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What students want

Parents are clueless, teachers have opinions and counsellors are hogging all the limelight. What to study? Which college to go for? Courses, subjects, fee, placements, packages… amid the din of it all, has anyone ever wondered what is it that students want?

What students want

hear them out: All these years, they have been weighed down by expectations, but now is the time to lend an ear to students’ aspirations



Team Tribune 

Parents are clueless, teachers have opinions and counsellors are hogging all the limelight. What to study? Which college to go for? Courses, subjects, fee, placements, packages… amid the din of it all, has anyone ever wondered what is it that students want?

Even if one thinks most students don’t know what they eventually want to be, choosing a college does depend on which offers best faculty and placement. Sahil Prashar’s parents want him to go for engineering. He says since he doesn’t know what he wants to do, he has decided to go by their choice. “I am confident about getting a decent score to get into any of the engineering colleges in Chandigarh. The only criteria for me are good faculty and strong placements,” says the 18-year-old.

However, not all make a choice or settle for one as easily as Sahil did. After studying nursing for a year, Aastha Sharma, a 19-year-old student, has now decided to go for psychology. “Deciding what to do right after school becomes very troublesome for those who haven’t planned anything. Even I suffered the same after doing something I didn’t really like for a year. Now, I am switching to psychology. I discovered my passion for it last year,” she says, adding that the pressure on students should be minimised to help them make a decision easily. However, she isn’t too sure how her parents will react.

And then there are those who have a fair idea. Rahul Sankhyan is one of them. “I have always been fascinated by lawyers. I am applying for Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Clearing it would be a dream for me as it gets you to the best of institutions,” he says, adding that just in case he doesn’t crack it, he would be applying for a law course at Panjab University too. However, whether closer home or away from it, students say they want to study from teachers who aren’t just textbook preachers. A number of students we spoke to in colleges across Dehradun believe a good faculty can transform them into brilliant students and help them achieve their goals. Deepak Bisht, who has enrolled with a government college, said experienced faculty members make a lot of difference as they help in scoring good marks in the internal and university examinations.

But faculty and placements alone don’t matter. Students demand better facilities – from a good canteen to clean toilets, recreation rooms and proper garbage collection system too! For Bilawal from Punjab Public School, Nabha, rating and repute of college is the most significant and “staff quality” is “extremely important”. He isn’t done yet. He says he would be happier if his campus has good sports facilities. “I come from a school with a strong sports culture and that is something I want in my college too. I would prefer if it has cooking as hobby,” he says. Phew, long list!  We ask him if it is asking for too much. His answer is a terse: “I am not ready to compromise.”

Srishti, a student of British Co-Ed School, is trying to enroll with the Five-Year Integrated Programme for Developmental Studies in IIT Chennai with Bachelor’s of Arts in Economics in Christ University, Bengaluru, as a secondary option. If it doesn’t pan out as planned, she will go for chartered accountancy. But one thing she does look forward to in her institute is extra-curricular activities. “The college must give more exposure to its students, especially in dramatics,” she says. Plan A or B, at the end of the day, students want the best and that is best defined by none else but them. Probably, what we could do as parents and guides is to lend them an ear. Is that asking for too much? Nah.  

Inputs from Gagan Deep Teja, Parveen Arora Syed Kazmi and Saniya Pasricha 


Why be poor cousins?

Aspirations exist in smaller towns and cities too and rightly so. Even if the students wish the constraints didn’t exist for them, they realise they will have to bear with the realities. Akshat Joshi has enrolled with a private college in Dehradun, but feels the state university should introduce courses related to information technology and computers. He said more number of seats should be kept reserved for students having domicile of Uttarakhand. Another student pursing graduate course in a government college, Kuldeep, says the state government should introduce more science courses in government-affiliated colleges. “The university should start evening classes in government-run colleges across the state for those who can’t attend regular colleges,” he feels.

And it tells on their dreams. Sanjoli Banerjee, a student of St. Theresa's Convent School, Karnal, says that while our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving the slogan of Make in India and inviting Indians abroad to work for upliftment of the nation, students have to look at foreign shores in search of good professional courses. Vanshika Goel, another Karnal resident, says she aspires to be a doctor and is elated to know that a medical university and college are all set to come up nearby. “However, I am mulling changing my mind because even after a lapse of around five years, it is yet to be come into shape and I don't want to leave home,” she rues.


Home or away?

Roughing it out in an alien land or growing in the warmth of home? Many face the choice after Plus II. Srishti (who uses only her first name) is looking forward to pursue Developmental Studies at IIT, Chennai, but says she would have any day preferred to stay at home. “But I am determined to achieve my dreams. If that is one cost I have to bear, so be it,” she says. Among those who want to explore the outside world is Mehrnoor Singh from Yadavindra Public School, Patiala. He says he wants to get admitted to a college in a big city or a metropolitan as this will expose him to “wider and better educational opportunities in terms of infrastructure, teaching methods and co-curricular activities”. He aspires to pursue a five-year integrated degree course in law and then vie for Punjab Civil Services.

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