With the rising cost of tuition, getting the most out of your college eduction is more important than ever. Despite the increased importance of career planning, many college students graduate without ever visiting the campus career center. One way for colleges to prepare students for the “real world” would be to require a career class as part of the core curriculum.
If colleges require all students to take other courses, why not career planning? My college required a “university studies” course, which covered the history of higher education and of the university. It felt like a complete waste of time and is no longer required. I think a career planning course would have been more useful to me and to the other students.
A career planning course could be offered online or in summer, and could meet once per week (instead of twice or three times like a typical college course). Not only could students learn how to choose a career to suit their personalities, but they could also develop their interview and resume preparation skills.
Most colleges offer career-related courses, but students might not be aware of them or may not think career planning is important. A required class would not only force students to think about their career plans, but it might also expose them to some new career ideas they had never considered.