Science, Commerce or Arts: How to choose the right steam after high school?
Some people think battles are only fought in the ground but the truth is biggest battles are fought inside our own homes and minds.
One of the biggest fights that Indian teenagers fight is right after their 10th board examinations. The fight is to pick one between science, commerce & arts.
While many Indian families try to have it their way and push their ward into a stream of their choice it is also true that even most students are not confident enough to acknowledge their interests and take decisions accordingly.
In this blog, we would discuss, how a student should choose his stream after high school.
Which is the best stream for you?
While trying to answer which stream to go for after 10th class, one first needs to understand that there is no SINGLE answer to this question.
Glorification of one stream over another is nothing but oversimplification. Just because computer science graduates get the highest opening salary compared to other fields doesn’t mean that all the students should be pushed to go for science and become software engineers.
The constant pressure on a student to take up commerce because the father is a chartered accountant or take up arts just because the mother is an English professor is detrimental for holistic growth.
The first step is to understand that no other person should impose his/her worldviews, interests and ideas on a student. At best, we can share our experiences, and knowledge and help them in the decision making process.
Career growth opportunities in each stream
Science
The career opportunities in science do not mean engineering. There is a multitude of things you could do after studying science in senior secondary. Other than just going for a wide range of engineering from computer to biotech
- You could also go for further research in any of your fields of choice. Many government programmes and colleges offer stipends for pursuing research.
- You could also do scientific blogging, & technical writing. Clubbing your scientific knowledge and any creative skill like writing or graphic designing you could also become a science communicator.
- Archaeologists, geologists, chemists, consultants, nutritionists, dieticians, food technologists and much more. Just think of any of your passions and there is a possibility it can be clubbed with science for a successful career. For example, you can use your knowledge of science and passion for health & fitness to make a career in well-being.
- You could also become a science tutor, either with a school or an independent tutor. You can register yourself as a tutor with Scholarbees.
Commerce
Similarly with commerce also, you could do a wide range of things. If your interest lies in numbers, trade, managing accounts, economic policies then it is better if you opt for commerce.
With commerce, you could go for many high profile career options like Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, anything related to stock trading, financial management, Business administration etc.
You could also appear for a range of government examinations and have a stable career with a government job like Bank PO.
For CA you need to appear for an entrance exam called CPT and for Bank PO also you have to write an exam. You can also check out our blog on how to ace competitive exams.
Arts/ Humanities & Social Sciences
Many people think arts is just about writing UPSC or becoming a teacher. It is not true. If you’re studying humanities and social sciences then also you can go for many different career options like:
A researcher, a lawyer, a journalist, a poet, a writer, a school teacher, a professor, designer, a photographer, videographer, politician, artist, singer etc.
For a lawyer you need to appear for CLAT and for doing research you need to pursue higher education in your area of specialisation but most other fields do not generally have any specific degree requirement.
There are many jobs and career options that are independent of your stream and slowly more and more jobs are becoming like that.
Careers independent of the stream
When you hire a digital marketer or a graphic designer then it won’t matter for you which stream they study during their senior secondary. Right?
With changing times, technology is growing at a fast pace and hence more and more career opportunities are coming.
When I was doing my 12th and writing my JEE I had never imagined that I would be a blogger and a Digital Marketing freelancer. Because there was no such thing back then.
Search Engine Optimisation, Creating or editing digital content, branding etc do not require any specific stream. There are millions of options out there that do not care about your stream.
Choosing the right stream:
Choosing a stream depends on two factors broadly:
- Interest
- Opportunities
Now there are all kinds of myths in society. Some feel commerce is the best stream for career opportunities, some feel science, and some feel it is better to go for arts than eventually become a teacher.
Before deciding your stream: you need to assess your interest area. When you pick a stream then in a way you’re getting married and making a commitment of a lifetime to stick with that stream. So you have to make sure that you choose what you really like and won’t mind giving a few more years of your life.
As far opportunities are concerned we have seen they are available in all streams. We need to just identify the areas in which we have natural talent and interest.
What if I do not know my interest or expertise? Can I get some guidance to choose the right stream for me?
ScholarBees: Career counselling
Career counselling gone wrong can do so much damage to a student’s career. Hence, it is important to talk to a few people with experience, good intentions, expertise and knowledge before we decide which stream to choose or which branch to go for.
Things to note
- Our own friends, family and siblings at times are not fit to guide us for career counselling. The reason being they have their preconceived notions about us, our abilities and how they want us to grow.
- It is better to get guidance from someone who has no intentions of making us act in a certain way, has knowledge, experience and expertise in the related fields.
- It is better to take professional help during career counselling because trying to save money, time and effort can become a costly affair for your career.
Professional help in career counselling
Scholarbees understand that getting professional help during the career counselling phases is instrumental for a student’s success. Hence, it has got you easy access to professional career counselling at affordable rates within the comfort of your home (online).
Let professionals be the guiding light in your career.
