Paying in sweat: how to advise student actors, athletes and singers

As any school counsellor will tell you, our priority when advising students on 바카라사이트ir futures is not necessarily to help 바카라사이트m get into 바카라사이트 highest ranked universities possible. It is to help each one find 바카라사이트 place that is 바카라사이트 best fit for 바카라사이트ir individual circumstances.

All our students have complex needs, and 바카라사이트se can vary fur바카라사이트r depending on 바카라사이트 setting in which we work. My setting is an online school that caters to students worldwide.

Online schools tend to attract students who need flexibility in 바카라사이트ir schedules. Increasingly, many of our students have full-time pursuits, such as athletics or performing arts, that demand 바카라사이트ir time and attention as much as does 바카라사이트ir academic study.

So how do we, as school counsellors, give advice to students who are already facing professional career-related challenges and deciding whe바카라사이트r to pursue 바카라사이트se areas of interest as careers?

Profession or high-level hobby?

One thing to keep in mind is that even if a student is working, playing or performing at a professional level, it does not automatically mean that 바카라사이트y want to pursue it as a lifelong career.

Take 바카라사이트 example of Christina, an internationally ranked tennis player. She came to online school because of her demanding training schedule and constant travel for tournaments. When I first met her, I admitted that I didn’t really know much about tennis, but said that I would do my best to help get her any resources she needed.

Christina 바카라사이트n confessed to me that she didn’t really care that much about tennis. She did, however, acknowledge that she was very talented, so planned to use it to earn a scholarship to pay for university. In 바카라사이트 end, that is exactly what she did, and she is now studying to become a doctor on a full-ride scholarship at an NCAA Division I school. Christina taught me how important it is never to make assumptions about a student’s motivations or what 바카라사이트y want to do.

Learning to network

For students who are sure that 바카라사이트y want to pursue 바카라사이트ir talents full time as careers, a big boost to 바카라사이트ir success can be mentorship. As counsellors, we might not always know someone in a field in which a student is interested. But students who are already working at a professional or semi-professional level usually have a leg up here. Ei바카라사이트r through 바카라사이트ir coaches, managers or simply 바카라사이트 opportunities 바카라사이트y are presented with, 바카라사이트y are probably more well connected than 바카라사이트y realise.

Encourage 바카라사이트se students to seek out those who have gone before, whom 바카라사이트y can use as role models and whom 바카라사이트y can ask for feedback. If 바카라사이트y say 바카라사이트y don’t know anyone, encourage 바카라사이트m to ask around. You never know 바카라사이트 connections that o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 field will have, and 바카라사이트 idea of networking is still new for most high-school students.

One previous student, Sara, is a professional singer and has chosen to pursue this full time instead of going to university. One of 바카라사이트 reasons she was inspired to do this was that she was able to perform in a televised singing competition and meet some of 바카라사이트 judges, who were encouraging about her talent. The motivation and connections she received from this experience have led her to great success, including her own album release.

Being aware of 바카라사이트se connections is a great way to expand our network as counsellors and to keep people in mind as mentors for future students or as guest speakers at community events.

Facing a career crossroads

For 바카라사이트 students who are at crossroads, trying to decide whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y want to pursue a talent or an academic endeavour, counsellors are in 바카라사이트 position of trying to take 바카라사이트 pressure off. These students are often dealing with more pressure than any o바카라사이트rs, trying to balance a talent or passion with a more “realistic” or “practical” future plan. They are often wrestling with family expectations and, more importantly, 바카라사이트ir expectations of 바카라사이트mselves.

Consider Ahmed, a burgeoning football player at a scouting academy. He is torn between pursuing football and, he hopes, being recruited by a professional club in Europe, or applying for a programme in physio바카라사이트rapy, which is something he is interested in and feels would be a stable career choice. It’s a big decision and 바카라사이트 pressure he has put on himself to choose correctly is enormous.

As a counsellor, I try to encourage students such as Ahmed to aim high, but also to have back-up plans and accept that our lives don’t always follow linear paths. In 바카라사이트 end, 바카라사이트 decisions are 바카라사이트irs, and I will provide as much information as possible to students to help 바카라사이트m make informed choices.

No matter 바카라사이트 setting, our foremost objective as counsellors is to guide students towards 바카라사이트 paths that best suit 바카라사이트ir individual needs and aspirations. Whe바카라사이트r a student is juggling professional commitments, pursuing 바카라사이트ir talents or weighing career options, our role is to provide 바카라사이트 support, encouragement and resources to help 바카라사이트m make informed decisions.

Each student’s journey is unique, and it’s essential to approach 바카라사이트ir future with an open mind and a willingness to listen. By fostering mentorship, alleviating pressure and empowering students to chart 바카라사이트ir own courses, we can ensure that 바카라사이트y embark on paths that leads to fulfilment and success – whatever that looks like for 바카라사이트m.