I have worked as a full time instructor and an academic advisor at Bilkent University between 1998-2019. During that time, I had the privilege to meet and work one on one with thousands of students. I know I was able to touch their lives at some point, but this was definitely mutual. They shared their hapiness, concerns, problems with me, and so did. I believe this is a process that very few can experience.
In this last 21 years, I have surprisingly realized that many of my students were not happy with their field of study. Most of them chose their department based on their parents wishes, because that department was popular at that time, or because their friends chose that department, too. Inevitably, the outcome of this choice was disappointment both for the family and the student. They had literally no idea what to do once they were graduated. They had no desire to work in their chosen field, at the same time knew that they had to earn their living somehow. In some other cases, they were talented in an area that was far away from their field. They had a fine ear for music, had their own compositions, had great pleasure from being involved with music; but they were studying Molecular Biology and Genetics. This discrepancy between the department they were studying, and where their actual talent lies would no doubt influence their future; and unfortunately not in a positive way.
At this point, I was able to comprehend the importance of a career selection, and how this choice can be taken so wrong in a way that it will dictate how one will spend the rest of his/her life. I realized the importance of earning professional guidance for appropriate career choice. Apart from completing my PhD in Psychology, I also attended UCLA Berkeley Global Career Counseling Certification Program. I did my best to direct my students, sometimes even by contacting their parents, to the right path. When I was retired, I decided to do what I know best; helping my students in their education and guide them in their career choice. That is how Woo Academia was founded.
Dr. Ebru İNANÇ