ACADEMIC ROADS LESS TRAVELLED......

Colleges Are Going All Out To Advise Students On Lesser-Known Degree Programmes That Have Healthy Career Prospects

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Parmesh Gandhi followed his best pal and enrolled for the traditional Bachelor of Commerce degree. Halfway through the course, faculty members realised he had strong fundamentals in banking. However, nothing could be done to shift him as the seats for banking and insurance were already full.

Gandhi is an example of how little students know of the specialised courses that degree colleges have begun to offer of late. A principal said, “Parents of today’s 18-year-olds were not exposed to courses in infotech or accounts and finance. As parents have mostly studied the traditional science or commerce, their children tend to either take up the vanilla packet or, in the case of science, go in for IT or biotech.’’

Several colleges across the city are now going all out to counsel students and parents on selecting a course based on the candidates’ strengths and interests. D G Ruparel College’s principal and vice principal will speak to parents and students who may be undecided about what to take up, said principal P Kulkarni.

Another top institution for science, Ruia College, has installed plasma screens to display information about courses being offered as also the faculty member who can dole out more
information on each programme. Said principal Suhas Pednekar, “We have faculty members and heads of departments who talk to students about curricula and job prospects in various streams.’’

Not many students specialise in statistics, chemistry or pure physics, he said. “We are going to talk about the dearth of research analysts and statisticians across the globe. We are going to tell parents that with many companies outsourcing chemical manufacturing, chemistry experts or chemists are going to be in great demand,’’ said Pednekar.

Mulund College of Commerce, which produced last year’s university topper, is counselling for
the first time. “We are setting up counters to guide students about courses they can take up. The orientation programme is being conducted because we have seen that students mainly take courses their friends join,’’ said principal Sandhya Divanji.

Not every college is making a start now. Jai Hind College principal Kirti Narayan said her college guides students at various levels. Principal scientific advisor to the government of India, R Chidambaram, who regularly complains about the “pilferage’’ that happens at Class XII, where students get into either medicine or engineering despite being good at pure science, would be satisfied to know this. “Few students are showing interest in pure science. But if we do notice some bright sparks who are cut out for specific subjects, we keep giving them information about prospects in those areas,’’ she said.

Colleges are ready to talk about relatively uncharted areas to students who have not opted for biotechnology, engineering or medicine, or commerce aspirants looking for something besides the chartered accountancy or company secretariat courses.

Gandhi was probably not lucky enough to know all this. Students, say college principals, must speak to staff and faculty members before freezing their options.

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