[Mallika]

Hi Sue,

Thank you for reaching out. I think you have a very genuine doubt so I'm happy that you've expressed your feelings about it so clearly.

Firstly, the traditional academic path - high school to university to workplace - is not for everyone. The reality is that not everyone can do prestigious degrees from prestigious universities, and that no everyone is fit for a 9-to-5 job. While many people believe that a degree is correlated with a better standard of life, I personally feel that there is no point in spending valuable years on academic study if you do not enjoy it. One should dovetail their time into things they enjoy doing, ideally. And people have managed to build successful careers without a degree, but instead with a reliable and good skillset in their chosen area.

You mentioned that you are into graphic design and artistic things. Perhaps you might be able to find a certificate course or a short course (not lengthy like a degree) where you live, or even an online one, that will equip you with the skills you need to get a job in this field? These days, online courses are running lots of discounts and are all the rage due to the lockdown and whatnot. Udemy or Coursera might have some good courses, which are self-paced so you don't have to worry about adhering to strict deadlines. Many courses offered are free, though you'd have to pay for the certificate. The Open University offers distance-learning degrees which might be an attractive option too. Once you get the certificate, you improve your employability, so that even if you lose your student status, you might still be able to find a job with your certificate. I've linked some reputed sites which offer online courses below:
https://www.udemy.com
https://www.coursera.org
https://www.edx.org
https://www.mooc.org
http://www.open.ac.uk

Another option you might want to consider is an apprenticeship or an internship at a graphic design firm like Holly mentioned. Typically these hire people who are already trained in graphic design, but you can try your shot by contacting multiple of these and see if any are willing to create a form of apprenticeship for you whereby you can learn on the spot. I know it seems a little audacious asking people for opportunities they don't openly advertise for them, but that's what I did in the past and landed an amazing internship.

Another thing you could do is contact the people at your high school. If there is an art teacher or design instructor, you can ask them if you can work with them and pick up a skill or two. Usually schools are happy to have some of their alumni back, and there's also a sense of familiarity with them that you are able to tap on to create some mutually beneficial scenarios for both yourself and the school.

Also, don't forget the power of connections. Is there anyone in your family or social circle who's working in a job you might be interested in? You could try asking them for some information on their companies and express your interest in looking for a work experience/internship. I'm not sure if graphic designers and artists are on LinkedIn whom you can connect with, but you can use the power of the Internet to connect with some local designers virtually as see if they might be interested in having you work with them as an intern or apprentice. The position of an intern might seem paltry initially, but trust me, you learn just so much, which will greatly help you as you start your career.

My sister is doing a diploma course in communication design and she doesn't intend to do a full-fledged degree either, because she has the skills she needs to find work as a designer now. And her future workplace is potentially our high school, because she reached out to them and worked as an intern for them last year, and soon they might hire her.

You've named this post "No solution", but I beg to differ - don't give up! There is no one way to land a successful career. Opportunities and careers really boil down to what we make of them (of course, luck is also a factor, but, again don't give up). There are many paths to success, and there's nothing wrong in stepping away from the traditional, tried-and-tested path and explore what works best for you. You do you, and make sure that your career pursuit is of something you enjoy

I'm ending off with a quote from a song by a boy band I used to follow: "Do what you like, like what you do."