2015

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

IN UGANDA SETTING

By Geofrey Lusaggi

[CAREER DEVELOPMENT] This is an original article about career development , that guide individuals on what career

development is , how to choose a career and factors that determine someones career as well

as taking students through entire life of their careers. The article also reminds parents about

their responsibilities in a childs career pass. The article is based on Ugandan school setting

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Contents

Career Planning ..................................................................................................................... 4

STEPS IN CHOOSING A CAREER .......................................................................................10

Start Your Future Career ...................................................................................................... 36

The Advantage .................................................................................................................... 36

Apprentices ................................................................................................................... 40

Preparing to join tertiary institutions .......................................................................................43

Application into the institution ................................................................................................44

Financial factor ......................................................................................................................44

Time of study .........................................................................................................................45

Campus .................................................................................................................................45

Living away from home ..........................................................................................................45

ORIENTATION PERIOD .......................................................................................................46

How to Succeed in College/university ................................................................................... 53

SOCIAL CHANGES ...........................................................................................................63

References

55

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About the

Author..

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CHAPTER ONE

CAREER PLANING

Career is all about the experience in an occupation one accumulates over a given

period of time or in ones life. Therefore career is concerned with exposure of a person

about a given job or area of work.

Career Planning

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person will ever make.

Unfortunately, many people make career choices without drawing any plan but just

follow the education system as it flows and at the end of it they end up crying of

unemployment and that is when they realise that they would have thought about it

before they took on that academic or vocational line.

That brings us to the importance of career guidance and planning before students

choose a school, college, and subjects or even taking on a particular course or study

programme ultimately.

Parents, teacher and children need to seek for career guidance and career planning.

One of the very best ways to begin this is by taking an initiative to consult all the stake

holders in a childs career path and development. There is no need to leave career

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guidance and career planning to chance, therefore schools and parents involve

professionals for proper guidance in career related issues for their students or children.

Facilitating students focusing on the interests and talents will help them have a starting

point that is uniquely about them and their career choice. This is only the beginning of

career planning and career guidance.

Every one on earth has his/her dream right from childhood however, the research I

made on some selected Ugandans showed that 0.2% pursue and develop the career of

their dreams. When still a child, he/she has very big dreams irrespective of his talent

and ability, which is a very wonderful experience which develops childrens interest in a

certain career. One becomes so much inquisitive about that particular field at a very

early age. That is why you find young children who want to become engineers turn their

homes into workshops, collecting all kind of scrap they come across. The ones who

want to become doctors become so inquisitive about what doctors do in hospitals, the

ones who want to become chefs also manipulate items about cooking. For that case

parents and teachers should provide enabling or conducive environments and possible

assistance for the learners to discover all about their dreams. As it is that a human

being is born with some raw knowledge which is to be manufactured automatically

through self discovery or through teaching learning interaction, so all the opportunities

should be provided for our children by parents and teachers.

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One of the greatest needs of the society today are the individuals who are insightful

enough to transform the nation with purposeful acts through creating meaning out of

their dreams but not by accidents. Another great need of society is visionary parents

and teachers. Human beings, who are intuitive enough to sell people into their own

greatness, need to be insightful to achieve their own dreams. It is always important to

know that Ones career choice affects the rest of his or her life

These are some of the major fields students and their facilitators should think about

during career planning and guidance as well;

1. - Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

2. - Architecture & Construction

3. - Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications

4. - Business, Management & Administration

5. - Education & Training

6. - Finance

7. - Government & Public Administration

8. - Health Science

9. - Hospitality & Tourism

10. - Human Services

11. - Information Technology

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12. - Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security

13. - Manufacturing

14. - Marketing, Sales & Service

15. - Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

16. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics among others.

These give you a picture of the opportunities that are available which are compared with

the rest of the factors that are considered while making a career decision.

Therefore it is the schools responsibility to articulate and clarify to the students and

parents the above academic and vocational fields. So that students can make relevant

decisions for their bright future.

During the career information search one should know that, there are numerous articles

and books that list what "the experts" predict will be "hot jobs." It is a good thing to look

at those lists to see if any of the careers on it appeal to you, however that information

should not dictate your choice. Its because that information is based on the available

data which might be valid by the time the data was compiled but from the self evident

fact that the world is not static so that data might then not be valid in other periods.

Therefore what is hot this year won't be hot a few years from now.

Let us not do things because others are doing them

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Everyone is different and what works for one person won't necessarily work for another,

even if that other person is someone with whom you have a lot in common. If someone

you know has a career that interests you, look into it and compare the factor of interest

against the other factors considered when choosing a career but do not take it for

granted that it will work for you too.

Choosing career is a great start, but there's a lot more to do after that. A Career Action

Plan is a road map that takes you from choosing a career to becoming employed in that

occupation to reaching your long-term career goals. More training and development has

to be considered and taken on, this will expose and give experience in that particular

field since development is a gradual process.

Career plans help you understand your occupation, your career path, and what you may

personally need to do to develop, advance, or even change your career. The plans can

help you learn more about the careers that are available to someone with your skills and

training and identify the path you need to take to get there.

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CHAPTER TWO

CHOOSING A CAREER

This is a very sensitive decision one has to make; it determines ones life time. However

many people take it for granted or lack vision and guidance, hence ending up making

irrational decisions about the suitable careers to pursue.

Actually, choosing a career is a process and you should give it the time it deserves.

Career planning is a multi-step process that involves getting information that is enough

about yourself and the occupations which you are considering in order to make an

informed decision.

Choosing the right career can be a very daunting task especially in a world which offers

a selection of paths, all of which seem to be leading to a golden goal. Penny Loretto

says that Careers can actually build or destroy ones life so it is important to make the

right choice. Career guidance can help you in pursuing the right courses, in the right

colleges or institutes and can guide you in choosing a suitable career.

Choosing a career should not be only one persons decision but many parties like the

child him/herself, parents, teachers/schools and role Models should be involved.

However all students should know that it is not Parents or Teachers and the like to tell

them what career is best for you. Their role is just to provide you with guidance and

facilitation in choosing a career.

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STEPS IN CHOOSING A CAREER

Various scholars have come up with a lot of theories pertaining the steps in choosing a

career, but all in all in this book, I have tried to cite some of the general steps in

choosing a career as shown bellow;

Step one; Establishing your interests and talents

This is a significant step in career development where by a student needs to make clear

study and understanding him/herself. In other words one needs to know what he/she is,

interested in doing and capable of doing as well. This can be done by making a self

assessment through asking him/herself the following questions;

Where do my interests lie?

What do I do well and enjoy?

What kind of personality do I have?

What's really important to me?

What are my values?

This will provide the student with an in depth understanding of ones self in order to

make a firm decision but its you the student to find answers to each of the above

questions.

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Draw on your own life experiences on classes, vocational or co curricular activities or

other opportunities that you may have particularly enjoyed. Remember, this is very

personal and is all about you! Choosing a career can be very satisfying with the right

help.

Step two; Establish your career alternatives

After a clear understanding of yourself identify various alternatives of the careers that

you might be interested in. These are derived from the talents and interests you

possess. Obtain an insiders perspective about the career path you are considering.

