THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS  ABOUT THEIR FUTURE

1.0 Introduction:

1.1    This study is conducted by the students of M.Sc (Electronic Media), Anna University as a project work, under the guidance of Prime Point Foundation.  The students who have done this study are S. Sakthi prasanna, Nachu. Nagappan, K.M.Jothi Sree, S. Karthik, R.Hari prakash, S.Sudharshan.

1.2    The objective of this study is to find the perception of the students about their future course of action, after completing the present course.  This study also aimed to find the perception of the students on the job potentiality, their preferences for job or entrepreneurship, etc.

2.0 Methodology

2.1     A questionnaire was developed with the above objectives and a test - survey was conducted on few students to identify the possible errors in understanding.   

2.2     After satisfying the correctness of the questionnaire, the questionnaire was administered on the students of various colleges in the Chennai City covering all the departments of study.  The questionnaire was administered to the students of various colleges on 16^th, 17^th and 18^th June 2003 at Chennai.  

2.3     To get the free and frank perceptions, the respondents were asked not to write their identity.   

2.4     The Questionnaire is given in Annexure I.

3.0   Sample Size  

3.1     Every care was taken that cross sections of the students were administered with the questionnaire to find out the general perception.  The male / female respondents are given in Table 1.

   TABLE 1

  3.2     The course wise representation of the respondents is given in Table2

TABLE 2  

 3.3  Status of the graduation is given in Table 3  

TABLE 3  

* Graduates include the students studying in Engineering / medicine  

3.3     Year wise classification of the respondents are given in Table 4  

TABLE 4  

  3.4     From the Tables 1 to 4, it may be observed that sample of respondents cover the wide range of students and it is sufficient to understand the common perception of the students.

  4.0    Reasons for joining the course  

4.1    The respondents were asked to specify the reason for choosing the course which they are studying presently.  Table 5 indicates the feedback.  

TABLE 5  

 4.1 Nearly two-third of the respondents got their course as per their desire.  (67% of Arts/Science, 65% of Engineering students and 70% of Medical students)  

4.2 Interestingly 67% of male respondents and 66% of female respondents got the courses of their choice.  

5.0    Job opportunity for the course  

5.1 The respondents were asked to rate the job opportunity for the course that they are pursuing.  Table 6 indicates the responses:  

TABLE 6  

5.1    Nearly 38 percent of the respondents consider the job potentiality for their courses as either Excellent or Very Good.  

5.2    Amongst those who have rated either as Excellent or Very good, 38% of Arts/Science students, 25% of Engineering students and 54% of Medical students are optimistic.  Medical students seem to be more optimistic than Engineering students.  

5.3    Nearly 30% of male and 46% of female students have rated either as very good or excellent.   

5.4    It can be observed that nearly 62% of the total respondents are moderate in their optimism.

  6.0    Future plans after completing the course  

6.1    The students were asked to specify their future plans after completing the present course.  Table 7 indicates their preferences:

TABLE 7  

6.2    Nearly 42% of the respondents prefer to seek job opportunities. Only 10 percent of the students prefer to become entrepreneurs.  

6.3    Amongst the respondents, 41% of Arts/Science students, 56% of Engineering students and 27% of Medical students preferred to seek job opportunity.  

6.4    Again, 49% of male students and 35% of female students preferred to seek job.   

6.5    Interestingly, more of Engineering students (56%) prefer  to seek job than the medical students (27%) - As per para 5.3 above, 25% of Engineering students and 54% of medical students considered the job opportunity in their field as very good and excellent.   

