Published on 28 September 2026 · by Étienne Nkoulou · 5 min
After the baccalaureate: four paths, four temperaments
University, IUT, BTS or specialist school: how to choose without copying the neighbour's choice.
"What are you doing after the bac?" remains the most poorly asked question of final year. It invites a preference answer, when it should first ask a method question: how does this student learn best?
Four profiles of study path
University degree suits autonomous students, comfortable with abstraction and able to structure their work without a weekly framework. It opens wide towards research or competitive exams, but demands discipline from the first year.
IUT fits students who progress better with practical projects, placements and a supervised rhythm. Professional outcomes come quickly, and progression to a vocational degree or school stays open.
BTS is an excellent route for manual, technical or commercial students who want a recognisable job in two years. Choosing the institution matters more here than elsewhere: the quality gap between two BTS programmes in the same field can be huge.
Specialist school (design, communication, business, digital) attracts with its teaching framework. In return it demands a hard look at tuition fees, progression rates and how established the school actually is.
The question we ask first
At the practice, the first meeting never begins with "what job?". It begins with: "tell me about a week of classes you enjoyed, and one that bored you". Two answers usually reveal a temperament, and temperament points to the right path far more reliably than an average grade.