IN MARCH this year, approximately
8,27,475 students appeared for the Higher
Secondary Examination 2026. Across India,
students are now awaiting their Class 12 results
next month.
I conducted a survey among students who
had completed Class 12 to understand who
makes decisions about their higher studies.
Many students responded that their parents,
siblings, and relatives were the deciding
influences. Only around 2 percent said they
made decisions for themselves.
What is the reason behind this? How can students
succeed in their dreams? How can they shape their lives
through the right college, course, and subject?
ADVERSE SELECTION
There is often asymmetric information coming from
many sources such as relatives, neighbours, friends,
and social media. If students believe such sources
without cross-checking what is suitable for them and
what is not, it can lead to poor decisions. We may call
this ‘adverse selection’. This can result in a mismatch:
studies go in one direction, careers in another, and life
in yet another.
This is the time to define our goals clearly
and move in a focused way.
During my college days, there were two
students, Tamilamuthan and Prakash, both
studying B.Com (Corporate Secretaryship).
They joined the course with the aim
of clearing the Chartered Accountant (CA)
examination. However, their journeys
were different. Tamilamuthan discontinued
his degree but cleared CA on his first
attempt. Prakash completed his B.Com and
also cleared CA on his first attempt.
Who decided their goals? Was it their parents, relatives,
or siblings? Not at all. It was their own dream
and determination.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT COURSE
Similarly, choosing a course of study and a college
should be the student’s own decision. It should not be
forced by anyone, including parents. When students
choose a course not for themselves but for others,
they are often fulfilling someone else’s dream while
sacrificing their own.
How should one choose the right course? Students
should spend time alone — whether in a study room,
library, or any quiet place — and think deeply. Which
subject do you truly enjoy? Which subject do you understand
well even without guidance?
When I was studying in Classes 11 and 12 in a
government higher secondary school, there was no
teacher for economics, and those periods were often
left free. Without a teacher, I studied economics on
my own, performed well, and chose it as my path. In a
way, after I chose economics, it also chose me.
In the same way, students should find a subject that
they can build their life around, even independently.
That can lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
Focus on your decision. Listen to others, but do
not surrender your choice. In the end, take ownership
of your path, because a life shaped by your own
decisions will always be more meaningful than one
shaped entirely by others.