It's problem time again on DREAMCATCHER, and reader Freya has a dilemma for Summer Tanberry to tackle… will you agree with her advice?
Freya says:
I'm in Year Nine and we have to choose our options soon. I'm dreading it because I have no clue what to pick… I don't enjoy many subjects at school and I have no idea what I want to do as a career, so I feel I have nothing to aim for. I am also scared that fail my GCSE exams when the time comes… I don't do well in tests. Suddenly school is feeling very scary.
Summer says:
I agree that Year Nine can seem like a very daunting year… the pressure to choose wisely for those options is quite heavy. You are not the only one who feels unsure of her future, and even those of us who have a particular career in mind often change our minds or have to alter our plans. The best plan is to choose the subjects you like best and do well at; or perhaps the subjects you dislike the least! Remember that some subjects are compulsory anyway, so maths, science and English are likely to be unavoidable! When you've picked a few subjects you might like, talk to the teachers and ask for advice and feedback before you make your final decision. Remember that practical subjects like art, music, food technology and drama are options too! As for exams, please stop worrying - course work still counts for a lot of your mark, and you will get lost of practice at learning how to revise, prepare and handle exams sensibly. The more you panic, the less you will cope, so take a deep breath and resolve to study hard and do the best you can. That's all anyone can ask!
Cathy says:
Good advice from Summer… and I agree, staying calm about it all is the only way to go! Do YOU have any advice for Freya? Have YOU chosen options already, or decided what you'll study when the time comes? COMMENT BELOW to have your say! If you have a problem for one of the sisters to answer, email your question via the 'email Cathy' link on www.cathycassidy.com and mark your email DREAMCATCHER PROBLEM...
Freya says:
I'm in Year Nine and we have to choose our options soon. I'm dreading it because I have no clue what to pick… I don't enjoy many subjects at school and I have no idea what I want to do as a career, so I feel I have nothing to aim for. I am also scared that fail my GCSE exams when the time comes… I don't do well in tests. Suddenly school is feeling very scary.
I agree that Year Nine can seem like a very daunting year… the pressure to choose wisely for those options is quite heavy. You are not the only one who feels unsure of her future, and even those of us who have a particular career in mind often change our minds or have to alter our plans. The best plan is to choose the subjects you like best and do well at; or perhaps the subjects you dislike the least! Remember that some subjects are compulsory anyway, so maths, science and English are likely to be unavoidable! When you've picked a few subjects you might like, talk to the teachers and ask for advice and feedback before you make your final decision. Remember that practical subjects like art, music, food technology and drama are options too! As for exams, please stop worrying - course work still counts for a lot of your mark, and you will get lost of practice at learning how to revise, prepare and handle exams sensibly. The more you panic, the less you will cope, so take a deep breath and resolve to study hard and do the best you can. That's all anyone can ask!
Cathy says:
Good advice from Summer… and I agree, staying calm about it all is the only way to go! Do YOU have any advice for Freya? Have YOU chosen options already, or decided what you'll study when the time comes? COMMENT BELOW to have your say! If you have a problem for one of the sisters to answer, email your question via the 'email Cathy' link on www.cathycassidy.com and mark your email DREAMCATCHER PROBLEM...
When I was in Year 9, I was in exactly the same position. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school. When it came to options, I decided to go for a pretty broad selection that would work for a lot of different career options. I had an acamedic sort of option that would help me get into a lot of A Levels and jobs, then took some arty options too, as I loved it. With a variety of GCSE subjects under my belt, along with the compulsory ones, it was easier to narrow down my choices when heading for A Levels. It seems to have worked quite well, and I'm in my last year of university now!
ReplyDeleteI'm choosing my options as well, and all of the compulsory subjects (like core PE) are subjects I want to drop, and there are so many extras I want to take but I only have 2 extras.
ReplyDeleteI am I yr 9 and have just chosen mine, all I can say to you is follow your gut! it feels much better once you have handed the form in and don't have to worry about it any more. As for disliking core subjects, don't worry! Plenty of other people will feel exactly the same. We are all in it together!
DeleteSummer's advice is great! if you need to, you can also change subjects, which is really useful. Good luck! xxx
ReplyDeleteMost people when they're young, have no idea what they want to do once they leave school, so it's only natural to be confused. So if it is your first year, pick a broad range of subjects, then as you go through the year it becomes easier to narrow it down. I remember when I first started year nine, it was pretty daunting. But I think that as the years progress, things will become clearer! :)
ReplyDeleteOptions tips:
ReplyDelete-write a list of all the subjects that you're good at, that you like or that you think are useful.
-put them in a venn diagram.
-research: talk to older students who have taken that subject
-go to options fairs,cif your school has them
-DO NOT LET OTHER PEOPLE SWAY YOUR DECISION!!!!
Good luck!
I agree with Caitlin. That's really good advice!
DeleteWhich one is year 9 again??? I remember having a tough time choosing in s3 but I don't know if that's the same thing
ReplyDeleteI have to of chose by Monday and are still a bit unsure everyone seems to have their lives planned out already. For our year everything seems to be new the grading will be numbers and there is no controlled assessments so what you do in the exams is the only chance you have. So many new topics that the teachers haven't done before makes me worry if they'll be teaching at their best .sigh. Why does everything change for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm only in Year 7 and Year 9 seems further away then expected. But like Summer said, if you like the subject, pick it!I dont think I'll have any troubles choosing as I know I want to be a writer, and I'll have to take English (and Literacy & GRAMMAR lessons) anyways.
ReplyDelete