Subject selection is in full swing here in Australia and all I can think about is how to choose which subjects I want to do in Year 12. In the past I was very determined about what I wanted to do but I’ve been worried that not changing my mind may lead to regrets in Year 11 and 12.
Today, to help you out, I’ve decided to create the ultimate guide to subject selection which you can use for any year level’s subject choices.
Do you already enjoy the subject?
Choosing a subject that you don’t like for your last two years of schooling is not a great idea; it can make your teenage years feel like such a drag. And anyway, you’ll do much better in a subject that you like than one you don’t as you’ll probably be willing to dedicate more time and effort to it. Don’t forget that you’ll also be meeting other people with similar interests to you so it can be a great way to make new friends.
Does it complement the other subjects that you’re doing?
Are you doing any similar subjects that would give you the contacts of teachers and friends who can help you with the class content? If so, choosing this subject can be a great way to strengthen friendships and create a support network of teachers and students at school. On the other hand, you may be trying to choose too many subjects with a large workload or lots of content. Make sure that you think through how you much work you would need to do for your subjects to not overwork yourself. You definitely don’t want to spend two whole years of your life doing nothing but studying!
Is it the last chance you have do to do this subject?
In other words, will you be studying it in further education? If you love the subject but won’t have any other chances to work on it, you should probably pick it. Firstly, it will give you a foundation for the topic if you ever change your mind and decide to go back to it but secondly, it will allow you to connect with other people who have similar interests to you. You never know, it may change your university and career preferences, maybe even your whole life!
Is it a pre-requisite for any courses you wish to complete in further education?
From what I’ve heard, universities are really strict on pre-requisites. If you don’t complete a subject required, you will be automatically be disqualified from gaining a place in the course. Choose various courses of a similar scope as there can be very similar classes at different universities that require different foundation subjects. Often, the more specific a course is, the more pre-requisites it will have but you may be able to achieve a similar degree with fewer pre-requisites. On the flip side, don’t lock yourself in too early. Make sure you achieve the pre-requisites for some university courses that you might be interested in taking as lots can change in two years.
Will it have enough other students to go ahead?
At my school, if a subject doesn’t have enough students undertaking it, it won’t run and the students who had picked that subject need to choose a different one. Be strategic in your back-ups and don’t just pick random subjects that you’re not interested in. If there aren’t any other ATAR-contributing subjects that you enjoy, consider applying to university extension programs, TAFE courses or applied learning subjects. These can be fun subjects that you’ll look forward to every week rather than boring ones you only picked because you had to.
I hope this post helped you work out what subjects you want to do in upcoming years. If half the words on this page are jibberish to you, it may be because all my advice is directed towards Australian students. Our final two years are graded differently to many other countries and applying to university is done with your final score. If you’re interested, you can read more about Australian schooling here.
Chamomile & Colour 
