Decide for your Future: Choosing a Senior High School Strand

 

Are you excited to kick off your Senior High School adventure, but still find yourself on the horns of a dilemma? Imagine yourself standing at a crossroads, and you’re not moving because you have no idea which road will lead you to your destination. It may sound distressing, but there is no point getting steamed up about it. Taking steps forward is the only way for you to advance your journey because if you want to obtain your college diploma, there is no escaping Senior High School.

 

 

It has come to no surprise that a lot of Senior High School students complain about the hardship and challenges they encounter throughout the two-year program. Said another way, Senior High School is not easy, but it does not necessarily mean that it will leave you incapacitated. In fact, the two years of specialized upper secondary education provide a one-of-a-kind experience that will surely last a lifetime.

As intuitive thinking may not be enough, parents and students must take into account both the internal and external factors that might affect the decision. Hence, for Grade 10 completers, using strategies to weigh up the options is necessary before choosing a particular Senior High School strand. So, to turn your worries into courage, block out your plans and grab your pen and paper as we zero in on the wise ways of choosing Senior High School strands using PEERS, a strategic method that we devised especially for you.

  

P - Point up your skills.

Entering Senior High School is on a par with setting upon your future career; thus, making wise decisions that correlate with your long-term goal is crucial before making an entrance into this two-year upper secondary education. While you are still thinking about the Senior High School academic strand that you are going to take, we suggest pointing up your skills.

Skill is the knowledge and ability that enables you to do something well (Collins Dictionary, n.d.). Every student has distinct potentials that can make them stand out. On this account, knowing your skills can help you find a career of your own choice. Some of our students feel insecure of their qualification because most of the time they experience failure, especially in meeting the demands and requirements of their chosen academic strand. Had they found their inner peace before enrolling, they wouldn’t have shed tears over insecurities and regrets.

 

 

Since choosing a strand is the preliminary to planning your future career, try to identify your skills and start leveraging them. Focus on the things that come easy to you, like communication, critical thinking, operating equipment, teaching a lesson, selling products to customers, or painting a portrait. Always remember that your skills will magnify your value and will allow you to shine. So give yourself some time to know your knowledge and abilities.

  

E - Envision your future.

Now that you have identified your skills, it can be inferred that you will begin to picture out your future. Try asking yourself this question: What do I want to do in the future? If done right, envisioning your future will help you achieve your goals. Imagine yourself ten years from now. Do you see yourself as a doctor, an engineer, a researcher, an entrepreneur, a teacher, a politician, a law enforcer, or other types of professionals there are in existence? When you think of your future self, do not just fantasize it, contemplate it. Ideate your future based on your own vision and in accordance with what exactly you are cut out for. Only then would you be able to make wise decisions, especially in choosing the Senior High School academic strand that is right for you.

 

E - Explore the different career paths that complement your skills. 

You have just accomplished self-awareness and have envisaged your future; you are now ready to look for the career paths that are suitable for you.

A career path is a sequence of jobs that leads to your short and long-term career goals. Some follow a linear path within one field, while others change fields periodically to achieve career or personal goals (Doyle, 2020). Typically, we advise our students to focus on the paths that encompass the jobs that will lead them to their ultimate career goals. For instance, if you opt for a long-term law career, you would ideally start as a paralegal, or a legal assistant. Since the type of degree you need to earn must correlate with your career goals, you would most probably pursue bachelor’s programs that offer relevant concentrations like pre-law and legal studies.

Subsequently, you would ask yourself this question: How will I be able to pursue my desired course in college? The next step will help answer your question.

 

R - Relate your career path to the Senior High School strands.

The Senior High School strands will take you to your career paths, so associating your desired course with them is a wise move to keep yourself on the right track. Besides, knowing each strand will also give you an idea about the subjects that you are going to take in Grade 11 and Grade 12. Doing so does not only provide insights, but will also help prevent stumbling blocks.

In Senior High School, students can choose one strand from the Academic track, which includes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM); and Humanities and Social Sciences (HumSS). Each strand will define the subject contents that the students will take.

STEM is the right strand for you if you want to become a doctor, an engineer, an architect, a pilot, or a chemist. Whereas, you can choose ABM if you want to take the path to entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, management, accountancy, economics, or advertising. On the other hand, you should enroll in HumSS if you want to succeed in the areas like education, law, psychology, journalism, counseling, or public administration.

