<p>Dear Sir,<br />I am a student of Std 10th of the State board. One of my friends suggested that after my PUC I could do B Pharm. Can you tell me what subject I should include with PCM in PUC and also what are the opportunities I will get after completing B.pharm?<br />Anonymous<br /><br />Dear Anonymous<br />A four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy is offered by many good colleges in most states. If you are good in Chemistry, fairly good in Biology, and oriented towards lab work, you can consider pharmacy as a career option. While it is not compulsory, taking up Biology as your fourth subject will be an advantage to you. Pharmacy is a steady career, though not as high-profile as some of the technology related fields.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I wrote my 12th Grade (ISC) Boards this March with Electronics as my elective. I am not particularly interested in engineering, as I am very passionate about Physics and Maths and would like to pursue higher studies in the same. What I wish to know is the career options for a person who has studied pure sciences. Also, could you please recommend some good colleges offering the BSc programme? I have applied to IISc but my chances of getting in there are quite low, as I did not do very well in AIEEE.<br />Anxious Student<br /><br />Dear Anxious Student,<br />A degree in Math or Physics from a good institute can definitely get you a very good career. The four year BS degree at IISc is definitely a good option. IITs, NITs, BITS etc. also have an integrated five-year M.Sc. Try to get into a good college. If you don’t since it is quite late, complete your B.Sc. and then aim for a post-graduation in Physics or Math from a national level institute, by preparing for the entrance well in advance.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I have completed my diploma in 1994 but I failed in the last semester. However, I got a job immediately after completion of my diploma course. Till today I could not complete my diploma due to my work. But I am afraid now as everybody has a degree or PG degree these days. Now I am more interested in getting at least a degree or if possible a degree along with a PG. Is that possible? I am 37 years old but I am determined to complete my degree at any cost. I have almost 14 years of experience in Marketing and Sales.<br />Suresh<br /><br />Dear Suresh,<br />It is good that you have the drive and motivation to study further. If you have been enjoying your work in Marketing, it may be apt if you take up an Open University degree in that subject, or a general Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. Some of the most reputed Open Universities are IGNOU, KSOU, TNOU, Annamalai, Madurai Kamraj, Bangalore, and Madras Universities. After you complete it in three years, you can go in for higher studies, all without interrupting your career.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />My CET ranking this year is 2662. I want to take up either Mechanical, Computer Science, Electronics & Communication. I want to pursue it from a college in Bangalore. How do I choose the college? <br />Mawan rasheed<br /><br />Dear Mawan,<br />Selection of branch of engineering should be based on your interest and your aptitude. If you already have an exposure to computers, love to do programming, have the passion to sit for hours at the keyboard, and are willing to spend your life in an air-conditioned cubicle, in the virtual world, then take up Computer Science Engineering. If you are a very logical and sequential thinker, if you like to do things very methodically, and have deep concentration, then you may take up Electronics. If you are more of a people-oriented person, like the outdoors, have an exploratory and analytical mind, enjoy working with your hands, then you may go in for Mechanical. This way you can list down all your traits, match them with the requirements of each industry or field, and choose accordingly.<br /><br />Dear Sir, <br />I have passed PUC II with 82 per cent marks and my CET ranking is 11,000 . I am eager to opt for an engineering stream or a pure science course. I stammer while speaking and I worry that this will affect my career. How do I choose the stream that is perfect for me? <br />Rasheed <br /><br />Dear Rasheed,<br />A five-year integrated MSc in pure sciences is offered by many institutions and a four-year Bachelor’s course has been started at IISc. But it is too late to seek admission this year. It may be good if you could take admission in a basic stream of engineering (Mechanical, Electronics, Instrumentation, etc.) unless you have a passion for Civil. Then you can either continue in an engineering field, or opt for a post-graduation in pure sciences and get into research (even IIT’s and various national-level institutions offer very good courses at the PG level). Stammering will not affect your career, except if you wish to get into teaching or marketing, giving presentations etc.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I am currently in the second semester of engineering degree. I have chosen Electronics & Communication. I aspire to sit for GATE and plan to start preparing for it from my third semester. How should one prepare for GATE? How should I evaluate the level of difficulty, given that I come from a State syllabus background. Should I join a coaching centre?<br />Sneha<br />Dear Sneha,<br />Cracking GATE will not be impossible for you because you have studied in state syllabus. The fact that you are willing to prepare early will be a great advantage. However, if you are not very confident and would like to strengthen your performance, then a year’s experience in a good firm will not only broaden your horizons, but also give you more time after completing engineering — to prepare for GATE or any other entrance exam. In fact, job experience will also help you to decide whether you would like to go for higher studies in technology, or move into other areas such as management, research, teaching, projects, etc.