How on earth are we meant to guide and focus our offspring when that time of year comes round and they are asked to choose options for their A levels? I mean, 'fickle' understates the mind of a teenager. Their choice ability is located somewhere between what to eat and when to sleep. Any more than that and life is too complicated. Throw in a few exams as well and that’s it…………… the end of the world is nigh. Pathos and drama rule ok and mayhem is the order of the day. And suddenly some kind career teacher at school is sending home all manner of leaflets and brochures on Careers for You. Enough paper work to deplete a small forest and employ several lumber jacks. Now all they have to do is settle down, read all the literature and choose their life’s journey.
Unfortunately, the teacher has obviously overlooked the fact that he is dealing with hormonal teenagers. Most of the documents never make it out of their lockers never mind into their school bags. The only ones that take their fancy and merit a look at, are the more garishly coloured pamphlets featuring football players or current pop stars. Thus leaving us, the parents, wondering why our rugby playing, six foot tall son has suddenly taken an interest in child care, hairdressing or beauty therapy. Luckily the school does acknowledge these trials and tribulations and arranges for everyone to come and spend an evening discussing all the options at school. No hiding here then, not even for the pupils!! All is made clear to us. Your child is of average ability and could, if he puts his mind to it, be anything he wants to be. Clear as mustard then. He has a diverse range of interests and talents but unfortunately all those hours that he has spent on the computer playing Fifa Football may not in the end, count for very much. That’s of course contrary to what he has been telling us for the last two years. (Mind you I never really believed it was part of his course work!) So where does that leave us? Not very far on really.
The worry is that whilst in his engineering and scientific era he might opt for all science based subjects. Then having begun his courses for A level an artistic streak might overcome him and he finds he wants to be a poet after all. A hard choice. And on exactly what basis is he choosing these careers? It certainly is not a life experience, that’s for sure. His experiences at present being fairly limited by age and spectrum. And even those experiences are becoming less as his life presently revolves around the fridge, his bed and his music. Note that studying, revision and learning are not mentioned here.
So actually reflecting a career choice in his A level course options is going to be pretty difficult. Maybe the trick is to just stick a pin into the map of subjects and hope for the best. Or do we advise that they follow their dreams and then pray that professional football players do really have an academic slant to their careers. I can only hope that the school really do know what they are doing and have seen it all before.