How to choose the right high school courses

No one in the world knows your tastes, preferences, and abilities better than you do. The trouble is, you can be equally interested in more than one course! Even if course selection feels daunting, try not to put too much pressure on yourself: yes, your choices will have an impact on your future, but you’re not making any life-or-death decisions!

You may find yourself being influenced by the advice of friends and family. While it’s okay to listen to recommendations and opinions from people who know you and have valuable input to share, at the end of the day, the courses you choose are entirely up to you. Here are a few ideas to help with your decision-making:

• Find someplace quiet and free of distractions and take some time for yourself to think things through.
• Ask yourself how you prefer to learn: do you get more out of doing hands-on activities or learning about theory?
• Try to visualize your future career and what you’d like to do later in life.
• Brainstorm by drawing up a list of pros and cons, or create a mind map to get a clearer picture of the different possibilities each choice offers.
• Talk to your teachers and parents, or better yet, a guidance counsellor.
• Try not to choose a course just because your friend did; there’s no guarantee you’ll end up in the same class, or that the course will line up with your aspirations.

In Secondary III and IV, students are asked to choose between two compulsory courses: ST (Science and Technology) and AST (Applied Science and Technology).
 
What do they have in common?

ST and AST share more than 60 percent of their course material and focus on developing the same practical and theoretical competencies.

Both are quality courses that lead to an SSD (secondary school diploma).

How do they differ?

The main distinction between ST and AST is that they have different teaching approaches. The table below shows how the two courses compare. You must choose one or the other:

If you have a strong interest in science, you can also add Environmental Science and Technology (EST) or Science and Environment (SE) to your core courses in Secondary IV.

In Secondary IV, you can take Environmental Science and Technology (EST) or Environmental Science (ES) as an elective. Choosing either of these courses will allow you to take Chemistry and Physics in Secondary V. In other words, EST and ET are prerequisites for Chemistry and Physics.

At first glance, the EST and ES profiles look very similar. In fact, they share 60 percent of their course material and focus on developing the same skills. They also both address environmental issues.

It’s important to know that if you chose ST in Secondary III and want to take a science elective in Secondary IV, you must enroll in EST. Conversely, if you chose AST in Secondary III and want to take a science elective in Secondary IV, you must enroll in SE. In other words, ST is a prerequisite for taking EST, while AST is a prerequisite for taking SE.

In Secondary III, students are asked to pick their Secondary IV math course. This is a very important decision, as it generally determines their school curriculum for the next two years. For example, if you choose the Science Option (SN), you will likely follow this track in Secondary IV and V.
 
How do you choose the “right” math option? As with choosing any course, you should think about your future plans, your strengths, and your interests.
 
Though all three options encourage exploration, experimentation, and simulation, each has its own course of study.
 
Let’s take a closer look:
 
1 – Cultural, Social, and Technical Option (CST)
 
This option prepares you for further studies in social sciences, communications, or the arts. To help determine if it could be the right choice for you, ask yourself the following questions:
 

• Do you like group work? Why?
• Do you think you’re a good communicator?
• Do you like working on solo and group projects?
• Would you say that you have an entrepreneurial spirit?
• Are you interested in social causes?
• Etc.

 
Possible pre-university college programs:

• Humanities (non-administrative)
• Arts and literature
• Fine arts
• Dance or music

2 – Science Option (SN)
 
This option is specifically aimed at students who want to get into the fields of pure (natural) science and research. If this choice appeals to you, it’s important to make sure that it suits your personality. Ask yourself these questions:
 
Are you interested in understanding the origin of certain phenomena?

• Do you like to think, observe, and analyze?
• Are you interested in cause-and-effect relationships?
• Do you like games that require deduction and logic?
• Do you have a talent for finding the root causes of problems?
• Are you interested in science-related current events?
• Are you a critical thinker?
• Etc.

Possible pre-university college programs:

All of them, as long as you passed SN math in Secondary IV AND V.

3 – Technical and Scientific Option (TS)
 
This option is ideal for students who’d like to continue their studies in a technical or university program, in a field related to biology, administration, humanities, engineering, etc. To find out if this is the right choice for you, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you like manual work as much as intellectual work?
• Do you learn best by doing hands-on activities?
• Would you enjoy making recommendations?
• Do you like learning how things are made and how they work?
• Do you like games that involve physical material, like LEGO bricks?
• Are you good at correcting mistakes and proposing solutions?
• Are you interested in inventing and assembling technical objects?
• Are you curious about technological developments?
• Are you practical?
• Etc.

Possible pre-university college programs:

All of them, as long as you passed SN math in Secondary IV AND V

At the end of your SE or EST course, you can choose from the following options:

• Chemistry: Teaches students about the composition of elements, chemical reactions, and the properties of matter.
• Physics: Teaches students about the properties of matter and space-time through experiments and concept development.

Keep in mind that Chemistry and Physics have a number of prerequisites. Don’t hesitate to speak to your school’s guidance counsellor when you start Secondary III to make sure you have all the information you need.