JOIN USDon't base your career decisions on immediate events
Dear Sir,
My son is in Class 10 and is interested in Marine Engineering. Could you please suggest some good colleges in India. Which entrance exams should he write? Please advise on the pros and cons of Marine Engineering.
MD Danish
Dear Danish,
Most Marine Engineering colleges have their own entrance tests. Some of the reputed ones are Marine Engineering & Research Institute, Kolkata; College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam; Maharashtra Academy of Naval Education and Training, Pune; Tolani Maritime Institute, Pune; RL Institute of Nautical Sciences, Madurai; Indian Maritime University, Chennai; LBS College of Advanced Maritime Studies, Mumbai; Padmabhushan Vasantdada Patil Pratishthan’s College of Engineering, Mumbai and T S Chanakya, Navi Mumbai.
A marine engineer spends most of his working life on ships that travel across the globe, and he will need to be away from home and friends for many months at a time. Also he has to work under stressful conditions with a small group of tough sailors as there is no other human contact or help or entertainment available on the high seas. There are times when he may have to do round-the-clock duty at times of crisis. To compensate for these hardships the salaries are significantly higher than in other engineering streams and long breaks are given after a tour of duty.
Dear Sir,
Currently, I am preparing for government sector exams i.e., Electrical Engineering exams (state PSU or central PSU). I am in a dilemma on whether to prepare for government exams or join MTech programme as there is uncertainty on when the exams will be conducted on account of Covid-19. Kindly advise.
Shubham Dongare
Dear Shubham,
Do not base your career decisions on immediate happenings or short-term benefits. You will be working in your chosen career for at least 40-50 years and during that period there will be many pandemics, changes in recruitment rules, ups and downs of ‘scope’. Assess yourself whether you are comfortable in government service which is bound by strict rules and regulations and where promotions are based on seniority and not merit, but there is job security.
On the other hand, if you are deeply involved in hardcore technology and feel you can go deeper through post-graduation then go ahead with an MTech or equivalent course. But ensure that you are choosing your specialisation based on your interest and aptitude.
Dear Sir,
I completed my Class 12 with 97% and I wish to do MBBS. I hope to secure a government seat. I am now working hard to appear for NEET exam. What is the average fee if it is a government seat? What will be my other yearly expenses? Is there any scholarship that I can apply for?
Nida Sultana
Dear Nida,
Hearty congratulations on securing 97%, which shows that you are a very hardworking student and can make a good career for yourself. Do prepare well and appear for NEET and see what merit rank you get. The fee keeps changing every year, sometimes at the last moment, and cannot be predicted. There are many scholarships available based on your family income and your rank (and also from community based charitable trusts), but you will have to explore that only after you have cleared the entrance exam.
Since you are depending only on a government seat which is highly competitive, do keep other options in mind. For example, you can do dentistry, veterinary science, alternative medicine, para-medical courses, nutrition etc. Find out about each of them well in advance and make a priority list so that you will definitely get into some professional course in the health sector. All these are also very promising and rewarding.