As of now, I have completely finished grade 10. Exams are over and essentially my summer break has already begun. So what’s next? Grade 11 that’s what. I have already picked my courses months ago at the end of the first semester. Now, I want to share my thoughts and opinions going into the courses, in a two-part blog series.
The two courses I want to talk about first is English and Math. The reason for grouping them together is because these are the mandatory courses. I can’t really explain why I wanted a course if I had no choice in the first place. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t talk about how I feel about going into them. Starting with English, I feel decently confident I could do well in it. The course will probably consists of reading a novel, play, etc. All the trends that have appeared in every grade so far, unless grade 11 is really different. Math, on the other hand, I’m not as confident in. But after getting a tutor, I feel I could do better than I have in previous years.
The next course I want to talk about is grade 11 Computer Science. The reason for choosing this course is because I wanted to be a computer programmer. Now though, I’m not too sure. I still like programming and found making games really fun. However, I honestly don’t think I could get the required marks. I’ve never been a straight A student even when I’m trying. So expecting me to become one now? It’s not happening. I know people say if you try hard enough the impossible will become possible. But guess what? I did try and it hasn’t worked. So instead of focusing on a trade that has so much competition, I thought it would be better if I broaden my horizons. I could do this by picking up different skills that could complement my computer programming.
After Computer Science, I want to talk about Media Arts. Media Arts is a course I had taken during last semester and enjoyed it. During the entire course, there was only one unit I was iffy about, which unit three and this wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy it. It was just because we had to work in groups and the team dynamic wasn’t really working out. Never the less, I found the course really fun, especially the final project. As I’ve said before on a previous blog, our final project was creating a piece of media that incorporated two skills we’ve learned during the course. I ended up creating an animation using Photoshop and iMovie. During the process of making the animation, I felt a bit stressed but also enjoyed watching my project come together. It invoked a similar feeling to when I created my final game in grade 9. Perhaps it was just because I was passionate about the project. However, that was what pushed me to make the best animation I could. I actually enjoyed the project so much, that during the final phaseses, I actually contemplated taking this on as an actual profession.
The final course I want to talk about this week is Construction. In a way, this is the complete opposite of Computer Science and Media Arts. Everything in this course is hands-on, using tools to create wooden objects. After taking the grade 10 version of this course, I can safely say I enjoyed it. Completing a project always gave me a sense of satisfaction. Especially when I got to hold the finished piece, created from scratch, with my own two hands. However, I don’t think I would take this on as a profession though. It is fun, yes, but making a living off it? I don’t think I could mass produce anything for an extended amount of time. Still, this could become a nice hobby. One that could help make and save money, as long as I do a decent job. The practical skills I learned are also pretty handy, although this only extends to basic wiring and home repair. However, for a mark booster course, I learned a lot, and I think I could do just as well in grade 11.
Overall, the courses I talked about this week is just me thinking about future professions. I could honestly see myself working as an animator or maybe a game designer. Before this, I was just going to focus solely on Computer Programming. But that is just unrealistic for me. I don’t have the grades. And even if I did, I like working on things that eventually become a product I can interact with. In the end, only time will tell if I even get these courses.