifying your strengths, interests and career goals then finding potential industries where you can put these traits to good use. It’s worth noting that most teenagers fail in their initial ventures, but you will have invaluable experience that will help you catapult your next venture to success.

3. Serve in the Military

If you decide that you’re not going to college after high school, then serving in the military might be the best thing to do. Joining the military offers a myriad of benefits, including getting a rare chance to serve your country. It’s also worth noting that the military offers career opportunities in the service as well as a chance to earn and save money if you got plans of advancing your education later on.

4. Learn a Trade

Learning a trade can be the best thing to do after high school without college. Get involved in a trade where you can gain vital experience that can play an instrumental role in your future career. Since trades are usually skill-based, learning one means getting hands-on experience.

We recommend identifying an apprenticeship geared towards your area of interest and one that tabs into your arsenal of strengths and passions. This can later help you to earn certificates or licenses necessary to advance your career. Some notable trades include machining, carpentry, cosmetology as well as technology.

5. Become an Apprentice or Intern

Being an apprentice is like getting a chance to ‘test drive’ a career prior to making a long-term commitment to pursue it. Although most internship is unpaid, the experience you get is invaluable.

The good thing with apprenticeship or internship is that their main focus is solely on skills that apply to the field. This is ideal and favorable to high school grads who were ever in favor of ‘general studies’ aspect of the school

6. Become a Volunteer

Becoming a volunteer can be a great way to learn more about oneself and the direction you wish to take in your life. Apart from getting a chance to help others, there are volunteer programs that give you opportunities to travel the country. This way, you will learn new skills while making life-changing connections.

If your choice is not going to college after high school education, then becoming a volunteer might be an ideal way to focus your energy on a cause that excites and interests you. Do a mini research on local or national volunteer programs and you will have dozens of options to choose from.

7. Earn a Vocational or Career Training Certificate

If you’re not ready to pursue a 4-year college or university degree but still want to continue with education, then earning a vocational certificate is the best available alternative. There are many professions that place more value on workplace experience and industry certifications.

Positions such as dental hygienists, medical transcriptionists, IT experts, and radiology technicians often require a certification that takes less time to earn compared to degree programmes. Just do a research based on your interests and aptitudes then choose a vocational program to enroll in.

8. Turn Your Hobby into Business

Do you have a special talent or hobby that can help you make money? If so, then you can turn that hobby of yours into a successful business. Some hobbies one can make money with include music, painting, cooking or baking, travelling, dancing, playing musical instruments, crafting, and photography among others.

Let’s say you love travelling, you can become a travel and affiliate blogger and if you love crafting, you can sell your beautiful, hand-made crafts on renowned websites such as Etsy. Just identify what you like doing as a hobby and consider if it can earn you money.

9. Travel the World

If you have an itching desire to see new places, meet new people and learn new cultures, then travelling the world would be ideal. Since you’re fresh from high school and financial muscle might be short in supply, we recommend you start local. Travel within you state or country, visiting different amazing places and creating awesome review videos which you can later edit and post on your YouTube channel.

The more quality review videos you make, the higher your visibility and corporate appeal will be. After a while, corporates will be looking for you to advertise their products and/or services. That’s how you will turn your travel hobby into a money making passion. These corporates will be willing to fund your travels and other expenses in return for your reviews.

10. Consider a Gap Year

Choosing a career after high school is never easy. That’s why we recommend that you shouldn’t rush making the decision about your future right after competing high school. As you plan for life after high school, consider having a gap year, a period of 12 months where you can travel or volunteer or get yourself a job. A gap year is meant to ease your mind and help you identify the most ideal career for yourself. This way, you will be able to make a career decision when you’re ready.

What Skills Do I Need To Be Successful After High School?

1. Communication skill

Communicating clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing, will make you appear confident and intelligent. People will respond positively to you when you convey your ideas clearly and coherently.

A person’s ability to communicate effectively is among the most important skills they can possess.

As a result, you will benefit socially, academically, and professionally. Consider learning or improvements this skill after high school.

2. Critical Thinking

In order to succeed in life, you must find ways to utilize the enormous amounts of information you take in each day. Sharp critical thinking skills will help you stand out from people who do not utilize higher-level cognition.

Despite how you plan to use your skills after high school, seeing connections between ideas, evaluating the relevance of information, and recognizing errors of reasoning are all real-life skills you will need to succeed in your chosen career.

3. Financial skill

Making accurate estimates, understanding probability, and statistical information, and calculating in your head will help you analyze data and make wise decisions.

Daily, you need math skills to add up prices at the grocery store or estimate how much paint you will need for home improvement projects.

By knowing basic accounting concepts, such as debits and credits, and by developing a budgeting strategy, you can work with your money more effectively and become financially savvy, a skill that everyone needs, regardless of income.

4. Problem-solving skill

Every day, people face issues ranging from minor inconveniences like congestion to complex situations like deciding whether to move across the country for a career opportunity. Solving problems successfully requires an open mind and neutrality when facing challenges.

A successful problem-solver focuses on solutions rather than the problems themselves. Solving problems effectively is the key to success in the workplace.

Conclusion

Do not judge your own success by the pace at which your peers achieve things. Avoid feeling lagging behind by looking at your newsfeed. Regardless of where you are and what you are doing, move at your own pace.