What do you think are the main factors for subject selection?

Joseph41

If you're currently in high school, what are the main factors you think about when selecting your subjects?

If you've already graduated, what factors did you consider? Would you change anything with the way you selected subjects?

I've included some options in the poll. I think you can only choose one option, but I'm sure there are several factors swirling around for most people. What are some of the biggest considerations for you?

Aaron

At least from my own personal experience, I have found that COVID has had an impact in terms of students appreciating their own mental health and focusing more on things that they enjoy and can cope with, rather than simply scaling (which is such a good thing!).

Scaling still creeps in every year but it really shouldn't be that one influence that makes you choose a subject. Perhaps it's worth considering if you're somebody aiming for a really high ATAR. One could also argue if you're a high achiever, even if you choose subjects that "scale down", your high achievement would minimise that impact.

I have also found through observation that the factors in the poll of 'What my friends are doing' and 'Who the teacher is' also does play a role in some way. School is as much a social and relationships thing as it is academics so I would definitely say these play a role in general - perhaps not subject specific.

I do find that students in general are still misinformed in regards to workload, key knowledge/skills for specific subjects also. So the 'Workload' option i'd argue in most cases is one that isn't often considered. Some schools have great career counsellors who are really knowledgable in their craft, and some that don't have one at all which creates that disadvantage (then again, there's a lot of that around in the education system isn't there?)

From my own high schooling journey (I feel really strange in saying that it was a decade ago now.... for context been teaching in a school for nearly 5 years as well), I chose subjects based on interest, recommendations from teachers and availability. Availability is the important one because at that time I wasn't informed about Distance Education and other alternatives to taking a subject so I just went with what was available. Did I enjoy them all? No. Did I do well in all of them? No. I did get to see subject areas however that I would've not normally explored e.g. PE and HHD but in the end they really did give my VCE program a good balance.

When students get to that Year 9 or 10 stage they're asked to start making decisions that will support their career interests and ambitions. For a lot of students, this is really a daunting and challenging prospect. At that age how many people have really considered this idea of life after school? A lot 'living in the moment'.

My real response to anyone choosing subjects would be:

(If applicable) What do you want to do after school and what do you need to get there? Prerequisites mainly.
What will provide you with a balanced program, considering what you might potentially want to do? e.g. Maths Methods choice to 'keep doors open' in terms of university, as one example.
What have you enjoyed doing so far? Particularly focus on your elective/breadth options that you've undertaken. If it's a subject you haven't personally enjoyed in a certain year, could put it down to teacher but in most cases it's a signal that perhaps it isn't for you as a subject area.

I personally would not be choosing subjects for: what my friends are doing, who the teacher is, and scaling/prestige.

Your friends will have different aspirations to you in most cases.
The teacher for the following year is never guaranteed, even if they've been the only teacher doing it for years. Timetables changes, teachers move on, teachers have to be changed around to suit the dynamic school program (a lot more changes than you'd think, trust me).
You're more likely to do better in a subject that you enjoy rather than choosing one simply for the scaling.

Also important to note that school is a small window of time, plenty more opportunities to learn (in all the different ways) once you finish.

Sine

My choice of subjects was based on a combination of enjoyment, prerequisites and compulsory subjects (an English). I didn't really consider much of the other factors such as what friends were doing, scaling, workload, prestige, teacher.

I was fortunate that the prerequisites for courses that I were interested in overlapped with the subjects I thought I would enjoy.

charl

I'm year 10 and course selection is coming up for me. I'm choosing subjects purely on interest and prerequisites (lucky for me, they mostly coincide).

I'm choosing it on interest mainly because I know that I'm not going to do well in a subject I'm not interested in, as I will not be motivated to study for it.

_sophiestudies_

When I chose my subjects back in year 10, I mainly chose my subjects purely out of interest and what I already knew I enjoyed. Year 11 and 12 are some of the hardest years of schooling (nothing like previous school years), and from my own experience so far, doing subjects that I love has made it so much more enjoyable. Yes, it's hard, but when you are genuinely learning and studying what you love, year 11 and year 12 are much more enjoyable. That said, I know some people really struggle with choosing subjects because they simply don't know what they're interested in. I recommend having a look at the study designs/syllabuses to at least get a feel for what you are learning and pick subjects that you know you will find somewhat more bearable than others. Also chat to your career's counsellor if you need help (although, this may be hard if your school doesn't have one). If you need certain subjects as prerequisites, make sure to look into those too.

