 When you get a first division, family suggests us to study science. If you score less, it is management and other subjects. Now scoring first division doesn’t seem to be such a big deal but choosing a subject seems to be the big decision. I am an engineer. I studied science as I wanted to be a doctor which later changed into engineering. Now I want to be an entrepreneur, which requires a lot of management skills which I can learn myself. In fact, it doesn’t require any certificate to be an entrepreneur. You are your own boss. In a nutshell, choose your subject wisely but your tastes change as you grow older. Keep a place to adopt all those changes. Meet different people who are experienced in their fields and ask them about their job and scope of the subjects. And pursue things that help you to be what you want to be.

— Madhab Acharya, Ghattekulo, Maitidevi

 Everyone of us is aware of the transition from Class X to Class XI. Class XI is tougher than Class XII. This phase of dilemma must be a subject of discussion. And before choosing subjects, one must think about his/her interest and monetary issues. If you are good at problem solving and mechanical analysis, join Physics. Again if you love nature and its elements, join Biology. If you chose subjects forced by parents or lured by colleges, it is certain your A+ will be converted to C.

— Pritam Basnet

 It may be quite perplexing for any student who are on the course of pursuing higher education after the completion of SLC. In our society, there’s a general tendency that students with better percentage or good grades must enrol in the Science faculty regardless of their internal potential to excel in some other field of their interest. I would like to suggest aspiring students who have just crossed ‘The Iron Gate’ to just recognise themselves and enrol in the faculty of their interest. Since, this is the most critical stage of anyone’s life, one needs to be quite sensible, tactful and have a far-sighted vision in order to live a meaningful life. You just need to listen to your heart and excel in the field you are good in. Always focus on your strengths and move on accordingly. There may be many guardians to guide and mentor you. But, it is only you who is responsible for your decisions. After all, the life is yours.

— Sanjog Karki, Tansen-6, Basantapur, Palpa

 It is not always easy to follow a desirable career path; however, I suggest that one should try his/her best to pursue a career of one’s choice in spite of all odds that one may encounter in life. One could be successful if one can integrate his/her natural talents, inclinations and interests together towards designing a successful career. The first step towards achieving that goal is to pick the subjects necessary to follow a desired career destination. For that one has to rely on his/her gut feelings, experiences and review his/her past successes and interests diligently. Not everyone can be good in science or commerce; one must not consider that to be a loss or misfortune, but instead look into his/her inner self to realise what is more close to his/her individual choices or liking. One should consult parents, teachers, peers and friends to understand and discover individual’s strengths and weaknesses; and then after comprehensive review decide to choose the subjects to follow the desirable career destination rather than a random choice with no thoughts behind it. One also needs to review the grades/marks received and have a realistic career goal to match an individual’s ability, interest, academic strength and career objectives. Career counselling centres could also be a good stop over. In short it is important to be open and vigilant; and follow one’s inner instinct to select suitable subjects suitable for pursuing a desirable career.

— Saikat Kumar Basu

 The SLC result has come out and the grading system has come into use to make sure that students will be able to study subjects according to the grade they obtain. Due to this, they won’t be able to study subjects which they want to. In this condition, proper counselling would come in handy. It would help them decide which subject they need to choose in order to make them become the person they rightly want to be in their life. No matter whether any student is brilliant, average or dull, counselling is highly required in order to shape them career. Besides, students should be guided by their parents, teachers and even their relatives when it comes to choosing the subject which will be useful for them. The other thing is that they should also be thoughtful, logical and careful when it comes to deciding which subject really suits them the best.