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I am in the first year of a postgraduate programme in English Literature. My aggregate at the UG level is 58 per cent. My next career option would be to pursue a Ph.D. Should I take the NET?<br />Mahi<br /><br />Dear Mahi.,<br />Since you have reached post-graduation, you could evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and plan your career, beyond the studies that you will be taking up. You still have a choice to move into other careers such as Civil Services, Business Management, Journalism, Travel and Tourism, Computers, Library and Information Science, Media, Advertising, Marketing or teaching. <br />After considering all alternatives and selecting the career most suited to you, then decide whether you would like to take up NET and get into teaching, or pursue a PhD and move into research or publication. If you are happy with the course that you are doing right now, it gives you more than a year to do this exploration and narrow down your choices and start moving into the most suitable career.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I am 22 years old and I have just completed PUC and my PCMC score is 88 per cent. I failed the PU exams four times. <br />I am now interested in teaching. I want to know what my career options are if I complete B.Sc and an M.Sc in Math or Physics. Will my age be a deciding factor? Am I eligible for KAS and IAS? Are there alternative fields that I can look into? Please help.<br />Anonymous<br /><br />Dear Anonymous,<br />First, do an introspection as to why you kept failing for four years — there will be a logical reason for it. Only if you overcome those hurdles, will you be successful in your higher studies. If you were lazy to pass even in four years, there is a possibility that you do not have an interest or inclination towards science subjects. Explore different options and ensure that you take up a subject that you are passionate and committed to. You can finish your degree in three years, and at age 25 you will be eligible for four attempts for Civil Services exams. But do keep in mind that these exams are highly competitive and only those who prepare systematically, with full commitment can succeed.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I completed a Bachelors in Law in 2000. But could not practice due to personal reasons. I now want to pursue a Masters in Law through correspondence. Do I have to take the NERT? Or should I get into teaching law?<br />Anu<br /><br />Dear Anu,<br />It is you who need to analyse whether you are more attuned to legal practice, litigation, teaching, or a non-legal field. Once you have decided that, it may help if you first take up an entry-level job in the field of your choice, and gain some practical experience. This will also enable you to be sure that you are choosing the right option. Subsequently you can upgrade your qualifications by taking up a course relevant to what you would be doing.</p>
<p>Dear Sir,<br />I am a student of Std 10th of the State board. One of my friends suggested that after my PUC I could do B Pharm. Can you tell me what subject I should include with PCM in PUC and also what are the opportunities I will get after completing B.pharm?<br />Anonymous<br /><br />Dear Anonymous<br />A four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy is offered by many good colleges in most states. If you are good in Chemistry, fairly good in Biology, and oriented towards lab work, you can consider pharmacy as a career option. While it is not compulsory, taking up Biology as your fourth subject will be an advantage to you. Pharmacy is a steady career, though not as high-profile as some of the technology related fields.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I wrote my 12th Grade (ISC) Boards this March with Electronics as my elective. I am not particularly interested in engineering, as I am very passionate about Physics and Maths and would like to pursue higher studies in the same. What I wish to know is the career options for a person who has studied pure sciences. Also, could you please recommend some good colleges offering the BSc programme? I have applied to IISc but my chances of getting in there are quite low, as I did not do very well in AIEEE.<br />Anxious Student<br /><br />Dear Anxious Student,<br />A degree in Math or Physics from a good institute can definitely get you a very good career. The four year BS degree at IISc is definitely a good option. IITs, NITs, BITS etc. also have an integrated five-year M.Sc. Try to get into a good college. If you don’t since it is quite late, complete your B.Sc. and then aim for a post-graduation in Physics or Math from a national level institute, by preparing for the entrance well in advance.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I have completed my diploma in 1994 but I failed in the last semester. However, I got a job immediately after completion of my diploma course. Till today I could not complete my diploma due to my work. But I am afraid now as everybody has a degree or PG degree these days. Now I am more interested in getting at least a degree or if possible a degree along with a PG. Is that possible? I am 37 years old but I am determined to complete my degree at any cost. I have almost 14 years of experience in Marketing and Sales.<br />Suresh<br /><br />Dear Suresh,<br />It is good that you have the drive and motivation to study further. If you have been enjoying your work in Marketing, it may be apt if you take up an Open University degree in that subject, or a general Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. Some of the most reputed Open Universities are IGNOU, KSOU, TNOU, Annamalai, Madurai Kamraj, Bangalore, and Madras Universities. After you complete it in three years, you can go in for higher studies, all without interrupting your career.