“You are about to finish class 10th. Which stream are you planning to pursue in your high school? Science?”
“Commerce is easy and is for kids who do not study.”
“There is no future in commerce.”
Ah! Is that what you have heard while you were planning to pursue commerce after Class 10th? Are you sitting on the fence because of such cliche comments?
Don’t worry! We have compiled the benefits of studying commerce to make your decision easy. To further balance it out, we have covered the disadvantages of studying commerce too. But before we get into that, let’s read about what’s going on in the Finance world.
Recent Changes In the Finance Industry
Technological advancements have taken the financial industry by storm. Money is getting more and more digital, promoting growth to financial technology companies like Paytm, Phonepe etc. Moreover, people are now more aware of personal finance, so the investment industry is also on the rise. Despite many warnings from the Indian government, the crypto industry is still getting traction. All these changes are bringing more opportunities for commerce graduates. Now, let’s dig into the pros and cons of studying commerce.
Pros and Cons of Studying Commerce
Is commerce a good choice for your future? If you are still confused, here are the benefits of studying commerce that will help you decide.
Pros of Studying Commerce
1. Commerce Offers A Wide Range Of Career Options
While the world makes you believe becoming an engineer or doctor is only two career options. Commerce opens many new doors for you. Do not believe us? Look at the list of the top career options:
- Chartered Accountant
- Company Secretary
- Entrepreneur
- Investment Banker
- Banker
- Financier
- Marketing Manager
- Human Resource Manager
- Cost Accountant
- Business Accountant and Taxation
- Sales Manager
- Investment Analyst
- Budget Analyst
- Certified Public Accountant
- Research Analyst
- Stock Broking
- Certified Financial Planner
- Economist
- Venture capitalist
2. Variety Of Subjects And You Get To Choose Too
Do you wish to have a bit more control over what you study? Commerce allows you to choose your desired subject from the options in the curriculum. Since this stream has a series of subjects, there are only four mandatory subjects. The rest of the subjects are optional, and you have the freedom to choose two subjects. Did you notice another benefit of studying commerce?
| CBSE Commerce Subject List | Board | Priority |
| Accountancy | CBSE | Mandatory |
| Business Studies | CBSE | Mandatory |
| Economics | CBSE | Mandatory |
| English | CBSE | Mandatory |
| Entrepreneurship | CBSE | Optional |
| Mathematics | CBSE | Optional |
| Informatics Practices | CBSE | Optional |
| Any other language | CBSE | Optional |
| Computer Science | CBSE | Optional |
| Physical Education | CBSE | Optional |
| Fine Arts | CBSE | Optional |
| ISC Commerce Subject List | Board | Priority |
| Commerce | ISC | Mandatory |
| English | ISC | Mandatory |
| Economics | ISC | Mandatory |
| Accountancy | ISC | Mandatory |
| English Literature | ISC | Optional |
| Mathematics | ISC | Optional |
| Environmental Studies | ISC | Optional |
| Any other language | ISC | Optional |
| Business Studies | ISC | Optional |
| Physical Education | ISC | Optional |
| Fine Arts | ISC | Optional |
Note: The optional subjects depend on the availability at your school. So, please check with the school team first.
3. You can be your own boss
Among the benefits of studying commerce, this one is the most key advantage of this stream. If you read the career options in point 1, most of them are consulting and management roles. So, if you are one of the individuals who dream of running your own business, commerce will be your best friend. Practical knowledge is important, no doubt. But to start somewhere, you need to know the fundamental aspects and basics of business, for which commerce can be your best buddy.
Cons of Studying Commerce
1. New subjects acting as a barrier
Despite the series of benefits of studying commerce, there are a few cons that you need to keep in mind. But, hey, there’s nothing to be tense about. Every new field brings new challenges, right? So is commerce.
As this field has subjects that are totally new to students, it might be difficult to adjust in the first place. Unlike science, where you study Physics/Chemistry from class 9th, commerce offers accountancy/economics, which are fully new subjects. But with practice and dedication, you can crack anything. You can do this.
2. Switching Streams After Completing 12th Won’t Be Easy
It won’t be a simple task to switch streams after completing graduation. Despite many advantages of the commerce stream over science, this is one demerit of commerce. In the science stream, you can club Biology and Maths and take PCMB to keep multiple doors open for you.
Also, as a science student, you can shift to management and other conventional streams via different competitive exams. But commerce stream allows you to choose a career only in the commerce background after completing high school like CA, Accountancy, etc.
However, take note: Don’t let this fear of missing out alone decide the future for you. If you are already clear on what you wish to do or enjoy commerce, then go for it.
In short
Surveys say around 40 Lakh students enrolled for commerce in 2019, giving a tough competition to Science enrollments of 47.13 lakhs. And this massive interest in this stream shows its potential. So now, you have the list of pros and cons of studying commerce. It will help you to decide on the right stream.
However, let not the benefits of studying commerce change your dream profession. Take this one decision, right, and you are halfway there. Best wishes, champ!
ALSO READ:
List Of All Commerce Subjects In CBSE Class 11 & 12
