Counseling – Need for present day students of college and schools

Tanvi Punia

‘Counseling’ refers to the process of showing individuals the right path and helping them recover from their problems and issues. The counselors are trained professionals who listen to the difficulties faced by the people without judging them and give valid solutions to their problems. There are various types of counseling such as mental health counseling, educational counseling, career counseling and guidance, marriage and family counseling, etc.

Career Counseling, also known as Career guidance, helps students to choose a field that fits their interests and fulfill their job expectations. Generally, it helps to provide perspective and direction to students so that they can perform their level best and succeed in life.

What is the need for career counseling? In today’s era, where the world is making progress day by day, and technology is prospering, the career opportunities are also increasing in various fields. Our parents, relatives, and friends tend to have limited knowledge of the career options available today. Due to a lack of knowledge, students tend to choose the career path which is not suitable for them. Taking informed decisions at the right time could bring in wonderful opportunities as opposed to wrong ones, which could ruin a student’s future as these decisions are often irreversible. Hence, they are left in a lurch throughout their life due to such decisions. In such a situation, approaching a career counselor would be a step in the right direction.

We, humans, are social and creative beings. We need to interact with a lot of people. Also, we all have some purpose in life. To fulfill that purpose, we must have a career so that we can stand on our own. It provides an approach to fulfill our purpose. A career helps us to feel productive which is good for the soul and mind. It keeps us active. We also maintain a standard of living.

The first and foremost step is to choose a ‘right’ career. Please note that the students must choose the ‘right’ career and not strive for the ‘best’ one. One should choose a career that gives him/her inner peace and satisfaction. Hence, the students must have a clear perspective for their future and career counseling helps them in guiding throughout their path towards success and helps them in making informed decisions.

A career counselor provides all the necessary details regarding the duration, fees structure, requirements, etc. of the course the student is interested in, to have a clear picture of what should be pursued. A list of various colleges and institutions in which a particular course can be undertaken is presented so that he/she can choose according to his/her comfort level and other requirements. A good Career Counselor is a convergent thinker, an enthusiastic listener, and an observer. He tends to have sufficient knowledge of various areas and professions to guide students in their career-making decisions.

Various institutions, including schools and colleges, conduct aptitude tests that judge the students based on their interests, skills, personalities, and capabilities. They also determine their strengths and weaknesses. These tests are the most important tool of the counselor which helps them to find out the emotional and behavioral aspects of a student. Taking such tests help students to discover their true potential to choose the right career path.

The Indian education system can be very domineering. There is an endless and eternal wave of competition and everyone is in the daily grind to pursue one of the best courses. Choosing the right institution means choosing the correct place to live in for the next 3 years or more and working on their future. There are different pros and cons of different institutions. If the student has come up from a small high school then going to a big and large university could be overwhelming for him/her. On the other hand, a smaller college has fewer courses to offer, and even fewer clubs and activities. A larger college tends to have more courses to choose from, more athletic teams, more fests and events, and campus activities. All such factors are to be taken care of while choosing the institution. Career counselors help students in such situations and ease out their decision making.

Students in schools or colleges are very important and quite a valuable resource for our country. Similarly, they too have emotions and feelings. However, sometimes emotions, as well as feelings, become prodigious and students lose their confidence and interest. There are many reasons behind that. Despite everything, they harm the quality of their life. Mental health Counseling is a type of counseling that helps the students succeed in dealing with their problems. Moreover, it helps them secure their lost confidence. Therefore, it refers to the process of helping a person face their problems and overcome them.

Sometimes students get addicted to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Substance abuse counseling is a form of counseling that helps students in treating them and holding them up in eluding from their drug and alcohol addiction. It helps them to put your heads together about the cause of this addiction and reach to the very foundation of it. The counselor thus suggests various coping tactics that make a positive impact on their livelihood. Moreover, they also provide them with skills and behaviors to be practiced which helps in their recovery.

Mental illnesses have also become very recurrent these days. Due to the awareness, students can identify their symptoms and they gain the courage to visit mental health counselors. This type of counseling helps students deal with issues that affect their mental health and well-being. Some of the mental illnesses are depression, ADHD, and more. This counseling focuses on such tender and fragile issues and helps in resolving them for a healthier life.

Conducting seminars and workshops for students of schools and colleges can help them to cope with social, behavioral, and personal problems. It enhances their social and academic growth through efficacious counseling provided to them. They also develop their acumen which helps them in dealing with their real-life problems.

In conclusion, all types of counseling, namely, career counseling, substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, family counseling, self-management, emotional management, relationship management, behavioral management, stress management, depression management, etc carry equal importance and must be taken care of. They allow people to work through their problems and lead a happier and healthier life. There is no shame in taking counseling sessions as it only helps in the growth of a student. Besides, counseling helps save lives.