Study in India.

Dear Sir,
I am studying in Class 10. I am not interested in taking up Science in PUC. One of my major interest lies in becoming a journalist. I know that it has quite a good scope in India. Could you shed more light on this field? Also, my dad says that doing a Company Secretary (CS) course would be beneficial for me. Please guide me with more information on this. Another field I find interesting is event management. I have learnt that we can do an MBA in this field. And I can pursue it even after taking Arts. Could you kindly guide me on all these fields so that I can make the right choice?
A confused student

Dear Confused student,
It is better to be confused now, explore deeply, and take the right decision rather than to be carried away by what others say and regret later. There is no harm if you do not wish to take Science since there is a very wide range of opportunities now both in Commerce and Arts. From your range of interests, it appears that taking up Commerce in PUC may suit you better.

If you are interested in becoming a company secretary, you can apply in PUC II for the foundation programme while you continue with your regular studies. Details are available on www.icsi.edu. If you clear the foundation in the first attempt, you know that you are on the right track. By the time you complete your PUC, you can take a call whether you would like to get into journalism or event management, as by then your interest and aptitude will be much clearer. Based on your choice, you can get into a BA or BBA degree course. After graduation, you can specialise in the field of your choice through a post-graduate degree or diploma.

Dear Sir,
I have completed Class 10. I want to do higher studies in Food Science and Technology. After Class 12, which exam should I write for Agriculture and related courses? What is the minimum aggregate needed to pass such entrance exams? Also, please suggest the best universities in India for BSc.
A student

Dear Student,
At present, you can take up +2 with PCMB, and ensure that you develop a strong foundation in Chemistry and Biology.  Then you can take up a BSc in Life Sciences, which is offered by most of the top universities in the country, or a BSc (Agriculture) from any of the agricultural universities. Graduating with a good percentage will open the doors for you to study Food Science in National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, Central Food Technology Research Institute in Mysuru, BITS Pilani, IITs etc.

Dear Sir,
I have completed my PUC and have no hopes of getting an MBBS seat. So, I have decided to go to alternate Medicine field. I have been planning to take BAMS or BHMS, but want to know which one in these two has better scope? Could you also give me some details about Forensic Science?
A student

Dear Student,
Both Homeopathy (BHMS) and Ayurveda (BAMS) have steadily growing and rewarding career opportunities, but only for those who truly believe in and practise those forms of medicine. When you fall sick, would you go to a homeopath or a vaid? Depending on which stream of medicine you actually have faith in and passion for, you can decide which course to take up. For both courses, admission is comparatively easier and fee is significantly lesser compared to MBBS.
On the other hand, Forensic Science is a highly specialised field with limited job opportunities, and the best jobs go to those who have done MBBS and then an MD in Forensic Medicine.

Dear Sir,
I have scored 72% in Class 12 (ISC). While I scored well in some papers, I couldn’t score well in Science and Maths due to ill health. But my friends and family feel that I scored less because of my lack of aptitude for those subjects. The reality is that I have always liked these two subjects right from my childhood.

After the exams, I got so depressed that I even contemplated suicide. All this affected my IIT-Mains score (60) due to which I couldn’t manage to get a seat. I aspire to pursue any branch of engineering that would take me to ISRO. Right now, I am planning to take an year off and prepare for IIT again. I feel there’s immense pressure on me to perform well and I am not sure if an year off will look good on my resume. I can understand Commerce well but I never thought of doing MBA since it was never on my cards. Should I take up IIT or not? Is there a single girl policy of government that could help me out? Is there any other field that would cater to my interest in Computers?

Shivi Srivastava

Dear Shivi,
It is very sad that due to your illness, you could not score well in Class 12. If you had actually scored much better in Science and Math in your Class 10 and 11, then you can certainly pursue your dream of becoming an engineer. Do check and verify that you indeed have a good aptitude for engineering. If so, explore whether you can get into any fairly good engineering college this year itself instead of risking a year only to get into IIT. If determined, you can even prepare for JEE next year while you pursue first year of Engineering.

If you pick up your grades in the 4 years of Engineering, you can aspire for postgraduation in any top institution like IITs or even IISST (www.iist.ac.in), which is sponsored by ISRO. Do not allow your low marks to pull you down or make you lose your self-worth. You can carve out a good future and make your parents proud of you one day.

Dear Sir,
I have completed PUC and plan to take up BTech. But my interest lies in wildlife research and conservation. Also, I am good at Biology. Could you suggest some courses in this field?
A student

Dear Student,
BTech will take you into the world of technology, whereas your interest lies in Life
Sciences. Hence, you will need to take a call and decide which is most suited for you. There are many interesting courses in Wildlife, Environment and Conservation at the postgraduate level and students who have a strong passion do very well in it. Since it is not a very well known field, people are unaware of its potential. Of course, you can still move into Environment Science if you do your BTech in any basic stream of Engineering. Alternatively, you can consider a BTech in Environmental Science or Biotechnology.