From Roots to Wings: The institutional compass in the flight toward professional destiny

At some point in their academic journey, most students confront a quiet but persistent question: Am I prepared? It often surfaces in moments of comparison, during late nights filled with uncertainty, or when the future feels too distant and undefined. In today's fast-changing world where competition is intense and career paths are constantly evolving, this sense of doubt has become almost universal. Yet uncertainty is not a weakness. It is the soil from which growth begins.

Academic education is often imagined as a straight, predictable road: attend classes, earn grades, graduate, and secure a job. In reality, it resembles standing at the edge of mist-covered vastness like an ocean. On one shore lie classrooms, textbooks, and familiar routines. On the horizon lies the professional world-complex, demanding, and filled with unknown and perhaps sheer confusions. Making that crossing can feel daunting. This is why a university must be more than a place of instruction; it must function as a compass, offering direction, stability, and purpose when the path ahead is unclear.

A degree may provide credentials, but guidance provides clarity. In an age where information is readily available but meaningful direction is scarce, students need more than academic knowledge. They need mentorship, exposure, and structured support systems that help them transform learning into capability. The true mission of higher education today is not merely to produce graduates, but to cultivate individuals who understand their strengths, recognise their potential, and to be prepared to navigate an unanticipated world with confidence.

Confidence, contrary to common belief, is not an inherited trait. It is built gradually through effort, failure, reflection, and perseverance. Growth does not happen overnight, nor does success arrive fully formed. Dreams take shape when preparation meets opportunity, and when institutions actively create environments that allow students to explore, experiment, and evolve beyond the classroom to the best of their personal capacity.

This understanding is not abstract to me; it is grounded in experience.

Like many students, I entered university carrying both aspirations and apprehensions. Coming from a Bangla-medium background into an English-medium academic environment, I faced challenges related to language, adaptation, and self-belief. Academic expectations felt high. Yet those early struggles taught me a defining lesson: one's origin of journey does not determine the destination. Progress came slowly and steadily. Through perseverance, discipline, and a willingness to confront discomfort, I began to find my rhythm. Improvement was reflected not only in academic performance, but in growing confidence. That transformation did not occur in being aloof. It was nurtured by an institutional ecosystem that envisaged guidance, mentorship, ad opportunity alongside formal instruction.

Education reaches its fullest potential when theory is meaningfully connected to practice. Internships, career counseling, leadership development programmes, and industry exposure are not supplementary; they are essential bridges between classroom learning and professional life. When students are supported in identifying their strengths and aligning them with real-world opportunities, educational experience becomes purposeful rather than procedural.

Mentorship plays a particularly transformative role in this process. A thoughtful conversation, constructive feedback, or timely encouragement can alter a student's trajectory. Institutions that foster meaningful engagement between students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals produce graduates who are not merely employable, but adaptable and confident—individuals equipped to lead rather than simply follow.

Throughout my own journey, moments of difficulty consistently became moments of growth. Whether it was overcoming discomfort of communication, balancing multiple responsibilities, or later pursuing advanced academic research, each stage cemented the importance of resilience. Success, as I learnt, is rarely linear. It involves pauses, redirections, and difficult choices-but each contributes to deeper understanding and maturity.

One of the most valuable lessons education can offer is the realisation that there is no single definition of success. Careers may pause or change due to personal responsibilities, evolving priorities, or life-course discovered passions. These moments are not failures; they are recalibrations. Purpose is not lost in detours—it is often discovered through them.

As students approach graduation, anxiety about the future often intensifies. Questions about employability, relevance, and preparedness become pressing. This is where institutional responsibility becomes critical. Universities must actively build bridges to the professional world through career placement initiatives, recruitment drives, alumni networks, and entrepreneurial platforms. When industry meets academia on campus, students gain not only opportunity, but confidence in their readiness to step forward.

Ultimately, the goal of education is not employment alone—it is empowerment. It is about equipping students with the resilience to navigate uncertainty, the confidence to make informed choices, and the mindset to continue learning long after formal education ends. Education should help students become active architects of their own lives, not passive participants in predetermined paths.

Looking back, it is clear to me that education offers far more than academic credentials. It provides resilience during moments of doubt, confidence during periods of uncertainty, and purpose when direction feels unclear. Most importantly, it connects individuals with people and systems that believe in growth-often before students fully believe in themselves.

To every student reading this: none is behind, and no one is alone. Doubts do not disqualify you; it prepares you for the process. Growth takes time. Confidence is built through consistent effort. Failure is not in the contrary of success—it is part of the journey towards it.

Your roots—your background, struggles, and starting point—do not confine you. They ground you with opportunity of placement. With the right guidance, those roots grow into wings. From roots to wings, the journey from classroom to calling is not about perfection, but progress. And with determination, institutional support, and belief in your own potential, that journey can carry you toward a professional destiny far greater than you once imagined. One never knows from where the steps of the ladder appears to step up. Be there, be ready to pursue and render the best of efforts.

Dr Farzana Nahid is director, Career and Placement Centre and associate professor, Department of Marketing and International Business at North South University.

farzana.nahid@northsouth.edu