With Term 3 now underway, Year 10 students are selecting subjects for Year 11 and 12. I remember being in that daunting position and feeling uncertain about what subjects to choose. It is very challenging to envision your career path at 16, let alone predict what your passions will be in Year 12. On top of that you also have to factor in the ‘scaling stigma’ (which often urges people away from choosing ‘easier’ subjects) and the requirement to meet your desired university course’s perquisites.
With all those thoughts and considerations swirling in my mind, I chose Biology, Chemistry, English, Business and Enterprise and General Maths. From those selections one would assume I have a passion for the sciences, which in truth I do, but what those five subjects don’t represent is my love for the arts and freedom of expression. In Year 10 I undertook two art subjects, Art Design and Art Visual, which I loved and provided me with 14 lessons a cycle to express my creativity and allow myself an outlet from the more standardized and rigidly outlined subjects. However, come crunch time, I steered clear of my passions out of the fear of my ATAR being scaled and the preconceived judgement of doing an ‘easy’ subject in Year 12.
My advice to all parents who are involved in their son’s subject selection process is to ask what they truly enjoy about school. Help them take a step back and clear their minds from the information overload we are all hit with at the end of Year 10.
To current and soon-to-be Year 10s I urge you to follow your passions. Yes, it is cliché advice, but worth listening too. Your schooling experience is what you make it. You can either be who you are and do the things you love, allowing yourself a greater edge and more adaptive thinking, or you can choose the safe option leaving you with no greater uniqueness than the other person who also chose to play it safe.
Saints offers so many different programs and with new subject choices on the horizon, there is no reason to abide by the status quo. Meet your desired university in the middle, complete their perquisites, but don’t compromise what makes you happy simply to increase your odds of getting a good result. A common misconception is that fun and work/studies are two separate things. It is sometimes challenging to find that balance and ability to merge the two, but it is possible … if we allow it to be.
All of us, children, teenagers and adults, are not told enough to be who we are. It’s simple to say and easy to understand, however, very challenging to do. We live in a world burdened by expectation and judgement and we compromise our uniqueness to meet this expectation of who we should be or what we should do. Whether it’s choosing your Year 12 subjects, university course or deciding your next career move, we must all avoid falling into the trap of fixed expectation and opposing judgment. We are each granted limited rotations around the sun, so why waste time doing something simply to please societal expectations?
If I can be of any assistance, not only with subject selections but any issues, please feel free to contact me on 51091@stpeters.sa.edu.au
Hugo Hart
School Captain