Students today are growing up in a world of opportunity. Traditional jobs are changing; and new career options are breaking through across most industries. However, these changes bring with them a new pressure on senior high school students: the pressure to decide. A 16-year-old may feel the weight of decisions about their entire future on their shoulders, and all while they're trying to get the marks they need to keep opportunities open. If that's you, maybe this will help!

The Japanese concept of 'Ikigai' (meaning 'a reason for being') is of a search for meaning and purpose in life; and is a helpful lens for viewing future career decisions. It looks at the balance between four questions:

What do I love?
What am I good at?
What does the world need?
What can I get paid for?

Ikigai proposes that the intersection of these 4 questions is a place of balance, where a purposeful and fulfilling work life can be found. Students, or those who are close to them, tend to prioritise some questions over others. A person with aspirations for wealth may tend to neglect one area for the sake of that, and end up feeling unfulfilled. Someone with a strong sense of social justice may neglect what they really enjoy doing and end up in a career out of obligation. Ideally, senior students will be able to find something that they love, are good at, the world needs, and can be financially viable.

Part of our goal here at Ascension Education is to help students to answer some of these questions through our Pathways Programs. Whether a student finds out that they really love an area of study, or that they really dislike it, that's a win! We want to help senior students to make informed decisions about university study, and to help them on their way to discovering ikigai in their life!