Because I am going into my final year of high school in September, I have decided to begin planning what I may do after I walk off the stage at graduation. I started planning around the end of the 11th grade, but I didn't really start thinking hard about my plans until just a few days ago.
There is only one thing that I know I want to do: music. I have always wanted to pursue a career in music, and I know that I could given the skills that I possess. The only problem is that it is really difficult to get a steady career as a musician. Everybody who I have met who had the skills and knowledge to be a studio musician only make minimal amounts of money a year, by playing the occasional gig in bars and stuff. They all use music as a secondary career, meaning they would have had to find something else to do. This is the part that worries me, since I have no idea what I want to do as a main job that will give me time to work on music.
So, when we had our course selection in June, I balanced my courses to open up as many career opportunities as possible. My best courses, Chemistry and Pre-Calculus, don't have too many possibilities. However, combine chemistry, biology, calculus, English, and law, and the possibilities are nearly endless. So, throughout 12th grade, I will be able to assess my skills, and sort of put together a blueprint for my future based on what I can do. Then I will think about university and stuff. It's time to stop slacking off, I need to take this last year seriously.
At the current time, I know exactly what I am going to do when I leave high school. I am going to move to Kelowna, not for school, but to work for a year or two and save up some money for education. This will give me as much time as necessary to go over my transcripts, and then research the schools that offer what I excel at. I could just go straight to music school after school ends, but I am currently unsure of whether or not I want to study music that way. I want to be a recording artist, not a theory master. I dunno though, music school could be just what I need.
Luckily, I have already taken the first step to opening my future. Last year, I got a job at my local A&W. I worked there for a little over a year before leaving for personal reasons. I also took a course as a teacher assistant. Grade 10, I won the award for top musicianship of my grade. Last year, I won the top music student of the year award. All of these things combined will look excellent on any university application.
So, overall, I feel like my future is looking better and better the more I figure out about it. Planning does work, so long as you do it right, and give yourself time to do it.