You finally got your matric results, What now?

So you finally got your matric results and are sighing with relief that your high school days are now a thing of the past?

Well, gone too are the days that university admission was the only route to follow after matric.

There has over the past few years been several options that have unfolded for matriculants, especially in light of the fact that there has been an increasingly higher demand for the very limited university spots in South Africa.

For instance, the University of Witwatersrand has revealed that it has received 70 000 applications for enrolment for first year students but the institution only has 6 000 places available.

Similarly, the University of Cape Town received almost 18 000 applicant from prospective first year students but can only offer places to almost a quarter of that number as their undergraduate population is limited to 4 200.

With more and more people passing their matric and space at learning institutions becoming limited, it is evident that going to university is not the only way to learn. There are some people for whom university is simply not the best way to learn.

Because there has historically been much emphasis placed on getting a degree, people who had not attended university tended to think lowly of themselves – and this lack of self-confidence can really impede one’s success in life.

But the post-matric sector has evolved so much that one can become successful in life without having pursued the university routes. There are other routes to success in life.

Examples of such are plenty.

Here is someone who passed their matric, worked in a restaurant and now he’s about to open his own business with two partners.

He learned through various ways that are not confined to a lecture hall – on the job; by creating relationships with a wide variety of people with the experience and skills he wanted; by reading; through conversation and observation.

So there has in essence been a deviation from the single post matric route that the matriculants were in the past had to contend with.

These days, you can still go to university and college if you can and if you want to do something that requires the kind of learning to be acquired in a formal learning environment.

But if you can’t afford tertiary education, can’t meet the admission requirements or need to work to support your family – don’t beat yourself up and don’t let the hiccup get in your way.

You can still learn, grow and create a great life for yourself – and be an inspiration to those around you.