Matric! Where to next?
So another year has gone by and Matriculants are finally done. Some of you went home smiling, some of you went home kicking yourself for not having done better, and some of you went home crying. But what’s next for all of you?
So those of you who got your distinctions in the subjects you needed them in, I’m sure you already have a plan for what’s around the corner, though you’re not quite sure of yourselves yet. Well if you want to know a little more about certain courses, feel free to drop us a message and speak to our admins, we have a few Engineers, Computer Science, Law, Psychology and even some working class members with no qualifications, who can point you in the directions to follow, and not to follow.
YAY! YOU PASSED!
For now you may think you’re a 100% sure you’ve taken the right track…but don’t be so sure. Once you’re in your studies you may find it’s not quite what you expected. I felt that way about Computer Engineering. You get built up by advertising and people around you. “Yeah you’ll build computer chips that manage the guidance system on a nuclear warhead!!” AWWW YEAAH !!! Bring it!! But it’s not quite as exciting as that, and you’ll have to be really good and really lucky to land the job you want. Did you know that in COMPUTER ENGINEERING, you’re required to do chemistry, and physics with regards to gravity and engines?? I sure didn’t. I thought it was programming and electronics. Why did I need to learn how to calculate how much of liquid A needs to mix with liquid B, to make Salt? Really? So don’t be disheartened if you find that what you thought you wanted…isn’t really what you wanted. We all go through it.
The one important piece of advice I can give you is to never stop learning. Always go and do things outside of your studies and learn as much as you can. Depending on your field you may find that when you get a job, you use almost nothing that you’ve learnt in school or university. Both education systems teach you how to think instead of actual useful content. I don’t know how many programmers and engineers I’ve spoken to that tell me that the university teachings were outdated or didn’t benefit them. Nobody is saying take short courses or other degrees/diplomas, just go out and learn from youtube videos and by experimenting. Learn how to cook, or make electronics, how to do your taxes. It’ll all benefit you in one form or another.
You failed…or didn’t get the credits…
Hey, it happens, don’t beat yourself up about it. There are a handful of options for you.
Send your paper for remarking
I did and it paid off for me. I got an additional distinction. I remember in my Matric year, a student sent all seven of his papers back for remarking. He had something like 6 C’s and 1 B. His remark came back and they mismarked all of his papers, however farfetched that sounds, and he was awarded 7 distinctions. Yes, true story. Wishing you luck there and may the force be with you.
Write the supplementary paper
You can always write the upcoming supplementary paper to better your marks! Worth a shot don’t you think? Study harder this time.
Do a bridging course
A bridging course is a course, often designed for high school students who are going into tertiary study, for students who may not feel confident enough with their preparation for university study, or who do not meet the requirements for university. Some university institutions offer a bridging course in the form of an ‘extended degree’, thus making a three year degree into a four year degree. Most big universities offer bridging courses across most fields so have a look.
Did you fail outright with no chance for remarking improving your score?
Redo matric courses through a university!
There are several places to redo your matric studies, even long after you’ve completed it. A friend of mine from engineering decided he wanted to change his field of study from Civil Engineering to Dentistry…Yeah…Don’t ask me…my best friends are a weird lot. We both finished 4 years ago, but he did Matric Bio for this first time in his life this past year.
Some places to look at to redo matric:
There are tons more so don’t fear!
Do a tertiary level course that doesn’t require Matric! Yes they exist!!
These can either be a bridging course as mentioned above or a completely separate course that doesn’t require a matric certificate. Social services, public servant jobs, culinary arts and sports courses all don’t require a matric qualification and you can even study at an FET college.
Check out these links :
collegesa.co.za – collegesa.co.za 2
Beyond the stuff mentioned above, there are a ton of other places to do courses too. Udemy.com , lynda.com and Skillshare.com are some examples. All of these places are perfect for getting your foot into the door at a number of companies. If you need any advice feel free to comment below or chat to us via email!
If all else fails
Get a job. It may be hard, but there are places that have job openings for the inexperienced where you can grow and learn and climb up the business ladder. As you grow you may find the time and/or funds to study and improve yourself. Never stop pushing and always look forward.
