After getting their SPM or STPM results, students are often faced with many options on the next step and making the right choice can be a daunting task. — 123rf.com
THE economist Thomas Sowell said: “Life does not ask what we want. It presents us with options.” After completing the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), young people are often faced with a myriad of options with regards to their next steps and choosing among these options could be a daunting task. As making the right choices today will have far reaching implications on future success and happiness, the question on the minds of parents is how can they support their children frame their academic and career options to make the right choices that will lead to achieving their full potential, be successful and lead a balanced life. And how can they help them avoid the high emotional and financial cost of making the wrong choice?
I have been an academic for two decades. In that time, I have seen more and more students leaving secondary school undecided over what course to do at university. Back in the era when most young students leaving school had a clearer idea of what they wanted to do, conflict arose when they wanted to do a degree in, say, art or history, while their parents thought that they should do more vocational courses such as medicine, accounting, law or engineering. Now, the situation is different. Many young people struggle to know what university courses they are passionate about. Far from being a criticism of young people today, this is just what we should expect at a time when choice is abundant, and where disruption of the job market is looming. This results in scores of academically able young people leaving school without a strong preference for any specific course, which in turn leaves them open to the influence of their parents and friends.
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