Dear Sir,
I am 24 years old. I have failed in my II PUC. Despite my determination to continue my studies, I am unable to stay interested nowadays. I am very weak in Kannada and am unable to write & read the subject. I am greatly worried. Private tuitions are of no avail. Please suggest me a way out of this.
Y Naveen Kumar,
Bangalore.
Dear Naveen,
It is good that you wish to continue your studies and are not put off due to the failure.  You can either appear for the 12th standard of National Institute of Open Schooling (see website www.nios.ac.in ) or contact their exam centres at Al-Ameen College, opp. Lalbagh, Bangalore, or Asha Kiran School (Ph: 80-25258159 ashakiran@vsnl.net).  In this scheme you can drop all languages, and choose any five subjects you are good at.  You can also appear for the papers at your convenience once in six months.  The other alternative is for you to look for technical courses that do not have languages or too much of theory.  Identify your strengths and pursue a career related to that.  Try and take up job in the field you wish to make your career, and you will gain valuable experience.

Dear Sir,
I am studying in PUC (I). I am interested in pursuing a career in computers & related fields such as ethical hacking. Could you please give the information about the courses that I must complete to pursue this career? And could you please give information about the institutions that offer these courses and the future prospects of ethical hacking as a career? Is BCA necessary for ethical hacking?
Rohan
Dear Rohan,
While the IT industry is primarily looking for people with skills and ability to perform, it is always better to have strong basic qualifications so that you can go higher up the ladder in future. The first option for you would be to take up a B E in computer science or IT.  If you feel you may not be able to cope with it, then you can enroll for a BCA.  In case you do not even wish to study full time for three years, then you can enroll for a distance learning BCA with Bangalore or Karnataka State Open Universities, and join a part-time course in any private institute specifically to learn ethical hacking.  An allied course of interest could be software testing, for which also many private institutes are offering part-time courses without any minimum qualifications.

Dear Sir,
I am an ARTS UNDERGRADUATE. I have done various courses in computers such as Basics of computers, MS-Office, MS-DOS, Internet Explorer, Oracle, Visual Basic, C, C++ etc.
I was interested in pursuing a Career in Animation, but was dissuaded by my family and friends. They said that there is too much of competition in the Animation Industry and it would be difficult to secure a job even if I did pass out of one such course. The high course fee was another fact that I had to take into consideration.
I would like to know which career would be ideal for me, taking into account my above-mentioned qualification and my interest in the field of computers. 
Arvind Kumar   
Dear Arvind,
Having done so many courses in computers by now you should know where your interest lies, and what you are good at.  Animation is a promising field only for those who have a high level of creativity and are oriented towards the design sector.  If you are unable to decide, it may be better for you to take up a job in an IT company (not a BPO), where you can observe and explore the various activities in computer field.  Then it will be easier for you to decide which course to take up for enhancing your qualifications further.

Dear Sir,
I have just completed my Karnataka CET exams. 
I did not perform so well.
I may get around 125/180 in CET and around 94% in second year pre-university exam (pcm%).
I wanted to ask that what rank can I expect?
I am very tensed.
Please reply soon.
A tensed student
Dear Student,
Tension itself can be your worst enemy.  Behavioral scientists have predicted that 80% of your success will depend on your emotional intelligence (EQ) – and management of your emotions is one of the important pillars of EQ.  Also, in future, your career graph will not depend so much on your marks, as your ability to interact and present yourself properly. With 94% in PUC you are one of the high achievers. Build up your self-esteem and confidence levels. Regardless of what rank you get, try for the best college among those you are eligible for – and move ahead happily into a bright future, charting out your path based on your abilities and passion.

Dear Sir,
I have just finished my PUC exam. I wanted to do engeneering after my PUC but I am not eligible for CET.
The cost of a payment seat in engineering is too high. So could you please advice me on a course which is affordable and has a brighter scope in the future.

If you are keen on engineering, be aware that not all engineering payment seats are very expensive, and for good students there are loans and scholarships available. Base your choice of college and course on your interest and your abilities. Fix up what career you would like to work in for the rest of your life, and then work your way backwards to the course you would like to enroll for. The choice varies from computer applications to business management, commerce, arts, paramedical sciences, communication, hospitality to non-conventional courses offered by private institutes