the career book
THINGS to consider when
choosing subjects
You wouldn’t choose your first car or what to wear on a special occasion without careful
planning and thought. Same goes for making successful subject choices and career
decisions. It takes time, thought and research into the range of options available. Carefully
consider possible career plans and interest areas before selecting your subjects.
As a general guide, consider the following guidelines for subject
selection, when planning future pathways:
• Your interests, aptitudes, achievements and career goals.
• Any pre-requisite subjects, assumed knowledge and recommended subjects for
courses/careers you may be interested in taking after Year 12
• Subjects you will achieve in successfully.
• Ability to maintain a balance of interest and flexibility for change in the future.
To do this best:
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1.32 Bullseye posters - myfuture
• Choose subjects that interest you and you are committed to whilst considering the
necessary post-school pathway and QTAC information.
• Consult the QTAC Year 10 Tertiary Prerequisites guide for areas of interest, courses
available and course information.
• Importantly, subject selection is a decision that requires you to think carefully about
what you are good at and what you genuinely enjoy doing as you tend to
achieve well in subjects that you are passionate about completing.
• Most importantly, if you do change your mind along the way there are always other
pathways that will take you to where you want to be… so all is not lost!
How NOT to choose subjects:
• You think you will get a higher tertiary entrance rank by doing this subject.
• Your friends are taking it. Your friends will have different abilities, interests and
motivations to you.
• Your favourite teacher is taking it. This can be short term thinking. Teachers
often change classes or even schools.
1.33 Subject choices – World of work
• You want to go on a particular excursion. You could endure years of misery for
the sake of that one excursion.
• You’ve heard it’s a ‘bludge’ subject. There are no ‘bludge’ subjects – students
who may think this, are probably not doing very well. A subject can be very easy for
one student but quite difficult for another. We all have different strengths.
• You need to do it even though you hate it. If you need to do a particular
course, there will be a lot of that subject in that course... carefully consider if this
subject or that course is right for you.
• Boys/girls don’t do that subject. There are no separate subjects for boys and girls.
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1.34 QTAC – Starting your journey