Schools must advise kids on choices

After Class X, students have to be very careful while choosing a college as the government controls the online admission process. Students do not know which stream to join and they land up in the wrong one. SSC students are not exposed to subjects such as Commerce, unlike CBSE students.
There should be communication between parents and children. Parents should not enforce their ideas.Students decide very early in life whether to opt for IIT or medicine. They should not think about these subjects alone. Parents should not compare their children with others. It disheartens them.
I have seen students change their streams towards the year-end because they cannot cope. At that point, seats are not always available. Students either have to continue in that course or change their college. Schools should provide students enough exposure so that they make an informed choice. Teachers in colleges also play an important role. They have to be open-minded and need to understand that a child has just transitioned.
Students coming to Mumbai to study should consider what their focus is. A lot of them think they will not study in Class XI and work hard only in Class XII. They do not understand that unless they get into that mode right in Class XI, they won’t be able to study well. I am not saying they should not have fun; they should participate in all extra-curricular activities. They tend to misunderstand the concept of freedom.
Most professional courses (such as BMM and BMS) have an advantage as these allow students from different streams. It’s only courses such as BBI (Bachelors in Banking and Insurance) that require a Commerce background. Many parents are open about permitting their students to opt for these courses.
Previously, students obtaining higher percentage would not take Arts. But now, you have many options like Political Science, Psychology and Economics, which are in great demand. Take, for example, Chanda Kochhar, our alumni; she had majored in Economics, after which she did her MBA.
(As told to Divina Pereira)