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Parents must act as facilitators, not decision makers

Dubai - However, career counselors and skill development experts are now saying that students no longer come to college under the pretext of 'having to perform due to parental pressure'.

 For many high school students, entering their graduate school years can be a challenge that is both daunting and exciting.
However, career counselors and skill development experts are now saying that students no longer come to college under the pretext of 'having to perform due to parental pressure'.
Bijal Oza, head of counseling and coaching centre and manager of quality assurance, SP Jain School of Global Management, said most students who attend college are very clear on what they want to achieve from their college education.
However, she said students still face some major challenges as they transition into graduate school. "One of the biggest challenges that students face is getting sudden independence. Homesickness is also very common among young students."
However, according to Oza, the biggest challenge faced by students is management of time, expenses and finances. "Students also find it hard to adjust with students from across the world, and staying focused in the midst of everything is a big challenge."
Oza said students are trained to work on managing interpersonal skills. "We ask students to write a letter to their future selves on their first day in college. We ask the students to write about their goals, and in a year's time, we mail the letters back to them, so that they can measure how far they have come in the one year of study."
This becomes a practical way of goal setting. Oza advises parents to become facilitators and not decision makers. "Since most students today come with clear ideas on their ambitions and goals, parents can network with people in that profession so that students get first-hand knowledge on what that industry is going to be like," she said.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com