Dear Sir,   
I am 24 years old. I discontinued my engineering course four years ago. Now I am planning to study further but I am no longer interested in doing engineering. Please suggest some degree courses and the colleges which offer vocational courses. I don’t want to take up BSc. Can I take up BA (Communicative English)? I want theory subjects. I want to enroll this academic year itself. I passed my PUC in 2001 with 51 % marks.
Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,
If you are planning to acquire a degree through Open University system (correspondence), then you are eligible even without your PUC qualification, if you have attained 18 years of age, and on going through a simple entrance exam.  There are many options, and BA with communicative English and journalism can be one of them. You also have the options of B.Sc., B.Com, BCA, BBA, and many others. Admissions are mostly in July/August, while some universities take right up to November also.  While doing any of the above courses, you can continue working, but request your employer to give you two or three weeks leave every year at examination time, so that you can do the exams well.

Dear Sir,
I am 26 year old. I was not able to complete my BSc in the stipulated time. I am now planning to do BCom. I also want to pursue MBA through correspondence in future, but I am in great confusion whether to go for regular classes or to take the final year exam through correspondence. I have worked for an MNC for 18 months and right now I have a 10 month old son to take care of.  Can I pursue MBA if I take up BCom through the open university? Will it be helpful for my career?
Usha G

Dear Usha,
If you have already completed one or two years of B.Sc., you may apply to open universities to see whether you can get lateral entry into the next year for correspondence course.  If you take up B.Com, you will have to go through all three years, whether by regular classes or by correspondence. Admission to MBA is open to graduates from any stream, and also those who have passed through distance education.  With your work experience you are also eligible to try for an Executive MBA, with on-line or contact classes part-time, which will give you more of hands-on exposure.  Similarly there are good courses in specific areas of management such as marketing, finance, HR, etc.

Dear Sir,
I have passed my II PUC exam this year in science. I want to join the National Defence Academy.
Nayan Kumar

Dear Nayan,
Entry into the Armed Forces for students who are pursuing their +2 with Science subjects is through the Union Public Service exam (www.upsc.gov.in) which is held twice a year.  If you had registered early, you could have appeared for the exam while you were in your 2nd PUC exam.  The age limit is 19 years, and considerable preparation is required in terms of theory, general knowledge, and physical fitness.  Visit any recruiting centre of the Military nearby and discuss with the officers there, or even browse on sites like www.careerairforce.nic.in

Dear Sir,
I have finished my II PUC and want to do B Tech but I don't have much information about this course. I want to know which colleges are offering this course. Are there any  colleges in Belgaum or Bagalkot which provide this course?
VGS

Dear VGS,
There is a misconception about B.Tech. and B.E. in many people’s minds.  They are both four year engineering courses, only the name used is different by different universities.  Since B.Tech has always been used by IIT’s, there is a feeling that it is superior to BE. What you need to do is to select which branch of engineering you would like to take up, and then apply either to KLE University, or through CET for VTU affiliated colleges.  The entrance exams for 2008 are already over for all universities.

Dear Sir,
I am a BCom graduate and working in a BPO company for the past two years. I am planning to do some other course.  Some friends suggest I do a SAP course but  I am totally confused.
Shrinivas

Dear Shrinivas,
Your market value remains high as long as you are in a job.  So do not quit until you know where you are headed.  It is a fact that with only B.Com as your qualification, you may not go up very fast.  With your experience in the past two years, you may have understood where your strengths lies. Select the next course you wish to do based on your liking and skills. Depending on what your long term goals are, you may study management, computer applications like SAP etc., specialised skills like portal management, software testing, or web-page design.  It is better that you upgrade your qualifications, and then look for a better job, unless you wish to take up a full time MBA, MCA or similar course.

Dear Sir,
I have already got through the NATA exam. If I don’t get into architecture which other course do you think I should take? I just need one more option. Are there any other professional courses that are related to architecture? If not, I need one more professional  course that I can enjoy doing and that has good scope. Even though I am good at art I dont want to take up Fine Arts. 
AS

Dear AS,
Since you have appeared for and passed the National Aptitude Test for Architecture (NATA), you will get admission in the 5 year B.Arch. Architecture course in some college or the other. However, if you are a creative person you may also consider options like Visual Communication (offered by institutions like National Institute of Creative Communication, Bangalore, Ph: 65337001, www.niccindia.org) which will give you a strong foundation in design and visual media.  Alternatively you may study BCA and take up additional courses such as web-page design, multimedia, animation. Another option is to complete your engineering in any stream and then take up a PG course in industrial design.