Careers Information
In choosing a Year 11, 12 or 13 course make sure that your choice of subjects is relevant to your possible career needs. It is wise for students to think in terms of several possible career areas and therefore ensure that their choice of subjects allows for future flexibility. Contingency plans should be considered, especially by those intending to apply for admission into limited-entry courses. Your subject choices may of course be partly bound by what subjects you have taken in previous years.
Here are a few simple principles by which you can avoid career limitation:
1. If you are to be in Year 11, plan your Year 12 course as well. Check that you are taking the subjects which are prerequisites for your intended Year 12 course.
2. If you are to be in Year 12, plan your Year 13 course so that your choice of Year 12 subjects gives you a viable NCEA Level 3 course in Year 13.
3. If you are to be in Year 13, check carefully the list of Level 3 subjects offered and match subjects with your future desired qualifications.
4. You should first decide if you are at all likely to consider a scientific or engineering career. If so, in Year 12 you should consider taking English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. There are very few science careers which require Physics without Chemistry, or Biology without Chemistry. The fifth or sixth subject could be chosen according to your interests.
5. Mathematics. All scientific, commerce and technical occupations require Level 2 Mathematics at least. With the increased use of quantitative analysis in many Humanities subjects, the inclusion of Mathematics and Statistics at this level may increase the range of occupations available to you.
6. Assessment at university is often through essays and written assignment work and therefore a Level 3 Humanities subject such as English, Art History, History, Geography, Classical Studies and Economics can be of considerable benefit for university study.
7. Talk to your current course teachers. They can give you a good idea as to whether you should carry on in a course or not and where it might lead you. At the beginning of the year, senior students must have their courses confirmed at the designated course confirmation days.