5 Steps to Make the Right Decision about Subject Stream in Class 11

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Updated on Dec 4, 2024 18:00 IST

By Class 10, you have had enough time to know and develop an interest in the subjects that you score well in and enjoy studying versus those that you dislike. It is important at this stage in your decision-making to be conscious and aware of your strengths and weaknesses so that in Class 11 you can take the right stream to further orient yourself into that domain.

By Kunal Sandhu

It is one of the most crucial decisions in choosing the right stream for students who are in class 11. It is a decision that will set the foundation for the candidates to make further decisions related to their academic goals and professional careers.

One of the first things to focus on while choosing the right stream is to calculate a candidate’s passion and interest. Make sure you select subjects that are of interest and determine your level of commitment, interest and motivation. For those candidates who love problem-solving and are fascinated by numbers, there is a high chance that they will be more inclined towards choosing Mathematics, Science stream or computer science. On the other side, candidates who are inclined towards understanding human behaviours, social dynamics, history and creativity should go for the Humanities or Arts Stream.

As you breathe a sigh of relief after completing your Class 10 Board Exams, you are at a crossroads of an important decision – which subject stream to choose in Class 11 that will lead to a successful career. This can be a difficult time for students who are yet to learn about their career ambitions or how to reach them. But, you can rest assured, there is help.

Only a small fraction of students know exactly what they want from their careers and which subject stream they need to select to succeed. A majority of students need support to help them decide on their next step. Another small number make decisions based on what their peers and parents think would be good for them. To help you make the right decision today to succeed tomorrow, here are five simple things that you can do. With the help of some main factors, candidates can make well-informed decisions. In this Shiksha article, we will discuss some of the most crucial aspects of choosing the right stream in class 11.

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Step 1: Become self-aware

By Class 10, you have had enough time to know the subjects and now the situation arises where you need to make yourself aware of your strong subjects and weak subjects. One can always get confused here because at times maybe you are not looking forward to taking that strong subject in higher education or maybe your interest develops into another subject. Now at this dilemma, you can always ask this question to yourself by making a list of:

Subjects you would like to continue
Subjects you would like to discontinue and
Subjects you are confused or unsure of
Subjects of your interest

For subjects you are confused about, you should ask yourself questions like:

Do I really like Mathematics?
Am I good at it and could I be better if I had the right guidance and coaching?
Am I willing to spend time practicing Math, to improve my grades in class 11?

Step 2: Take a Career Test

A Career Test is a great starting point. Verified Career Tests are scientifically designed to help you get insight into your personality, motivations, interests and areas of strength that would help you succeed in a potential career. They often include variables such as academic performance to give you a complete roadmap of what subjects you can choose today for a successful career in the future. Once you have done the assessment, you can get one-on-one counselling with a professional to help you plan your next steps.

CONFUSED WHAT TO DO AFTER CLASS 10TH OR 12TH?

The Career Test helps you make the right choices about your Subject Combinations, Courses and Careers, thus providing clarity and validation on your Career Decisions.

Take Career Test Now!

Here is a quick overview of the subject stream options that most schools offer in India:

SCIENCE STREAM

The Science stream consists of Physics and chemistry as the core subjects and Mathematics and Biology as optional subjects. Science students can also choose electives from other streams such as Economics from Commerce, Psychology from Humanities. The Science stream offers many lucrative traditional career options such as Medicine, Engineering & Technology and Pure Sciences. Students who choose Science in school can opt for the Commerce and Humanities Stream for undergraduate studies if they wish to move out of the Sciences.

COMMERCE STREAM

The Commerce stream consists of Business Studies, Economics, and Accounts as core subjects and Mathematics is optional. Commerce students can choose electives from the Humanities stream and not from the Science stream. Commerce with Mathematics tends to be a popular choice among students interested in careers in Finance, Accounting, Investment Banking and Entrepreneurship among others. Students who choose Commerce cannot choose Science Stream for undergraduate studies in India. They can, however, opt for Humanities subjects.

HUMANITIES / ARTS STREAM

The Humanities or Arts Stream consists of Social Science subjects such as History, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, and Political Science as core subjects. Electives include Mathematics, Economics and Marketing. Humanities students can choose careers in Mass Communication, Journalism, Writing, Film Making and Community Service & Teaching among others. Students who choose Humanities cannot choose Science and Commerce streams for undergraduate studies in India. However, if the student has Economics and Math, they can opt to study Economics or Commerce in college.

Step 3: Learn about new subjects

You already have information about subjects such as – Science, Social Studies and Mathematics. Class 11 brings with it the option to choose many new subjects that you have not done earlier such as Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Biotechnology, and Marketing. Find out subject options available at your school and try to learn more about them to gauge your interest. It helps to speak to seniors who know the coursework to help you know more.

Step 4: Think about your long-term career goals

This is a tough but important step. Think about your future and work backwards to where you are today. You should ask yourself – What is important to you? Are you someone who likes structure and working independently or are you someone who likes to work as part of a team? Do you like routine or do you prefer flexibility? These are important questions that help you understand the kind of career you should choose and then decide the best Subject stream that would lead you there.

Step 5: Take an active approach to decision-making

Take an active approach towards decision-making by researching on your own, meeting and talking to peers, parents and teachers. You should look for Webinars, Projects and Internships that can help you learn more. Most importantly, remember there is no right stream or one-size-fits-all. The idea is to spend time to understand yourself and be honest about the decisions you make. Success in any field comes with hard work – if you are willing to give it your best, you will be successful no matter what.

Parents play a key role in helping children make this crucial decision, to know more about how you as parents can guide your child, read my article on Parent Guide: How to help your children make the right career decisions.

About the Author:

Kunal Sandhu is Founder & CEO of a specialised student assessment company). Kunal is an Electronics Engineer from Delhi Technological University and holds an MBA in Finance & Marketing from XLRI, Jamshedpur. His company CogitoHub uses predictive analytics and machine learning to help students and educators realise their true potential and perform better.

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Comments

(6)

Lavi Saini

a year ago

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I,m confused which stream I have to choose after 10th

a year ago

Humanities

3 years ago

Sir I want admission in delhi university so which stream I must choose in 11th

Reply to Vansh Garg

Aastha nigam

3 years ago

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I'm confused which stream I have to choose after 10th

Reply to Aastha nigam

GURSHEEN KAUR

3 years ago

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please can anyone guide me that when I choose science as a stream but I neither like biology nor maths instead I prefer physics and chemistry and else I choose psychology becoz my main goal is to study psychology and I have taken now eng.,physics,chemistry,psychology and computer sci. so it is right