IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HELPS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CHOOSE THEIR CAREER PATHS
High school seniors, who find themselves in a compelling process to become a “prospective university student” with the constantly changing exam system, and getting ready for the Higher Education Institutions Exam, learned about future professions on-site. Students listened to Ekrem Demirtaş, President of IUE Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Can Muğan, Rector of IUE, and Sadık Gültekin, Education Counselor, at the “5th I am Choosing My Profession” event organized by Izmir University of Economics (IUE) at the Conference Hall. As one thousand 300 students experienced being ‘university students’ for a day, they got a chance to ask academicians about the education professions they are interested in, what kind of education was required, and possible career opportunities.
President Ekrem Demirtaş shared his experiences with students, and stated that the idea of establishing a university came into reality because of the things he experienced as a student. Demirtaş said, “I want to share my own experiences. I studied economics for politics purposes. I had a standard life as a student coming from a civil servant father. At the university, the teacher would just come, open his book, and read from the book, and leave. It was like a factory. Students did not have a chance to communicate with the teacher. My dream of establishing a university started then. What I experienced was an education without any goals. I completed my university education like that. Finally, I restored economic freedom. I managed to succeed without any occupational education, that’s why establishing a university was so personal for me”.
‘My dreams brought me here’
President Demirtaş stated that Izmir University of Economics was not an institution handing out diplomas only, that they established the University 17 years ago with the purpose of training the youth with job-ready skills. Demirtaş pointed that Turkey did not have an unemployment issue; it lacked personnel qualified for jobs. “I reached this point in my life with my dreams, I established a university. My goal was to train students ready for jobs. I am happy that I accomplished that. Our graduates are successfully engaged in business life today, “said Demirtaş.
‘Choose a profession that will make you happy’
IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Can Muğan stated that career choice affected a person’s life and she said, “Choose a profession that will make you happy if you want to be successful. You will understand that courses you take at the university are not just courses to pass. All of those courses are designed to structure your knowledge”.
‘Cherish your time’
Education Counselor Sadık Gültekin pointed out that 2 million 300 thousand students would take the upcoming exam. He said, “A cruel competition will take place on June 23 – 24. Cherish your time. Take good care of yourself, physically and mentally. Watch out your diet and sleeping pattern. Stay away from TV. Do not spend so much time on the computer. A fierce elimination system awaits you. This new examination system will have less questions on same subjects. For example, while there are almost 40 subjects to learn in geography, there will be only six questions on geography in the exam. How many of them will you be able to answer correctly? You do not have this luxury anymore. You will have to continue to study if you want to succeed, and stop bargaining”.