Importance Of Guidance Counselors

As students, we all come to university with the bright-eyed illusion that whatever tribulation we might face we are adequately prepared for. Many students like myself soon realized that this is not the case. We not only experience significant changes arising from a dramatic shift in course load but the introduction of a variety of factors creating distress in not only our academic and social life but our mental health as well. Inadequate exposures to a variety of different disciplines and fields have lead to a majority of students switching majors within their initial years of post-secondary. This onslaught we face can be mitigated if we had proper preparation for not only the hard academic skills but also soft skills such as finances, budgeting …show more content…
In order to help students find their own paths and make goals surrounding their individualized paths, students should be required to visit their respective guidance counselor on these matters. Though it should not be intensive in their first year of high school, counselors should instill in these students to explore their potential likes and dislikes. As these students grow older it should be the mandate of the counselor to help explore their career paths and their reason behind it. If their reason behind a certain path is due to societal or parental influence then it should be further expanded upon. If a student’s motivation to succeed in life is not true and forthright then their true potential could be buried. Students like myself who enjoy what they study often times can put into situations where studying in no longer a chore but an advancement of their own personal …show more content…
Before students enroll into university the following two-week after convocation should be used for preparation and enhancement of these soft skills. In a similar format to remedial summer school, students would learn the basics of healthy eating, a skill freshman are historically known to ignore, budgeting and adapting to a new social and academic environment. This two week course should not be seen or a taught in a manner than scares these students but to reinforce the overall message that some of their best times are ahead of them, this course just mitigates the harder times. Learning about the key principles of being a functional adult, both at home and if their studies take them away, will catalyze the maturation process that many of us as students experience when they arrive in university. Basic tests should be reformatted to reflect the level of aptitude and style that universities often use for their first year students. Students should also be educated in certain policies regarding certain university specific information such as the existence of bursaries and separate tax procedures for these universities. Encompassing life skills that are needed in post-secondary life within this “crash course” will allow students to be better prepared for the unknowns they might face than the current system allows