Conduct an Informal study through seeking for information from parents, teachers, role

models and books that describe different kinds of work, the typical qualifications needed

and time for various occupations, that relate to your identified career options.

Professionals enjoy sharing their expertise with people interested in the field. Perform

informal interviews with former students/pupils from your school/college to gain their

perspective of the field and to listen to what they have to say. This strategy provides first

hand information from someone currently working in the field and gives you an

opportunity to ask about their experiences as well as potential jobs and what one might

expect if just entering the field.

Step three; Choose the best alternative

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Amongst the many options that you have established in the previous step about your

career, you need now to select the best option. You might learn you don't want to be in

an office environment. Or you might find that your interest in art wouldn't sustain a

career, so you cross those types of subjects or courses off your list. Whatever it is that

you learn about yourself, you're making important discoveries that will help you choose

a good career when the time comes. This is a major component of career planning for

students.

While choosing also make consideration of the factor of resource availability, think

about the resources that are available for you to develop and promote your interests

and talents as far as your career is concerned. This can be sought of in various

perspectives such as;

The nature of the school or institution you are in or you wish to join. All over the country

and the world at large there are schools or institutions that are well known of being

excellent of promoting certain talents and career opportunities i.e. relate the institutions

ability to promote some of your areas of interest. Even thinking of a tertiary institution to

join, consider its ability to promote your talents and interests as far as your career is

concerned besides other factors. This will help you not to fails your career during the

course of execution. Most importantly, keep it all in perspective: You don't have to live

forever with any career decision you make in these phases of student career planning.

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Most people change careers several times during their lives, so the first job you choose

right after college probably won't be your career 15 or 20 years down the road unless

you want it to be. So don't put too much pressure on yourself to make the perfect

decision, and always keep your eyes open, and use all available resources in your

journey to find how to choose a career.

Step four; Choose the subjects or the course

After choosing your best alternative, now think about the suitable subjects or course that

will lead you to achieve your dream career. I still emphasize that this not done in

isolation but after a discussion with your teacher, parents and role models if any. Always

remain thirsty for knowledge about a chosen career. This will accelerate your interest

and love for that particular career.

Wherever you go let it be on your lips and you should never be shy to mention the area

of interest before others. That is when even resourceful people in that particular field will

land on you and facilitate or groom you in one way or another. Let me give you a

scenario; if you went for a seminar and there a Baker with very delicious cakes

packaged them in a black polythene or paper bag and he does not bring them out of

that opaque package better still say that here are some cakes at a thousand shillings

each, how will you (the participants) get to know about the cakes however much you

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might be hungry. The same implies to a career, never think about it in leave it within you

but pour it to the public if you need to succeed.

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PARAMOUNT PARTIES THAT MUST BE INVOLVED IN CAREER PLANNING AND

CHOOSING A CAREER AS WELL

As I mentioned earlier, choosing and planning a career is not a one mans thing, it

involves other parties in order for one to come up with a relevant and firm decision. The

following are the major parties and their roles in career planning.

The student/pupil/child

This is the major party in choosing a career; a child needs to have an inquiring mind and

self understanding of his/her interests, abilities and talents. Many students choose

subjects or courses basing on pressure groups, parents or teachers influences,

ignoring or forgetting their feelings, interests and talents. A childs major role is to look at

his/her feelings, interests and abilities/talents then choose subjects/course that lead to

that career. There is nothing that can empower ones life than his/her self acceptance.

In everything done one to be successful self acceptance should be the first step. As

Tao Te Ching said that knowing more about others is intelligence but knowing yourself

is true wisdom For that matter, whoever takes time and initiative to understand him /her

self, he/she is wise and will always do things that are within his reach.

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I have recorded a lot of complaints from grandaunts that they do not enjoy their jobs

because they were not guided well in exploration of themselves as well as the subjects

or courses they took, yet others were instead the subjects/courses they did were

dictated by their teachers, parents or peers.

A student should have a moment and meditate upon him/her self and ask the following

questions whose answers should be established by the student/child him/ herself:

What do I want to be in future?

What are my interests?

What things can I do best?

What things do I feel like doing?

What are the available opportunities for me to become what I want to become?

What do people say about me?

Who are my role models?

What do my teachers say?

What do my parents and relatives say about me?

Are resources available to facilitate me achieving my goals?

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The greatest challenge among youths today is identity crisis; we always have no idea

about who we are, what we are made up of and what God endowed us with. All of this

can be discovered through self realization and self insight about our make.

It is a responsibility of the individual student/child to change the circumstances of his/her

life as well as changing the feelings of the mind. We should never look for this change

from a distance but just know it is amidst us and always within our means, this change

can start right now and then. We simply need a prototype alter till we discover our true

personalities and identities. The teachers, parents and role models guidance coupled

with our self realisation are just enough to kick start a new revolution in our lives about

the suitable subject/course or jobs for us.

We really need to be realistic to our selves, develop a spirit of self confidence and self

esteem. No one can know us better than ourselves, so all the people we relate or

associate with are just to facilitate our understanding or exploration about ourselves but

should not impose their interests on us. William James once said that the greatest

discovery of my generation is that men and women can change the circumstances of

their lives as well as changing the attitude of their mind.

With information about your interests, you can facilitate or develop a career plan. I

suggest you involve others in your journey and tap into other career planning resources

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as you move forward. Career guidance is a lifelong process. By starting with an

awareness of your personal interests, you can adjust your plan accordingly.

The teacher /school

A teacher/school is another important party in making a decision about career planning

of the student/pupils. Giving an example of a global teachers quality that the

teacher/school is regarded to be the parent of the learner while at school, the teacher is

expected to treat learners as individuals not as a group like most of the teachers do,

treating learners as individuals enables teachers to have an inner understanding of the

child because children are different from each other in terms of abilities and disabilities,

you see even the so called identical twins also differ from one another in one way or the

other.

Therefore, the global teacher is expected to track and maintain a clear record about his

or her learners right from the day the teacher/school commits himself/ herself to

become the learners parent while at school, that is, from the time the students/pupil are

admitted in the school. So the child and parents expect a lot more from the teacher in

as far as changing learners behaviour, attitude and values are concerned.

The global teacher/school should provide an enabling environment to facilitate the

students/pupils explore there talents, abilities and interests. Many learners do not know

their talents and abilities not until they are facilitated to explore them. Therefore, the

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teacher should just enable the learner to understand himself/herself. As Dale Carnegie

said Give a dog a good name and it will behave well. Therefore whatever the

experience teacher/school shares with students/children impacts on their lives forever.

Also the global teacher/school makes a follow up of his/her learners in whatever they do

while at school, off school or even after school. The teacher is expected to be the

source of facts and true information about the learners. I always admire teachers who

are proud of their former students; however the question to them should be: How much

they contribute to their students success?

A teacher should not impose his/her subjectivity, biased mind and emotions about the

Subjects/course or career on his/her learners. The teacher should be objective in the

whole process of advising the student/pupils, that is; based on empirical and factual

evidence about the learner so that an appropriate career is identified, planned and

developed.

