Many people offer various advice and tips about higher education to school leavers. Students should consider all the suggestions, analyze them, and make their final decision based on their own judgment, not on anyone else's coercion.

Choosing the Best College

Most students today select a college and course with the expectation of securing the right job opportunity and salary. To fulfill such expectations, one should choose an educational institution that provides excellent education, has a sector-specific 'Centre of Excellence,' and offers outstanding job opportunities.
Besides specialized training and employability skills development, the institution should also foster the unique talents of each individual.
It is commonly advised to explore the syllabus and develop various skills while studying. Understanding different aspects of other fields is important; however, specialization in a specific field during college is essential nowadays. For instance, those aspiring to work in 'Web Development' need to become proficient in 'Full-Stack Development.'
Today, it is possible to receive a world-class education within the classroom. It is the responsibility of educational institutions to provide the necessary facilities and opportunities.
'Design Thinking' Curriculum

When looking at social networking sites like 'Facebook' and 'LinkedIn,' no company offers jobs based on profiles alone. Instead, companies today look at scores on platforms like 'HackerRank' and 'LeetCode.' Employers also expect new hires to perform well from day one. No organization today is prepared to offer extensive on-the-job training.
In this context, while earlier placement training was provided only in the final year of college, today employability skill development training is offered from the first year of admission.
All educational institutions are ready to provide additional skill development training to students if they are willing to take it. This applies not only to engineering students but also to arts and science students. The ability to think innovatively, solve problems, and approach things differently is essential today.
Hence, the 'Design Thinking' curriculum is followed in our educational institutes to encourage the development of such skills.
-Nagaraj, Vice President, Ratnam Educational Institutions, Coimbatore.
nagaraj@rathinam.in