A decision, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, can be an exhausting experience for many people. When that decision has the possibility of effecting all future relationships, financial sustainability, and career-based happiness – that decision may be fraught with intense pressure or it may come with ease.

With the Career Conference still fresh in the minds of many current and prospective students, the million-dollar question that many will face will inevitably be, “What are you going to do when you’re done school?”
Upon talking to a number of different students in high school and university, the “typical” student does not exist, as each person has a different situation which has impacted their decisions.
From high school students, about to face the reality of picking a suitable program to continue their education, to university graduates trying to find their niche. Still others may be current university students who love their program, or individuals who have taken time off before entering a post-secondary institution. The question of choosing the right career continues to be a complex one to answer.
For some, the question may not be worth contemplating right now. Following high school graduation, all students have to do is decide which step to take next. It may be an easy question to answer on a day-to-day basis, but becomes increasingly stressful when considering the realm of the future.
High schools try to do their best to help students decide on which direction to take by having students take quizzes to determine their individual area of interest. Currently in Grade 12 at Catholic Central High School, Mickenzie Kinahan talked about these quizzes.
“The tests we take basically allow us to determine what we like to do and our skills and show you the types of careers that would suit you as a person.”
Aaron Roth, academic adviser at Lethbridge College, says he sees a lot of prospective students who have taken some time off of school following high school before they enter into a post-secondary program.
For Katelyn Speiss, there were many factors that led to her decision to take a year off of school before enrolling at the University of Lethbridge this year.
“I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do after high school. There was too much pressure I think, because I didn’t want to waste my money on school only to realize I don’t like what I’m taking.”
A 2008 study conducted by Ross Finnie of the University of Ottawa, showed that between 2000-2006, 44 per cent of college students changed their program because it wasn’t right for them.
“This time of year…we start to see students changing majors,” says Roth.
The decision to change majors now, rather than during the first few months of school, comes from students seeing, through the first four months of a program, whether or not they enjoy it enough to proceed.  
Roth also mentioned that academic advisers do encounter students who are in a particular program because they excelled in the subject during high school, but the student dislikes the program.
Danielle Mueller, a U of L student, had that exact experience this year and recently changed her program.
“I found that the program I was in did not interest me anymore and therefore I didn’t do exceptionally well in the classes.”
Ute Perkovic, employment specialist and career adviser at Lethbridge College, says that the personality of an individual needs to be taken into account when choosing a career or area of study.
“The first thing you need to do is self-exploration to get to understand yourself and what you want.”
Following high school graduation, Tessa Dimnik, who is currently enrolled at Grant MacEwan University studying psychology, believed it was personal experiences which deeply impacted her decision regarding a post-secondary education.
“As a person who has to take medication for other medical issues, I knew that I didn’t want to subject anyone else to being a guinea pig for medication,” says Dimnik.
“I want to be the type of psychologist who sits and listens and suggests ways to help through techniques or healing, and not a psychologist who listened to a person’s problems and then said, “Here is your medication, this should help you.”
Interviews with a variety of students show an overwhelming trend; doubts constantly remain in students’ minds such as whether or not their future or current education is right for them.
“It took a lot of experimentation for me to figure out what it was that I wanted and even now it’s not totally clear,” says Shaun Lohues, a student at the U of L.
These types of scenarios play out among the vast number of students in Alberta and the pressure that comes with these life-altering decisions has impacted people and students across the board.
It’s the reality of the situation that Lohues uses to summarize the outlook many students face: “I understand that it is difficult for a career counselor to tell you what to do though. In the end it has to be you that makes the decision,” says Lohues.
What are you going to do when you’re done school? The question may remain but the answer may be elusive.