Failed my exam, what to do next?

[sda]

Hi,

 

Currently, I am 18. I failed my entrance exam for my university. I don't know how to tell this to my parents as they will put me in deep trouble if they find out that I failed the exam. I am suppose to graduate at age of 22 but since I failed the entrance exam, I will have to take a gap year thus wasting a year in my life which means I will graduate later than 22. 
 

I don't know what to do in my life or what  my next steps should be in my life. I am so sick from living in my mom's basement. I feel so lost in life. If anyone can give me suggestion, for what to do in my situation, I will really appreciate it.

 

Thank you

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by sda

[Realms of Wonder]

Big picture, taking a gap year may be a huge positive, if you work towards moving out, you will learn so much about yourself, you will become more independent and start to experience more of life.

 

Graduating at 23 is still very young.

 

It sounds like there is a lot more going on then just failing the exam, I would say, at 18, start building a clear vision of what you want in life.

 

First practical step? make the decision to move out, then work towards it, if that means getting a job, saving money, etc.. do that.

 

You have no idea how big the world is when you live with your parents. I moved out at 18, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

[King Merk]

Yea as mentioned above a gap year can be a great thing. I definitely wish I would’ve taken a gap year before starting college.

Use this time to explore who it is that you are. Try new and different things out. Explore. Get a girlfriend. Get a job. Go on adventures. Etc.

Go out and live life. There’s so much more out there than school. (But hey, you apparently need more studying so use this year to do so and help ensure you pass your exam for next year) 

[Yarco]

Do you not have a backup school? When I applied to uni, we applied to 3 - 5 schools at once and indicated our order of preference. So if you weren't accepted because your grades were too low, or you failed your entrance exam, you can fall back on your 2nd choice.

If that's not an option -- then depending on your field of study -- I'd try to either get an entry-level job related to your desired career in some way to start gaining experience and something to list on your resume/CV after you graduate. Or look into self-study, for example with computer programming, you can learn everything yourself online. 

Obviously if you want to become an engineer, then you can't just be an engineer with 0 experience. But you could be a receptionist or some other unskilled position at an engineering office. If you tell them your plan is to go to school to become an engineer and you're passionate about engineering, they're much more likely to hire you than a random person without any interest. You'll probably pick up a good amount of knowledge about the job just by being around people in the workplace.

[BuddhistLover]

@sda Just go work a job, and save some money. 

[something_else]

23 hours ago, sda said:

I will have to take a gap year thus wasting a year in my life

This might be a good thing for you. Get some experience working in various places, earn some money, build up some independence. I regret not taking a gap year. Don't try to rush your life too much, you have plenty of time.

[r0ckyreed]

Do this:

 

[Roy]

I'm sorry to hear that, try to stoke some optimism in having a gap year though! This is a great opportunity to work to save resources for the future, travel, and enjoy yourself! During this time you can discover different things you might want to do or NOT want to do. Who knows you may even find out you don't want to go to school again, or find another course you're more interested in.

Living at home isn't all that bad, assuming she doesn't make you pay for a bunch of stuff. Getting a fulltime job would be amazing. You could save thousands a month and bank that money for your own car and other stuff to move you ahead in life.

I remember at the time I felt like taking a gap year would make me a "loser", but in hindsight I'm kicking myself for not doing it.

Edited November 14, 2022 by Roy