Not getting into university is not a wasted year: what to do when you don’t know what to study

On January 2, the results of the Higher Education Admission Test (PAES) will be announced, a process during which more than 287,000 people have registered to apply in 2024 for a university degree that will make them “the professionals of tomorrow “.

The prospect of the future grows in the minds of girls and boys as they reach adolescence, approach adulthood, and as the end of the school year approaches. Obtaining higher education has become a social imperative, and what to study after finishing high school is one of the common questions that arise on all fronts: it is asked by parents, uncles, cousins, teachers, friends, the media and also everyone. in themselves. Some people have a clear answer, but this is far from being the case for everyone.

There are an unknown number of young people, although we could think of thousands, who face the process of admission to higher education without knowing which career to follow, or without even being sure whether or not they want to study something. A vocations crisis of which we only have a glimpse, due to a lack of concrete studies on the subject.

In Chile, the number of students enrolled in higher education institutions quintupled between 1990 and 2021, according to the study “Chile in 30 years” —developed by Unholster in alliance with LA TERCERA—, while at the same time the country has the highest school dropout rate in the OECD: not less than 30% . The fact that around 40% of them subsequently re-enter the system only highlights the level of confusion that exists among young people about their educational future.

The main reasons for dropping out of university studies, according to various surveys, are economic, health-related (physical and mental) and professional problems. How many cases in which mental health reasons are mentioned could be going through a professional crisis? This is a question that remains unanswered.

According to Genevy Moreno, psychologist and director of the Department of Initial and Fundamental Pedagogy at the Alberto Hurtado University, many young people face the prospect of the future without being ready to make decisions for themselves. A problem which, he says, has nothing to do with the maturity of each individual, but with the system itself.

“School education does not really prepare you for life. This places the cognitive paradigm, skills and objectives at the center,” explains the academic. “But it is now clear that this is not the case and we are looking to return to more comprehensive training, which puts the subject back at the center.”

The consequence is that at 18, many people are not ready to make such relevant decisions.

The transition to higher education has the weight of a definition of identity: the personal construction that each person seeks from himself combines with what others, particularly those closest to him, expect of him. It is for this reason that Joan Black, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst in training at the ICHPA, affirms that “when young people wonder about the future, a moment of crisis sets in”.

The specialist explains that the process of choosing a career to follow represents the corollary of 14 years of integration into an educational system which, in its “linear path”, offered certainties. Then there is a moment of inflection: “Often it is the first time that they are not only faced with the possibility of choosing, but that they have to decide which is the first step to take and in which direction. »

However, Black continues, this is not really “the first step” in identity construction. “Each subject chooses, constructs a story and creates their own identity since childhood. » This individual story can help resolve the crisis that arises at the end of the school year, even if this return on oneself is not always clearly visible. “The crisis is a significant change, which involves the use of new resources, and there the fear of this future and its uncertainties can appear and manifest itself as anxiety,” explains the psychologist.

Added to this is another problem: “At seventeen and eighteen years old, vocation is presented almost like a sentence,” explains Genevy Moreno. “There is a representation which does not help, which says that they cannot be wrong, that the decision is for life; It’s very powerful. If young people do not have a robust psychological structure, they will become insecure, they will become anxious and they will doubt a lot. “They won’t be able to objectify what could help them.”

“How can young people choose their careers when uncertainty about the future is such a large part of our society today?” asks Joan Black. “How can you set up your own project in a context where everything seems both possible and impossible?

The psychologist states that “the logic of consumption, excess and fluidity” in which we currently live “leaves little to bear”. These typical circumstances of the time, she asserts, also affect the conditions in which young people must choose their careers. “They add to the anxieties that characterize the adolescent stage. »

In many cases, the pressure that the immediate environment places on young people, whether to define their future or simply to enter the higher education system, offers no respite. “Usually the family demands that they go to study because time passes quickly. And finally, we realize that young people go through difficult times and probably end up becoming very frustrated professionals, which is what we would least like,” explains Genevy Moreno.

