The 'other' option.

I spent the entire day at school going through different workshops informing me about the choices I should be making. These included A Levels, sixth forms/colleges, university courses, and work experience. Overall, I became bored very quickly and struggled to pay attention to the uninspiring information being given to me about my life in further education. A life suggested throughout the day to be important if you want to have a job, or money, or stability, or happiness.

There was this vague mention somewhere along the way about the 'other' options that were available to me in a mystical land that was dangerous and not governed by a 'system'. It was always a quick "you're not obliged to go to uni BUT it is probably for the best..." and then swiftly moving on into the benefits higher education can and will provide. "It's not for everyone." would be thrown in occasionally, with absolutely no explanation as to what the everyone it's not for would do.

I understand I'm lucky to be provided with support and information about certain life choices and decisions I'm going to have to make. I am somebody interested in going to university, but this interest is only based on the fact I want the 'experience'. The degree at the end is something I'm currently not bothered by. This leads me to question the sense in me actually going through further education, if I don't believe it will crucially affect my career and the massive debt I will have at the end of it.

However, if I was to decide against going to university, where is the information day about what to do then? I'd obviously need support and advice with this resolution but currently I'd have no idea where to find it. I think the most likely response to this would be an attempt at changing my mind, by the school anyway. Predominantly because I think they wouldn't have a clue about what to do with me.

Why is there only this ambiguous mention of the 'other' option? Surely it would be more logical to provide detail about not going into further education as its the lesser known path? It may seem a little too 'alternative' to your standard, uniform school but to let the students leaning towards this option down would be an unfair mistake.

I was only given one option today, when I know there are others out there. It was either study your A Levels and go to uni or... Do something that isn't that, it isn't clear and we won't tell you much about it because you probably won't succeed anyway.

I probably will end up choosing to study further education, and enjoy it too, but I'd be reassured to know those who choose to enter the real world faster than most have a source of support and advice similar to that of the university path.