Just need help navigating further education

Hey everyone,

I’m relatively new to this platform and noticed many students discussing their next steps after high school, employment, and university studies.

This brings me to why I’m writing this long message...... hoping someone who was as lost as I am will have some answers. I’ve recently turned 20, and life is getting more real every day. As of now, I’m still not enrolled in a university. I’ve come to realize that if I truly want to succeed at a high level, some form of education is needed. P.S. I’m tired of my Nigerian mom getting on to me feeling like a failure.

And to add to that I genuinely care about my future. PERIOD. I’m currently sitting my A Levels (home-schooling), but I’m stressed that I still haven’t figured out my life in terms of ‘what do you want to study at university and where?’ I hate feeling stagnant and lost.

That’s the honest truth. Your boy needs some direction. If anyone has experienced the predicament I’m in, please know that gratitude would be an understatement.

Thanks for your time.

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

Original post

by Aded04

Hey everyone,
I’m relatively new to this platform and noticed many students discussing their next steps after high school, employment, and university studies.
This brings me to why I’m writing this long message...... hoping someone who was as lost as I am will have some answers. I’ve recently turned 20, and life is getting more real every day. As of now, I’m still not enrolled in a university. I’ve come to realize that if I truly want to succeed at a high level, some form of education is needed. P.S. I’m tired of my Nigerian mom getting on to me feeling like a failure.
And to add to that I genuinely care about my future. PERIOD. I’m currently sitting my A Levels (home-schooling), but I’m stressed that I still haven’t figured out my life in terms of ‘what do you want to study at university and where?’ I hate feeling stagnant and lost.
That’s the honest truth. Your boy needs some direction. If anyone has experienced the predicament I’m in, please know that gratitude would be an understatement.
Thanks for your time.

Instead of trying to grab anything out there, I think it makes more sense to ask yourself what you truly want.

I have come across people who decided to go into medicine because they always wanted to be doctors.

I have come across people who wanted to do degrees in English Lit, despite not going to get jobs in it after uni (you don't need a degree in Lit to go into writing or related professions)

I have come across people who want to be teachers in particular subjects.

What you notice from above is that none of the cases mention anything about the money, hours, work-life balance, etc. or whatever else the job gives you. What they all do have in common is that they want to do something they love and they strive for them, despite the circumstances. What do you strive for?

Reply 2

Aded04

Original post

by Anonymous

Instead of trying to grab anything out there, I think it makes more sense to ask yourself what you truly want.
I have come across people who decided to go into medicine because they always wanted to be doctors.
I have come across people who wanted to do degrees in English Lit, despite not going to get jobs in it after uni (you don't need a degree in Lit to go into writing or related professions)
I have come across people who want to be teachers in particular subjects.
What you notice from above is that none of the cases mention anything about the money, hours, work-life balance, etc. or whatever else the job gives you. What they all do have in common is that they want to do something they love and they strive for them, despite the circumstances. What do you strive for?

Hey there,

Firstly I'll start my reply with a thank you, for taking the time to read and respond to my situation.

I agree with 1000% in regards to, “ask yourself what you to do” which for me is a struggle as I find myself wanting to pursue several different types of industries and interests.

I'll shortly list a few;

- Business ( im embarking on my entrepreneurial journey)

- Marketing

- Film Production

- Graphic Design & Digital Arts

- Creative studies ( I'm a creative individual)

- Music Production

- Sports ( very passionate athlete)

- Entertainment

If that because I'm 20 now I'm desperately want to make a quick decision as most people my age are graduating and starting their careers rather than still trying to get into a university.

All topic above and more are things I love to do and I've had somewhat experience in, so in terms of ‘money, lifestyle and work-life’ don't concern me as much but still want to be well off.

Thanks again

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Original post

by Aded04

Hey there,
Firstly I'll start my reply with a thank you, for taking the time to read and respond to my situation.
I agree with 1000% in regards to, “ask yourself what you to do” which for me is a struggle as I find myself wanting to pursue several different types of industries and interests.
I'll shortly list a few;
- Business ( im embarking on my entrepreneurial journey)
- Marketing
- Film Production
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts
- Creative studies ( I'm a creative individual)
- Music Production
- Sports ( very passionate athlete)
- Entertainment
If that because I'm 20 now I'm desperately want to make a quick decision as most people my age are graduating and starting their careers rather than still trying to get into a university.
All topic above and more are things I love to do and I've had somewhat experience in, so in terms of ‘money, lifestyle and work-life’ don't concern me as much but still want to be well off.
Thanks again

