How to choose your subjects
General Advice
The advice we offer Year 10 pupils about choosing subjects is simply this:
“Do what you’re good at, do what you like and do what you need”.
It makes sense to do subjects you are good at in order to have the best chance of getting the highest grades you can. And this is an important point to remember because there is a lot of advice out there aimed at pupils in general. STEM subjects, including the sciences, Technology and Engineering, for example, are often held up as good subjects to go into, and they are, but only if that’s the area where your talents and strengths lie.
Secondly, you should do the subjects you enjoy. It makes sense that the more you like a subject, the more you will want to work at it and the better you will do. At the moment, Year 10 pupils will have their favourite subjects at the Junior High but subjects may change from Key Stage 3 to GCSE level, both in content and in degree of difficulty. It is important that you make good use of the subject information on this website to decide if you think you would still enjoy the subject at GCSE level.
Finally, and perhaps the most difficult in some ways, you should do what you need for the university course or career you have in mind. “Difficult” because many young people understandably will have no clear idea of what they want to do. However, if you do have a few areas in mind you should be trying to find out which subjects are required in order to keep open as many options as possible.
Who should you speak to?
When deciding on your GCSE options it is so important to speak to people who will help you to make an informed decision.
First of all, it is important that you discuss this at length with your parents. They know you the best out of everyone in the world and will be able to discuss with you your thoughts and determine what options you are likely to succeed in.
Secondly, if you have any relatives or friends who have recentlycompleted a course you are thinking about taking, ask them about it! They will be able to tell you about the course and what it is like, which will be helpful.
There are various other sources of help and advice out there:
o Via the Internet - www.ucas.com
o Careers staff in the Junior High, especially Mr Guy.
o The Video and PowerPoint provided by the Department for Economy and shared by Lurgan Junior High School.
o There will be opportunities for Group Interviews with Mr Guy for those who require them. Further information will be provided by Mr Guy nearer the time.
o If you are attending a school other than Lurgan Junior High School, please speak to your Careers teacher, but similar arrangements should apply.
o If parents or pupils would like some further advice, Lurgan College’s Head of Careers, Mr Uprichard can be contacted via the school office.
Making your choices...
The majority of our GCSE pupils will study 10 subjects made up of...
FIVE Linear (Maths, English Lang, English Lit, LLW, RE)
ONE Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
FOUR optional (see below for full list - any combination can be chosen at the provisonal stage although we'd strongly recommend a spread across the subject areas)
*Some pupils may also study an 11th (Further Maths)
