Understanding Postsecondary Options
This activity aims to help students understand key elements and differences between postsecondary options.

Discuss
There are many different paths you can and choosing the right one involves thinking about your career goals and interests as well as your individual preferences and needs. Whether you dream of going to college, learning a trade, becoming an apprentice, or entering the workforce, each option has its own opportunities and requirements. Exploring these options early is important because it helps you understand what’s available, what steps you’ll need to take, and how your decisions now can shape your future.
Many times, when people think of postsecondary, they automatically think of college. Remember that postsecondary education are actually any education options after high school. Think about what you have learned about trade school / vocational programs, apprenticeships, community college, and college / university. What do you already know about each of these options?
[Note to Instructors: Present each option one by one and allow time for students to give responses. Provide prompts as needed, such as “Do you know of any colleges in our area?” and “What are some career fields that offer apprenticeships?” If available, use a white board or other visual resource to list each option and student responses.]

Resource
Comparing Postsecondary Options is a sorting activity to help compare the different postsecondary options. This can be completed with students while watching the various videos. The Comparing Postsecondary Options - Answer Key is available to help with this activity.
[Note to Instructors: The below videos mentioned in Option 1 and 2 are in Activity 3. The information and discussions in Activity 2 are setting up the delivery of Activity 3.]
Option 1: Pause between each video to allow time for students to match facts to the specific postsecondary option they just learned about. Students can complete the activity individually or in pairs based on the instructor’s discretion.
Option 2: View all videos, then have students work individually or in pairs to match facts to each postsecondary option based on what they learned from the videos and group discussion.