This is what you need to know before choosing your profile in HAVO or VWO

Choosing a profile sounds pretty intense. As if you need to know what you want to become later at age 14 or 15. Doctor, entrepreneur, lawyer, engineer, teacher, psychologist. While you probably don't know exactly what all those studies or professions involve yet. Fortunately, you don't have to. 

Your profile choice is important, but it doesn't determine your entire future. It's mainly a direction. You choose which subjects you'll take in upper secondary school and which studies will connect more easily later. But you really don't need to know exactly what you want to become later to make a good choice. 

What is helpful: understanding how the system works and which directions you can go with each profile. 

In havo and vwo you can choose from four profiles: 

Each profile has mandatory subjects and elective subjects. Some subjects everyone takes, like Dutch and English. Additionally, you choose subjects that fit your profile. The most important thing is that you choose a direction that fits what you find interesting AND what you're reasonably good at. 

Culture & Society often fits students who are good at languages, history, art, social studies or creative subjects. You might enjoy thinking about people, behavior, communication, culture or society. This profile is sometimes seen as the most "human" direction. You're less busy with exact calculations and more with understanding how people think, live and interact with each other. 

With this profile you can later consider studies like communication, journalism, psychology, social work, education, law, history, art, media or cultural studies. In terms of careers, you might think of teacher, journalist, communication officer, psychologist, social worker, policy advisor, writer, designer or someone who works in media. This doesn't mean you automatically HAVE to do something creative with this profile. It's mainly about the direction: language, culture, behavior and society. 

This profile fits less well if you definitely want to do something technical, medical or exact later. For studies like medicine, technical studies or many economics programs, you often need subjects like chemistry, physics or mathematics. That's why it's smart to check carefully whether your subject package still keeps enough options open. 

Economics & Society fits well if you find economics interesting, like thinking about money, companies, trade, choices and how society works. You really don't need to want to be an entrepreneur right away, but you probably find it interesting why people and companies make certain decisions. This profile includes subjects like economics, history and mathematics A. This makes it a profile where you work with both numbers and social topics. 

With Economics & Society you can later consider studies like business administration, commercial economics, marketing, finance, accountancy, economics, law, public administration, real estate, HRM or international business. Careers that might fit include marketer, entrepreneur, financial advisor, accountant, recruiter, consultant, policy advisor, real estate advisor, manager or sales representative. 

This profile is often useful if you don't know exactly what you want yet, but do want something with companies, money, organization or society. It's broad, but less suitable if you later want to do a technical or medical study that requires physics, chemistry or mathematics B. 

Nature & Health fits well if you find biology interesting and want to understand how people, animals, nature or health work. You're probably curious about the body, nutrition, diseases, plants, animals or nature. This profile includes biology and chemistry. In havo this usually includes mathematics A, and in vwo you can often choose between mathematics A or B, depending on your school and subject package.  

With this profile you can later consider studies like nursing, physiotherapy, nutrition and dietetics, biology, biomedical sciences, pharmacy, oral care, health sciences or veterinary medicine. Be aware though: some studies require additional subjects. Medicine, for example, often requires a specific package with physics and chemistry subjects, so always check this in time. 

Careers that might fit include nurse, physiotherapist, doctor, researcher, dietitian, pharmacist, lab technician, veterinarian, biologist or health advisor. This profile is useful if you want something with care, health, nature or research. It's often somewhat less technical than Nature & Technology, but still quite exact. 

Nature & Technology fits well if you're strong in mathematics, physics and chemistry. You might enjoy solving problems, building things, understanding systems or discovering how technology works. This profile includes mathematics B, physics and chemistry. This is often the most exact profile. It can be challenging, but it also opens up many technical directions. 

With Nature & Technology you can later consider studies like mechanical engineering, architecture, electrical engineering, computer science, technical business administration, aerospace engineering, chemical technology, physics or civil engineering. Careers that fit include engineer, software developer, architect, technical designer, data scientist, construction specialist, researcher, installation technician or product developer. 

This profile is especially smart if you can handle exact subjects well and maybe want to do something technical later. It can also be useful if you're still torn between technology and health, because with additional biology you can sometimes also consider Nature & Health directions. 

This is perhaps the most important thing: your profile choice isn't a contract for the rest of your life. Many people choose a different direction later anyway. Some people do a broad study after secondary school. Others choose a gap year, mbo, hbo, university or start working first. There are also studies where you can enter with multiple profiles. So you don't need to think: "If I choose wrong now, everything is ruined." That's not the case. 

What you should do is choose smartly. Don't just look at what your friends are choosing. Don't just choose the profile that seems "easy" either. And don't automatically choose the profile that others say is "the best." 

If, for example, mathematics really makes you sick, Nature & Technology probably isn't a pleasant choice. If you're actually good at biology and find health interesting, then Nature & Health is more logical. And if you want to stay broad toward companies, economics and society, then Economics & Society might fit well. 

Talk to people who have already chosen the profile. Don't just ask if it's "fun," but ask what they find difficult, how much homework they have and which subjects are really heavy. Also look at studies that you might find interesting. You don't have to choose yet, but it helps to see if certain studies require mandatory subjects. Some follow-up programs require a specific profile or specific subject.  

Additionally, ask advice from your mentor, dean and teachers. Especially teachers can often assess well whether a subject in upper secondary school fits you. A subject can be very different in lower secondary school than in upper secondary school. And maybe the best tip: don't just choose with your grades, but also with your energy. Getting a 7 for a subject you hate doesn't automatically mean you should continue with it for years. And a subject you currently have a 6 for, but are curious about, can sometimes fit much better. 

Choosing your profile feels big, but you really don't need to know your entire future yet. See it as choosing a direction, not as fixing your life. You mainly choose which subjects you'll take in the coming years and which doors you'll keep open more easily. So don't choose out of panic. Don't choose because your friends are choosing something. And don't choose because someone says one profile is "the best." The best profile is the profile that fits your interests, your strong subjects and the options you want to keep open for later.