The teacher should establish a rapport with the student/pupil and maintain the highest

level of confidentiality as stipulated in the teachers code of conduct. This will enable the

learner to open up to the teacher for proper guidance. Therefore, the teacher student

relationship is a very resourceful event that facilitates making informed decisions about

the learners career.

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Therefore the humanity in the learner should be dignified as Pepe Minambo in his book

of Inspired for Greatness stresses it that when a brilliant person is hopeless, you have

no idea of how much harm he can cause to the society; when a man is hopeless, you

have no idea of how low he can go below human dignity; when a man is hopeless he

completely loses the value of his life and price it as peanut and in that case he

becomes careless and ready to expose his life to risks that even some clever animals

will never dare to venture into.

Let the learners know that they are powerful beyond their imaginations, its a matter of

self identification and always screen whatever comes in ones away or hears and

relates it to their feelings and interests.

Also a school in particular plays a very important part in career development and

guidance which are not limited to;

Prepare career days: Here various teachers are allocated various topics for discussion

before students. The information presented should be inspirational and developmental

about career development. Implying teachers have to prepare well in advance in order

to provide meaningful information which will facilitate learners to make choices and

develop their career.

The children are supposed to be inspired by the school before they expire. Expiration is

a fact about everything beside inspiration. So if teachers fail to inspire these youth to go

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for a greater life, then most of them will settle for an insignificant kind of life. An

insignificant minded person will not buy any valuable asset for himself/ herself, because

he/she will foolishly go ahead to exchange his property for nothing. Such fellows are a

constant threat to the welfare of humanity.

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THE PARENTS

This is a very significant party in career development; parents must understand their

childrens abilities and interests but not to impose their interests and feelings on their

children. A good parent always listens, feels the heart beat of his/her child, inspires and

facilitates the child to make a clear understanding of him/her. Most parents, having

failed to be successful in a certain career have a high tendency of making their children

become what they desired to become in a bid to satisfy their ego. And most of such

parents are very manipulative to their children in that, they think their children will bring

a consolation to their lost dreams. Many parents compromise their childrens interests

and abilities over their ambitions. Many children complain that they have strong passion

for certain courses but their parents want them to pursue other courses instead.

Therefore parents must consider things that attract their eyes but take on only things

that conquer their hearts in relation to the childrens abilities and interests. So dont

follow your eyes but listen to your heart, because the decision concerning the childrens

career is very sensitive in nature.

The importance of parent involvement in childrens career selection and educational

process;

Studies show that parents are one of the greatest influence on a student's career

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selection. It is important for parents to give children support and encouragement to

explore the many alternatives available to find the best career suit for them (the

children), as opposed to trying to live out their own unfulfilled career dreams through

your young child. It is important to start the discussion as early as possible, don't wait

till they are looking at university admission forms or Joint Admission Board (JAB) forms

or other tertiary institutions application forms. Much of the influential discussion should

have happened right from the time the child begins school. If the process is started

early, there is less likelihood of making unwise decisions.

Parents should stay positive and give encouragement at all times to their children. The

parents attitude matters a great deal! Stay positive! The work place today is ever-

changing and may appear frightening to a young person. Don't make the past seem

perfect and the future terrifying. It is true knowledge is power, so encourage them to get

as much information and take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.

Don't shoot down ideas children may have about their future careers. If you react

negatively, it may shut down the whole exploration process. Keep the lines of

communication open, as you encourage them to gather as much information on any

particular career as possible. That research may provide the results you'd imagined in

the first place, they may come to realise that they were on the wrong path by

themselves. The difference is that they were in control of the learning and making the

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decision based on it. This is exactly the skill you need them to have when they face the

adult world.

What parents should know is that the choice of career is their first real step into

adulthood. You are now very much an observer rather than a participant in the process.

Encourage early exploration and discourage expectations that "things will work

themselves out".

More to be noted by the parents is;

Mind the age kids start school

Isaac Baligema in one of his articles in the new vision discusses this topic in the

following ways;

In Uganda, most parents, especially those in urban areas take their children to school

when they are three years old, something experts say is wrong!

Taking your children to school at three could trigger a wave of stress and anxiety in

them, says Prof. Kato Kanameda, a volunteering staff at Makerere University.

Research conducted by experts in the UK in 2009 discovered that the right age for

children to start school is five.

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Children around the age of four may not be ready for the environment they encounter

in the reception class. This includes having to deal with a curriculum that may not be

tailored to their needs and a number of social and emotional adjustments, researchers

say.

Most parents who were interviewed confessed that they did not consider the age of their

children before starting school and that did not have any idea of the effects of taking

their children to school before they are at least four or five.

I have two daughters of five and three. The younger one started last year when she

made three because she would cry in the morning whenever we left home with her elder

sister, says Lillian Nantume, a parent.

Boarding school

Depending on the reason why you want to take your child to a boarding school, experts

say unless the family is highly mobile and the situation is unlikely to change; boarding

should not be the solution for any parent.

Children need to learn many things from us and they learn by seeing. It is amazing to

watch your child grow from stage to stage, but if you are the kind of parent, who is rarely

around, then you have no option, but to let your child into a boarding school, advises

Prof. Kanameda.

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A recent research discovered that the right age for any child to join boarding school is

eight years.

Many parents in Uganda take their children to boarding schools as early as age four

and the law and policies in the country are not clear about this.

Most parents interviewed think the younger a child is when they begin boarding, the

easier they find it to settle in the school routine, but this is very wrong according to

experts.

Many schools take on children as young as three simply because they aim at making

money money, but experts advise parents to take on their parenting role and not to pass

it on to schools simply because they can afford the costs.

Therefore, as you prepare to start schooling, your three year old child this term, you

may need to think again.

THE ROLE MODELS

All of the successful people are inspired by others who succeeded before; the role

models stimulate interests, desires and courage to others. Making a study or reading

about the life of great popular people, one realizes that really God created us for a great

purpose for which we have to accomplish. One begins by asking himself/herself

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questions like; If others can why not me? This inspires and stimulates one towards

greatness, love, honesty and hard work in all his /her endeavours.

To see how post secondary education can help you achieve your goals, talk to people

who've been there.

Make a list of people you know who've been to college, university or other

training courses. Ask them what they liked and didn't like about *****.

Talk to current students and grandaunts with a background that is similar to

yours. Get the inside scoop on programs that can help you make the most of

your post secondary experience.

Check out these real-life student success stories on television, radio stations,

News papers or by physically contacting them face to face:

Therefore students should pay attention to the words of resourceful people- role

models. One needs to emulate someone who will act as a challenge to accomplish, that

is to say one begins to strive to reach his/her role models heights. Still role models are

a good source of developmental information and messages that facilitate the others to

make informed decisions.

Factors considered when choosing a career

1. Talent and ability

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A talent is that God-given gift to human beings for which one does their best with a lot of

ease. For example; in sports, games, communication, analysing, computing, reasoning,

leadership skills, making research among others.

The creator has endowed human beings with immeasurable treasure of ability and

capacity to accomplish great things. We are equipped with all there is to do and all we

are created to do. So its a matter of self discovery of such gifts and talents endowed to

us by the Almighty God, and this self exploration is done with the assistance of the

elders like; parents, teachers and role models. Many children fail to discover their

talents and end up taking on irrelevant courses in relation to their talents.

