When it comes to high schools, students need to make the all-important decision about the choice of subjects. In most high schools in Malaysia, the choice is between the science stream and the arts stream. This is something that students are aware of right from the primary schoollevel. The international schools in Malaysia are known to provide a wide choice to students seeking to zero in on the right stream of study and are the best place for secondary schools admission.
As a matter of fact, high schools in Malaysia these days are very flexible with regard to the streams they make available to their high school students. Besides, there are indications that under the new Malaysian education policy, science and arts would be part of one stream because knowledge cannot be compartmentalised.
The thinking behind this is to ensure that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) become a part of everyone’s life as these are considered vital life skills in today’s times. When combined with arts and reading, it shall be updated to STREAM.
All of the above being stated, the fact of the matter is that one does need to choose between science and arts streams in Malaysian high schools as of now.
Here’s how one might make the right choice.
Know What the Streams Stand For
You should have a fair idea about what the different streams entail before zeroing in on one. Science and the arts both have their distinct attributes, catering to varied interests and skills. Let us look at this in some detail here:
1. Science Steam
Also known as STEM, the science stream comprises physics, chemistry, biology and maths, considered to be the crème de la crème of subjects. That is on account of the fact that these subjects help one forge careers in disciplines like medicine, engineering and IT. Though this stream allows one good career prospects, it does require one to put in long and intense hours of hard work.
2. Arts and Humanities Stream
This is the stream that encompasses subjects like languages, literature, economics and business. These may seem like easier subjects to study, but the fact of the matter is that these, too, lead to impressive careers in law, journalism, entrepreneurship, and creativity. Of late, there has been an exponential rise in skills involving communication, critical thinking and creativity in all parts of the world.
Making the Right Choice
Identifying the right choice of subject can often be a very difficult thing to do, as one is aware of the fact that one’s very future depends on that. A good idea to overcome this dilemma is to choose a stream that you feel comfortable with in terms of capitalising on your strengths. You should also take into account your prospects and the challenges that will arise from your choice. Here’s how you might do that:
1 . Know Your Strengths and Interests
If you are the kind of person who loves conducting experiments in the lab, then science is the stream for you. If, on the other hand, you like to participate in discussions or are a natural at creative tasks, you might want to consider choosing the arts and humanities.
2. Focus On Your Career Goals
Your choice of stream is determined by your career goal. If, for example, you want to become a doctor or engineer, you have to go for the science stream. On the other hand, if it is running a business or making movies that you would like to do in your life after school, then the arts is the stream for you.
3. Know What You Are Getting Into
It may be all very well to choose the science stream, but one should be prepared for the long hours of grind. Choosing the arts, on the other hand, is not necessarily a bed of roses. It expects one to be creative and have great writing skills.
Conclusion
The choice of a stream of subjects in high school is probably the most momentous decision a child will make in Malaysia or any other part of the world. That is because this choice will likely determine the course that a person’s life will take.
Students who want to become engineers, doctors and scientists go for the science stream, while those desirous of becoming lawyers, artists, actors and creators will choose the arts stream. Apart from aiding one to choose a profession of one’s choice, the stream of subjects one selects in high school is also determined by one’s personal aptitude, skill-set and likings.
What is of utmost importance is that one knows what one is getting into. It would be a terrible mistake to choose a stream of subjects that one is not comfortable with and get stuck with it for the rest of one’s life. The fact that the Malaysian education policy is being changed shortly to offer students a common stream of subjects comprising both STEM subjects and those from the arts stream will take care of this problem once and for all.
