Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed

The rapid increase in tuition costs has turned education into a burdensome, yet compulsory investment for most families. Students graduate with six-figure debts, yet some will end up with unfulfilling jobs which they loathe. However, it is usually too late when individuals come to this realization after they graduate, and realize that they have wasted a prolific amount of money on something they do not actually enjoy. They are now faced with the choice to invest even more money to study another field, or to endure their current occupation. There could be a number of factors which caused students to pursue the wrong field for them, therefore I believe educational institutions should attempt to guide students onto a path which they are most likely to succeed.

It is easy to argue that educational institutions should grant their students a certain level of freedom to pursue what they enjoy. While I agree that what fields students pursue should ultimately be their choice, schools should be more attentive to their students and offer a certain amount of guidance. Furthermore, as educational institutions have already correctly implemented -- younger students are exposed to a wide variety of subjects, from the arts and humanities to the sciences. Young minds are exposed to varying disciplines at a young age, so they can figure out what piques their interest, yet there is still a large number of students who enter college as "Undecided." Among those who are certain about their field of study, there exists another subgroup who have no idea what careers they are intending to pursue with their respective degrees. This phenomenon possibly resulted from a lack of advice and guidance from institutions, causing graduates to have regrets about pursuing their field of study.

A survey which was recently conducted among college graduates found that graduates with a degree in Arts and Humanities--namely English and History degree holders--regretted their field of study the most, and found their jobs dull and unfulfilling. If they were given proper guidance during college, in which academic advisors may notice that some students' personalities or academic performances are not suitable for work in the humanities field, then perhaps they would have been motivated to choose an alternative field of study. For the costly tuition each family pays, students deserve to have someone within educational institutions who are attuned to them and intimate suggestions unique to each individual.

Although it seems that students still possess the freedom to choose their field of study, this is most likely not the case in the majority of universities. Certain accredited university departments frequently implement strict grade policies for students who want to pursue it as a major - each student must obtain a certain grade minimum. Grades are often indicative of how much effort students are willing to put into their field of study, thereby showing an individual's interest. By installing such a policy, colleges are indirectly dissuading students from pursuing a field in which they not performing well. Furthermore, institutions now have academic advisors who are responsible for a small handful of students, to ensure they are performing well academically, as well as offer advice on what classes to take and what career options to look into.

Ultimately, it is still important for students to choose their career path, but educational institutions should make an attempt to guide students in a field that is most suitable to them. Students may be tempted to choose careers which seem easy or mainstream regardless whether they are able to succeed such a career, and schools should dissuade students from this irresponsible act.