Is this subject for me?

Introduction

As classes start and your course is getting into full swing you may start to wonder; ‘Is this the right course for me?’, ‘Will this subject truly get me closer to the career I want?’ Sometimes this can leave you feeling overwhelmed and like it might be easier to drop out of college. Let’s explore what to do when you are unsure about your subject(s).

Do your research

Some students choose subjects without having a clear idea of what they want to study and so they pick things that interest them, something that they think they will do well in or just what is available to them, only to realise later that they needed specific subjects to do a course in university or for something they want to do in future. To avoid this being you, do your research. Check university websites to find the entry requirements, you can look at universities you are interested in, but if you are not sure where you might want to go, check various ones, in your city and outside it. The same process goes for apprenticeships or job roles, check if you need certain qualifications in certain subjects. If you have already started and find out that you do need to study a subject that you are not enrolled in, you can speak to your form tutor, careers advisor or teachers about what you can do whether that is transferring course or going another route, for example.

Try It Out

You may attend the  class for a subject in your new sixth form or college and immediately decide that you want to study something else. However, instead of rushing to be transferred out of the class, try  the subject for at least a week. The first day does not automatically tell you everything about what studying the subject will be like. If you give the class  some time, you may realise that there was just a slow start and that the rest of the course is interesting and suited to what you like. Remember that if this is a new subject to you, with a new teacher, new environment and/or new teaching style it will feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable, that doesn’t mean that it is not for you, but that you may just need a period of adjustment.

Know Your Timeline

If, after you have done all of the above, you still want to change your course(s) you need to know a few important things. When is the final deadline to make a course change? Do your grades meet the minimum requirements for the course you want to change to? Are you certain? Once you know this, there is another timeline to tackle, in terms of catching up on the things you have missed in that class. With hard work and focus, you can catch up on things you have  missed in the first two or three weeks  - but the longer it has been since classes started, the harder it will be to catch up. This does not mean you should rush a course change, but rather that after two weeks of classes you need to deeply consider if you need to change subjects.

Conclusion

There is a science (or an art) to choosing your further education subjects, but remember that you have a wealth of support available to you, through your form/progression tutors, teachers, careers advisor and more. Colleges such as NewVIc provide you with the support you need to move to the next step in your education. You don’t need to drop out of school completely, you can drop in to one of these groups of people to receive help.