Every field has opportunities based on one's ability

Study in India

Dear Sir,

I have completed my BE. I wish to obtain a master's degree in humanities. Which colleges offer a one-year master's degree? Do these colleges offer distance education? Will distance education have the same value as a normal degree? When are applications generally invited for such courses?

Nivi

Dear Nivi,

It is nice to see your interest in humanities despite having qualified in engineering. It is advisable that you narrow down to a specific area of social sciences you would like to specialise in and be clear what career you are looking forward to. You can choose between economics, public administration, sociology, psychology, human development, political science etc. All recognised master's courses in India are of two-year duration, be it classroom or distance education. You are eligible to apply for open universities’ master's degrees with your engineering qualification.

If you use the two years of your studies to gain practical work experience and develop domain specialisation in the field you will be working in, even if you have to take up entry level or internship work at present, you will be able to get good jobs, that a person who studied through the classroom medium gets.

Dear Sir,

My son completed II PUC (PCMC) in 2015. He joined Architecture course but after three years, he dropped out as he was unable to cope. Currently, he is doing a one-year diploma course in Graphic Design and the course will complete in July 2020. Can you please suggest some additional courses he can pursue alongside. How can he improve his career prospects? Does this field have good opportunities?

A parent

Dear Parent,

Every field has opportunities based on the ability of the individual. You need to first assess what factors led to his dropping out of architecture and why he could not cope. Secondly, whether he has picked up graphic design well and is not only enjoying it but is good at it. If it is confirmed that he has the aptitude and talent to do well in graphic design then encourage him to take up internship or an entry-level job, or even voluntary work in that field. Let him get a feel of the actual working conditions, skills required, team work etc. Once that is also confirmed then he can decide to either take up a full-time Bachelor of Design, or if he cannot afford to study full time, then take up part-time vocational courses or distance learning courses from open universities to acquire specific skills that are required in the field of graphic design.

In case he is not very sure of pursuing a career in design, or is not getting good feedback on his capabilities from his teachers, then it is recommended that he does a detailed assessment of his aptitude to determine which field would be most suitable for him.

Dear Sir,

I am keen that my son who is completing his Class 10, should take up science, as there is good scope in it. But his marks have been fluctuating, and I am not sure whether he will be able to cope with science subjects in PUC. We were thinking of taking the decision based on how he scores in his Board exams, but with the delays due to the lockdown we may not have the time to book his seat in a good college. Shall we go ahead and try for science?

A parent

Dear Parent,

Decision on taking science, commerce or arts in PUC should be made taking into account long-term career goals which should be based on his abilities and aptitude, and not on scope. From what you have mentioned, if he is not scoring well in Class 10 science subjects, he may find it much more difficult in PUC as the portions increase and he has to go into the depth of subjects without the hand-holding that he was getting in school.

So do not wait for his exams and results, but evaluate systematically what his strengths and abilities are, and which career he will do good in and enjoy. Accordingly, you can decide which optional subjects to select for PUC.