When you're in bed even past ten in the morning, with no real agenda except to catch up with old friends, when you want to stay outdoors despite the scorching heat, when your house is crowded with thrice the number of people it can take, then you know it's May!
Except if you've just finished school. Then you are in for the most hectic month of your life. ‘Expert' advice from anyone even a minute older than you; long, exhausting waits to get application forms, and hours and hours of filling the forms of colleges you are sure you will never go to, but “just to be on the safer side”… All this, with the tension of choosing a career that decides your life, weighing only too heavily on your already fatigued mind.
Here's a look at how students make their career decisions as opposed to how they ought to.
Better safe than sorry?
“After twelfth, I wanted to do engineering because it was the safest option. When there is assured placement and pay, why risk it for anything else?” says Anirudh Ramanathan, a second-year engineering student. He seems to echo the sentiments of most students today who without any real introspection, take courses that they deem ‘safe.' Students unsure of which career path to take even after being given twelve years to find their forte, often tend to follow the footsteps of their friends without any real thought.
“I didn't have any particular interest. Considering the fact that my friends took B.Com, I am doing it,” says Sidharth S.
Parents tend to force their wards to take up particular courses for a variety of reasons, ranging from family status, monetary returns to living their dreams through their children. Some have fallen prey to this phenomenon, while others have managed to break free and follow their dreams. Ravi Kumaran, a student of visual communication, says, “My parents forced me into engineering. If it weren't for my persistence, that's exactly what I would have been doing. Would that have been my fault?”
Parents must respect the interest and sentiments of their children by advising and not ordering them. They need to work together with their children and guide them the right way, say academics.
All in the name?
A recent trend is to fix and in some cases even obsess over certain institutions or colleges. The importance is shifting from ‘ what to study' to ‘where to study.' “Students and parents think that just by gaining admission in a few institutions, they will succeed. True success and satisfaction can only be got by doing what one is interested and talented in,” says E. Balagurusamy, Member (Education), State Planning Commission.
One too many!
It is an accepted fact that family background can help a great deal. However, it is common for students to get influenced by their parents' profession, leading them to take up the same. In many cases, they have no real picture of how things work and get carried away, without readily exploring other options that are available to them with an open mind, academics like him say.
Family background may not be advantageous in every situation, as what worked for one's parents may not necessarily work for others. One may take to one's parents' profession, but only after due consideration and introspection, they add.
Money matters
“There are a lot of ways to make money. When it comes to your career, you just have to do what you like. I always figured I'd write a book or marry rich or something,” says Saaniya Zaveri, an undergraduate student. Asked what would be the most important factor in choosing a career, out of the 50 students questioned, 39 per cent preferred monetary return — a direct indication of their priorities and mindset.
Chase your dream
When your talent and strength lie in the same field, your life is set. But what if they don't? There arises the conflict. Should a student give priority to his talent or interest?
Well, the answer is simple. While it would be most sensible to find a via media between the two, in extreme situations, it only makes sense to choose one's field of interest. Interest breeds hard work which will ultimately lead to success. After all, this is your life, your dream.
Source: The Hindu
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