High school is usually where students begin to feel closer to the realities of the world and where they take on more challenges. The school, but mainly the curriculum, affects children’s education, and now more than ever, we need to focus on what is essential for the student’s future, not the present.
Some high school subjects are a must, while some are optional. In this optional phase, you can choose whatever you are most passionate about, what your parents think you should study, and what you think helps you in your future path. All of these are from the curriculum that school puts at your disposal.
What are the best courses? There is no correct answer to this, but we can help you with some ideas.
How to choose the right high school courses for your future?
There are some mandatory courses you need to graduate and some others that you need to apply to university. Depending on the university you choose, you may need to take more foreign languages classes, economic classes etc. however, choosing your university is not on the top priority list when you start high school.
Every state and country has different education systems, so be aware of your country’s offers. Do this with your parents to get a good idea of your needs. The school counselling department will help you understand the mandatory curriculum requirements and the graduation process. We believe this is the point where you can see if the school fits your needs and passions.
In choosing the extra courses toad to your curricula, you need to have at least one aligned to your passions. This is a sure way to make the most of that extra course.
Mandatory high school subjects
If you know you will choose a university abroad, you should select an international high school that will offer you the curricula and the diploma you will need at university. However, choosing a local high school is not wrong, as you can always give extra exams and take on extra courses to go to the university of your choice. More than this, almost any high school in any country has the basic mandatory school subjects that help you gain the same knowledge.
The mandatory highs school subjects are:
- English (or the national language of the country you live and go to high school in) the study of literature is a way of growth for the student’s speech, writing and speaking. It will be helpful no matter the university or career path a student wants to follow afterwards.
- Mathematics is necessary in your day to day life by offering you the knowledge of numbers, geometry and space and understanding the economics of the world we live in.
- Science classes such as biology or physics show you how changes and the environment contribute to your life and their importance. While you might not be passionate and give extra time and deepen your knowledge more into these, the basics are a must.
- Social studies are all about understanding the generalities of this world. This includes history, economics, geography. They all offer basics like knowledge of locations and your country’s neighbours, the history of your people, and understanding the connection between countries.
- Foreign languages help you form relationships with other nationalities and increase your circle of friends. Knowing a second language is not a demand for all the countries’ high school curricula, but it is for most.
How many extracurricular school subjects to choose from?
There is no correct answer, as different curriculum subjects require extra effort and time. Thus, the number of additional courses depends on your extracurricular activities.
Make sure you do not overdo your school courses. You must have the time for each of your classes and focus on it. Thus, some of the extracurricular subjects you can choose from are:
- Physical exercise is also an elective course for some states, while others have this as a mandatory course. Many high school students think of it as useless. Still, now that I’ve come to an age where I understand better the implications of physical exercise, I reinforce the message that it is essential in every student’s development and academic achievement.
- Arts can be an introduction to everything beautiful.
- Computer science is a skill that most people possess, but if you need a deeper understanding of it, you can take an advanced extra-curriculum course.
- Business is for the open-minded ones that like challenges.
- Graphic design can be tricky with a common maths knowledge, but you need to be passionate about it to understand it.
- Psychology is and forever will be a challenging course, and only those that feel they can help others should take it.
Spark School offer
At Spark International Hybrid High School we offer diverse curricula that can fit all students’ needs.
We offer you to choose between IGCSE courses like Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Combined Science, Computer Science, Economics, English Language, French, Geography, History, Maths, Physics, Spanish, AS level courses like Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Maths, Media Studies, Business Studies, Geography, Psychology, Spanish. We are flexible in letting you choose the subjects, but highly recommend the usual mandatory ones to be taken. A full-time IGCSE student can select 5 to 7 subjects, where 5 is the minimum and the recommended number to cover essential areas of education. A full-time AS level student can choose any 3 or 4 subjects, 4 being the recommended number subjects.
If you need different subjects, you can take them from the others left.
Conclusion
Having the proper schedule for your life is necessary, as this is the key to succeeding in high school. Ask help from parents, teachers, mentors, and they will help you choose suitable high school courses and create a schedule that allows you to have an excellent academic experience.