Not everyone has to go to college. Not everyone has to go to post-secondary school the first year after high school, the second or even ever.
A lot of the focus and narrative for high school graduates is what they’re going to take in college and what career path they want to follow. Although these are important subjects, they don’t necessarily need answers as soon as the grad cap lands back on the floor.
People mature and develop at different rates and in different ways.
We live in a beautiful world – though currently experiencing challenging economic times – that offers freedom of choice and myriad options to pursue a career. And even if you make the ‘wrong’ choice, it will offer valuable lessons you wouldn’t have learned otherwise.
If you’re unsure, you don’t have to step. Samantha Putumiraqtuq of Baker Lake gave good advice about the need to save up money, as student funding is usually quite limited. If you live in a stable home in your community, your first few post-grad years can be tremendously financially beneficial for you to save up without having to pay significant housing and grocery costs.
In my own friend group, we all took different paths post-grad. I hated school and took some college courses but soon found a career in journalism before finishing. Other friends went straight into construction and became very well-off. Others went the traditional degree route into business jobs, while some of my closest continued living with their parents while working and pursued passions like music and writing.
Today, there are even more options for youth, who can viably develop careers through social media or learn at their own guidance on the internet before deciding whether traditional school is necessary.
Graduating high school is a momentous occasion and something to be proud of. It’s exciting at first, but the reality that post-grad life means more expenses and responsibilities can dull the fire over time.
A lot of people take until their mid and late 20s to truly come into their own. Just because college is the standard post-grad path doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. You won’t be young, and possibly childless, forever. Your post-grad years are probably your best for taking chances, pursuing your passions and using your youthful energy to simply enjoy the new life you find yourself in.
ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᓕᐊᕆᐊᖃᖏᓚᖅ. ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᔭᐅᔭᖅᑐᕆᐊᖃᖏᓚᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕋᓂᒃᑲᓗᐊᕋᖓᑕ,
ᐱᒋᐊᒃᑲᓂᕈᒪᑉᐸᓪᓘᓐᓂᑦ, ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓂᑦ ᐱᖏᐊᑲᓂᖏᑦᑎᐊᒪᕆᒡᓗᓂ.
ᐅᓄᖅᑐ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᑲᐅᑎᒋᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑕ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᓕᐊᕈᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕋᓂᑐᐊᕌᖓᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᖏᑦ
ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐸᒃᖢᓂᒡᔪᒃ.. ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓗᒋᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᑲᐅᑎᒋᔭᕆᐊᖃᖏᓐᓇᕕᑦ ᐱᒧᒪᔭᕐᓂᑦ. ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖃᕐᒪᑕ.
ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐋᕗᑦ ᐱᐅᔪᐊᓗᒃ - ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᕋᓚᓴᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ - ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓱᒪᖅᓱᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐱᒧᒪᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ. ᑕᒻᒪᕋᓗᐊᕈᕕᑦ ᑕᒻᒪᖅᑕᑦ ᐊᕿᒋᐊᕐᕕᖃᐃᓐᓇᓲᖅ. ᐅᕙᓘᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᕝᕕᒋᓗᒍ.
ᓇᓗᒍᕕᑦ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᕐᓂᑦ, ᓄᖃᖓᑐᐃᓐᓇᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᑎᑦ. ᓴᒪᓐᑕ ᐳᑐᒥᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᑦᑎᐊᖃᐅᕗᖅ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᑭᓇᐅᔭᕐᓂᑦ ᑲᑎᑦᑎᕙᒋᖃᑦᑕᖁᔨᓪᓗᓂ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐊᖅ ᓇᒪᖏᔭᓗᐊᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᖢᓂ. ᐊᖏᕋᑦᑎᐊᕆᒃᑯᕕᑦ ᐱᕕᖃᖅᐳᑎᑦ ᑲᑎᑦᑎᓇᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᑲᓂᓚᐅᖏᓐᓂᕐᓂ, ᐃᑲᔫᑎᖃᕋᔭᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓕᖕᓄᑦ. ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓱᐃᓗᐊᕆᐊᖃᖃᑦᑕᕋᔭᙱᓚᑎᑦ.
ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᕇᒃᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑐᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕋᓂᒃᑲᑦᑕ. ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᓚᐅᖏᓐᓇᒃᑯ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕌᕐᔪᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖓ ᓇᓂᓯᓪᓗᖓᓗ ᐃᖃᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᒥᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᓚᐅᖏᑎᓪᓗᖓ. ᐱᖃᓇᕆᔭᒃᑲ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᕿᔪᓕᕆᔨᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ, ᐊᒃᖢᐃᑦᑐᖑᖅᖢᑎᒃ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᑲᓂᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᕐᒥᓂᒃ, ᐃᓚᖏᓪᓗ ᐊᖓᔪᖄᒥᓂᕐᒥᐅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᖃᓇᐃᔭᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᓂᔭᐅᓯᓕᕆᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ, ᑎᑎᕋᕐᓂᕐᓗ.
ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᐅᓄᖅᑑᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐱᔪᓇᔪᒍᓐᓇᕐᒪᑕ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ, ᐱᔪᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᖏᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ.
ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᐳᐃᒍᕐᓇᖏᒻᒪᑦ, ᐱᑯᒋᔭᒃᓴᖃᕐᓇᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ. ᐱᑯᓇᓚᐅᕋᓗᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᑯᓇᕈᓐᓃᖅᐸᖕᒥᔪᖅ ᐅᑭᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓱᐃᔭᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᖢᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᑦ ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ.
ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᑲᓂᑕᐃᓇᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᐊᕋᒍᖏᑦ 20-ᖏᓐᓂᓕᕌᖓᒥᒃ. ᐱᓕᒪᒃᓴᖅᑕᐅᓇᖤᐱᖕᒪᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖏᓐᓇᕕᑦ, ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᒨᖏᒻᒪᑦ. ᒪᑯᐃᓇᔭᖏᓐᓇᕕᑦ, ᕿᑐᕐᖓᖅᑕᕐᓗᑎᓪᓘᓐᓂᑦ. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓂᓵᕐᓂᑦ ᐱᑯᓇᓛᖑᖂᖅᐳᖅ, ᐊᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓗᒍ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᖕᓃᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᒍ, ᐃᓄᓯᖅ ᒪᑉᐱᓵᖅᑐᕐᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓗᒍ.