Lately, I’ve taken more interest in the different tracks in our school as Year 11 is no more than 7 months away and I haven’t made up my mind as to what I really want to study yet. So, in the past week, I’ve been interviewing people from the humanities track, answering all the questions I’m sure we all have and the ones you haven’t thought about yet. If you’ve yet to have an idea of what you want to pursue in life (like me), read along, because this track might be the one you choose.
First of all, I want to start by saying that humanities is not a specific track. Unlike the medical track, in which you learn about the human body, or train to be a doctor in some way, humanities is the core to many jobs. Jobs like authors, translators or even chefs are linked to the humanities as there is a really, really wide variety to the track itself.However, to put it into simple terms,humanities is for people who don’t want to go that “deep” into business nor into the sciences, but that doesn’t mean it’s in the middle of those two tracks either; it’s just for people with different interests.
What made you choose humanities?
Most people chose humanities because it suits their interests, and the classes are compelling to them. It is also seen as a track that has a rather flexible timetable, as it gives them time to work on to prepare for their tests or build their portfolios. I think this is a very interesting question because one’s interests don’t apply to others. Which brings us onto the next question: what subject do they study?
What subjects are in the humanities track?
The majority of the people think that the track gives you a lot of free time, but in reality, their timetable is just the same as everyone else’s. Their classes include:
- Financial management
- Organizational behavior
- IELTS
- English for business
- Politics
- Business strategy
- Human Resource Management
- Psychology
- SPO/PA/Essay
- Product and service development
- University preparation class
- Character development
- Optional classes : Some classes you see here are optional. students can either choose to take them with NBS, or just drop them to prepare for other university preparations.
Do you need to possess a particular skill or talent to join the track?
No, you do not. Many different people, with different interests and different talents can join humanities, since it is such a diverse track. All you need is responsibility- a requirement in any track really- and then the rest is simply just enjoying what you learn. It is most important you find what you’re interested in first. If you feel unsure, I suggest contacting your supervisors for help!
What jobs can you pursue in the future?
You name it. As I said before, it is a very well-rounded track, so there are plenty of jobs you can pursue. Humanities is split into three big groups, and in those big groups are hundreds of jobs. Here are some examples:
- Language-based careers:
- interpréter
- translator
- diplomat
- flight attendant or any other jobs that are related to languages.
- Societal-based careers:
- lawyer
- judge
- teachers and any other jobs about laws or the lives of people.
- Business-based careers:
- entrepreneur
- marketing, advertising, public relation careers e.t.c
What are the cons of the track?
As the track is relatively new, there are still many aspects of the track that haven't been completely perfected yet, here are some improvements the track should make :
For starters, they should have more teachers. Some teachers teach the same class and sometimes, it can get quite boring. Moreover, rather than learning with NBS, more subjects should be added that are related to humanities. At first when the track opened, I was told the students had a timetable with only 1-2 track related subjects. The curriculum was very vague and lacked a detailed plan, resulting in a poor environment for the students as well as the teachers, limiting their ability to conduct their classes and activities due to the lack of student participation. However, there have been many improvements to the classes and schedules, and the track has been given more recognition.
Lastly, I would like to thank everyone I interviewed for this article, for their time and patience. I wouldn’t have been able to write this article without you, so thank you very, very much. Humanities is, to me, a multidisciplinary track, filled with many unique lessons that can prepare you for the real world. The track is like a playground : self-taught, fun and effective and to me, is a crucial track every school should have.