Not Going To Uni? - Find Your Next Steps

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Quiz Questions

1.
which of these sounds most like you right now?
- A.
  i'm still deciding whether uni's for me or not
- B.
  i've decided uni's not for me — but i have no idea what's next
- C.
  i've decided uni's not for me, and i know what i want to do — i just don't know how
- D.
  i started uni (or something else) and it wasn't for me, so now i'm working out what actually fits
2.
when you picture what you want your life to look like, how clear is it?
- A.
  honestly? total blank
- B.
  a vague sense, but nothing solid
- C.
  i know roughly the direction, just not the details
- D.
  i know exactly what i want — just not how to get there
3.
when you think about your next steps, what feels like the biggest thing getting in the way?
- A.
  i don't actually know what i want
- B.
  i know what i want but i've no idea how to start
- C.
  i start things and then lose steam
- D.
  i feel like i'm doing this on my own
- E.
  i keep second-guessing every decision
4.
be honest — do any of these thoughts show up for you? (tick any that land, or none)
- A.
  i'm not academic or clever enough
- B.
  i haven't got a passion, or anything i'm really good at
- C.
  i'm just being lazy
- D.
  i'm falling behind everyone else
- E.
  none of these really
5.
what usually happens when you decide to start something?
- A.
  i don't really get going
- B.
  i start strong then fizzle out after a week or two
- C.
  i keep going if someone's checking in on me
- D.
  i follow through fine on my own
6.
what do you think would actually help you most right now?
- A.
  figuring out what i even want
- B.
  knowing how to actually start
- C.
  having someone keep me on track
- D.
  feeling less alone in my decision
7.
how supported do you feel by the people around you?
- A.
  really supported — they get it
- B.
  they want to help but don't know how
- C.
  a bit mixed
- D.
  not very supported — they think i should just go to uni
8.
do you know anyone else who's chosen not to go to uni and is figuring out their own path?
- A.
  yeah, a few
- B.
  one or two, but they're doing something pretty set (job, apprenticeship)
- C.
  no — it kind of feels like just me
9.
since deciding uni's not for you, have you explored or tried anything?
- A.
  loads — i've been throwing myself at things
- B.
  a bit, here and there
- C.
  not really yet — that's kind of the problem
10.
is there anything - even something small or random - you've always been drawn to or curious about?
- A.
  yeah, a few things come to mind
- B.
  kind of, but i've never taken it seriously
- C.
  honestly no, and that's what worries me
11.
which of these is closest to how it all feels most days?
- A.
  excited — there's stuff i want to build
- B.
  nervous i'll get it wrong
- C.
  frustrated i haven't figured it out yet
- D.
  left behind while everyone moves on
- E.
  actually kind of free, and i like it
- F.
  overwhelmed by how many options there are
12.
where are you right now, roughly?
- A.
  still in sixth form / college
- B.
  just finished, or just left
- C.
  a year or so out
- D.
  a few years out, but still figuring it out
13.
which would you find helpful for your next steps, ones you actually want? (pick any, or none — no pressure)
- A.
  a self-paced course to help you find your next steps, that you work through in your own time
- B.
  a community of others not going to uni, support, inspiration and connection from peers
- C.
  a live course over 5 weeks - to find your next steps
- D.
  1:1 coaching to get clear with support and accountability to find and take your next steps
- E.
  Online group mentoring to get clear with support and accountability to find and take your next steps alongside peers
- F.
  not sure yet — just here to figure things out

Quiz Outcomes

1.
at the crossroads
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you're not behind. you're deciding.you're still weighing up whether uni is actually right for you.and that matters, because there's a big difference between not knowing what you want and simply refusing to step onto the conveyor belt because everyone else is.the pressure right now can make it feel like you just need to choose something. pick a course. make a decision. stop being the person who doesn't know.but somebody else's deadline isn't the same thing as your answer.and if part of this is tied up with thinking you're “not academic enough” or that not knowing means you're somehow failing, separate those things out. whether uni suits you and how clever or capable you are are completely different questions.one thing to do nexttake uni off the table for ten minutes.ask yourself:if uni didn't exist as an option, what would i genuinely want to do with the next year?don't try to make it sensible yet.write down three possibilities, however random they seem.then pick one and find out one thing about it this week.you don't need to decide your life. you need something real to react to.
2.
the open road
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you've made the decision. now you need something to move towards.you know uni isn't for you.the problem is, once you take away the route everyone showed you, there's suddenly a lot of blank space where the map was supposed to be.that can feel terrifying.but a blank isn't a dead end. it's space.school has filled in the next step for you for years. lesson, term, exam, sixth form, university. nobody really teaches you what to do when the next box isn't already there.so if you've been interpreting “i don't know yet” as “there's nothing for me”, don't.you don't need to discover your one great passion before you start.one thing to do nextchoose one curiosity.not a career.not your purpose.just something you'd genuinely like to know, try, make, visit, learn or experience.then find the smallest real-world way of exploring it in the next seven days.message someone. try a class. make something. spend a day somewhere. volunteer. research a trip. shadow somebody.momentum comes from moving, not from waiting to feel certain first.
3.
you know what you want - now for the how
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you've got more clarity than you think. you need a starting line.you know uni isn't for you and you've already got a sense of what you'd rather be doing.that's significant.what's missing isn't necessarily motivation or ambition. it's turning the big thing in your head into something small enough to actually begin.when a goal still looks like one enormous lump, it's very easy to keep thinking about it without moving.one thing to do nexttake what you want and work backwards.what would need to happen immediately before it became real?and what would need to happen before that?keep going until you reach something small enough that you could genuinely do it this week.send one message.research one course.make one thing.ask one person.earn the first £10.whatever it is, make it almost ridiculously doable.that's your starting line.
4.
the reset
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what didn't work has already taught you something.you tried something — uni, a course, a job, a foundation or another route — and something in you went: nope. this isn't it.it's very easy to turn that into a story about being behind or having failed.but you've got something somebody who's never tried anything doesn't have yet:evidence.you know more about what doesn't fit.i did this exact thing. i started an art foundation, lasted three weeks, quit and immediately felt lost and a bit stupid, like i'd wasted everyone's time.i hadn't.that wrong turn told me something real about how i wanted to learn and live.one thing to do nextbefore rushing into the next thing, work out what the last experience taught you.ask:what exactly didn't fit?the environment?the way you were learning?sitting still?the subject?the people?the lack of freedom?the pressure?then flip it:what does that tell me the next thing needs more of?a wrong turn is how you learn the map.