6.6    While only 10% of the students respondents preferred to become entrepreneurs,  9% of Arts/Science , 10% each of Engineering and medical students preferred to become entrepreneurs. - Male  (11%) and female (8%) - There appears to be a consistency in the perception of the students  

7.0       Reasons for seeking Job  

7.1       The respondents were asked to specify the reason for seeking job, if they had preferred to seek job.

  7.2       While 211 respondents preferred to 'seek job' in the earlier question, 350 respondents gave their views here. (Table 8)

TABLE 8

• Not responded – 150

7.3       40 percent of those responded considered 'the opportunity for growth'  (Male 40% and female 39% of those responded under the category)

7.4       29 percent considered 'steady income' as their preference for seeking job. (Male 30 percent and female 28 percent of those responded)  

7.5       Interestingly, only 17 percent considered the 'job security' as their reason. Male 16 percent and female 17 percent of those responded).  This indicates that unlike the elder generation, the present younger generation does not consider the 'job security' as their main preference.   

7.6       There is a consistency of the perception amongst the male and female students.  

8.0 Reasons for not becoming Entrepreneur  

8.1 The   respondents were asked to give their perception as to why they do not want to become entrepreneurs.  Table 9 indicates their perception  

TABLE 9

• Not responded - 85 

  8.1      Amongst the students who preferred 'not prepared to take risk', 50 (23% of those responded) are male students and 47 (23% of those responded) are female students.  47 Arts/Science students (28%), 26 Engineering students (20%) and 21 Medical students (22%) have perceived this option.  

8.2      Amongst those who cited ' financial constraints' as their reason for not taking up entrepreneurship, 79 (36% of those responded) are male students and 38 (18%) are female students.  Nearly 54 Arts/Science students (33%), 37 Engineering students (29%) and 22 Medical students (20%) have cited this reason.  

8.3      There is a consistency in the perception.  Nearly 59 percent of the male students and 61 percent of Arts/Science students have fear for taking risk and for financial constraints.  

9.0  Summary of findings  

9.1          There is a consistency in the perception of the students gender wise, course wise, etc.  

9.2          Nearly two-third of the students get their course as they preferred.  

9.3          Nearly 38 percent of the students consider their course has high job potential.  Medical students rate very high (54%) compared to their Engineering students (25%)  

9.4          Only 10 percent of the students prefer to become 'entrepreneurs' and nearly 40 percent of them prefer to 'seek job'.  

9.5          Opportunity for growth (40%) and steady income (29%) seem to be the main factors guiding the students to seek job.  Job security takes only the least preference (17%)

9.6          Financial constraints (28%) and fear for taking risk  (23%) seem to discourage the students from preferring 'entrepreneurship'  

10.0     Our Observations  

10.1     Even though, the sample size is only 500, this can be taken as a general trend of perception of the students with minor variation.  

10.2     Generally the students are happy with the courses they pursue and they consider only moderately about the job potentiality of the courses they undergo.  

10.3     Inspite of the fact that they perceive the job potentiality moderately, they prefer to 'seek job', instead of preferring entrepreneurship.  They consider opportunity for growth and the steady income to be the main reasons for seeking job.  

10.4     Only 10 percent of the students prefer to become entrepreneurs.  This is mainly because they have a fear for taking risk and unable to meet the financial constraints.   

11.0     Recommendations  

11.1     There seems to be a confusion amongst the students.  Though they do not consider the job potentiality for the courses as very high, they prefer only employment and they do not want to become 'entrepreneurs'.  

11.2     There is an urgent requirement to motivate the youngsters to become entrepreneurs, so that more employment opportunity could be created.  Their fears need to be removed  

11.3     Series of workshops, seminars by various Educational Institutions, inviting successful entrepreneurs, bankers, etc. are to be organised, so that the students will have an opportunity to interact with right people.  

11.4     Media also be encouraged to put out articles / programmes on this aspect  

  12.0     Conclusion  

12.1     We gratefully acknowledge the support and guidance given by Sri K. Srinivasan, Founder Chairman, Prime Point Foundation and Chairman and Managing Director of Prime Point Public Relations P Limited, Chennai for the conduct of this Image Audit.  

12.2     We also acknowledge the cooperation extended by the various college authorities and the students during the survey.