CAREER INSIGHT: Career in Science; Many JAMBITES are just ignorant

College and secondary school students who are interested in science are often held in the dilemma of making careers choices or just deciphering what they really want to achieve from the study of science. Obviously the sciences are usually held as classics in our schools and students of science in the senior classes also enjoy the prestige as well as the respect from school mates, family and friends.

However, the knowledge of career opportunities available to an average science student in a typical secondary school in Nigeria is very minimal, in adequate and worst of all, highly stereotyped. Imagine this scenario, which I believe everyone can relate with. Sure, if you ask JAMBITES who have majored in science about their preferred course of study in the universities, there’s absolutely a high probability of getting a stereotypical mention of Medicine, Pharmacy and Engineering (mainly Petrochemical, Mechanical and Electrical/Electronics) among over 90% of the students!

 

 

It’s clear therefore that many students leave school with little knowledge of the vast areas of specialization in science which keeps on increasing by the day as a result of new discoveries and breakthroughs. Even our unending need to understand more concepts and specific areas of a body of science have led to the use of tools and methods that were traditionally employed in a particular field. This has also given rise to courses that are multidisciplinary and are currently at the frontiers of science. Typical examples are Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology among others.

Career insight in science therefore tops the list of pressing needs of students in senior secondary schools. In fact, “What course do you want to study in the university?” have become a real nightmare question for many young aspiring scientists. Additionally, the twin challenge of meeting up with parents’ desires and dreams of going into one of the ‘hottest’ or say, professional courses in science makes career choice even more of a frustration and helpless situation. We see also that parents have themselves stereotyped what a lucrative and successful career in science should be and anything different would never be good enough for their wards who they should be proud in some couple of years to have as doctors, pharmacists and engineers. Of course, the society would have to respect them more for having children in those professions; a skewed thinking that have caused so many untold damages and frustrations.

Career advice and counseling are very essential for students, as early as junior secondary years. Focusing on a student’s area of competence/strengths and skills is key, followed by interest. It would be so difficult for many especially parents to agree, however the reality remains that career choice is all about the student, and must be carefully and deliberately left for the student to make; though not without good enough guidance from parents, teachers and even elder siblings. Students must also be open for criticism and probing concerning their preferred choices and career paths, and be sure to put every issue raised into perspective before the final important decision.

 

I want every JAMBITE to know that there are a thousand and one careers in science they can successfully go into from Agriculture to Public Health, down to Zoology. A student also has no business going into any discipline s/he has neither interest nor good at, no matter who is pressurizing or cajoling them. Careers must not be pursued just to proof points that are baseless. Students should study wide and get more knowledge of the diverse wonderful and useful careers in science.

§  JAMBITE; a term (colloquial) used in referring to Nigerian Secondary school leavers (including those about to leave high school) who are preparing for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.