Students in their final years of school spend a lot of time thinking about their future career options. For this they need to decide on course and college choice. This is a very crucial decision and often students are confused with plethora of information that is available to them. However here are main points they need to keep in mind.
- Professional courses like medicine, engineering or law need students to pass entrance exams. These are very competitive and if the student is planning a career in these fields then they need to begun preparation for this well in advance in addition to their regular school syllabus.
- If the student is planning to enroll in colleges on the basis of their school marks then they should also do research on subject courses and colleges.
- A lot of public universities are subsidized albeit competitive and can be a good option for students. They must additionally figure out hostel/accommodation facilities, travel and food costs etc.
- Private universities have also established themselves in recent years, these are expensive but generally food, accommodation etc. are provided in house.
- A lot of honours courses at the graduate level do not directly lead to a profession but may be helpful in some. For instance degree in political sciences, history, public administration etc. is popular with students wanting to attempt the civil services examination. Languages courses are popular with students planning a career in journalism. Students planning a science research career usually take pure sciences. Lot of economics and math graduates end up doing MBA or take up careers in banking or finance. However there are no strict rules about this.
- When choosing a college, students must also focus on its infrastructure like labs, libraries etc., extra curricular activities, student support, quality of teachers and alumni. This can make a huge impact on student learning and experience.
However students must remember that if they are unable to make up their minds about fixing a career or are not able to get into their choice of course or college, they must not lose heart. It is increasingly becoming acceptable to switch fields later in life, have multiple specializations and interdisciplinary approach to education.
Ms. Swati Saxena’s, ASPAM Scottish School