Careers can be well pursued and performed when the drive is internal, that means

within the blood of a person. So, its better for one to do a course that is in line with

his/her special abilities or talents.

2. Schools

Thinking about schools, there are very many issues that should be considered when

parents prepare their childrens career. Not any kind of school can facilitate the self

discovery and development of a childs suitable career. The types of schools that exist

include vocational schools that improve on the psychomotor domain and academic

schools that cater for the childs cognitive. However, there are some constraints like;

poverty, failure to access better schools, among others that might be faced while

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making the choice of the school. We need just to understand the basic requirements

about a school that can facilitate a learner to discover and understand him/her self.

Schools with qualified teachers tend to cater and mind about their students career to an

extent of making a follow up and guiding them even after school.

A school that provides career guidance sessions is the best school ever. Most of the

schools are after making money, that is to say, they are being motivated more by profits

and do not mind much about preparing and building their students future careers. They

only concentrate on accomplishing the syllabus which in most cases encourages rote

learning and as such they are examination-oriented, despite the beautiful mottos and

visions the schools possess. In those schools, the task of choosing careers has

become the responsibility of the students and parents. In my interaction with some

senior three students of a school in central Uganda, when I asked them about the

criteria they followed when selecting the subjects they do, most of them gave unsound

reasons like one said , I dropped those subjects whose teachers I disliked, another

argued that I considered what my colleague chose. Can you imagine such response?

The blame goes to the schools for neglecting their role of building wholesome

graduates. The good school is expected to guide and mould its learners in all aspects of

life and decisions during and after school. Have you ever asked yourself why some so

called rural poor schools produce self reliant graduands and even more successful

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people as compared to these from urban or the so called modern schools? Its because

of the intensive guidance, care, Love and guidance they provide.

So a parent and student should consider schools that at least have produced a stream

of theologians, lawyers, doctors, engineers among others such would indicate the

worthiness of the school in question.

3. Interests

Interest is something you feel, value, treasure or consider being satisfying. All human

beings have things they are interested in. One feels relaxed and satisfied once he/she

does perform anything of his or her interest. Once someone is forced to do something

he/she cannot do perfectly, he/she must have an interest in it for better results. That is

why you find many employees unhappy, rude and not easy at their places of work. This

results from lack of interest in the job, but he/she just pursued the career to

accommodate the external influence like from parents, teachers or peers. Therefore for

one to decide what career to pursue he/she must have a great interest in it, love it, and

feel it with all his/her heart and soul. That is why you find other employees very happy,

lively and cooperative in all their endeavours and you really admire such a person are

doing, its because they doing things they are interested in. The person becomes

obsessed and treasures his occupation because it is the occupation of his interest.

Parents and teacher should be the ones to stimulate and interest the children towards

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the suitable careers, but they should not impose their interests onto their children.

However much parents and teachers are interested in various things, this might not

necessarily be the same with those of their children

Like people, occupations have traits or characteristics. These characteristics give

important clues about the nature of the work and work environment, and give you an

opportunity to match your own personal interests to a specific occupation. When you

choose a job in an occupation that matches your own interests you have taken an

important step in planning a successful and rewarding career.

When choosing a career, it makes perfect sense to choose one that is related to what

you enjoy doing in your spare time, if you so desire. In addition people tend to become

very skilled in their hobbies, even though most of the skill is gained informally.

4. Entry requirements

Yes, we might have dreamt about various so cold big good courses, but one should

consider his or her ability to do the required subjects and points for that particular

course. As you will see in chapter three, the details about relevant subjects and

combinations for various courses at university or tertiary institutions will be well

elaborated. Therefore students with guidance of the teacher should be able select and

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study very well the suitable subjects, combinations for the courses or programs of their

interest based on their abilities. Many students their interests override the missions

towards some courses and forget the entry requirement and abilities. You find one

applying for electrical engineering and does not totally think about the relevant subjects

and the cut off points of that course and his or her performance in those subjects. Some

students are not taken up by the institutions for certain courses because they never

thought about the entry requirements.

5. Resources required in relation to the ones available

As it is that all of the students would love to be joining higher institutions of learning

very few join with the major limitation for this is being insufficient resources. For sure

some courses are very expensive as compared to the rest. So, one should understand

clearly the resources available, that is to say; possessed by their parents, guardian or

any other benefactors. Many students apply for some courses which are out of the

means of their parents. It is also on record that out of the hundred students that are

admitted in the higher institutions of learning around twenty percent (20%) is unable to

commence due to limited resources. One might be suitable for that particular course

but the fund might not be enough so one should go in for the best alternative. One might

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go in for the alternative but he/she should not go in for any other course but consider

employment and any other prevailing in that particular course .

6. Prospective employment opportunities and other rewards together with job

security

This is also a great factor to consider as many students go in for courses forgetting

prevailing opportunities like employment, rewards of the course among others. Many

students choose courses for which they totally have no idea about in terms of

employment opportunities or rewards of those courses hence end up being

unemployed. It is right that not all courses offered at various higher institutions possess

equal/direct opportunities therefore it is necessary for one to understand the nature of

the course he/she is opting for. So, teachers should be informed about the various

prospective opportunities of various courses. Students should seriously consult their

teachers, role models and parents about the courses. However, in most schools

teachers have no idea about the prospective opportunities of some courses. Teachers

should be empowered with knowledge about various courses so that they can be able

to guide their learners.

7. Health status

Individuals health status is also considered when choosing a career, as there are some

people who have some complications and allergy towards some components they get

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into contact with while at work. So its better for someone to take on a career that is not

a threat to ones life. One needs to first have a medical examination to establish the

status of his/her life in order to choose a career.

8. Possibility of self employment

No one on earth likes to be a servant to the other, one needs to be a landlord or a boss

but it is possible to everyone who is focused and really loves it. Therefore when one is

choosing a career they should think of the possibility of self employment. Where one

can try manipulating the knowledge acquired from the course to create his own

employment.

9. Other fringe benefits beside the salary

While salary is important, it isn't the only factor you should look at when choosing a

career. Countless surveys have shown that money doesn't necessarily lead to job

satisfaction. For many people enjoying what they do at work is much more important.

However, you should consider earnings, among other things, when evaluating an

occupation.

Compatible with the faith

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Faith/ Religion is the back bone of the harmonious living in the whole world word. Faith

breaks the rigged and envious hearts and eventually we end up staying in peace and

harmony in this world. Imagine of the world with no faith, where people dont have that

religious feeling that what I am doing is wrong or it is against Gods commandments.

So faith/ religion must be put first in what so ever we do in career selection and

development. The career path we take should never be a threat to our faith or religions.

Because faith or religions facilitates us in making rational decisions in whatever we do,

making us able to succeed in our careers and occupations.

Challenges faced when choosing a career

1. Conflict of talents and dreams

2. Possession of many talents

3. Poverty

4. Ignorant parents

5. Political instabilities

6. Educational background

7. Educators attitudes

8. Family influence

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CHAPTER THREE

Start Your Future Career

Many students don't know what career they want to pursue. There are lots of options

and tools to help you decide. If you change your mind, the credits you have already

earned can still help you.

