I am a senior and still do not know my career path. I have long thought of becoming a counselor or a nurse but I am bad at talking sometimes (I have anxiety) and don't know if I am doing well enough in school to do either of those. I have a 3.2 GPA but I am going to get at least 2 f's this year because I have to take an AP class in half as much time. Do I need to have great grades to pursue this kind of job?
If you want to go into nursing or counseling, find which colleges or universities offer those programs and see what you need to get in. You may also be able to find smaller colleges that aren't as competitive or don't need as many prerequisites for applying. Another thing you can look into, if you need a slightly better grade, is academic upgrading. If you think you may fail two classes, study extra hard for those two and make them the priority. You haven't received your final mark yet, and there's a chance you won't fail. By telling yourself you're going to fail, you most likely will. Study extra hard and review the material for those courses.
You don’t need to know your career path as a senior in high school. I know there’s a heavy emphasis on knowing what you want to do in college and beyond, but that expectation is unfair to you. It’s good to think about it and some people really do know what they want to do in high school but far more people have no idea, or have an idea but it isn’t where they end up. I love the field I’m in now but it barely existed when I was in high school. I definitely didn’t know that it was an option. My bachelors degree in Psychology is essentially useless in terms of my actual work, other than to check the “Must have bachelors degree” requirement on job postings, although I've never regretted getting it. As for your actual question, Hawk has good advice to look up programs in those areas and see what their thresholds are. If you find that you can’t get into the programs you want, there’s always the option to attend a community college for a year or two. It’s a cheaper way to get prerequisites completed (make sure the credits will be transferrable) and establish a good GPA. It’s my understanding that nursing is a growing field and nursing programs are seeking applicants. Counseling is a tight field, especially depending on what you’re looking to do and the level of schooling it requires.
To be a counselor you need more life experience. I would start off in the nursing sector. There are many entry level positions. It is a very demanding job, but it has its rewards. I work at a hospital and I think the medical profession is kind to those who have a nervous disposition. So yeah if you don't mind huge amount of pressure and dealing with blood then go for it. After qualifying as a nurse, you may specialize in mental health and then consider counseling. I wanted to be a nurse but decided I rather not spend the next 50 years of my life running around for people that I don't really care about.
Hi there! It sounds like you have a couple of possibilities to which you have given some thought to. As you are still not sure and trying to figure out a path that could be one that you like, it might be worthwhile to take an aptitude test which will provide you with some insights on possible paths or options. It might provide you with results, options that you haven't considered yet.
