From Confusion to Clarity: The Urgent Need for
Student Counselling

                                                                               Dr Surendra G Gattani

“Counselling empowers students to embrace their uniqueness, celebrate their strengths, and pursue their dreams.”

 INTRODUCTION

 

Education is not solely about examinations and academic excellence; it is equally important to shape the professional identity, confidence, and life goals of our students. Many graduates today are highly knowledgeable but lack clarity of direction and fail to identify or pursue their career aspirations effectively.

To provide comprehensive, student-centred counselling services that empower individuals to build confidence, develop essential career and life skills, and successfully navigate academic and personal challenges, thereby fostering their overall growth and readiness for the professional world.

 

CONFUSION AMONG STUDENTS

Students navigating professional choices often face confusion about course selection and career pathways, leading to missed opportunities and wasted resources. A recent incident highlights this, with many students doing irrelevant courses, citing a lack of clarity behind the decision. Similarly, many students opt for certificate courses and training that neither align with their intended career trajectory nor add tangible value, creating a wastage of time and money

 

GLOBAL COMPETITION AND DEMAND

This situation is especially concerning as students are entering the global competition where the skill demands of job profiles are rapidly evolving. The competition is no longer limited to neighboring colleges—students compete globally, and every day the bar rises higher, even as most institutions continue to struggle for basic infrastructure. India's youth is the youngest population demographic in the world, facing opportunities not only domestically but internationally as well. National aspirations are set high, with developed nation status by 2035 being the target

 

SKILLFUL SELECTION IN A SEA OF OPTIONS

In today's digital era, social media platforms are inundated with advertisements promoting countless courses, training programs, and placement opportunities both domestically and internationally. While this plethora of options may seem beneficial, it often leads to confusion among students. Many struggle to discern which courses are authentic and genuinely beneficial for their career goals. Without proper guidance, students risk enrolling in irrelevant programs, resulting in wasted time, effort, and money. Therefore, it is essential to equip students with the critical skills and knowledge to evaluate courses effectively, ensuring their choices align with their professional aspirations and contribute meaningfully to their career development.

 

In this context, the institute needs to establish a structured student counselling, training, and mentoring initiative. This process will systematically guide students from identifying their strengths to achieving their career targets—whether in academia, industry, government services, research, entrepreneurship, or international higher education.

 

 RATIONAL / NEED

• Students often lack clarity in their career goals
• Struggle to identify strengths & opportunities
• Focus remains on exams; future planning neglected
• Anxiety, lack of confidence & exam phobia are prevalent
• Need structured counselling, mentoring, guidance

 

  OBJECTIVES

1. To raise Students' perception. 
2. To raise students' performance in placement
3. To provide end-to-end career guidance to students.
4. To conduct a SWOT analysis of individual students for mapping their personalized career trajectory.
5. To ensure professional and emotional readiness by developing soft skills, leadership qualities, and confidence.
6. To prepare students for competitive/entrance examinations 
7. To create awareness about career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and startups.
8. To help students identify their untapped potential and convert weaknesses into strengths.
9. To organize seminars, workshops, mentorship sessions, expert lectures, and internships with industry-academia collaborations.
10. To train students to overcome exam phobia, stress, and anxiety.
11. To nurture a future-ready student community prepared to innovate, lead, and succeed.

 

BENEFITS TO THE STUDENTS:

1. Students will develop clear career roadmaps aligned with their skills and interests.
2. Increase in competitive/entrance exam success rate.
3. Growth in student research output.
4. Enhanced employability skills and global exposure.
5. Increased participation in entrepreneurship/startup ecosystem.
6. Overall personality development & confidence among students.

 

BENEFITS TO THE INSTITUTES

• To enhance the perception of students, teachers, and stakeholders about the institutes
• Enhances student academic performance and improves retention by supporting stress management and study skills
• Increases overall student satisfaction and well-being, creating a positive campus atmosphere
• Builds the institute’s reputation as a student-centered, caring, and progressive institution
• Supports diversity and inclusion by addressing the varied personal, cultural, and academic needs of students
• Improves graduates’ career readiness and employability through effective career counselling
• Mitigates mental health crises, contributing to campus safety and a secure learning environment
• Fosters a supportive community that motivates students toward goal achievement and resilience
• Helps identify and address students’ challenges early, reducing dropout and failure rates
• Promotes collaboration among faculty, administration, and counselling services for holistic student success
• Enhances alumni outcomes and long-term institute ranking by improving student success rates

 

In conclusion, I would say there is an urgent need for honest, systematic career counselling within educational organizations. Such counselling should be scheduled weekly and made compulsory in organizational timetables to ensure clarity of plans and maximize student potential. Only by prioritizing purposeful academic and skill development can institutions and students meet the challenges of a global, competitive workforce.

 

 

Dr Surendra G Gattani is a Senior Professor & Leading Skill Centre at Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded
Contact on  Email: sggattani@gmail.com