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Planning for Post-Secondary: Grades 7, 8, 9 Checklist

Your time in junior high and high school will go by quicker than you can imagine. Before you know it, you will have to make decisions about work or school. Now is a great time to start thinking about your future

Discover your strengths, aspirations and future options.

  • Explore who you are... think about things you like to do and are good at.

    TIP: Talking to your friends, parents, teachers or a counsellor is a great way to help you explore paths that match your interests and strengths.

  • Find out what jobs are out there for you. Talk to people about their job and why they like it... you might find it’s something you like doing too.

  • Have you wondered what’s it like to work in a certain job? Why not job shadow someone who works in an area you’re interested in, or ask a parent or an older family member to bring you to their workplace?

  • Consider choosing challenging high school courses that relate to your interests and strengths.

    TIP: Taking some high school courses which can apply to a wide range of jobs is also a good idea.

  • Try something new like joining extracurricular or volunteer activities to develop responsibility, teamwork and leadership skills.

    TIP: Some of the work you do in these activities can be added to your portfolio

  • Check out different ways to pay for your education after high school such as scholarships & bursaries.

    TIP: You can start applying for scholarships as soon as you’re in high school!

Start thinking about where you want to go to get education after high school. Depending on what you want to do, you have a number of options including university, college, technical institutes, or an apprenticeship program.

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