GCSE Choices
#askvicki , #gcsechoices
So you’ve been at Secondary School for a few years now and just when you’ve settled into a familiar routine, someone mentions it’s time to consider your GCSE choices. You may feel a little too young to be making such big decisions and everyone from your family, teacher and friends will have a view on what’s right for you.
GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education and the choices you make now will not only have an impact on any further education you consider enrolling in but also the career path you choose to follow when older.
With this in mind here are some do’s and don’ts relating to this very special time in a student’s life.
Do’s
- Work out what subjects are compulsory - and try to compliment these with your choices.
- Choose a subject you enjoy – after all you will be studying it for two years.
- Choose a subject you’re good at – there really is no point choosing a subject you already struggle with.
- Think about your future – Ok you’re not expected to know what you want to be when you’re older, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little daydream and this could help shape your selections.
- Listen to your teachers – they will have the most up to date information to hand and be able to advise you of your best options.
Don’ts
- Don’t pick subjects just because your friends are selecting them.
- Don’t take a subject just because your favourite teacher takes the lesson.
- Don’t be tempted to choose lots of subjects; the quality of your work is far more important than the quantity of exams taken.
- Don’t take a subject just to please your parents, ultimately it will be you doing the work and it has to be something you enjoy.
- Don’t be persuaded to take too many subjects in one category. Ok you may want to be a scientist but universities and employers will want to see a balanced variety of GCSE’s taken.
Remember that life is all about balance and whilst GCSE’s are important they should not stress you out. It’s ok to be unsure and need guidance from someone else and it’s not the end of the world if you find out very quickly you have made the wrong choice and very often your school will assist in switching you to a more suitable subject.