Transitioning after secondary school

The end of secondary school marks the beginning of the transition into adulthood. The first decision your teen will have to make is what direction their life will take after secondary school. Will they go the CEGEP? Enrol in a DEP (diploma of vocational studies) program? Start working right away? Choose a different path? What will that path be? Who in their social network will follow them and who will go in a different direction? What does the future hold for them?

This is a pivotal time for your teen, as it involves several transitions, greater autonomy and new roles: post-secondary studies (new academic setting) or entering the workforce, changes in their social network (more stability in intimate relationships and relationships with friends), managing their finances and, eventually, leaving the family home. Adulthood also comes with the responsibility of having to assume the consequences of their actions based on society’s rules of conduct (the law). In short, major changes are coming and this can be mind boggling! Also, a proportionately higher number of youth transitioning into adulthood show signs of distress than in other age groups.

In Québec, as in the rest of Canada, it has been observed that youth experience events associated with entering into adulthood later in life than did previous generations. Now, youth often experiment with the various options available to them in their twenties. The personal skills your teen has developed and their level of support will be instrumental in their ability to face these life transitions and will influence their life course, their health and their well-being.