The defining moment in a student’s life comes when having completed schooling, he or she considers a university, and by extension, a course that is essentially a career in disguise. At this point, the student can either firmly step on to the path of success or get deflected. Either possibility has its origin in the way parents educate and enlighten their children to plan for higher studies. The International Education Show at the Sharjah Expo highlighted this issue last week as students expressed confusion when faced with choosing university courses. The pressure to conform to parental expectations in the choice of a career is a predominating influence that has poor consequences for the child’s future. What can mitigate this situation is the growing support of career counsellors, whose role at this crucial juncture is indispensable. As neutral but empathetic interpreters of a student’s aspirations and abilities, career counsellors can contextualise the importance of picking the right course for the student. This is often a task that eludes parents due to their emotional involvement with their children’s future, which sometimes lead to many missteps before course correction kicks in. Career counsellors can help students avoid those missteps.