Anyway, here are my general tips/list of things to consider.

Interest -> Pick something that excites or fascinates you, or at least you can imagine yourself enjoying to some degree. There is no point picking a subject for the sake of picking it, because I promise you, you will likely regret that decision pretty early on.
Prerequisites -> This is important. Have a look at a range of courses that might interest you and assess the prerequisites. If you want to keep your options open, maybe pick a maths subject (but DON'T do maths if you know you will hate studying it). If you are interested in a course but it has a prerequisite subject that you really don't like, say chemistry for example, then you should really consider if that course would be right for you anyway (because that course will likely entail some element of that subject, meaning if you already hate it, you might want to reconsider the course).
Balance -> If you can, try and have some balance in your subjects. It helps keep your options open, and can also ensure that you have some variation in your studying/what you are learning. Of course, don't let this deter you from picking similar subjects though. You do what's best for you, but from experience, I've really liked having a range of different subjects from design and art to maths and science.

Things that shouldn't be your sole reason to study a subject:

Scaling -> So many people put so much emphasis on scaling when choosing subjects, but it really shouldn't be what solely influences your subject choices. Scaling genuinely is not as important as people make it out to be. So many people do amazingly and achieve really high ATAR scores with low scaling subjects/subjects that scale down, and many who do all high scaling subjects do not perform as well, vice versa. Scaling is out of your control, and it can be really problematic if you pick a subject that you hate only because it scales up. You can perform just as well in a low scaling subject, if not better, because you genuinely enjoy it. Just don't think about scaling, rather focus on your interests and future goals. (Exception - Of course, some students will want to aim for a high ATAR to get into a certain course, such as undergrad med, meaning high scaling subjects may be considered. However, this still shouldn't be the sole reason for picking a subject).
Teachers -> Like Aaron said, teachers change. Unless you are aware of the teacher that will be teaching the subject the following year for certain, this should not really be a big factor in choosing your subjects. Yes, a good teacher can make a massive difference, but it's really out of your control who will be teaching, etc. I wouldn't place too much emphasis on it.
Friends -> Don't just pick subjects because your friends are doing it. Firstly, you might not even be in their class, but also, if your not genuinely interested in the subject, it's still not going to be all that fun. I've got and had classes with none of my close friends, but if anything, I've enjoyed being able to get to know other people. Your friends will have different aspirations, and not being in the same class does not mean you cannot continue to be friends.
Workload and "easiness" -> Don't assume that a subject is quote on quote "easier" than other subject. All subjects are hard and challenging, but some people will find certain subjects more suited to their abilities. Just because someone tells you to do a subject because it's "easy", it does not mean you will find it easy too. Also, don't assume this in relation to workload, as hard work and effort is required no matter the subject.
Prestige -> This is linked to scaling, but don't pick a subject just because you think it will "look" better. Just do what you're interested in, as you're much more likely to enjoy your last two years of school and perform well.

Key things to remember:

Subjects are not set in stone -> Most schools allow you to change your subject preferences or drop subjects after the initial subject selection date (usually there is a date window for this/due date for changes, so you'd need to check with your school).
It is not the be all and end all -> Sometimes you will realise that a subject just doesn't work for you throughout the year and that's fine. You can always change or drop the subject, and that's ok.
Acceleration -> Some schools allow students to accelerate subjects. Only do this if you are genuinely interested in the subject and know that you are willing to put the hard yards in (i.e. I accelerated visual communication and design over the last two years and absolutely loved it, despite the many tears shed over my folio and the exam haha). Don't accelerate because all your friends are, or because you think it will "look" better. You don't have to accelerate to do well, but for some people, subject acceleration is really helpful and great opportunity for them to study more subjects that they're interested in.

jinx_58

The important factors for me would be to choose subjects that'll help me maximise my ATAR (subjects I'm good at), and uni pre-requisites.

-jinx_58