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />My CET ranking this year is 2662. I want to take up either Mechanical, Computer Science, Electronics & Communication. I want to pursue it from a college in Bangalore. How do I choose the college? <br />Mawan rasheed<br /><br />Dear Mawan,<br />Selection of branch of engineering should be based on your interest and your aptitude. If you already have an exposure to computers, love to do programming, have the passion to sit for hours at the keyboard, and are willing to spend your life in an air-conditioned cubicle, in the virtual world, then take up Computer Science Engineering. If you are a very logical and sequential thinker, if you like to do things very methodically, and have deep concentration, then you may take up Electronics. If you are more of a people-oriented person, like the outdoors, have an exploratory and analytical mind, enjoy working with your hands, then you may go in for Mechanical. This way you can list down all your traits, match them with the requirements of each industry or field, and choose accordingly.<br /><br />Dear Sir, <br />I have passed PUC II with 82 per cent marks and my CET ranking is 11,000 . I am eager to opt for an engineering stream or a pure science course. I stammer while speaking and I worry that this will affect my career. How do I choose the stream that is perfect for me? <br />Rasheed <br /><br />Dear Rasheed,<br />A five-year integrated MSc in pure sciences is offered by many institutions and a four-year Bachelor’s course has been started at IISc. But it is too late to seek admission this year. It may be good if you could take admission in a basic stream of engineering (Mechanical, Electronics, Instrumentation, etc.) unless you have a passion for Civil. Then you can either continue in an engineering field, or opt for a post-graduation in pure sciences and get into research (even IIT’s and various national-level institutions offer very good courses at the PG level). Stammering will not affect your career, except if you wish to get into teaching or marketing, giving presentations etc.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I am currently in the second semester of engineering degree. I have chosen Electronics & Communication. I aspire to sit for GATE and plan to start preparing for it from my third semester. How should one prepare for GATE? How should I evaluate the level of difficulty, given that I come from a State syllabus background. Should I join a coaching centre?<br />Sneha<br />Dear Sneha,<br />Cracking GATE will not be impossible for you because you have studied in state syllabus. The fact that you are willing to prepare early will be a great advantage. However, if you are not very confident and would like to strengthen your performance, then a year’s experience in a good firm will not only broaden your horizons, but also give you more time after completing engineering — to prepare for GATE or any other entrance exam. In fact, job experience will also help you to decide whether you would like to go for higher studies in technology, or move into other areas such as management, research, teaching, projects, etc.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I am in the first year of a postgraduate programme in English Literature. My aggregate at the UG level is 58 per cent. My next career option would be to pursue a Ph.D. Should I take the NET?<br />Mahi<br /><br />Dear Mahi.,<br />Since you have reached post-graduation, you could evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and plan your career, beyond the studies that you will be taking up. You still have a choice to move into other careers such as Civil Services, Business Management, Journalism, Travel and Tourism, Computers, Library and Information Science, Media, Advertising, Marketing or teaching. <br />After considering all alternatives and selecting the career most suited to you, then decide whether you would like to take up NET and get into teaching, or pursue a PhD and move into research or publication. If you are happy with the course that you are doing right now, it gives you more than a year to do this exploration and narrow down your choices and start moving into the most suitable career.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I am 22 years old and I have just completed PUC and my PCMC score is 88 per cent. I failed the PU exams four times. <br />I am now interested in teaching. I want to know what my career options are if I complete B.Sc and an M.Sc in Math or Physics. Will my age be a deciding factor? Am I eligible for KAS and IAS? Are there alternative fields that I can look into? Please help.<br />Anonymous<br /><br />Dear Anonymous,<br />First, do an introspection as to why you kept failing for four years — there will be a logical reason for it. Only if you overcome those hurdles, will you be successful in your higher studies. If you were lazy to pass even in four years, there is a possibility that you do not have an interest or inclination towards science subjects. Explore different options and ensure that you take up a subject that you are passionate and committed to. You can finish your degree in three years, and at age 25 you will be eligible for four attempts for Civil Services exams. But do keep in mind that these exams are highly competitive and only those who prepare systematically, with full commitment can succeed.<br /><br />Dear Sir,<br />I completed a Bachelors in Law in 2000. But could not practice due to personal reasons. I now want to pursue a Masters in Law through correspondence. Do I have to take the NERT? Or should I get into teaching law?<br />Anu<br /><br />Dear Anu,<br />It is you who need to analyse whether you are more attuned to legal practice, litigation, teaching, or a non-legal field. Once you have decided that, it may help if you first take up an entry-level job in the field of your choice, and gain some practical experience. This will also enable you to be sure that you are choosing the right option. Subsequently you can upgrade your qualifications by taking up a course relevant to what you would be doing.</p>
