College admissions are on hold due to coronavirus. (Representational image)
As the coronavirus pandemic has prompted many students aspiring for foreign colleges to turn towards Indian colleges, the competition for a seat is going to get tougher. According to a recent survey by Mindler, a career counseling firm, 56 per cent of students who aspired to study abroad are considering Indian universities as their Plan B.
Those opting for foreign universities may reconsider if the varsity abroad conducts classes online. As per the survey, a percentage of students were sceptical (23 per cent) about the idea, or outrightly dismissed (35 per cent) the proposition of online alternatives in such a scenario.
The report states, “Indian universities will experience an upsurge in applications. Students, who were previously only applying overseas, will now also apply to several domestic options as their backups.”
The survey states, 63 per cent students feel their initial career plans have been badly hit due to COVID-19. Further, 42 per cent students are reconsidering their career choices.
Students are also looking at more than one career option. Each student is considering around three career options; business management, computer applications and IT, entrepreneurship, medicine and design seem to be the most popular domains. Further, as many as 42 per cent of the students have opted for online certification courses, whereas 47 per cent of the students are utilising this time to prepare for their entrance exams.
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The report stressed on the fact that students are more concerned about how to pick a safe and promising career choice and expressed an interest in having access to a career guidance helpline during these testing times.