Subject selection: A guide for creative students
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Who should I listen to?
Subject selection for your HSC studies is looming and the important choices you must make about your future are weighing on your mind. Your parents, teachers, friends and career advisors are telling you that your creative passions should be kept as a hobby, and that you should focus on choosing subjects that will lead to a “stable” career path and are common prerequisites for uni courses. You don’t want to study science, history or geography as these subjects just don’t interest you, and you don’t want to be stuck studying them for two years. You yearn to create new media and show off your creativity to the world, whether that be in the form of original films, videogames, art, websites or apps. What do you do?What subjects should I choose?
“Passion is in all great searches and is necessary to all creative endeavors” - W.Eugene Smith
Choosing a study path and possible career path for year 12 and beyond can be a daunting task. There are a large number of subjects available for students to study for the HSC. Truthfully, the best answer is always simple: do what you love.
Here are some subjects that you could consider choosing if you have a love of digital media.
[checklist icon="fa-pencil" circle="yes" size="small" class="" id=""] [li_item icon="fa-pencil" iconcolor="" circle="" circlecolor=""]Visual Arts – Visual Arts gives you a fantastic opportunity to be creative while you are at school. It allows you to develop a portfolio of artistic work in different mediums and mature your artistic style. The broad nature of the major work will prepare you for creative projects going forward. [/li_item] [li_item icon="" iconcolor="" circle="" circlecolor=""]Design and Technology – Similarly, Design and Technology will teach you the principles of establishing a portfolio of your work. D&T will also teach you the fundamentals of the design process, something which is important if you wish to work in a number of fields in the future, for example digital design or architecture. [/li_item] [li_item icon="" iconcolor="" circle="" circlecolor=""]Information Processes and Technology – If you are looking at any sort of career involving IT, IPT is a great subject to pick up for your HSC. You will learn the process and technology involved behind information systems as well as some of the social and ethical issues that computer systems present to wider society. It is a broad subject that can give you a wide scope of knowledge of the IT industry.[/li_item] [li_item icon="" iconcolor="" circle="" circlecolor=""]Software Design and Development – Software design is more specialised than IPT, and will teach you the fundamentals of programming. If you are interested in any sort of programming related career, whether it be games and app design, software or even engineering, this subject might be for you. [/li_item] [li_item icon="" iconcolor="" circle="" circlecolor=""]Mathematics – Basic mathematics gives you a solid framework of knowledge for any sort of career in IT. Don’t be intimidated by Maths! Embrace it and numerous exciting career prospects open up to you, including software engineering, systems design and games design. [/li_item] [/checklist] There are also a number of VET approved subjects that your school may offer if you do not plan to receive an ATAR which can create direct pathways to TAFE. For example a Certificate 2 in IT is offered for all stage 5 students. Ultimately it is important to choose subjects you enjoy and know will perform well in. Don’t choose subjects based on scaling or whether your friends are doing it.Life after School
The shining light at the end of the tunnel is the prospect of studying a field that is tailored towards what you love doing. Digital Media is a rapidly expanding field numerous career options. AIT Student Sagar Singh believes that following his digital passions has inspired him to work harder and makes studying less a chore.As the industry grows and technology gets more advanced, the sky is the limit for individuals who possess the skill and drive to push digital media forward.[one_half last="yes"][separator top="15"]“My ultimate career goal is to one day create a feature length film and make an impact in the film industry. AIT is helping me achieve this goal. Every project I do adds to my portfolio which showcases my broad range of skills. I have even received an award at the AIT Oscar night for Best picture for my film “Bound”. This is very encouraging. It’s friendly environment with a fun culture and wonderful staff. Everyone at AIT is willing to help each other out with their projects"[/one_half]
