One of the biggest headaches for teenagers after taking their GCSEs is making a decision about which A-levels to study, but does that decision really determine your career path?

There comes a time during the academic year when suddenly everyone's talking about it: teachers begin mentioning it in class, which causes whispers and then full on discussions amongst pupils, followed by interrogations from parents and family members as to what A-levels you are going to study.

Suddenly it seems like there's a lot of pressure on your young shoulders, and often you end up with several streams of advice flowing in from all sorts of people, which are often conflicting.

It can all seem very confusing and daunting, but at the end of the day it is important to remember that the final decision rests with you. Although it is often helpful to speak to others, it is YOUR choice which A-levels to pick, not some one else's.

Firstly, it is important to pick subjects which you enjoy. Learning is about enjoyment, and if you are not enjoying what you are learning, you are more likely to become demotivated and struggle in that particular subject. A natural interest in a subject goes a long way, and often the work you do for a subject you like doesn't seem so much of a burden.

It is also advisable to pick subjects you are good at. Playing to your strengths will certainly help you perform well academically, so it is a good idea to look at mock GCSE results and ask your teachers what grades they might predict you.

Speaking to pupils in the years above you who are already studying subjects you are considering choosing for A-level can be helpful: it might give you some indication of what to expect from the course, and give you an idea of how others have reacted to it.

People often fret about picking A-levels that will set them up for a particular university course, and this is worth considering if you already have a particular degree in mind. For example, those wanting to study medicine at university will be required to study sciences as A-level; similarly those wanting to study engineering or maths at degree level will have to have had previous A-level results in maths.

If you have little or no idea about university choices yet, don't worry – it's hard enough picking subjects to study after GCSE's without having to make up your mind for something you might study in two or three years time!

Most schools ask pupils to pick four or five subjects to study at AS-level, after which pupils tend to drop one or two subjects after a year to concentrate on three A-levels. Although it might appear like a large workload for the first year, it actually gives you a helpful insight into a variety of subjects, and then you can make up your mind on which ones to focus on in the second year of the course.

Although the subjects you choose at A-level may play an important part of what you may go on to study at university, or perhaps which career path you might follow, they are certainly not definitive indicators.

Universities and employers take many things into consideration when deciding on candidates - what sort of person you are, your social activities and work experience can be just as important as A-level choices.

Perhaps the best advice is to talk to as many people as possible, especially those that you trust and know you well. Listen to their advice, and make lists of the pros and cons of each subject if it helps. At the end of the day, go with subjects you feel most comfortable with, and you're more likely to enjoy them.

The article Whispers in the classroom originally appeared on 999 Today