Course trends keep changing, so choose carefully

With a broader range of courses being offered this year, the dilemma is more about choosing the right one. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the buzzword, and many institutions provide diverse degree courses with specialisation.

If we look at history, hundred years ago, the courses most in demand were philosophy and law. Then science gained significance, and about fifty years ago, the trend shifted to engineering.

The demand suddenly shifted to dentistry, nursing, biotechnology, and forensic science courses. The result: There is a surplus of qualified professionals and insufficient demand. Fields not so popular recently, such as law, communication and design, have steadily grown in demand.

With hundreds of different degree courses available, you must carefully select. Tremendous publicity, advertising and subtle pressure on students to join impressive campuses with foreign tie-ups and the latest technology. Many colleges offer add-on credit courses meant to enhance employability. But not all give proper education to lead to a bright future.

Students should not get carried away by the herd mentality and ignore steady and evergreen fields when selecting a course. They should consider that whenever there is a mad rush for specific courses, inevitably, there will be a slump due to the over-availability of graduates in it, and students will be forced to take up unrelated jobs struggling all the way to make a mark in unfamiliar areas. Whatever they study now will open them to a career they may pursue for 40-50 years or more, which should be considered in selection.

Engineering and technology courses continue to be the highest in demand, with no Still, there is no assurance that degrees in these streams lead to lucrative long-term careers, mainly if a student has studied in an average college. Campus recruitment in second-tier colleges has decreased significantly in the past few years.

Here are some courses that have been steady for a long time, offer sustained employment potential, and are likely to provide long-term stability:

B.Com, leading to accounts, banking, financial management or investments

B.Sc. in life sciences with openings in environment, wildlife, sustainability, plant pathology and microbiology.

Various paramedical courses ranging from physiotherapy to speech pathology, dialysis technology, dietetics and nutrition, operation theatre technology and many others

BA in language or communication leading to corporate communication, social media, international relations, translations, documentation etc.

BDes - general design or specialisation in fashion, interiors, transport, social media or web page design.

Many students are unaware of highly reputed institutions such as IISc, IISERs, IISST, NLS, NIFT, EFLU and NID, to name just a few. Similarly, not all students know the alternate courses other than engineering offered in IITs, BITS Pilani, NITs, IIITs etc. If you can prepare well and get admission to one of the national-level institutions for any of the above courses, you can be sure of a good start and steady progress in the field of your choice.

Job satisfaction and progress are based on how you perform and how involved you are in your work. This can be ensured if you choose based on your capabilities, aptitude and personality traits. Various courses and career options can be explored by going beyond the publicity of the respective institutions, independently talking to knowledgeable people, browsing neutral and reliable websites, and talking to students of such programmes.

While admissions are closing for most degree courses this academic year, it may not be too late to do an exhaustive search and get admission to the most suitable course and college. And for those taking admissions in future, this is the right time to begin their search and start narrowing down, finally making a priority list so that you are assured of admission in at least one suitable course.