 

 

Moreover, there are students who are still not sure about their interests and are not willing to gamble on choosing any of the three academic strands. For these students, the General Academic Strand (GAS) is the best choice. GAS is a Senior High School strand that takes on a generalist approach in preparing students for college. It covers various disciplines like Humanities, Social Sciences, Organization, and Management (Informatics College, n.d.).

Taking a year off before Senior High School is not a necessary solution because the General Academic Strand will give you the chance to weigh your options.

 

S - Settle on a plan of action.

After a long period of weighing things up, you are now down to the final stage: settling on a plan of action. Remember, what’s done can never be undone.

As you are about to reach a decision, consider the three essential actions. 1) Select the right strand: Senior High School strand will take you to your career path, deciding on the one that correlates best with your career goal won’t cost your future. 2) Choose the right school: A lot of schools offer relevant Senior High School programs, but not all will provide you a holistic education. So spend your time and money wisely; choose the school that unleashes your potential. 3) Establish a growth mindset: Magnify your skills, take actions according to your wisdom, and believe that you can be good at anything.

In brief, choosing a Senior High School strand is stressful as it requires one to utilize his or her mental faculty, plus the desire. In other words, deciding upon which strand you would take will challenge your heart and mind. But still and all, parents and students don’t have to fret constantly about choosing a Senior High School strand. As long as you take the right step, at the right time, you’re already on your way to a wonderful future. Be wise!

At CCSA, we help our students grow, engage, and transform, for them to be more ready to embrace college and the world. We integrate Christian Education to help our students grow holistically. Founded in 2003, our commitment is to foster in students the desire for academic excellence, character development, and social responsibility so they would be good stewards of God's creations. We adhere to our school’s life verse in Proverbs 9:10 that states: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” As such, we invest time and effort in teaching God's Word to the students and the CCSA community.

 

 

We offer Academic Track with the following strands: Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), and General Academic Strand (GAS). Consider CCSA and see the difference it will make to your education.

 

About the Author:

Christine Joy Cardino is an afficionado of human philosophy who imparts to the youth the association of language, culture, and social relationships.

 

 

References:

 

Accountancy, business and management (ABM) strand. (n.d.). Online SENIOR HIGH. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.onlineshs.com/abm/

Allen, S. (2019, May 1). How thinking about the future makes life more meaningful. Greater Good. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_thinking_about_the_future_makes_life_more_meaningful#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20thinking%20about,more%20generous%20and%20fulfilled%20lives.&text=Mindfulness%20is%20all%20the%20rage,compassion%2C%20and%20help%20our%20relationships

Armstrong, V. (n.d.). Leadership 101: Why you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. Leadership Life Support. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://leadershiplifesupport.com/know-your-strengths-weaknesses/

Doyle, A. (2020, June 26). What is a career path? The Balance Careers. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/career-path-definition-with-examples-2059765

GENERAL ACADEMIC STRAND (GAS). (n.d.). Informatics COLLEGE. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://informatics.edu.ph/senior-high-school-tracks/general-academic-strand-gas/#:~:text=GAS%20is%20a%20Senior%20High,Sciences%2C%20Organization%2C%20and%20Management

How to make the right career choice based on your skills? (n.d.). CareerSpark. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.careerspark.org/post/how-to-make-the-right-career-choice-based-on-your-skills

HUMSS strands. (n.d.). Online SENIOR HIGH. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.onlineshs.com/humss/#:~:text=What%20is%20STEM%20in%20senior,foundation%20for%20their%20college%20courses

Knowledge, skills, and abilities. (n.d.). Careeronestop. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.careeronestop.org/WorkerReEmployment/JobSearch/ReflectAnalyzeAndExplore/knowledge-skills-and-abilities.aspx

O, C. (2021, June 29). What is STEM? TOPUNIVERSITIES. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.topuniversities.com/courses/engineering/what-stem

Robinson, T. (2021, August 12). Law careers. Best Colleges. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.bestcolleges.com/careers/law/#:~:text=You%20can%20pursue%20many%20careers,%2C%20politics%2C%20and%20law%20enforcement

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) strand. (n.d.). Online SENIOR HIGH. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.onlineshs.com/stem/#:~:text=What%20is%20STEM%20in%20senior,foundation%20for%20their%20college%20courses

skill. (n.d.). In Collins Dictionary. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/skill