Publish at June 30 2021 Updated December 12 2024
In the course of our lives, sometimes what we're passionate about ends up boring us or no longer suits us. Personally, I remember dreaming of being a veterinarian. My fascination with animals of all kinds led me to believe that everyday life would be full of exciting challenges and rescues. Then, one day, a TV report showed me a close-up of an operation performed on an animal. I quickly realized that I'd have to deal with the blood, the lesions and the pressure of surgery. I realized then that the medical field, both for wildlife and humans, was not for me.
Sometimes this realization comes much later. Young adults enroll in a faculty that seemed to match their passions, then the semester begins and it doesn't go at all as they had envisaged. Some realize that they're no longer passionate about the subject, that there's too much pressure in the course, and so on. Many wonder what to do next. Is it better to change right away, to avoid wasting time? Or is this a sign of weak decision-making on the part of potential employers?
One thing is certain: France is well aware that more and more students are requesting a reorientation in their first year. A report by the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research (IGÉSR) in June 2020 already realized that the number of requests between 2008 and 2014 had risen from 18% to 21%. Today, the figures vary between 25% and 30%. No wonder, then, that the French government has set up a page expressly designed to offer resources and training on the subject. It must also be said that covid-19 has accentuated these reorientations, given the blow to certain fields of study.
Even before the health crisis, at least 2% of students were thinking of changing direction before the All Saints' vacation. Which is an excellent time, because students haven't wasted too much time, and can easily take classes in a new program. Of course, you need to have already decided on your new orientation. If you haven't, it's best to find out all you can about it, even if it means reorienting yourself in January of the same school year. Expressing your doubts as soon as possible to the school staff can help you avoid regrets and the risk of embarking on a course of study that doesn't appeal to you.
But what message does this send to future employers? Well, it's important not to overdramatize a reorientation. Times have changed, and recruiters are no longer necessarily looking for people who have completed a career path from A to Z. Atypical career paths can bring even more than those who have followed a straight line. This stage is so normal that the Parcoursup platform offers students reorientation services. As for worried parents, let them know that a change of path is a good thing to avoid failure, discouragement and dropping out of higher education. If their child has done his or her homework, it can go very well.
Because a change of direction requires real introspection. In fact, successful reorientations are based on in-depth reflection on what was wrong with the course of study. Was it disillusionment? A choice made by default to please the family? The discovery of another passion? The reasons can then guide the student in the next step. Of course, some career changes are more difficult than others. Switching from a literary to a medical faculty, for example, will require more effort. Changing schools is a little more complex than choosing a different major at the same university.
Nevertheless, programs are springing up all over the place for this type of learner. The ESDES business school in Lyon, for example , has set up the "Fast Track", enabling students wishing to reorient themselves in business to acquire the fundamentals. More and more bridges are being set up so that young adults don't have to repeat a year, obtaining university equivalence for courses completed. There are even websites, such as Teleskop, literally designed to guide students through their studies.
Among the most interesting initiatives is the "Parcours Tremplin " created by the private school IFF Europe. Young people with a baccalaureate who have "dropped out" of their university choice, or who are simply looking for meaning, can sign up. For six months, they will attend workshops, meet people from different backgrounds, draw up a professional project and test it. In this way, young adults aged 18 to 25 will have to get to know themselves and understand what they are looking for in a potential career.
It's a human approach that shows that many leave secondary school still lost. Offering them a chance to experiment before enrolling at university would ease the pressure of choosing a course of study. It is to be hoped that other "Parcours Tremplin" will be set up in France and elsewhere.
Illustration : Reimund Bertrams from Pixabay
References
Bancaud, Delphine. "La Crise Sanitaire a Boulevé Le Choix Des études D'un étudiant Sur Deux." 20 Minutes. Last updated: March 17, 2021. https://www.20minutes.fr/societe/2997255-20210316-coronavirus-crise-sanitaire-bouleverse-choix-etudes-etudiant-deux-selon-barometre-opinionway
Bluteau, Pauline. "Réorientation : Nos conseils Pour Changer de voie Sans perdre Votre année." L'Etudant. Last updated: October 19, 2018. https://www.letudiant.fr/etudes/fac/reorientation-conseils-pour-changer-de-voie-sans-perdre-votre-annee.html
Chaignon, Juliette. "Réorientation En L1 : Une Fois Décidé, J'ai été Soulagé." L'Etudant. Last updated: November 12, 2020. https://www.letudiant.fr/etudes/fac/reorientation-en-l1-une-fois-decide-j-ai-ete-soulage.html
Cojean, Thibaut. "Réorientation Et Parcoursup : L'Etudiant Répond à Vos Questions." L'Etudant. Last updated: February 25, 2021. https://www.letudiant.fr/etudes/parcoursup/reorientation-et-parcoursup-l-etudiant-repond-a-vos-questions.html
"Comment Faire Pour Se Réorienter En Première Année?" Diplomeo. Last updated: December 15, 2020. https://diplomeo.com/actualite-se_reorienter_en_1ere_annee
"Comment Se Réorienter En Cours D'année ?" (In French only). The ESDES Blog For Responsible Natives. Last update: November 19, 2020. https://blog.esdes.fr/reorientation-decouvrez-la-rentree-decalee-de-lesdes
"Etudiants En Réorientation : Ils Ont Trouved Leur Voie Grâce Au Parcours Tremplin." Réussir Sa Vie. Last update: November 18, 2020. https://www.reussirmavie.net/Etudiants-en-reorientation-ils-ont-trouve-leur-voie-grace-au-Parcours-Tremplin_a3048.html
"La Réorientation Des étudiants Dans L'enseignement Supérieur." IH2EF. Accessed June 26, 2021. https://www.ih2ef.gouv.fr/la-reorientation-des-etudiants-dans-lenseignement-superieur
Minault, Bertrand, Sophie Bergerat, Maryelle Girardey-Maillard, Bruno Jeauffroy, and Aziz Jellab. "La Réorientation Dans L'Enseignement Supérieur." Ministère De L'Enseignement Supérieur, De La Recherche Et De L'Innovation. Last updated: October 14, 2020. https://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/cid154684/www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/cid154684/la-reorientation-dans-l-enseignement-superieur.html
"Réorientation Post Bac : Quelles écoles ? Quelles Solutions?" TELESKOP. Accessed June 26, 2021. https://www.teleskop.fr/reorientation-post-bac
Shehadeh, Marianne. "Changer De Voie Pendant Ses études: Comment Le Gérer?" Welcome to the Jungle. Last updated: February 13, 2019. https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/articles/comment-changer-voie-etudes
"Vis Ma Vie... D'étudiante Après Une Réorientation." Vis ma Vie - A podcast from l'Etudiant. Last updated: April 14, 2021. https://podcast.ausha.co/vis-ma-vie/vis-ma-vie-d-etudiante-apres-une-reorientation
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