Choosing subjects at school
In S2 you are likely to discuss with teachers and careers advisers in your school what subjects you want to choose for S3 and the course of study you want to take. This is important as these will be the subjects you are likely to study for at least two years towards your National Standards 4 and 5, and they will strongly influence the path you will take after that, whether that is further study, doing a Modern Apprenticeship, or going straight into a job.
Getting ready to choose your subjects
In S1 and S2 you were probably learning a lot of subjects that were quite new to you. To start thinking about what subjects to choose it might be helpful to make a list of your four favourite subjects – but pick them because you really like them, not because your friends are doing them or you like the teacher. There are also subjects that you will need to do, which include English and Mathematics. You can find a list of lots of different subject areas here.
Once you’ve thought about what subjects are your favourites, make a list of the subjects which you do best at – remember there might be new subject areas in S3/S4 to consider too.
Think about why you enjoy each of the subjects. Is it because you enjoy reading or making things? Or you enjoy using the computer or working in groups? Maybe you enjoy playing sports? Have a think about why you like different subjects:
- Practical: Repairing broken things, or using your hands to make things.
- Creative: Expressing yourself in different ways through art, drama or writing.
- Languages: Do you already like learning about another culture and its language? Think about other languages, for example German, Spanish, or Russian.
- Science and maths: You enjoy working with numbers and exploring how to test ideas.
Some areas cut across all subjects such as working in teams, writing, using numbers and problem solving.
Now you have thought about your favourite subjects, your best subjects and your interests, have a chat with teachers, your careers adviser, and parents about the lists you have created.
This is a good base to start to think about choosing which subjects you want to study.
Why not read some of our comic strips to find out how the characters decided what they wanted to be?
