If you are in matric and still unsure about what to study next year, you can consider doing an academic bridging year in your field of interest.
A Johannesburg-based career advisor, Professor Zak Nel believes this will allow you to constructively explore your options while gaining new skills and knowledge.
Nel has been providing career counselling for approximately 40 years and advised matriculants to think of their first year after school as a key building block to help establish their career path.
“The gap between school and tertiary education is huge, causing thousands of students each year to fall by the wayside. Many first-year students experience problems adapting to the university workload and tempo,” he said.
As a result, one in every two first-year students fails their initial year. Moreover, more than half of all students reportedly leave the higher education sector after five years of study without a qualification.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has left many learners anxious about their study and career options. Research shows that many first and second year students are today struggling because of insufficient subject knowledge caused by learning gaps during the pandemic.
Luckily, more than one route is available to aspirant students who want to obtain a qualification and start building their careers.
Consider all your options
Nowadays, many universities offer focused academic programmes that can serve as a bridging year for students whose matric marks for Maths and Science were too low to gain entry into science, technology, engineering, or maths related courses. Some also offer extended degree programmes that lighten the academic load by spreading the course subjects over an additional year.
“In addition to the academic bridging years and extended degree programmes offered at public universities, there is also a vast academic offering at many private institutions of higher learning, ranging from higher certificates to diploma and degree courses.
“For those matrics who are uncertain about their study choices or perhaps did not fare as well as they hoped to in matric, enrolling in an accredited, industry-specific higher certificate or diploma course could serve as a valuable first step towards higher education,” Nel said.
The bridging year programmes available at private higher education institutions often include a focus on, for example, life skills, personal development, and adventure and outdoor activities. These programmes differ in academic content and weight, and offer alternative routes to further studies.
“The most valuable academic bridging year options are those crafted with purpose and intent,” Nel said.
“Such courses afford students a better idea of where their interests and talents lie, all while earning them a form of certification. Students may choose, for example, to spend a year doing various short courses in a certain field, or enrol in a structured academic bridging year programme,” he said.
“There are now excellent online courses to choose from too.”
According to Nel, private higher education institutions often boast a higher pass rate than public universities due to their smaller class setups and individual-focused approaches. In private higher education, there are also industry-related, bespoke courses on offer, such as those in the creative and computer-related fields, that help improve students’ employability.
Take into account your field of interest
“Consider your general field of interest and the admission requirements for particular courses carefully,” advised Shirley Brooks, a subject choice and career guidance counsellor based at Annerie Joubert Career Counselling Services in Cape Town.
Brooks said that many matriculants leave school without clear direction regarding their future studies or employment opportunities.
“I have seen students become disheartened when they find themselves failing their courses because they bit off more than they can chew, or because the chosen course does not interest them at all. This often leads to students discontinuing their tertiary education and harbouring feelings of inadequacy or failure,” she said.
In many cases, matrics who have the ability to pursue a higher education qualification, for instance at a university, have their course options limited by their initial uninformed subject choices.
“Perhaps your first choice of study ends up being unattainable, but that doesn’t have to be the end of your career development story,” Nel added.
“There are, for instance, many options in business studies beyond your original dream of, for example, of becoming a chartered accountant.”
“Some learners are geared to succeed at a long academic marathon while others thrive doing shorter sprints,” Brooks said. “Different people are simply suited to doing different things. The key is to establish your unique tertiary study path.”
Both experts stressed that students should remember that their first year of study after matric is just the beginning of their career and study journey.
Recalibrate your options
Enrolling in a higher certificate course is often a good starting point for learners who need more time to consider their options before committing to a university course, or who want to improve their matric results in certain subjects in order to reapply for a given course at a particular university, Nel said.
With a higher certificate under their belts, students can either undertake further studies or enter the job market to start building a career in their specific field.
Nel said the Academy for Environmental Leadership (AEL), for instance, offers students much more than the traditional gap year as it affords them an accredited higher certificate in conservation ecology that has many possible post-study applications.
Some of the AEL’s former students have, based on their academic performance at the institution, gained access to a university degree course of their choice, for example veterinary science and a BSc degree in agriculture and conservation ecology.
“Remember, there is seldom only one path towards your future career,” Brooks said.
“Consider your school marks, academic potential, interest profile and personality preferences realistically. If you are still unsure, get professional advice,” she said.
Nel advised that, if needed, students must recalibrate their options and approach to gaining access to higher education and the world of work.”