The Cost of Getting Career Counselling Too Late: Why Classes 8, 9 & 10 Matter the Most

The Conversation That Changed a Class 9 Student’s Future

By Mr. Yugantar Ballal, HOD – WeLearn India

It was a quiet Saturday morning when Aarav logged into the WeLearn online platform with his parents sitting beside him.

He didn’t look nervous — but he didn’t look relaxed either. Like many Class 9 students, he carried silent pressure. His parents spoke first.

“Sir, we just want clarity. He has to choose the right stream after 10th.”

Aarav stared at the screen. When we gently asked what he wanted, his answer was honest and familiar:

“I don’t know what I’m good at. I just don’t want to choose wrong.”

This sentence reflects the hidden fear of thousands of students in Classes 8th, 9th, and 10th. They are expected to make life-shaping decisions before they fully understand themselves.

That is where structured career counselling becomes not optional — but essential.

The Work Behind the Conversation

Our counsellors on the WeLearn online platform did not begin by discussing Science, Commerce, or Arts. We began with Aarav.

Through psychometric assessments, aptitude mapping, and guided digital counselling sessions, patterns started to emerge. He showed strong creative reasoning, visual thinking, and applied problem-solving ability. He enjoyed building and designing more than memorizing.

For the first time, Aarav saw his strengths mapped clearly on his personalized dashboard.

Our counsellors introduced him to career pathways he had never heard of — product design, UX, architecture, and digital innovation. His parents listened carefully. The atmosphere shifted from pressure to curiosity.

Aarav didn’t suddenly become a topper. What changed was more important: he gained direction.

The Transformation

Over the next few months, Aarav’s teachers noticed something different. He asked better questions. He studied with intention. He explored skill-building courses aligned with his interests through the platform. His parents reported fewer arguments at home and more meaningful conversations about his future.

Clarity reduced anxiety. Direction built confidence.

This is the measurable impact of early career counselling in Classes 8–10:

• Students study with purpose
• Subject choices become strategic
• Self-confidence improves
• Stress decreases
• Parents become partners, not pressure sources

Counselling did not give Aarav a job title. It gave him ownership of his journey.

The Story We See Too Often

In contrast, we also meet students who arrive late.

Rohan came to the WeLearn online platform after Class 11 burnout. He had chosen a stream based on social status, not aptitude. He struggled silently for years, believing he was incapable. In reality, he was misaligned.

By the time he sought guidance, he needed not just career direction — but emotional recovery.

His story is a reminder of what happens when counselling is delayed:

• Wrong subject selection
• Loss of confidence
• Academic fatigue
• Career switching after years of effort
• Emotional and financial strain

The tragedy is not failure. The tragedy is discovering yourself too late.

Why Classes 8–10 Are the Ideal Window

Students in middle and secondary school are forming identity, decision-making ability, and self-belief. Early counselling helps them:

• Understand their strengths
• Recognize learning styles
• Explore modern career pathways
• Build decision-making skills
• Reduce fear of the future

In a rapidly changing career landscape, self-awareness is more powerful than marks alone.

The Ending That Is Still Being Written

Aarav is now in Class 11, confidently pursuing subjects aligned with design and technology. During a recent follow-up session on the WeLearn platform, he said something simple:

“I’m not scared of the future anymore.”

That sentence is the true outcome of career counselling.

At WeLearn India, our online counsellors do not decide futures. We help students understand themselves early enough to design their own.

Because when direction is discovered in time, it doesn’t just change marks.

It changes lives.