The Advantage

More than 70% of all new jobs will demand higher education or skills training.

A college or university gives you an edge in today's job market. A certificate, diploma or

degree shows your knowledge and skills. It also shows you know how to learn, adapt

and manage your time. Private career colleges offer training that prepares you for a

specific job.

Postsecondary education gives you:

An academic foundation for good communication skills, the ability to solve

problems and learn new assignments even when technology changes.

Social skills to help you deal with changes in the workplace and be respectful of

others.

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Opportunities to meet instructors and students from all over the world, helping

you broaden your perspective.

Networking opportunities. The mentors and peers you meet in school could help

you get jobs in the future.

Entry point to public universities

The Public Universities in Uganda include Kyambogo University (KYU), Makerere

University (Mak), Busitema University (Bus), Gulu University (GU), Makerere University

Business School (MUBS) and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST).

Weight System

A computerised weighting system is used where the points depend on the number of

applicants per course and the capacity of the faculties. Under the weighting criteria, all

subjects taken at A level are grouped into four categories: essential, relevant, desirable

and others.

For a given candidate, not more than three subjects taken at principle level-shall carry a

weight of 3, 2 or 1. Principle subjects in excess of three shall be designated as others

and weighed at 0.5.

Subject category Weight

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Essential 3

Relevant 2

Desirable 1

Others 0.5

Not more than two subjects are designated as essential. A pass in a subject taken at

subsidiary level such as General Paper carries one point.

In computation the following are weighed as below;

A carries six points, B five, C four, D three, E two and O one.

For example, the cut off points for Mass Communication was 49.5. Candidate X took

four principals at A level and scored two As and two Bs in the subjects of Literature,

Economics, History and Luganda. She also got a distinction in General Paper.

Assuming the first two subjects are essential for Mass communication, the third,

relevant and the fourth desirable, her weight would be calculated as follows:

1-Literature A (6x3)=18

2-Economics A (6x3)=18

3-History A (6x2)=12

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4-Luganda (others) =0.5

5-General Paper =1

Total =49.5

O level marks also add to one's university entry points. A distinction is weighed at 0.3

while credits are rated at 0.2.

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates are taken through the basics of how to apply at their schools. Those

interested in government sponsorship fill Public Universities Joint Admissions Board

(PUJAB) forms. They have up to six choices to make.

The forms also have a provision of up to four courses under the quota system. These

forms do not have a provision for private sponsorship, so applications for private

sponsorship are done after government admissions.

Many students have missed government sponsorship even when they qualify because

of making course choices poorly. Although the minimum entry requirement to a

university is two principle passes, this may not guarantee automatic entry due to limited

places.

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For that matter teachers and parents should try their level best to guide learners on how

to apply appropriately.

Some of the common good courses found in public universities;

Other option for careers

Apprentices

An apprentice is someone who learns a skilled trade on the job, under the direction of

more experienced workers. Apprentices also complete classroom instruction as a part

of their training. Studies show that workers who learn by apprenticeship are very

effective in whatever they do. It is because in apprenticeship training there is no

cramming but hands on.

Also one can advance occupationally and academically through this strategy.

This strategy reduces the burden of job seeking to the youths by creating more jobs

accelerates the country growth and development. This is because by the time the

student finishes the stipulated time of study he feels able to begin and manage his own

workshop. In Uganda most of the effective mechanical engineers among others are

those who learnt by apprenticeship.

Apprentices are workers, so you will need to find an employer who will train you.

Becoming an apprentice can be an important first step to learning new skills and

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building a rewarding career. Jobs in the skilled trades pay well, and are interesting and

challenging and, you earn while you learn.

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JOINING TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS/COLLEGES/TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

According to the Wikipedia, Tertiary education referred to as third stage, third level, and

post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school

providing a secondary education. Higher education is taken to include undergraduate

and postgraduate education.

Tertiary institutions include universities, technical school and colleges, it is assumed

that it is from tertiary institution students are exposed to hands on experience so at the

end of the course they are able to be self reliant, though in Ugandas system of

education tertiary institutions are more theoretical instead, this condition has ended up

producing meaningless graduates who can not even apply the much on the theory they

studied into practice imagine of engineers who carry college or university note books to

the field/site, those are graduates produced in most of the tertiary institutions.

Tertiary institutions ordinarily are joined at various levels i.e. after primary, after ordinary

level, after advanced level or even there are some institutions that offer/design

packages to those who have never gone through the formal system of education. Some

of the factors as to why students join tertiary institutions at those various levels are not

limited to; financial/ economic, interests verses talents, academic performance.

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Tertiary institutions are the major destinations which all the people desire to reach or go

through despite the hardships and some factors that interrupt peoples dreams of at-

least at one point in time to graduate or get any academic certificates. Even parents or

guardians who never obtained any level of education at-least dream and work hard for

their children to achieve academic success. Student life at university/ college/ vocational

school

s/ colleges

Life seems exciting or daunting even can be both at once. The truth is that each student

quickly becomes part of several smaller communities.

Youll make friends in your hostels and halls of residence. Youll become close to

groupmates in academic, sport or any other social events. In classes, youll work in

project teams and learn to trust and rely on people with whom youll have common

goals. Many students also make connections through groups and organizations off-

campus.

There is diverse people and resources in tertiary institutions and each time,

youll encounter people from all over the other parts of the country side or world who will

expose you to new ideas and.

Preparing to join tertiary institutions

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There are a lot of activities expected to be performed before one joins any tertiary

institutions;

Application into the institution

You are required to apply for the course you are intending to do and some institutions

after short listing the applicants go a head to interview the applicants this is very

common to courses like Nursing, Law of among other course that require a certain

level/degree of intelligence (Intelligence Quotient) and merit. Yet most of the tertiary

institutions do not administer any interview.

During the application process things you should never for get to consider include;

Financial factor

Tertiary studies can be an expensive proposal, though many students rush to apply for

the course without mind of the course cost, then they end up being constrained

financially. Those who are not sponsored by the government or organisations should

apply for course that is with in your means or parents means. It point less to incomplete

a course due to the fact that you never thought about the course cost. So the parents

and children should sit together and choose an affordable course besides other factors

of selecting a course.

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Time of study

If it is not a conditional sponsorship your can choose the time of stay basing on your

time interest. As it is that in most of the tertiary institutions fix programmes at different

time I.e. Day time, Evening time, weekend time or even holiday time to teachers.

Campus

It is also common that some institutions have more than one campus so the applicant

should really specify the particular campus of interest or convenience.

So your duty at this stage is to find out whether your name is shortlisted, the information

about this can be obtained from the institutions notice boards, web sites, News papers

among other channels of communication basing on the development in that particular in

institution.

Living away from home

The campus where you will be studying may be a long way away from your family. One

accommodation option for students is to live on campus in a residential college.

Instead of living on campus, however, you might prefer to rent a house yourself. For

more information about share housing, cheap accommodation, renting a property or any

form of accommodation, check with Dean of students as it is that in some cases

46

institutions collaborate with hostiles around it to avail reliable accommodation to the

students.

