You have just got your matric results what now?
Finishing your matric can be exciting as you are finally done with high school and about to embark to a new journey. A journey of independence, a journey of new opportunities and a journey of realising your biggest dream.
The moment you get your results right there and then you receive a key that will open other multiple doors. This time many know which institutions they will enroll to. Many know which student accommodations they will be staying in, be it at a relatives place, private flat or varsity residence. Getting results it is a stamp, a confirmation that allows you to go out there and get that paper (qualification). But for some getting results open their eyes. Some didn't believe in their capabilities that they can actually pass matric, some were so unsure whether they wanted to further their studies or not and now the results in front of them push them to reconsider furthering their studies. In most cases it is little too late but some may be lucky and get space during late applications right after the big announcement of results. Not all are lucky to get admitted during late applications therefore it is vital to plan your things in time and not rely on late applications to avoid disappointments.
Now let's get down to business, the big question and the purpose of this article.
You have finished matric and what now?
Where do you move from here? What's the plan? It's no surprise that yes some don't know where to from here while some got it all under control. It can be frustrating not knowing what move to make especially weeks later when all your friends have left for varsity.
1. Enroll to a university/College
Congratulations for securing space in your desired university or college . You are about to enter a new exciting chapter where you follow your career. At this point I assume everyone is happy with their chosen course. If not, I guess that is another topic for another day. This a chapter where you are going to learn everything there is to know about your course, this is a chapter where you will meet new friends and make lifetime memories. After the big announcement of matric result a week later some will be packing their bags to live in a new environment. My advise is, go there prepared. If you are relying on financial aid communicate with your funder to confirm details such as does the bursary fund accommodation? Food and books? Communicate with the university or college, read your emails that is the popular form of communication they use. Find out when and how you should register, what is the registration fee? When should you move in Res? When is the orientation week? communicating with your institution will make everything much easier. In case you will be staying in a private student accommodation communicate with your landlord about moving in dates and signing off lease agreement.
Work.
From the get go some knew that they want a job this could be from different reasons. And that's okay we respect your choice. Finding a job can be tricky especially in south Africa where there is an unemployment rate of approximately 42% mostly being the youth but don't let that discourage you. The few weeks of finishing matric you will need to focus more on building your CV using all the tricks you learnt in school. The next step would be to save your CV along with your supporting documents electronically in your phone. This will help you send CVS easier online or via emails. Once you have your cv make few copies that you will drop off in companies in south Africa. If finding a job becomes hard and you go months without a job maybe it will be best to consider furthering your studies or starting a business.
Start your business
Starting a business fresh from school can be challenging but that does not mean that it's not doable. In fact It is very much possible. You first need to think of a type of a business you want to venture into . Do you want to sell vegetables? Start a car wash? Sell clothes, healthy or slimming products, start baking? etc.. You need to first discover what interest you and which type of a business you will mostly likely enjoy doing. After the discovering phase you will need capital to start your business. You can raise capital by asking your parents or your relatives to boost you until your business is standing on its feet. Should your business grow and you formally want to register your business look out for our next article which will explore how to go about registering your business.
Upgrade/rewrite.
You have just received your results and you realise that you have failed or performed badly on one or more subjects. Don't panic there is always a second chance in life. There's always a second chance in education that's why they say imfundo ayikhulewa (you are never too old to learn). There is absolutely nowhere stated that by the age of 18 you should be done with high school. There is no law that says by the age of 23 you should be done with your university studies. There's definitely no memo JUST DO YOU. Everyone has a right to education and this right applies to any age.
When you failed matric you have an opportunity to go back to your high school where you did your matric and repeat. Or you can write supplemary exams to write again the subjects you failed.
When you have passed matric but your results don't excite you, you have an option to upgrade. For example you have obtained admission to higher certificate and you want to upgrade to admission to bachelor you can then decide to upgrade one or more subjects to reach your new goal . You can do this in various private colleges. Ensure that you research which colleges offer that option.
Gap year.
Last thing you can consider after finishing your matric is gap year. Funny thing about gap year is that most don't plan it, it just hit you and you are left with no choice but to accept your new reality. This takes me back to my personal experience in 2015 where I took an unexpected gap year and I was truly disappointed as I was looking forward to varsity. The previous year 2014 I had applied at two universities and of course funding but my grade 11 results were a disaster (hides) as a result my applications were rejected and I was forced to take a gap year. Luckily my grade 12 results were good but unfortunately it was already too late because universities were full so late applications didn't work for me. Fast forward into my gap year I tried looking for a job while at the same time applying for the year 2016. I started as early as possible applying to more than 4 institutions. What I'm trying to say is that gap year is not the end of the world. It can actually be an eye opener leading to making informed decisions about the career you want. Look out for the next article about gap year.
You have finally finished your matric whatever that happens from now you should face it head on and and lift your head up high. Accept whatever situation you find yourself in by telling yourself that this life does give second chances and whatever you do after matric is a new journey. Always keeping in mind that everyone's journey is different. Some will take left some will take right but at the end of the day we will reach our destinations.
AcaNet❤️