After completion of Class XII, every student reaches a point when they have to make a big decision regarding their future studies.  In a world which offers numerous career opportunities and fields to work on, it can be a quite challenging feat for a teenager to choose the right path on which his/her future will depend on. 

In a country like India, professional courses are in high demand, with all high school graduates dreaming of working for fancy start-ups and well established multinational software firms; or as a dedicated doctor working hard day and night to help people survive another day. Indeed, there is an availability of other courses, but students are often led to believe that a supreme life of luxury and prosperity awaits them if they pursue careers in Engineering or Medicine. Blame the parents who enrol their children for JEE 2018/NEET 2019 coaching when they’re 12 years old.

As a matter of fact, the availability of jobs for students pursuing engineering have hit rock bottom, simply because the ratio of students graduating with the degree to jobs available have shot up because of external factors like population growth and better education opportunities. The importance and relevance for MBBS remains intact because of the need for doctors, but because of the high demand the fee and difficulty to get into a good institution has reached the summit. 

Because of these challenges, the students are finally forced to think out of the box, to believe that they can choose a different path, maybe a path less travelled, but one with good potential and has an exciting future prospect. Courses like Animation, Graphic Design, Pharmaceutical, Paramedic, Fire safety etc. have come into more relevance of late because of the current scenario.

The student must always keep in mind that the parameters to filter the right course for him/her must be based on skill set and also the future perspective. Engineering demands the student to grasp technical skills easily for practical application; while medicine is more about medical knowledge and skill. Students who are good at art and drawing can pursue courses like graphic design and architecture. If writing and speaking are what they enjoy doing, they could give a shot at journalism or media communication. But after all the searching and sorting, it comes down to two basic questions which the student must be able to answer- 

1. If I’m to forge a career out of this, would it be out of interest or out of pressure?

2. Can I be the absolute best at what I do?

If the answer to the first question is interest and the second one a confident YES! , Then the student should try to pursue a course which will help him/her to reach their happy place, where they can work out of interest, awarding them with more than just money; the ultimate prize of self-satisfaction. 

After deciding which course to take up, the students will have to work hard to gain admission to the top colleges where they offer the required course. This can prove to be a tremendously difficult task as choosing an institution requires the student to consider all the aspects: Ranking of the college, Ranking secured by the candidate, fee structure etc. Top B.Tech colleges in India offer engineering degrees for students in various branches like Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Communication etc. Similarly NID can help you become a successful designer; top medical colleges like AIIMS help you on your pursuit to become a doctor. It is very important that the student choose his/her career which redeems all these qualities, and can help them lead a successful life they deserve.