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It’s sooo unfair!So you’ve got through the stress of moving up to a new school, sussed out the ‘homework thing’, met new friends and settled into classes......then you find out you’ve got loads of decisions to make and options to consider! |
Choosing your GCSE subjects will be one of the first major decisions you’ve made about your future. So don’t panic and read on to find tips on how to do it right!
You’re not choosing GCSE’s for your mate, parents or next door neighbour. Getting advice from friends and family is a good idea but remember, this is about YOU and YOUR FUTURE. In other words don’t choose Art because your best mate did, or Leisure and Tourism because you like laying on a beach. You need to think about yourself, where subjects will lead, skills and qualifications, coursework/exams and lots more.
You need to think about the subjects you like and the subjects that you are good at. To get some help with this why not have a chat with your teachers.
Some of you might have a good idea about what you want to do when you leave school, but some of you might not. It’s a great idea to think about some career ideas, but you have plenty of time and you might change your mind. You need to get the right balance by keeping your options open and choosing the right subjects for you.
In England you have to study:
In Wales you have to study:
There are other subjects that you can choose to take at GCSE and some subjects like PE and PHSE that you will have to take part in.
If the thought of exams turns you into a gibbering wreck, don’t get too stressed about ‘times up, pens down’. Many courses take your coursework into account so some of the work you do during the year will really count!
Tips on less stress with exams:
Although it seems like the world of work is a million miles away you need to think about it. This will really help you when looking at your year 9 options. Work experience is a great way of finding out about work and usually takes places in year 10/11.
Find out more:
Lets face it, work and school are quite different and making decisions about something that will have such a huge impact on your future will need a lot of thought. Why not research some job ideas that interest you.
Then you could have a chat with your Careers / Connexions Adviser or use the careers software in your Careers / Connexions library to match up the subjects that these types of jobs may require. For example, if you really want to be a doctor but you hate all science subjects, you might need to rethink either your subject choices or your career ideas.
There is so much to consider that we couldn’t possibly fit it in one article. There is lots of information available. Check out the web links in this article, speak to teachers, parents and Careers / Connexions Advisers and have a look in your school and local Careers / Connexions libraries.
You can also check out the ‘Career Links’ section of this website which has links to other websites to help you research different jobs.
Which Way Now 2003 should be in your school so ask your form tutor.
It’s jam packed with useful info, so check it out.
At school or college? Look out for Jennie's future articles which we'll have here for the first Monday of each month, and which we'll link to the best sites we can find on the Web. Why not bookmark us now?
Connexions
Unconventional Careers
GAP Year
To get back to this page to use the links on it - enter http://www.careers-gateway.co.uk/mainpage.htm
and click on Magazine then Year 9 Go Large!.
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