ORIENTATION PERIOD

Most tertiary campuses run a week-long program for new students so that they can find

out about their course, the campus they'll be studying on, and what kind of resources

are available to them. This week is usually called 'Orientation Week', or simply 'O-week'.

As well as finding out about your course, O-week is a great way to make new friends

out of your fellow students.

Many fresh men and women take it for granted and abscond this programme yet it is the

most important programme that induces you to the new system of study. I remember

when I joined university most of my colleagues instead fixed their own programmes like

visiting relatives nearby the university, going to discover bars and disco halls among

other activities they preferred. But at the end the day they got confused because they

were never initiated into the new environment and system. This is the period that

exposes you to all the paramount issues, events and also empowers you to manage

your self while in that particular new system.

This time also helps you to get information on where to go for help just in case. This will

reduce your movements trying to find help. Learn where to go for help before your

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semester/course begins so that, just in case things get a little rough, your small speed

bump doesn't turn into a major disaster zone.

Getting ready for lessons/lectures/sessions

This is a most awaited moment for who ever succeeded in admission into tertiary

institutions. Starting tertiary study can be an overwhelming experience; really students

cant wait seeing them selves entering lecture rooms as fresh men and women.

However this sometimes turns the worsted experience to fresh men and women due to

the bulling, teasing, misdirection and misconduct done by the old students. So dear

fresh students expect such and if any of such happen to you handle yourself in a

diplomatic way as it is well known that fire does not cease fire but its water that stops

fire so stay cool and calm in any case.

Managing ones self while at the institute/college/University

1. Get a time management system.

Time management means having and knowing the purpose of your stay at the

institute. Yes there are a lot of activities before you to execute but you just have

to be selective. It is factual that college/university is stressful. Have things

already in place like good groups of friends, exercise plans, hobbies, and smart

48

ways to avoid pitfalls (like knowing how to avoid test anxiety) that will allow you to

mentally check out and relax when things get intense.

Managing your time may be your biggest challenge while at college. Find something

that works for you and use it from day one. Taking reference for the holy bible in Echre;

CH: 3 it talks about time for every thing, this is the best quart I offer to the fresh men

and women in any institutions which can guide you through out study time even after

then. It is always important for a living human being to have a sense of direction. By this

I mean having a plan of a schedule of daily activities pre-planned. In other words, a lot

of temptations and conflicting of interests about what to do, when, how, and why? So

many people follow band wagons and peer/pressure groups which in most cases end

up destroy the future of their members.

The key activity management in relation time include;

There are four areas in priority management. The first is tasks that are very urgent and

very important, next there are those that are very urgent but not important, next very

important and not urgent and lastly not important and not urgent. First try to identify

those that are not important and not urgent. Remove them from your task list. For any

work for which you can get help on, ask for help as early as possible. The most

important tasks re those that are very important and very urgent, so your energy and

focus needs to be in those. List them down and communicate to the people whom have

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given you the other tasks to set expectations on what you can deliver. The aim is to also

get rid any tasks that are not important so that you can concentrate on the priority tasks

you have.

2. Establish the course outline for that particular semester/term

Do whatever you can to see that you obtain the course out line, this will give you

a gesture on load before you and it will entice you to become more serious and

not to take things for granted. Although so many

tutors/lecturer/teacher/facilitators are reluctant to provide their students with the

course outline/course content outline but you as a wise student it is your

responsibility to pester them or even search for it from those students who

offered the same course before you or those whom you followed in the same

course. This will help you not only mere knowing the load before you but also

influencing you not to under-look data/information you come across related to the

course hence improving your performance . That is termed as being proactive.

3. Join some but not too much co-curricular involvement.

Social clubs, games and sports are some of the co-curricular activities that

facilitate you to break the ice and monotony of academic sessions and also

developing your talents as well as keeping your body and mind healthy. This

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should be done with a lot caution, You don't have to be much involved to the

extentthat you rarely have time to revise, eat and sleep. When we talk about

clubs and social groups, staunch religious students first and foremost think about

joining prayer groups which is very right from the fact that religions facilitate us to

live harmoniously in any community, but some students over do it. Let me take

this example from my experience; while I was at campus there were some of my

course-mates who belong to a certain Christian born again prayer groups but in

our first year much of their time was spent in overnights which could exhaust

them to the extent that they could not attend lectures during day because of the

much fatigue from the overnights they could regularly have in their cells/rooms

but when the finals came these fellows never had enough matter to present/write

down because much of the time was spent in praying and the end results was

failing some course units/subjects and having very poor grades yet they were

bright. By they time they realized their fate it was some how late in that their

grades had already gone down. So what kind of praying is that! Be self driven

and have a sense of direction always even out side school I mean in your entire

life.

4. Financial discipline

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In this current world finance is the major drive of our life but the fact is that we are

all placed at different financial status though there is no one at a certain level is

contented with what it has. Please students whatever little or much you have as

up keep should be spent wisely so that it doesnt affect your core purpose of why

you are at school.

Those of low financial status should not be envious before those who are of high

financial statutes nor ever counselling or taking that an excuse of poor

performance but it is a matter of understanding your status and adjust

accordingly; through sharing with others who have things like texted books,

project tools or making maximum use of the library/laboratory that can term as

public resources. However, you should look for the money or informing your

sponsor or parents in time for the indispensable costs or events like tuition,

examination fees among others, so that you are not disturbed during those

critical conditions to avoid sur-charges or even missing examinations. Never

assume a status you are not, in other wards the evil minds might end up taming

you to commit sins like stealing, prostitution. Many students end up practicing

prostitution, robbery among other indiscipline case as they try to assume a

financial status they cannot have at the moment. Just know you can excel better

than anyone else so long as you have the basic necessities like your

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housing/roommate situation, your food/dining options, and your transportation

worked out in advance which will drive the stress way.

I tell you form the experience that some of us had to make ends meet by our own

i.e. studying while searching for school fees but because of our commitment and

determination we could emerge the best amongst the rest of the students even

those who had no any financial constraint.

To those of high or medium financial status; in most case you students tend to

take your selves on top of the world thinking money can do any want which is not

true, you sometimes oppress those from poor families or even your teachers

because they are dressed up cheaply or dont possess expensive gargets like

cellular phone, laptops and so many others. Having some money sometimes

makes you forget your core purpose of your stay at school and spend most of the

time showing off, pressing and playing about those funny gargets which in the

end affect your grades or even your future. The only advice for you is that please

spend wisely where it is necessary and save the excess on your account actually

if you use that chance that your are given enough up-keep and save this might

even deter you from job seeking because at-least your will be having some start

up capital. You should also have a sharing heart with others but do not oppress

them, just know you have what sometimes you might not be able to interpret yet

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those who can interpret dont have so you just have to make a collaboration and

complement each other which in the end will help you all to excel.

Therefore you should not that; you may be rocking your classes, but if your

financial situation is a mess, you won't be able to finish the semester. Make sure

your finances are in order when you start a new semester and that they'll still be

that way as you head toward finals week.

