The end of high school is the beginning of a new chapter in life. And with a new start, comes new opportunities. In a kinder world, the big choices we have to make would be spread out so that we may best meditate on them and decide rationally. Unfortunately, in the case of work opportunities we are confronted with an avalanche in the first few months of this new chapter. For many students, the prior experience of high school provides little training for them to know how to choose what work to pursue. Though only intended as general advice, we will discuss three traps that inexperienced school leavers tend to fall for. While inexperience is the major risk factor for these traps, it is also worth acknowledging that students spend the first few months after high in relative leisure and are free from obligations which further allows them to inaccurately gauge their time. Some people do not value their time enough. Some overestimate what they can accomplish with their time. And finally, some incorrectly forecast their future opportunities and make decisions that are short-term focused.
People who do nothing
The Ancient Roman philosopher Seneca wrote letters to his friend in which he imparted lessons in virtue, discipline and happiness. In many of these letters, he reflects on how obsessed people are with material possessions but pay little attention to the time that they are constantly losing. It brings him great pain, as Seneca believes that every human has the potential to accomplish a great many things, and that a life well-lived is how one attains happiness.
Many people think that their time is limitless and are happy to let the time pass by. That it is okay to lose a few days or weeks because there is still the rest of the year. Humans can be very bad at using past experiences to forecast for future endeavours. Throughout high school, we have all experienced assessments and other important events being announced well in advance. We have all made lazy plans, and felt that any reckoning was too far in the future to think about, for all that time to suddenly vanish. Leave behind the foolish complacency. Your next mistake will not result in an all-nighter or late mark penalty, it be the loss of an entire chapter of life, and many doors leading to countless futures closing.
People who do too much
People who do things that are hard to reverse
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