Choosing GCSE subjects doesn’t have to be stressful

For year 9 (and in some schools year 8) students, the beginning of this school year also brings a new pressure: choosing which subjects to take for their GCSEs.

They’ve had two years of testing the waters with the various classes their secondary school has to offer, but now it’s time to pick which exams they will be working towards for the next two years.

Whilst there is no ‘right’ way for your kids to choose their options, there are numerous factors that I personally found can help in the decision-making process.

Firstly, encourage them to think long-term. If there’s a set career they have in mind they want to pursue, encourage them to discuss this with their teachers and do research into the subjects they would benefit from taking to give them a head start in that industry. However, it’s fair to say that not everyone in high school has an exact idea of what they want to do in the future; I know for a fact that I certainly didn’t four years ago!

Additionally, urge your child to consider the subjects they show both passion and aptitude in. GCSEs are stressful enough without having to study something you don’t enjoy for two years. Finding a passion for a certain subject not only makes you more motivated to work hard at it, but it also makes your high school experience – and, potentially, your resulting work life afterwards – more enjoyable.

Finally, the best advice I can give is not to panic. Most secondary schools give students a trial period within which they can change their subject choices if they feel they have made a mistake. Personally, the subjects I studied in sixth form were completely different to the ones I did at secondary school, because of my changing ideas of what I wanted to do in the future. However, the common vein running throughout my educational journey was my love of writing, which eventually manifested itself into the job I have now at the IW Observer.