1. Following the Crowd and Not Yourself
A lack of proper student career guidance leads to students choosing courses that neither match their passion nor their skills. If you love design and are good at it, committing yourself to a career in mechanical engineering is akin to trying to pass a circle through a square, or asking a fish to climb a tree.
Therefore, the smartest choice when it comes to choosing the right path, is to introspect and pick subjects that excite you. This excitement will directly translate into positive performance and you’ll be close to a fruitful and meaningful career instead of a career path that is monotonous and dictated by popular choices.
2. Turning a Blind Eye to Future Industry Trends
So, while choosing the right degree, keep one eye on the future of jobs and the other on the demands of modern employers. Read how industries will change in the next 10 years and adapt accordingly. In my experience, ignoring these trends is one of the common study abroad mistakes that international students make. They put so much time and money into courses with none to little future scope.
3. Ignoring Your Style of Learning
Learning is a very personal process and every course is taught in a very different way. Some programs such as mathematics of software, are deeply theoretical, some such as biotechnology, require lots of lab-work and others such as public relations, require on-ground project based effort. A hugely common mistake in course selection is when students ignore their own learning style.
If you enjoy working in groups or field work, then theory will surely frustrate you. Similarly, if you thrive in a classroom environment and enjoy research, then practical projects may not work for you. That’s where student career guidance comes into play and gives you an informed opinion about your learning preferences and style.
4. Ignoring Holistic Skill Building
An integral part of our student career guidance and choosing the right degree revolves around essential skill-building. The employability skills landscape is changing rapidly and students need to keep pace with it. Success in the future would not come from holding on to traditional skills. The logic is simple: employers want to put their money into individuals who come with holistic capabilities.
So, the question you should be asking is, does your choice of course offer enough room for holistic development? I feel this is a mistake a lot of students tend to make while choosing their course to study abroad or in general.
There are courses that come with co-op opportunities, scope for professional exposure and practical learning. Contrary to traditional courses relying mainly on theory, these courses can give you a better purchase in terms of future success. For instance, going for a traditional computer science engineering course may not make sense any longer. However, a CSE degree with a specialization in AI and future technologies may be a wise choice.
The bottom line is, do not ignore the need for holistic development and keep future scope in mind while choosing a course. In this direction, credible career counselling will surely be a great investment of your trust and time.
5. Shying Away from Questions
Final Thoughts
You’re bound to make a lot of mistakes when choosing the right course. But knowing the 5 most common and arguably regretful ones surely gives you a headstart. Your journey to study overseas is our own and should only concern your career goals instead of prevalent and popular choices. Make sure you seek the right student career guidance, reflect and trust yourself to follow your passion and make it count.
Author Bio : Silver Fern
silverfern@gmail.com
