How to Choose Your GCSE Subjects: 5 Tips for Year 9 Students

Take Your Time

Making a rushed decision, one that you didn't put much thought into, is likely to result in distress: you may end up choosing a subject that you don't find interesting or simply don't like. To avoid this, make sure you do your research and talk to your teachers if you're unsure whether or not you should take a subject. Certain subjects require more theory and coursework than you think, so don't choose one solely because you believe it won't require much writing.

Additionally, it's important to research the topics and concepts you'll be learning beforehand. Doing this may help you gain some clarity about what exactly a subject involves. A lot of the subjects available to you in Years 10 and 11 may be unfamiliar, so establishing at least a surface-level understanding of any new subject you decide to choose is essential.

Don't Let Your Friends Influence You

I'm sure you've heard this exact phrase from your teachers. You may find it unreasonable, as taking the same subjects as your close friends sounds like a great idea, but I assure you, it isn't. When it comes to making important decisions such as these, let the choice be yours and only yours. As the academic year progresses, you may begin to realise that, regardless of your friends taking the same classes as you, you don't truly enjoy the subjects you've chosen. If you were to discover this later in the year, past the point where you can change subjects, it could make studying the subject, especially when it comes to sitting the actual GCSE, incredibly difficult.

This goes without saying, but if you've made your own decision and a number of your friends end up taking similar subjects to you, then consider yourself fortunate: you have the opportunity to study a subject you enjoy alongside your friends. If you end up in a class filled with unfamiliar faces, use it as an opportunity to widen your social circle and get to know more of your peers.

Ask for Help

Although the ultimate choice should be yours, it's completely okay to ask for help from those who know more about the subject-choosing process than you do, whether that's your parents, a tutor, or a school guidance counsellor. Whoever it may be, asking someone for help gives you a third-person perspective on a specific issue you might be having, and could even make the whole process smoother for you. Asking teachers about subjects you're unfamiliar with, or about GCSEs in general, can be especially useful, as teachers are always well placed to offer you guidance and support.

Experiment With Your GCSE Options

Try not to get too stressed about picking the "correct" subjects, because all in all, there are no correct subjects. Most schools typically have a two-week (or sometimes longer) period at the beginning of Year 10 during which you can change the subjects you chose, if you happen not to like one or more of them. This gives you the opportunity to experiment. If you're not sure whether you should take a certain GCSE, attend its classes for a short while and see if you like it. If not, you can always switch to a different subject. It's completely okay to test the waters before making a firm decision.

Stay Calm

If you're stressed about choosing your GCSEs, just remember that, although it may not seem like it, all your peers are going through the same thing. No one is completely sure of what they want to take, irrespective of what they might tell you, and that's okay. It's alright to be indecisive in this situation.

Just be aware that no matter what choice you make, there's a good chance you'll occasionally wish you had chosen one subject instead of another as the school year progresses, because no one really knows what their GCSE course will be like until they actually experience it. However, choosing one or two subjects you didn't particularly like isn't life-altering, and won't severely impact you or your future.