Attracting students for engineering studies in crisis V. Koukis, A. Dagli-Kapoutsi, D. Tseles Liaison Office, Technological Educational Institute of Piraeus, Aigaleo, Greece Tel: +30 2105381294, Fax: +30 2105381296, E-mail: counselor@gdias.teipir.gr Abstract This presentation is focused on how recent financial changes in the Greek society cause tremendous transformation of the way of living and studying in Higher Education Institutions. The huge competition in the working area, due to a lack of jobs and chances given, inevitably affects the way student actually sees and feels about his studies. The depth and importance of his evolvement, the decisions being made through time and what the next move on stage might be. Till today, student dealt with admission in Higher Education as the end of a very demanding period of time, i.e. two years exhausting reading and assimilation of mass delivered packets of knowledge. Nevertheless, things seems to be quite different today. Recent qualifications require that particular life - step to be only the beginning of an equally demanding effort, far more continuous, consequent and reliable referring to the whole educational project. We are focused on methods bringing together various parts of the academic society and a especially on methods that make students able to get the maximum benefits in both areas of concern – society and work. Introduction Students due to their transition and transformation both in the psychological and the objective model of living and whatever that includes, seem to meet various difficulties in configuring the aspects of their new role. Those differences which seem to vary and affect students’ majority in a great depth, alternate their existence due to what society and market ask and demand, especially the last three years as far as the so-called “state of crisis” is concerned. Students enter universities as always, but this time the expectations are quite different. Huge numbers of unemployment cause a great anxiety, no matter what the age of the adult might be. Young people have to adopt tremendous changes as, what they knew for a fact, does not exist anymore. In that particular period of time, students face barriers which shall probably find extremely difficult to deal with those on their own. At that point, universities do have to help and come closer to young people by offering them the knowledge – as they always did – and the psychological strength to face all those challenges. Students do need to rebuild their personality in terms of becoming more flexible and wiser, as far as life’s decisions are concerned. Knowledge is not enough anymore – it has to be supported by a mature and extrovert personality. In those terms, students and universities do have to enforce and explore their connection, as the market and employment circumstances have become far more demanding. I. The psychological view During the last two years, Greek society seems to be meeting a lot of important difficulties, in such a violent and oppressive way in terms of time. New financial data rise as far as the market area is concerned, labor relations and rights are on a tremendous transformation, a huge distortion in terms of society and human beings is taking place - which, undoubtedly, has no precedent. A whole society is under negotiation, and its’ members also live in a state of