How to Succeed in College/university

Below Kelci Lynn Lucier in one of his article he presented some of the tips for

succeeding in college/university as mentioned below;

Academic success comes in many forms. For most students, it's a transcript that opens

doors into great jobs or great graduate schools. For others, academic success also

includes what happens outside of the classroom. With so much going on in college,

though, how can you make sure you're headed down a path towards true academic

success and towards a truly rewarding college experience?

Let Yourself Explore

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You may arrive at college knowing that you are destined to become a teacher, a lawyer,

a doctor, an engineer. Or you may arrive not having the slightest idea about what you

want to major in.

No matter which end of the spectrum you're on, however, you should let yourself

explore everything that your school has to offer academically. Take classes in a subject

you've never taken before. Follow a passion that doesn't relate to your major. Just let

yourself really learn from your environment.

Make Informed, Honest Choices -- and Enjoy the Consequences

There will undoubtedly be a lot of people giving you advice about what you should do

during and after college. And while you may be in school to learn, you will, at some

point, have to draw your own line in the sand. Pick a career and course of study that

suits you, not your parents. Pay attention to the fire in your belly and learn what you're

truly passionate about. Make sure you're happy at your school. And once you've made

a choice, feel confident in your decision and do all you can to learn from the resources

around you.

Set Yourself Up for a Strong Performance

You've explored a little, changed your mind here and there. Decided on what to major

in, maybe even a career. With those decisions out of the way, you can now set yourself

55

up for a successful college experience. Make sure that you make the most intellectually

of the time you have left, be it one year or four. Take classes from the best professors in

your department. Don't let minor errors in your papers take away from your great ideas.

Grab coffee with your favourite professors and talk about what they love about their

field.

True, you spend a significant amount of time in class (and possibly in labs) learning new

material. But what are you doing during the other hours of your week?

How you spend your time outside of the classroom is a critical part of your college

experience and, in a sense, of the education you receive while in school. Make the most

of it! Join a club or organization that explores your interests and passions. Take all your

required courses next semester in a different country. Branch out and try something

you've never done before. No matter what you do, make sure you do something that

you can look back and be proud of.

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Secondary school life

This is an educational level that in one of the options taken after primary level. This is a

middle level or an intermediate level or even it can be referred as the level that chaotic

in because that is the level there is a lot of physical, social and psychological changes

amongst the students. This level provides hint on the general perspective of the world.

This is where open thinking begins. The demand for secondary education worldwide is

soaring due to progress towards universal primary school completion, large cohorts of

young people searching for the key to a better life, and the global demand for an

increasingly sophisticated labour force. This heightened demand for secondary

education is accompanied by the need to respond to the twin challenges

Dear students you have completed primary level and this is another level yet for you, it

is found of change of attitude, beliefs and culture here your minds are considered to be

developed and your to be treated as relatively mature learners. Spoon feeding is no

more independent leaving is the way forward. That is why most of you even stop

commuting from home and join boarding schools if not the parental detachment begins.

This is the initial stage of introducing you to the real world before you entre it in the

stages that follow. This is the stage you at which you are supposed to be smarter and

serious about your future. At the primary level you where dreaming but now you are

57

getting started into developing those dreams becoming reality. That is to say you

admired a doctor is sow last time you visited the hospital, or you admired the head

teacher smartness and you really want to become one. So its high time you stated

thinking deep and concentrating on their subjects that can make you become what you

want to be. This is possibly a turning point for most people in all over the world turning

to the worse or the better; those who failed to get good grades at primary national

primary examinations can strive harder and get the better ones taking from my

experience at Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) I got second grade with 15

aggregates and I was always a lousiest and a mid Yorker person at school i could

always be considered among others meaning those who are neither notorious nor

famous. I know what secondary school level was my turning point indeed, I changed my

image to the extent than my old boys and girls could not imagine who i became. I was

more determined academically and socially began to be ranked the best performers

more so I used to be in the 1st position on consecutive times amidst those who got first

grades some even with 4 aggregates, I became a students leader a head prefect more

over and became a more influential, famous and admirable student in all the two

secondary school I studied from more over I was from a poor humble family where I had

to look search for my own school fees and at the end of the two secondary school levels

i passed with flying clours. If I managed to do it why not you just know what one man

can do another man cant fail. However truly know it that even those who got good

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grades at the primary national examinations might be disapproved that they really never

got theses grads on their own and end up failing if they dont pull up their socks. At this

stage just know that life will become what you decide it to be from the proverb that we

always reap what we saw. This stage is most commonly known as Adolescence, The

Adolescent ages 10-15 experience dramatic changes in their biological, cognitive,

emotional, and social development as well as in their physical and social environments.

These include the physiological and psychological changes associated with puberty;

further development of the brain; changes in family, peer, and romantic relationships;

and exposure to new societal and cultural influences. The following changes are going

to be-follow you. This book is intended to alert you and even expose to you what you

are really going to meet in the next stage besides the following changes that are bond to

occur

Physical changes

Yes this is these changes are going to change your image physically before the public

and your peers, Just know some of the changes are desirable while others are un

desirable but they are bound to appear. Just know you are physically transformed

naturally from childhood to adulthood. Therefore your bodies begin to show the

secondary male and female sexual characteristics, and they become capable of

reproduction. These physical changes occur under the influence of various hormones.

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Though at this level students develop at differing rates and i am sure most of you might

have been already observed these physical changes but know more physical

complications are still to happen.

Since the physical changes at this level may appear early or late, quickly or slowly,

individuals of the same chronological age may find themselves in very different stages

of development. For an adolescent, this is often a matter of great concern. Girls and

boys begin hating themselves or even become more confused from the fact that young

people tend to become extremely sensitive and self-conscious about your appearance.

Body changes

However much to some of you some of these changes are not new to you this is assure

you that its a normal event, the physical changes may not be limited to the following;

1. Hair growth

Boys

It is a fact and normal that hair grows around the penis, under the arms, and at

the face, legs and chest areas. Also the beards begin to develop as the skin

begins to appear to be rough.

Girls

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Around the private parts i.e. vagina and under the arms, this is one of the most

undesirable stage girls hate most with an impression that their beauty if fading

away which is a false impression just know this is just normal and at this stage

you are your beauty is just forming

2. Shapes and sizes

This is a most desired change following its appearance children feel they are

reorganised as mature people, so beautiful and admirable as well.

Boys

This is a quantitative physical change boys experience in dimensions like

increase in the Height, weight and muscles strength as the shoulders also

broaden. Also about this change the Penis and testes enlarge and lengthen;

erections and ejaculations occur more frequently; voice cracks

Girls

There is Height, weight and width of hips increase, fats at the abdominal, Breasts

develop, buttock and thigh areas increases. Girls feel very proud and lovely of

this change. However to some girls they might not appear as expected. Just

know that we were created differently in terms of hormones and genies but just

be proud of what manifests to you physically just know you are special.

3. Acne & body odour

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Both boys and girls their Skins get oilier and spots on the skill may occur;

perspiration increases and may cause body odour. The only remedy for this is

that you boys and girl should just make sure you maintain the highest degree of

personal hygiene through bathing regularly, cutting your figure nails, combing

shaving any outgrowing hair on your body wash and use deodorant daily and

wash clothes regularly. All children need to wash between their legs. For

uncircumcised boys, washing under the foreskin is also important as well as

doing some sports so that you can sweat to release the wastes that attributed

that body odour.

