How many times have you heard people say that Science is for the intelligent, Commerce is for the average and Arts is for those who cannot score well? Rather, how many people have persuaded you to choose Science or Arts based on your academic intelligence?
Choosing the right stream after 10th grade could be exceedingly puzzling, especially because the stream you choose creates the foundation of your career opportunities. Deciding on a particular stream with an ambiguous mind could make or break your future career prospects. You would not want to select the subjects that you are eventually going to hate or become frustrated with, and impact your academic success.
The following factors will help you analyze the criteria you need to follow in choosing the right stream after 10th grade, so that you have smooth sailing school life and very rewarding career prospects. Along with these factors career counseling after 10th becomes beneficial to help in choosing the right stream after 10th.
Identify your Interests:
The first and foremost step that you need to take is identify which areas are you interested in. It is perfectly alright to not know what you want to do in your future, but there have to be certain fields that excite the child in you, that makes you curious. Recognize those kindlers and then think on the lines of those fields. If you are passionate about what you study, it will definitely lead to success.
Analyze your Aptitude:
Having interest in a subject is not the same as having an aptitude for the subject. For example, you may be interested in astronomy, but if physics is your weak point, you will not be able to pursue a career in astronomy or any of the other fields related to physics. Therefore, once you identify your areas of interest, take into consideration your aptitude in those subjects. It is always better to choose a stream that caters to your interest as well as your aptitude. You can take online and offline aptitude tests to identify the abilities and your strengths and weaknesses.
Delve into Discussions:
It is important to have a healthy discussion with your parents, friends, and teachers about the stream that you should choose. However, you have to know that it is one thing to take advice, and it is another to become the victim of peer pressure or parental pressure. Just because you score well does not mean you have to choose science. Similarly, just because all your friends are choosing commerce doesn’t mean you opt for commerce as well. An open discussion should be able to help you figure out things like the interest in pursuing literature in the future and therefore choosing Arts stream, in spite of having a knack for science as well. A discussion should help you clear the cloud in your head, not influence you in the direction you do not want to go.
Call for Career Counselling:
There are times when you are just not able to choose the stream you wish to pursue. Your aptitude and your interests could clash in more than one stream. You may enjoy psychology as well as biology. For vivid clarification, you can choose to visit a career counsellor. A career counsellor has knowledge and scientifically formulated tests to aid the student in choosing the right stream after 10th grade. You can also attend career seminars and educational fairs to further explore your career options.
Scrutinize the Scope of the Subjects:
Although the next step after 10th grade is not to decide on your career options, it is always advisable to consider the future prospects and career opportunities based on the stream that you choose for your 11th and 12th grade. It is essential to discern where your choice of stream will lead you to.
The entire decision making process could be extremely overwhelming, but try not to become a victim of herd mentality or parental pressure. Carefully analyze what is right for you and where will you genuinely excel with utmost interest. The right choice is just around the corner!
Mohit Mangal is a renowned career counselor who can provide career counseling to students after 10th grade by providing guidance and helping them select a stream based on their aptitude.
