Dear Sir,
I am doing 2nd year of graduation from IGNOU. I am want to learn a foreign language such as Russian or French. Which universities offer these courses for external students?
Dinesh,  Belgaum

Dear Dinesh,
In order to truly pick up foreign languages such as Russian or French, it is better to either take up a part-time contact course, or learn from an individual tutor. If such a facility is not available in your city, then you will have to apply to some of the private institutes like Linguaphone (who have branches all over, and send their material including audio-tapes), or Adult Faculties Council, D-50 R, DP Road, Elamakkara PO, Kochi 682026. You may also contact Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages at Hyderabad, which is a deemed university. Other recognised universities generally do not offer foreign language courses through distance education.
Dear Sir,
I am a BUMS final year student. Please tell me about higher education opportunities and about courses other than MD in Unani. What is the difference between Psychology and Psychiatry MD, the eligibility criteria, duration and job opportunities.
 A S Khan, Sindhanur

Dear A S Khan,
An MD in psychiatry is available only to those who have completed MBBS, not to doctors of other streams of medicine. However, you are eligible to take up an M.Sc in Applied Psychology through distance education from Madras, Annamalai, Kuvempu and other universities. You are also eligible to study Hospital Management, or Health and Family Welfare Management. One year distance learning course is offered by the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi (website www.nihfw.org), BITS Pilani, and a few other universities.  Similarly, if you have the aptitude, you may consider clinical research, bio-informatics, MBA, etc.
Dear Sir,
I am a PCMB student and am now preparing for CET. I have no flair for maths yet I took PCMB so that I could do Medicine. My parents want me to go in for Engineering despite my fear of Math. What should I do? What other field can I pursue?
Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,
If you have a fear of Math and a love for medicine, firstly await the CET results and see if you get admission in MBBS. If not, you have the option of BDS (Dentistry), other forms of medicine such as homeopathy, ayurveda, etc., veterinary sciences, pharmacy, and various other paramedical courses such as physiotherapy, speech and hearing, medical lab technology, dialysis technology, radiography, optometry etc. In each of these alternatives, you will be working in a hospital environment and will be treating patients.
Dear Sir,
I have just finished SSLC and am now interested in learning Computer Science and choose software engineer as my professional job. What courses should I take in PU and after II PU.
Anonymous

Dear Anonymous
As you may be aware, in the science stream in PUC all over Karnataka you have Math, Physics and Chemistry as common optional subjects and then you can choose for the fourth optional between Biology, Computer Science and Electronics (only girls have the option in a few colleges, of dropping Math and taking up Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Home Science – which still keeps options open for Medicine).
If you are clear that you wish to make your future in Computer Science Engineering, then you can drop Math and choose between Computer Science and Electronics as your 4th optional. Electronics gives you a stronger base in the fundamentals.
Computer Science is a scoring subject, but what you learn at PUC level may get outdated by the time you enter your profession. In either case, you have to appear for engineering entrance exams (IIT-jEE for the IIT’s, AIEEE for NIT’s, CET for VTU colleges, and other independent entrance exams for deemed universities) which will get you entry in the four-year BE/BTech in Computer Science, Information Science or Information Technology.
 
Dear Sir,
I have done my SSLC and ITI in fitter trade in 1999. Due to financial problems I could not study. I was interested in working. I am now working as a security supervisor for the past four years. Now I am interested in taking up a Call Center job. Will they accept my qualification? I want to do a correspondence course.  Which college provides them?
Amzad Khan,
Bangalore

Dear Amzad Khan,
Call centers are primarily looking for your communication skills in English for the front end jobs.  If you are not happy in the security field, you may brush up your spoken English by attending a short term part time course in any of the many private institutes all over the city.  Simultaneously, since you are above 18 years of age, you are eligible to apply under Open University system for a degree course.  If you are in a position to study hard on your own, you can take up BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) or BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration), otherwise you may opt for BA which you will be able to pass with limited study time, and can then seek better employment as well as further upgrading your skills and qualifications.
Dear Sir,
I am doing my 4th semester BSc (PCM). I am very good at Physics. What are the courses that I should complete,  so that I can become a scientist in Physics?
Harsha M,
Mandya

Dear Harsha,
It is good that you have taken a path away from the mainstream due to your interest in Physics. You should start preparing for the entrance exams of post-graduation in Physics and allied subjects offered by reputed institutes like IIT’s and IISc. You may even explore an integrated M.Sc+Ph.D.  Similarly, there are specialised institutes like Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore. If you cannot get admission in any of these national institutes, then you can do your M.Sc in Physics from Bangalore, Mysore or any other good university, and then again try for admission in M.Tech, M.Phil, or Ph.D.