Choosing which GCSE’s to study will be the first chance many students have had to shape their own educational journey. Up until this point few decisions have had to be made – the main one, of course, being which secondary school to go to in the first place.
Now though, students have a chance to decide precisely what they will be studying – outside of the core subjects of English, Maths and the three sciences. Dreams of being able to drop a much hated subject have no doubt been buzzing around many people’s minds since the start of Year 7, but it’s unlikely any other thoughts have come into being.
Given that GCSE studies start in year 10, many students will be forced to make a decision on their GCSE options in year 9. However, some schools require decisions to be made in Year 8, which means it is never too early to start thinking about which path you may go down. Here are our top tips on choosing the right subjects for you.
Years ago, people entered a career and pretty much stuck to it until they retired at a sensible age. Now though, many people are finding they’re having two, perhaps even three, meaningful and valuable careers over the course of their working lives. This means that nothing is ever set in stone – and whilst decisions you make now for your GCSEs will have some impact on your ultimate career path, they’re not going to be the be all or end all.
That said, by the time you’re 13 years of age, you may have some inkling of the areas that interest you the most. Are you likely to want to work in medicine? This may be as a doctor, nurse, midwife, pharmacist or chiropractor. You don’t need to have all, or even many, of the details ironed out at this stage. Yet, knowing that medicine, in general, is an area you may want to investigate further, means you should be setting your attention on more science-based GCSEs.
Speaking to your teachers, parents and other trusted individuals is a good idea. However, remember their advice is just that. Teachers are a great point of reference because they know how much additional work is required at GCSE level compared to what you have been doing to date.
If, for example, you are interested in pursuing a medicine based career, for example, as a vet, your teacher will be able to be honest with you about any areas you may need to improve on to secure the necessary grades. In some cases, they may recommend you hire a GCSE Biology Tutor or physics tutor to provide you with some additional support throughout your studies.
Remember those dreams about dropping the subjects you hate? Well, they’re about to come true – to a certain extent.
Here at Tutorspot we’d never advocate you drop a subject just because you hate it. The reality is, a hated subject is often the result of lack of enjoyment – usually because a student is struggling to engage with the content. That doesn’t mean it’s not possible for you to improve in this area, but it may require some additional support.
However, there will be some subjects you naturally excel at or genuinely enjoy. If, for example, French does not appeal, then the chances are it’s not a GCSE that’s going to impact your future college or career options. Dropping that so you can take History, a notoriously widely accepted and valued GCSE subject, makes sense.
The reality is, you want to secure as many good grades at GCSE as possible to keep your options open at A Level. Studying subjects which you enjoy and have an affinity for just makes sense.
No matter what your future career choices might be, or how much they change between now and choosing your A Levels, the reality is you’re still going to want to pass subjects such as English, Maths and the sciences. This may mean seeking additional support in order to do so.
Working with a specific online maths tutor, GCSE Chemistry tutor or GCSE Physics tutor is a great way to help you whilst you’re studying for your GCSEs. Not only will they ensure that you are able to keep on top of your day to day studies, but they can provide you with support when it comes to coursework, and tips on how best to revise.
However, it’s never too early to start working with Chemistry tutors, physics and maths tutors, a biology tutor, a general science tutor or any subject tutor for that matter. No matter what year group you’re in, working with a private online tutor will allow you to improve your understanding, confidence and ultimately your performance in any given subject area. In turn, this may mean you’re able to better progress through your class sets, meaning you have access to more in-depth teaching in school directly.
So far we’ve looked at reasons why you should take a particular subject at GCSE (i.e. natural strength, interest, value or career path), but what about reasons why you shouldn’t?
Two of the main reasons you should never use to influence your choice of subject are:
Your friends may be choosing that subject because it is relevant for their chosen career path, or because they genuinely enjoy the topic. Taking Geography just because your best mate is doing it, but actually, you’d personally enjoy Business Studies more is a really bad decision. You’re in a class to study, so does it really matter whether your best mate is in the same class as your or not?
Equally, it’s great that you enjoy the teaching style of a particular teacher, but it’s important to remember they’re individuals with lives of their own – which means, at any given moment, they may take a job elsewhere. Can you imagine signing up to take Spanish just because you love Mrs Ottley, to discover she’s retiring at the end of Year 10?
If you require further advice for when it comes to picking your GCSE options, send us an email today – info@tutorspot.co.uk or text or call on 07480637128 and a member of our team will be happy to help.
