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eh! What's all this high school hype about?Those who have already passed through have all sorts of tales
to tell of the things they remember - punishments, special teachers, first loves, hard times, good times, bad food, no food, walking for miles to and from school barefooted.
So now, you are on the path, and whereas 'they' often say that "schooldays are the best days of your life", you're having great difficulty putting the two concepts together.
Well, whether it's five years of sheer uncertainty and hell or plain sailing and sheer bliss, CHOICES Career & Education Advice is here to help get you through it - and successfully. Then, when it's all over, you can form your own opinion, 10, 20 or 30 years down the road, as you look back on the experiences.
The aim of CHOICES:is to help you to find your way through the education system. After a minimum five years in secondary level school, you should be academically ready to further your education, whether this is in the academic, professional, vocational, technical or any other area. You should emerge with a thorough knowledge of who you are, and what your strengths, skills and talents are, as well as be on a surefire path to education, career and life success.
High school, if you really think about it, is a building and development process: the building and development of you. That may sound strange now, but after a while, it all starts to come together and you will see that growth and maturing have taken place, that you know yourself more and more, and that you are becoming increasingly
prepared for the world after and outside of school.
Your days in secondary school should therefore be seen as the foundation which you are laying for what comes afterwards - further education, work and life. It is also a great mixture of the variety of life's experiences. It's where you will make friends, some of whom you will stick with for life; where you will learn many things about not just education, but also about life itself. You will be exposed to many different ideas, concepts, ways of thinking and people from a variety of different backgrounds.
It is the learning ground for all of the foundation skills which you will need throughout life, not only those like reading, writing, mathematics and listening, but also others such as decision making, problem-solving, negotiating, leadership, teamwork, self-esteem, self-management and responsibilities.
If you're now in secondary school - anywhere between age 11 and 18 - you are what is known as a "millennial". By 2030, when you will be between age 30 and 37, what place do you see for yourself in life and work?
How do you imagine your life will be? Will you be kicking stones and hanging out on street corners, in a safe place like jail or will you be making progress in life and in the career of your dreams?
School days come only once in a lifetime. Make the most of them. Make the right choices now. Get on the right path and stick to it.
THE EDITOR
@choices.caribbean 1