I'll shortly list a few;
I'm looking through these and I am noting a common theme among them:

- Business ( im embarking on my entrepreneurial journey) - doesn't need a degree
- Marketing - doesn't need a degree
- Film Production - doesn't need a degree
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts - doesn't need a degree
- Creative studies ( I'm a creative individual) - doesn't need a degree
- Music Production - doesn't need a degree
- Sports ( very passionate athlete) - doesn't need a degree, unless it's in sports science
- Entertainment - doesn't need a degree

In other words, there are no limiting factors (unless it's sports science) in terms of

Another thing that I would note is that it comes across as you are more of a creative people person with a strong aversion to STEM for some reason. Also note, you don't need any qualifications to go into any of the above (unless it's sports science).

For the creative stuff, it's ultra competitive and you would need to be world class at the thing in order to get anywhere. Whilst I am not dismissing your dreams, I would do something on the side while you perfect your craft and make things in your spare time. I would make sure you devote a certain amount of time per week to your creative endeavours as it seems like it's a big thing for you. I strongly recommend a club, and if you're based in London the networking amongst creatives is a lot easier.
I do recommend focusing on only one craft at a time. Not all of us are like James Franco and fit multiple films, books in a small timeframe on top of teaching at Yale.

Marketing is probably a good thing to go into; just note it's very subjective and you will come across people with either very strong opinions, oversized egos, or worse...both. Even where you say business, you are not likely going to mean accounting or HR, so you're more or less implying that you want to do marketing. Personally, I would say marketing is one of the first key skills in business that you should masters should you decide to start a business yourself.

Graphics design is similar to marketing; insanely competitive and you get a lot of people with strong opinions. It is like marketing in that it's high paying, if you're good. You should therefore learn the craft very well before applying for work (you would need a portfolio).

If you need a reputable qualification quickly for odd reason, do the CIM for marketing. You can pretty much work your way up to bachelor's degree level in 2 years (I think), which would put you en par with your age group. However, do note that should you wish to do a bachelor's degree later, this professional qualification might stop you from getting student funding for your degrees.
Should you do CIM, I would do Level 3 diploma to help get entry level jobs in the field.

Should you want to do something related to sports, consider either:

•

Sports coach - you need a Level 2 qualification in the sports in order to train others; these are day courses

•

Personal training - a Level 3 qualification (equivalent to A Levels and IB on the NVQ scale), even though you might get away with Level 2 in gym instructing. If you do your qualification online, you can do the whole thing in 1-2 weeks whilst paying £1000.

There is nothing to say that you can't do multiple of the above at the same time, but do note your employer might get funny about it if they don't like it. You can use a pseudonym if this becomes an issue.

If you have any other areas to look into, then let me know. I might be able to look into it.

Reply 4

Instructor!

Original post

by Aded04

Hey everyone,
I’m relatively new to this platform and noticed many students discussing their next steps after high school, employment, and university studies.
This brings me to why I’m writing this long message...... hoping someone who was as lost as I am will have some answers. I’ve recently turned 20, and life is getting more real every day. As of now, I’m still not enrolled in a university. I’ve come to realize that if I truly want to succeed at a high level, some form of education is needed. P.S. I’m tired of my Nigerian mom getting on to me feeling like a failure.
And to add to that I genuinely care about my future. PERIOD. I’m currently sitting my A Levels (home-schooling), but I’m stressed that I still haven’t figured out my life in terms of ‘what do you want to study at university and where?’ I hate feeling stagnant and lost.
That’s the honest truth. Your boy needs some direction. If anyone has experienced the predicament I’m in, please know that gratitude would be an understatement.
Thanks for your time.

You’re not alone in this, and feeling lost at 20 is more normal than social media makes it seem. The truth is, figuring out your path isn’t about having all the answers right now; it’s about taking small steps that lead to clarity. Since you’re still doing your A-Levels, use this time to explore different fields through online short courses on different online platforms. Test the waters. Try coding, business, psychology, or marketing, and see what excites you. This way, when it’s time to choose a university course, you’ll have a better idea of what truly interests you. Also, don’t underestimate internships or part-time jobs, even remotely. They expose you to industries without long-term commitment. And as for your mom’s pressure? Totally understandable, but remember, success isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. Your future isn’t a race; it’s a process of discovering what aligns with your skills and passions. Keep moving, keep learning, and trust that you’ll find your way, one step at a time.

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