PEER PRESSURE, PARENTAL PRESSURE AND POPULARITY PRESSURE should not dictate one’s choice of studies or career
Now is the time of the year when parents and students (who’ve got their 12th standard results) are grappling with the larger- than- life question, “what next’?
The question remains the same for 95% of them regardless of their performance in the boards or the entrance tests. Even if they expect good marks in the various entrance tests, the choice of a college course is always taken based on which results come first and its deadline to pay the fees. If they are not confident of their results then again, the scenario doesn’t change. Only for the remaining 5% making the choice is not difficult because they are definite about what they want to do and don’t mind taking a break year to achieve whatever they’ve set their mind on.
Again, there are students (and their parents) who don’t plan much, allowing destiny to take them forward and they are not overly ambitious about doing career-based courses. Such students settle for the 3-year degree courses in local colleges and think of further course of actions on completion of their basic 3- year degree programmes.
There is no doubt that today’s student has a much wider choice in the education market than ever before and the oft beaten path of medicine/engineering/law/ CA etc need not be the only options. If one takes the trouble of gathering relevant information regarding various career paths available and the corresponding academic qualifications required, then, planning for one’s future can be tackled in a better way.
Sometimes it may seem daunting for a student to choose his career path at the tender age of 16 years. In such cases joining a basic science course would help as Science subjects give him/her a wider choice for furthering his studies and even switching to humanities later on. In the meanwhile, it would give him/her enough time to know one’s strengths in a particular area. One should choose a career path keeping many criteria in mind.
PEER PRESSURE, PARENTAL PRESSURE AND POPULARITY PRESSURE should not dictate one’s choice of studies or career. To avoid these 3 “P” pressures one should be more self-aware and aware of one’s financial position, as in India it’s still parents who support their childrens’ education. Student loans are thought of and taken only for higher studies if required. So being aware of one’s capabilities, interests and aptitude is very important. Once the awareness is there, it becomes much easier for the student as well as his parents to explore the various options considering the financial aspects also. This would be the most mature way of planning for one’s career.
Career planning happens in some Western and South Asian countries with the help of psychometric tests which match personality type to careers. In India, these tests are not popular as they are very lengthy and expensive and the free on-line ones are not reliable. Though of late more awareness is spreading and some organisations like MIDNA have come out with Genetic Brain profiling which can identify a person’s brain-hemispheric dominance, multiple intelligences, management style and personality including MBTI types. With minimal expense one can make informed choices in different aspects of life.