Career development

After Secondary Education Examination (SEE) results, we often see great confusion among students and parents about which subject to study and which college to join. Most of the times students choose their subject streams under social and parental pressure rather than their wish to pursue studies in those fields.

Last year I got an acquaintance’s call from my village asking me to immediately meet her brother who had come to

Kathmandu for further studies after the SEE results. She told me her brother was in the hospital. It had been his two weeks in the college. When I met him and talked to him, I figured out he had no such illness that required hospitalisation or medications.

Since he had scored grade A, his parents had “forced” him to study science. But he wanted to study management. I told him I would talk to his parents about his wish to study management. He then switched the stream. One week in the new college, he was fine. He is doing very well in his studies now.

This is an example of how students can come under huge psychological pressure if they are forced to study something they don’t want. In our society, parents usually consider the subjects their children study a reflection of their social status and prestige. This is a fallacy. Some students are influenced by their relatives and friends and start studying the subjects in which they don’t have any interest at all. The forceful study may create psychological stress, affecting overall performance. Sometimes the mental pressure is so high that there is a risk of these young people getting into drugs and other bad habits.

Everyone must understand that life is not only about having certificates and higher grades. One should study what he or she wants to. First set your goal and choose the path accordingly.

Once you take a wrong decision, it will affect your career as well. For one to have better career prospects, s/he must make the right decision at the right time. Talking to elders and seniors can be helpful.

No matter which subject you choose, it should be of your interest. It is not true that those students studying science only do better in life. Those people do well in their lives, who have passion, dedication and perseverance – irrespective of the subject they study. There is no any subject which does not have any scope. What matters the most is – one should try to do his/ her best in the subject s/he chooses to study.