Students need career guidance on courses

Most universities are calling for applications and I know our children are applying to different universities so as to get where they can be admitted as the new academic year will start soon (August/September).

However, the biggest challenge we still have in the Ugandan education system is our children aiming to get a qualification or a paper after graduation than doing what one wants to be in the future.

 It is evident that most learners apply in different places for courses which may not necessarily be in line with their  dream career.

Such a thing didn’t just start today but has been a common trend for many.

Choosing the right career can be more difficult than you may think. However, if your child has a defined career direction, it helps them plan and prepare accordingly and both of you can support each other to harness your child’s dream.

During my school days, I had many dreams but they kept changing as I progressed in my studies. 

In primary school, I wanted to become a doctor or an engineer, or a pilot. When I joined secondary school, it changed into becoming a lawyer or a teacher. 

Somehow, my biggest challenges were  lack of career guidance and a mentor, coupled with financial challenges. 

During my school time, the only dream university every learner knew most was Makerere University, unlike today where we have many of them regionally, with even many new courses. 

 There was limited access to newspapers and to information, different from the way it is now; with many radio and television stations and a lot of media. 

There is also an increased number of university graduates in our localities, and our children have a bigger advantage of choosing a career easily, especially at A-Level.

 Therefore, parents need to guide their children on time so that they are able to select a course/programme they will undertake at the university in line with their dream career.

  Parents or guardians don’t have to wait until it’s time to fill the application/admission forms to start thinking through with their child on which course they can take. 

I know that the child’s marks/points also determine a lot on the career direction, but knowing what your child is interested in as he/she progresses with their studies enables you to plan and guide them accordingly. 

It also gives you the opportunity to motivate your child, look for people who can offer timely career guidance, buy relevant textbooks, invest in coaching lessons, think about the universities your child can go to, reflect on your future financial security if the course will need a lot of money, and provide all necessary support that will empower your child to live their childhood dream. 

The presence of a parent in their children’s education and career should not stop at paying school fees, buying scholastic materials, going for visiting days and meetings but also walking together throughout  that journey. 

If this is well done, it makes a big difference in your child’s life. Your child should not do any course for the sake of getting a degree. They  should do something that at least suits what they want to do with their life and future as adults. 

It should be something that should make them proud of the choice they made decades ago than living in regret and self-denial in the future. 

Sometimes, certain choices may change as time goes on due to more understanding and exposure but there are some who pick their interest in certain programmes to the end.

 Most importantly, don’t impose so much on what you want the child to become, because that may not be in the line with what they desire. 

What worked well for you may not serve their interests. Let your responsibility be to find out about the career your child wants for himself and try to explain the pros and cons of such a choice.

 If you don’t understand what a child intends to do, read and research about it before you make a final decision on behalf of your child. 

We have heard of children who did what their parents wanted against their own choice and on graduation day, they thank their parents for all the sacrifice but end their speech with a fundamental statement “you sent me to do this programme for you, your degree is here, now let me go back and pursue what I like.”

 You will have wasted your resources, as well as your child’s time. You don’t want to be such a parent. It is better you make the decision together and both of you appreciate it and become accountable together.

Dickson Tumuramye, Child advocate, parenting coach, marriage counsellor