Students appear to be apprehensive and have low self-esteem while picking a course at the collegiate level other than the Medical or Engineering disciplines. At any social gathering, when the choices of courses are discussed, a feeling of unease is visible among the students who opt for courses in the discipline of arts, pure sciences, vocational streams or choose the diploma level. They seem to silently keep themselves away from the elitist course choosers, which is very worrying and is evidently growing every day.
During any career orientation programme at the higher secondary level, I would witness this ‘Career path versus Self-esteem’ syndrome widely prevalent among the students. It appears that they have significantly low self-esteem when compared to the students who aspire for professional courses in elite institutions. This is totally unwarranted since each individual can have a great career of their choice. The only prerequisite is that they have to work dedicatedly towards achieving excellence.
I was amazed when a student at a recently conducted programme asked me in a hushed voice whether she was wrong to choose the Medical Lab Technician Course. Moreover, what will be the public opinion of her if she chooses something less than an elite professional course? I let her speak for a while and found out that she had a great passion for the particular choice she had in mind and was keen to do some vital research in the field of Medical Laboratory Testing. I reassured her that she has the right to choose whatever she aspires for and to ignore public opinion. It was an ignition of sorts when I complimented her about her interest to pursue research and conveyed that this was a step towards success.
For those youngsters who unnecessarily worry about their career path and public opinion regarding it, it determines their level of self-esteem. You are bound to succeed if you have chosen a career path that is well-conceived and blends with your attitude.
Aspire: Pat yourself on your back that you have an aspiration while many do not have it
Stay Active: A career path is a trigger to keep you engaged in the pursuit of your goal
Choose wisely: A successful career is more valuable than taking an elite course with average results