— Pratik Shrestha, Buddhanagar, Baneshwor

 Even though students after their SLC examination think that they are mature and know everything about what to do and what not to do, they are still teenagers and need guidance from their parents, teachers and elders. Parents are responsible for what their children will be. They know their children better than any other person. After SLC, students are not mature enough to decide which subjects to choose and which college to go, besides their own interest. They could be influenced by friends or advertisements of colleges. Even their own interests sometimes is based on their friends or others. So parents and teachers must guide the students as per his/her behaviour, capacity and interest. As such students should take up subjects in which they can give their best. Meanwhile, in selecting college, parents have to be wise as well. Attractive advertisements do not mean quality education. Parents and students should together visit colleges while students should be a part of orientation classes provided by different colleges to evaluate them and make an informed decision. Meanwhile, expensive colleges don’t mean quality education. To join an educational institution, we should make sure whether our subjects are available in that institution or not. Moreover, one’s economic condition as well as the reputation of a college should be taken into consideration.

— Himanshu Jha, Lalitpur

 The SLC result is out, and those who have passed the ‘Iron Gate’ are now preparing to pursue their higher education. These students are at the most crucial time with all their confusion in choosing suitable subjects for them. For this, they must know their subjects in which they can excel in the future. They need to know their capabilities and creativity so that they can chose subjects accordingly. Choosing the right subjects is highly recommended for students because if they choose the wrong subjects, then it is going to be a big obstacle in their future. For their bright and successful future, their skill in particular subjects play major role in their life.

— Sabina Sharma, Maitighar

 Choosing a subject that perfectly fits the student’s field of interest is not as easy as choosing clothes. There is no hard and fast rule to select the subjects. Field of interest or subject of interest is not a matter to be discussed with anyone. I think that interest is an abstract thing and it comes automatically within the heart of the student. There will be no reason why a student chooses a particular subject. Because it is his heart that tells him/her to choose a particular subject in which he can surpass. However, things are different in Nepali society. For example a student with GPA of four is without a doubt a Science student in Nepal regardless of his interest in different areas. Can’t toppers be students of humanities or management? Can’t toppers be bankers and business-persons? Can’t a student with good GPA in Mathematics and Science and poor GPA in others be a doctors and engineers? In my opinion, the choice of subject should be made by the student alone without any family pressure and that will be the best choice for every student to get success in any level of education.

— Anonymous

 Your life actually starts to take some direction after SLC. And it’s obviously you who can choose which direction to follow. Before choosing any subject, do spend your time listening to all those experienced people. However pursue what your heart says. Get as much as idea you can about that dream you have in your mind. Do the research and learn every perspective about the subject you are willing to seek.

Talking about the educational institution choose a place where you can enhance your educational background and simultaneously widen your co-curricular horizon. Those two years in college are the best time you can spend to groom yourself, so don’t just rush into any institution blindly by looking at their huge designed buildings or highly promised advertisements. Take your time to know about the teachers and the institution’s academic past. Well, the future you want is all in your hands. This is the time when you are about to open the first door towards your dreams. So don’t you ever let your grades or the society decide anything for you. Just believe in your dreams and have the courage to follow them. Best of luck to you all!!

— Anonymous

 I took my SLC back in 2064 BS, at the time there were only few options on my hand. Many of my elders and seniors were studying management, arts and science. There was a belief in people that it will be good to study further, on the basis of percentage gained in SLC. There was a trend for students who scored distinction to study science while people with first division studied management and the rest would study arts. But don’t worry if you did not perform well in the SLC exam because it is just a number and it will not affect your future rather it is just a certificate which will be required to enrol to higher education in which you might get some scholarship based on your grades.

I was an average student and took bridge course of management for its entrance test of +2 level. I would like to suggest the SLC graduates not to be in dilemma. I know it is the biggest headache to choose subjects and institutions for your further study. Family members might pressurise some students or some student might follow his/her friends and some might also take their own decision. But one has to do research on the subject

s/he is taking. Another difficult task is to search for college. Hence I would suggest you to visit to at least five to 10 different colleges for counselling and then finally enrol to the best college.

