Arts and Humanities 11th & 12th subjects

06 May,2023  |  By Brainwonders

Imagine that! You have just found out your 10th grade results. You are excited about all the prospects that await you; you can finally choose what you've always wanted to do! Your relatives and neighbours bombard you with questions about your future plans and the subjects you will choose and you tell them how passionate you are about studying   "Humanities". Now you see all their excitement about your future plans crumble. It's a story any humanities 11th grader will tell you.

Of course it's a fun little trick you can play if you don't want people to "really bother you about your future plans" so they can then project all their expectations onto someone else and save a long list of their advice (by someone, i.e. someone who chooses STEM and Commerce fields).

Jokes apart, a few perceived realities vs. ideal realities about the discipline of Humanities have been discussed below:

1. “There are only a few career options after a degree in Humanities”

Well, to the contrary, there is so much that could be done and the opportunities are endless. Surprise, being a Teacher is not the only option we have after an Arts degree!
Do you want to bring about a change nationally and internationally? There we go, a degree in Political Science and Public relations Economics and Law would enable you to work in collaboration with the government to advise to reform laws, construct policies in various areas like education, employment, study and thrive for world peace, help strategically deal with political system, their movements and managing conflicts at global level, analysing risks, data analysis, identifying root causes of financial problems in the market, organization and individual provide for legal counsel to individuals, companies, NGO’s, government, etc. and to keep them out of legal disputes  and much more (Kaur, 2018).

Psychology

A field that is science concerned with Behaviour. Psychologist follow scientific methods, assessments, observation and experimentation in humans and nonhuman animals. There are various subfields such as Clinical Psychology, Cognitive and perceptual Psychologist, Community Psychologist etc that empower the community to help improve their well-being.

Languages such as French, German, Hindi and Sanskrit have gained huge recognition in the recent years. Translation, interpretation, Tourism, Government, charity and international development, National Intelligence and security provide could be some job prospects.

There  are so many more careers like that of a Graphic designer, Art Director, Archivist, Anthropologist, Technical writer, Author, Hotel Management, curator , Archaeologist , Librarian, Sociologist, Historian that can be taken up by students thinking about opting for Humanities after their 10^th Grade.

2. “You opted for a life out of the rat race, it must be easy for you”

Oh no, you are wrong! We're definitely doing our part in the race. I believe, intrinsic factor plays a role here in your motivation to do better and do better. The “next best thing” that drives us to do more is subjective – and varies from person to person. Similarly, choosing a particular discipline cannot be correlated with entering the rat race. It is just a personal choice that an individual makes, no matter what field they are in.

Studies in neuroscience speak of the art of seeking pleasure more than goals, which is the key to satisfaction. Jaak Panksepp, a neuroscientist, discusses neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that are involved in reward and pleasure that motivate a person to always be better than before. The fact that we don't have everything we want is in itself an incentive to work harder. (Goldhill, 2016).

For instance, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs talks about how an individual strives where we wants to thrive. Moving up the hierarchy, is solely based on if the person is motivated enough and desires the next step. Past research has referred to the work of “psychologically active people” to be creative and constantly striving to reach their full potential (Miller, 2019). Therefore, the effort to do so must be continuous, motivated and innate. A person who desires growth and autonomy knows well that getting the best will make him feel that way and put himself in the race.
 You can be in any form of discipline i.e.  Science and Commerce and still choose to be out of the rat race – it’s a personal choice!

3.“You didn’t score enough to get into Science or commerce”

Any discipline in science, commerce, or humanities has nothing to do with your grades or cognitive abilities.

A research article by Sabine Bergner (2020) describes a two-year longitudinal study of cognitive and career interest tests in 253 college students to predict leadership and entrepreneurial intent. The study continued for two years to determine that a combination of personality traits, interests, and cognitive skills was needed to predict leadership intent and success.

If you look into Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory, human intelligence can be differentiated into eight types which consists of verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial, logic mathematical, bodily kinaesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic. This theory holds that intelligence should be viewed as a whole and only certain categories should not be considered when determining a person's mental abilities.
Determining your strengths, weaknesses, aptitude and capabilities aligning them with your interests then help you figure the potential careers that could be best suited for you.

3. “You must be either rich or not so worried and serious about your future”

Not necessarily, I hope that choosing to be born with a silver spoon was an option, but it is not.  We very much have direction and goals set than just carrying forward what our parents build.

British F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton was raised by a single parent. His father worked two odd jobs to save money for his son’s go-kart. After that, a chance came with the support program from McLaren and Mercedes Benz for young drivers. Today, the same underprivileged childhood boy is a seven-time world champion. What if his father thought it was just a hobby and took on this unconventional profession as a child's joke?

 Some else’s hobby can be someone’s passion. The movie ‘Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy’ quotes a beautiful line “Refuse when the society’s ruler tries to measure you”. If you are passionate to reach a goal – the one factor that unites all successful people in equal measures, you have won.

In summary, having to choose a career path after grade 10 is definitely an overwhelming and difficult decision. Signing up for a session with a career counsellor who can test your interests, skills, personality and intellect and lead you to  a promising career is a wise choice. Talk to university students / graduates who are already participating in this process. Contact Professors directly on LinkedIn / cold mailing or with someone who can properly clarify your queries regarding the subject you want to opt for. Discuss, evaluate, re-evaluate, and weigh the pros and cons with your friends and family and you should be good to go!