“University continues to be very important to our society, as a form of social mobility or identity building,” explains the psychologist. This is also how poor admission test scores, poor performance associated with poor career choice, and dropping out of college are interpreted as failures and are rejected by society.

“This will have an impact on the educational path but also on the ideals, expectations, aspirations that each person brings and the construction of identity,” explains Moreno. This is why he warns of the risks to the mental health of young people in this whole process. “Anxiety and depression are two of the most common problems among young Chileans, and making decisions about the future and their career can really help.”

“They are not risking their lives in this capitulation,” Education Undersecretary Víctor Orellana said on November 27. The message was addressed to the 287,000 registered participants who were minutes away from the first PAES exam. This is the same message that Genevy Moreno seeks to convey to fathers, mothers and caregivers, for whom the idea of ​​their son or daughter postponing their higher education is tantamount to “wasting the year.” “This should not lead to questioning the value of each child. And the environment must also understand this, because otherwise it is of no use,” warns Moreno.

Vocation, he says, is a “dynamic path”, in which “doors open” and in which, very often, “it leads to different things”, even unexpected ones. It’s all part of “the same vocation.” Thus, Joan Black argues that “those who have decided to take some time and not immediately enter university to consider their career choice” may have the opportunity to “look at themselves and consciously take a decision that concerns them and not their own interests. others.”

In this context, the work of self-knowledge is one of the keys: “Choosing involves a process that takes place at a conscious and unconscious level. From a conscious point of view, it is about recognizing one’s own motivations, desires and abilities, taking an active interest in oneself, researching the academic and professional world, asking questions about who one is , what interests him, what are his interests. to do with, etc.”, he explains. Black.

But be careful: from the unconscious, “the young person will develop adolescent problems which can be very difficult to treat and which do not stop before the decision-making effort”, adds the psychologist. This is why the support provided by the adults around them is so relevant.

“Mothers, fathers and caregivers must above all welcome, offer the adolescent a place to leave his worries, where he can talk about his fantasies without being censored or criticized,” advises Black.

“The important thing is to encourage an empathetic dialogue, very patient and loving, but also very firm so that no one puts their value at risk in this case. Life goes on and there will be new opportunities, you have to look for them and, when they present themselves, you have to seize them,” adds Moreno.

The family, the most intimate environment, can help young people to review the decisions they made throughout their childhood, to identify the skills and abilities that stood out in their actions. Do you show interest in science? Are you good with numbers? Is it creative? Observer? Do you have the gift of writing? These are questions that can guide you on this point.

Exploring, say specialists, is one of the pillars of the work of self-knowledge: “Observe, know, read, do, identify where we feel pleasure and happiness, what I feel capable of, what I can bring,” says Black.

Moreno talks about identifying the careers that interest you the most, knowing them and evaluating the pros and cons: “Today, universities are open all the time, not like before, when there was only the possibility of visiting them during application week,” he explains. . It is advisable to discuss with professionals and students so that young people can learn about their experiences and resolve their concerns.

“The invitation is to remember the questions that arise without moving too quickly, to delve into this lack of answers and to allow yourself to explore what you don’t know,” adds Black. “Very often, we renounce in advance the spaces of desire, in search of guarantees when in reality there are none; It’s always a gamble and you have to accept the risk you take.

One of the advantages of the new higher education admissions process is the possibility of taking the PAES mid-year, which offers greater alternatives to young people who delay their entry into higher education. However, the fear of “losing the year” can persist in the community.

Beyond the fact that the work of self-awareness and the search for a vocation is pure gain – and not wasted time, as is often thought – specialists maintain that it is important to use your time well. free time “.

“We must look for activities that allow us to maintain a routine, because otherwise we run the risk of depression entering with all its force into this void,” explains Moreno. Learning languages ​​or playing an instrument are some recommended activities, as is doing odd jobs. “Set achievable goals for yourself and let yourself be advised along the way,” are other tips from the academic.

“Individual freedoms help build a better future for oneself and for everyone. A happy professional will do his job well and it’s a virtuous circle,” he concludes.