What after Class X?

One of the most significant decision is stream selection after 10th.  With the board exams results out recently, it is now time for the grade 10th students, facing the question bold and clear in the minds of all-which stream to select? While very few know what they want to do and which stream to select to reach their goal, most of the students are still at the crossroads and pondering upon the thought of which direction to go , which stream to select. 

The journey till grade 10 is smooth sailing. The goal of every 10th grader is to excel in boards, in all the subjects, and that is the wiser thought for the time. However, in this race of scores and ranks most of the students forget to explore their interests and aptitude. This is what makes stream selection difficult for them. 

Students start thinking WHATS NEXT after 10th?

Gone are the days where most of the people opted for Sciences due to the opinion people have that sciences fetch better job opportunities. Now the scenario has totally changed. Many options are placed in front of a students. While some parents are still with the thought that sciences are the only fetching career, some parents encourage their wards to select the stream of their choice. 

The fact is, today courses and colleges are numerous. Then how do we narrow down to one stream, one course? Students do find the process of stream selection intimidating as they never thought of the next challenge they need to take. It is another transition that a student has to face and this time a major one.

The good news is there are different ways to help the students make an informed and wise choice. First, as adults, it is our duty to encourage students to explore the career options and start discussing about their goals and ideas about career and bring them out of the career related dilemmas they might have.

Some of the common dilemmas students have are about stream selection are:

Which board to select: This is another criteria that students need to decide. Boards like CBSE, ICSE, IB and state board are some options open for all 10th graders. There is no measurable research to easily decide one over the other. It depends on what kind of course the students wants to pursue further. While all the boards have syllabus almost at the same levels, the curriculum is something a student and parent need to understand. It is very subjective to each student’s requirement, interest and personality.

How to narrow down the choice: Often a merit student scores good marks in all the subjects. That is when score card does not help much in stream selection. It is the aptitude and interest that needs to be taken into consideration.

Sciences can fetch better career compared to other: It is an old myth originating decades ago. It is a good idea to keep yourself away from this talk and make a more personalized decision as each and every student has different interests and unique abilities. It is important to know about all the streams, its scope and changing trends. This widens the outlook and makes the student ready for a perfect career choice.

Now to give an outline of the stream choices available, we can say that all the courses can be divided into the four categories. Science: Mathematical and biological sciences that leads towards engineering and medical/non-medical careers typically.

Commerce: This is one of popular streams among students are inclined towards Business and Management. It can also go towards professional courses like CA, CS or CMA

Humanities: These are the non-science subjects like Psychology, History, Geography, Political sciences and Sociology to name few. Students from Humanities stream make their career towards teaching or they can also prepare themselves for competitive exams. 

Other: Some non- conventional careers like acting, gaming, interior design, movie making and journalism fall under this category. With certifications and proper training students can excel in these careers.

Stream selection after 10th is more of an exploration and research. As adults the best way to encourage student to come to a decision is to provide lot of career related resources, career discussions, and positive exposure towards career. It is very important to put all the career options in front of students and explain them about each choice. This is the time to explore and take the decision of a lifetime, As said by Gandhiji, The future depends on what you do today.

BY Vandana Dadi