— Saksham Shrestha, Wellesley, Massachusetts, US

 The most important thing that one should consider at first is their field of interest. But how are they going to find it? His/her field of interest is that in which s/he is doing well in school. Besides, proper counselling and orientation from seniors and teachers are also important to make an informed decision for higher education. If one isn’t sure what s/he is going to do after +2/A-levels, I recommend them to join +2 and study science if they think they can succeed in it, because most of the doors get unlocked from here. However, I’d like to remind everyone that joining science faculty, or management, or even A-levels isn’t compulsion just because your SLC grades are attractive. There are more options like humanities, education, and also technical education and vocational training!

— Surendra Karki

 We have the tradition of believing SLC as a foundation of education. Hence, right after passing their “Iron Gate” most of the people’s first question would be what they are going to study? Majority of students know what they are going to study. But some of them are confused regarding their future path and to those students who cannot decide their career goal, the first thing I would strongly suggest them is to know their potential, capabilities, their interest area, their hidden skills and talents. And second thing is that they must be physically, mentally and financially capable for the subject they are going to study. While deciding to join an educational institution, one need to choose college according to the subject they are going to study. Moreover, they need to study about college’s past performance, scholarship programmes offered by the college, its physical infrastructure, extra activities and their teaching techniques.

— Shristi Kayastha, Bhaktapur

 Before joining any educational institution, one should be very careful and one should not judge a book by its cover. Similarly, one shouldn’t be enticed to join a college by just getting attached to its name and fame because nowadays most of the students merely talk about a college which is more expensive, standard and popular. Instead one should look for the one which provides good quality of education and facility et cetera to the students. Also, these days lot of schools and colleges are increasingly being established. It has become sort of competition to found educational institutions for the sake of money. So, it is not necessary that every educational institution can satisfy one by providing good education. So, one should be careful and consider many things before joining an educational institution.

— Nurbu, Kopan Monastery

 Students need to be clear which subject is easy to them and the subject chosen by them will be right in their future or not. Most of the parents force their children to choose science so that they will become doctor and engineer in the future but they don’t ask their children what they want to study and what they want to become in future. I have seen lots of students dropping college because they are not able to study the subjects they chose as some were forced by their parents while others had followed their friends instead of thinking by themselves what is good for them.

In our Nepali society, people think that those students who study management and humanities are the weak students and they are dominated by the society. So the students hesitate to study them but the society don’t think that all students don’t want to become doctor or engineer and they would want to be something different and unique. Instead of forcing children, parents should know what their children want to be and should guide them. Freedom should be given to the students to choose their favourite subjects.

— Sonika Lamichhane

 Before joining an educational institution, the students have to find out their interest area and where they want to go. Management, science, humanity and A level are main fields to read and these all are creating confusion to them. As a student of bachelor’s level, I suggest them to go to the well known colleges which have both fame and an excellent education system. These colleges motivate and provide scholarship to hardworking students. Yes, they attract through physical infrastructure and create confusion to students which way to go. So in this situation, students should wisely step forward and take help of elders, read newspapers where the colleges are ranking by their educational achievements. It is just the beginning of new life that directs towards the future.

— Anonymous

 It’s very hard for one to decide which subject to study after successfully passing the SLC examination. In the recent time, there has been so much of development in the educational sector where we can see lots of new courses which are being offered where a student can explore themselves according to their choice of study. But sometimes students do get confused in choosing the right subject they want to study as there are many options available around them.

I already knew what I wanted to study after SLC. Having interest in the subject like English literature, I was sure that I was going to join humanities after I was done with SLC. I did like I had thought and humanities also has other subjects like sociology, mass communication and journalism for my liking. Basically I was keen in learning the new subjects exploring myself and I think I made a right decision in my life by choosing the subject which I have interest in learning. Therefore, while choosing a subject one should at first know about their interest where they want to explore themselves in future. Getting influenced by others and choosing the subject under pressure of someone from the family in which you are not interested will ruin your life. So one should make a right decision now and not regret later. One should also make a wise decision while joining a college by looking at all the different aspects that a college offers — studying environment, the faculty, the courses it offers and quality of education. You should go for something which is best for you and your future.

— Tejaswi Pahari, Jawalakhel