Sarah Hines, Y11
We keep hearing the words: “Subject choices”, “universities”, “salary”, “do what you enjoy”,
“you have to take maths” … but what does all this actually mean? In today’s article, I will give you my opinion about people’s choices in the future.
The deadline for year 11s to choose their subjects for the IB is nearly here, with many people stressing about it. We are constantly being told to take subjects that we enjoy, while also considering what will lead to a good career path. We should try to go to a good university, yet why do we have to give up some of our favourite subjects since they are not recognized? These decisions always tend to be difficult to make. First of all, you should think about the subjects you enjoy and which ones you’re good at, with them often falling into the same category. These are the subjects you should definitely take next year, even at a lower level.
Secondly, you need to consider the subjects that you have to take and think: “Why do I actually need to take this subject?” Outside of maths, which we all have to take, if you absolutely hate the subject, don’t try to take it higher level just to get into a university, as doing so is signing yourself up for 6 hours of math per week, meaning nearly one period of math per day. Then think about the languages you need to take, most people are probably taking English, but if you are not a native speaker, you might not want to go to an English university and therefore wouldn’t need it. Even if you have to take it, think about what level you would feel comfortable doing it at. Never try to push yourself too hard or put yourself in unfavourable situations. The other thing is if it’s an obligatory subject, but you don’t want a career path in it, just think at what level you would get the most points for it at. For instance, if you hate maths but are very good at
problem solving, take it standard level AI, because chances are that the university you are going to won’t care about your math level as you are not pursuing a career in this field.
Finally, think about which university you want to go to. Start by looking at the higher-level subjects you’re taking and then search up what kind of career path that would lead to. For people who think they have to go to a top university at any cost, such as Oxford or Harvard, think about why you need to go there. Consider if it is only because you were told to; is it because you want a good job with a good salary? Or is it because you actually want to? Ultimately, if you don’t really want to go there or are not interested in the courses there, chances are that you won’t enjoy the time you will spend learning there. University is the place you will be stuck at for at least four or five years, and if you don’t like the course, it will most likely show in your grades. Therefore, it is more important to just think about the subjects you enjoy the most, and then go from there. Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing something you don’t like and just follow what you are good at.
