Choosing the courses to take next year is filling many students’ minds this week.
The classes that they take in high school fill their transcript, a document that shows their courses, grades, honours and degrees. Post-secondary programs receive students’ transcripts when considering accepting them.
“We try to impress upon students to think about the big picture, not what they want to do in the moment. They have to think about the prerequisites for programs they might want to take after high school,” said Maralyn Lloyd, Carihi counsellor. Post-secondary programs such as university and college requirements can be very specific. Even if a course isn’t math based a student may have to have taken an academic math in Grade 11.
“I think course selection is stressful because it makes you think about your future.” Said Kiera Tsakonas, a Grade 10 student at Carihi.
If, after graduation, a student finds that they need a high school course or an upgraded mark, many colleges offer high school classes with free tuition.
At North Island College they can start the course anytime throughout the year and move at their own pace. So what is the key to selecting the right courses?
Lloyd offers advice that applies to all students, wherever they are planning on going after high school.
“Our message is always that you want to make informed decisions. Not that you need to know exactly what you want to do; you just need to be aware of all the possible opportunities – and there are a lot of them. We know that that can be kind of overwhelming so our goal is to have you keep doors open.”