4. A special complicated change about girls

This goes to girls menstruation surfaces at around this stage which might cause

a lot of pain, worries and unrest. Menstruation usually begins at about 12-13

years of age but some girls will get their first menstruation earlier and some later.

Just before menstruation, a girl may see some sticky, pale yellowish mucus in

her underwear. This is perfectly normal and a sign that things are moving along

just fine. The best way to handle this is through maintain the your personal

cleanliness with your pads always readily available in case of any signs, relax

because it really normal and in case of excessive pain approach a senior woman,

school nurse or any concerned person around you. This will relieve you from the

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too much stress and unrest that might develop which might interfere with your

studies.

Parents and teachers responsibility should be; if your e teenagers undergoing puberty,

be patient, as it's an emotionally challenging period, and they'll need time to adjust to

these physical changes. Encourage your teenagers not to compare their bodies with

their friends' because everybody develops differently, and at his or her own pace. You

should also advocate and reinforce proper hygiene amongst teenagers

General physical changes

There are some physical changes that occur in your both girls and boys. While your

bodies are maturing physically, but brain development, thinking skills and emotional

development are happening at their own speeds. What you see on the surface doesnt

always match whats happening on the inside.

Bones, organs and body systems change; Many of both girls and boys organs will

change in size and capacity. Lung performance improves, limbs grow, and bones

increase in thickness and volume. The chest and shoulders get broader in boys. In girls,

the hips and pelvis get wider.

Physical strength and sports skill develop; Muscle strength and size increase during this

period. Your coordination of the eyes and other parts of the body will improve which will

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increase on the your motors skill (movement skills) such as running, ball-catching and

throwing, dancing among other sports activities. So this is you most appropriate stage

your are supposed to get involved at-least in most of the school sports and games

which in turn will promote your talent as well as keep you healthy.

SOCIAL CHANGES

During this level, your interaction with family, friends and peers will. Every childs social

development is different from other children. This is based on the unique development

of the genes, brain development, environment, experiences with family and friends, and

community and culture.

Due to the change in the environment you boys and girls need to be more careful and

cautious about what you do, whom you are doing it with and where you are doing it

from, in other word many of young people mess up from here the process of finding out

about;

1. Searching for identity

Here Young people become querulous and try to find out who really you are.

Some of you end up becoming notorious or famous. Please young people do not

get over excited. Relax and maintain a highest degree of decency, discipline and

respect foot your self and for others.

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2. Seeking for independence

At this level of education you feel you can live on our own with out any adults

intervention which is a deception. You are still young your teachers and parents

and teachers have a lot for you in terms of grooming you to become a desirable

person in future. Most of you think no one can determine for you your destiny and

end up becoming big headed, which affects your familys, friends and teachers

relationships. At this level you are supposed to develop meaning of what you

study, hear from the elders, and observe being done by your mentors and role

models.

3. Seeking more responsibility

Time as come because of the maturity now you young people feel most of you

think your are more responsible both at home and at school. Though some of

you shy away from responsibility due to low self esteem. Please accepting

responsibilities makes you develop stronger in mind/ intellectually and physically

which will accelerate your performance in most of the aspects of life. But never

assume responsibility beyond your limit or put yourself in the position that you

cannot concentrate on your core purpose why you are at school in otherwise you

might end up failing. Responsibility should be used as an opportunity for you to

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exploit your talents and make you focused on your core values as well. Let me

take this example from my own experience;

when i was in form one I was chosen to a class monitor I used this chances to

make sure i attend classes in time as I could fetch teachers from the staff room

those who could forget about their lessons, I could make sure the classroom was

ever clean to study from a conducive environment among, also i could make sure

the classmate are ever quite for me to read my book.

The in-form two I was chosen to be a dormitory captain; here i used this chance

form to have peaceful and timely nights because i could make sure my fellow

students sleep in time other than spending the whole night shouting and

murmuring which might have disrupted my sleep, also i made sure I slept in a

clean harmonious dormitory.

Then when i was chosen to be a head prefect;

This was a very great opportunity in that I had all the power to influence a

conducive, orderly and favorable atmosphere which enabled me to excel

academically among other aspects of life.

Responsibility might not only mean being a students leader, but you should

assume your own responsibility on your life in particular; i.e.

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Responsibility of having a sense of direction and time management to

avoid any inconvenience of late coming and

Responsibility being smart and clean to gain respect from the rest from

others

Responsibility of respect the parents, teachers and peers

Responsibility of engaging in healthy relationships that are developmental

Responsibility of sharing with others

Responsibility of obedience of school rules and regulations

Responsibility of honouring the school and home property and

environment

Responsibility of participating in school and home events

By doing this and more will facilitate you to achieve the greatest success in all

your endeavours.

5. Establishing new experiences

At secondary school level new thing are going to happen daily this is when you

are supposed to get into deeper understanding of the values, culture and the real

world at large, you are getting to meet new friend from various parts of the

country with various values and beliefs, you are getting to know the deeper

meaning and relevance of various subjects, you are getting to develop meaning

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of any information that comes on your way independently. However you should

avoid taking up risk meaningless behaviour. But you should remain in control

over their impulses

6. Getting to know really about right and wrong

It is still at this stage you will start developing a stronger individual set of values

and morals. Young people learn should know that you are responsible for your

own actions, decisions and consequences. Knowing what is exactly wrong or

right makes you to be a very humble, loveable and respectable child before your

teachers, parents and your colleagues as well.

7. Peer pressure

The many new friends with different back grounds and cultures are met, those

with good and the bad characters will love to be your friends, are going to

influence you do things you have never done. Are going to instil various habits

but a caution should be taken that at the end of the day you will be accountable

for you actions personally but not as a group. Be very sensitive and speculate

the consequence that is bound to happen. However; the Buganda proverb that

Mbulira gwoyita naye nkubulire empisazo meaning tell me whom you ever

move with so that a can tell you your true characters, will still prevail. Those

associate with notorious groups will always be described by bad characters

without any exception and the vice versa. the especially when it comes to

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behaviour, sense of self and self-esteem Children who experience poor self-

esteem, those who feel they have few friends, and sometimes those with special

needs might be more likely to give in to peer pressure. These children might feel

that the only way theyll be included and accepted in social groups is by taking on

the behaviour, attitudes and look of a group. You need to meet new peers and

make new friends, and establish or re-establish your position within

developmental peer groups.

8. Bullying

This is also common at this stage; many children fail or even hate studies and

get into hide out as to escape from the embarrassing state created by their fellow

students. This is really an in-disciplinary case that should be gotten rid of or

checked by the school management you students you are ambassadors of the

teacher in the students community, such cases should be reported as fast as

possible they happen. Even if they are done to you or not please this might ruin

your purpose at school if not your friends. Bulling might verbal, physical, or in

any other form so long as it humiliates the others.

Academic changes

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The major purpose to why you are at school is to advance academically to reach higher

heights simultaneously with other school activities in order to come out of school a

wholesomely developed person to benefit and positively transform the society.

Secondary school offers new social and learning opportunities but the core purpose is

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