Counselling as a Support System for Engineering Students: Addressing Academic, Personal, and Career Challenges

Counselling can serve as an important component of student support in engineering education by addressing the interconnected academic, personal, emotional, and career-related challenges experienced by students. The literature indicates that engineering students are exposed to considerable academic and psychological pressures, while help-seeking may be influenced by awareness, accessibility, stigma, confidentiality concerns, and other barriers (Asghar et al., 2024; Lui et al., 2024). Evidence regarding psychological counselling in higher education further suggests potential benefits for students’ psychological functioning and academic outcomes. Therefore, counselling services should be developed as an integrated and accessible student-support mechanism rather than merely a remedial service. Engineering institutions should promote awareness of counselling facilities, ensure confidentiality, provide academic and career guidance, and encourage students to seek support at an early stage. A comprehensive counselling system can contribute to students’ well-being, academic engagement, decision-making abilities, career preparedness, and overall holistic development.

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