If you have heard of the saying, ‘from the frying pan into the fire’, it is exactly what goes on with most of the people right after their class 10 exams. Even before the board announces their results, students are expected to identify a particular academic stream of their choice. There are several factors that need to be considered when choosing such a stream. The criticality of the choice is profound since this basically gravitates the student towards a particular career choice. Often, students get entangled in their parent’s aspirations for them, teachers and peer advice and their own passion. A child also tends to choose a stream that has his/her circle of friends, as separation anxiety in this age is high. It is a prevalent belief that Science is people with high IQ. If you take up science, you will be held in high esteem socially. Likewise, humanities or Home Science may lower it down amongst the peers.
Well, the fact remains that a person should choose a stream that suits his or her personality. One needs to consider two factors while making a decision at this juncture:
1.Aptitude
2.Personal interests
Aptitude: Aptitude can be physical as well as mental. An aptitude can be defined as an innate, acquired, learnt or developed component of a competency to perform a certain kind of work at a certain level. Once a student is done with class 10 boards, s/he can take an aptitude test to determine one’s strengths, weaknesses, skills and intelligence in diverse fields. An aptitude test helps students to figure out their natural preference in choosing a career for themselves. To better guide the students, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has devised an aptitude test. The test, Student’s Global Aptitude Index (SGAI) will be made available to 10,000 schools that are affiliated under the board. This test is meant to help the students to make a better choice of subjects, making ways for a better and more fulfilling career.
Personal interests: The second step in choosing a stream is to compare your personal interests with potential careers. Personal interests of a person is as important as choosing a career after considering your aptitude. Before you choose a stream, some of the things that one needs to do are, identify one’s aim in life, which subject does one like the most, which subject do one feel is the most difficult.
Personality: Some people know exactly what they want to become as they grow up. Those who want to be engineers or want to associate themselves to a medical field can take up Science. For careers in accounting, finance, marketing, business, economics and banking, one should take up commerce. Humanities should be chosen if media, journalism, politics, economics, psychology are of interest.
Once you have decided your choice of subjects, you can browse through various online sites that provide you with the study material for class 11 CBSE. Apart from what you study in school, this study material also offers a large number of questions and answers that help in clarifying the topics and eases the path to academic achievement.
