Goals should match your aptitude

Study in India

Dear Sir,

My son is studying in Class 11 (PCMB). He wants to become an automotive engineer, specialising in auto designing. Kindly let us know: the qualification required for a career in automotive designing, the job opportunities in India. How do we find out if he has the right aptitude for this field or is there some other field he should consider? He likes physics and chemistry, but not biology. He wants to take up painting instead of Biology. Is it advisable to take up painting or should he consider any other optional subject. Though he takes tuition at a reputed coaching centre, he is unable to score well in exams and lacks confidence these days. Is there any method to understand examination patterns for higher classes.

A parent

Dear Parent,

Do evaluate your son for his talent in creative and design work. Get him assessed by a neutral person or institution and not one which is offering training in design. If he is indeed skilled, he can either do a degree in automobile or related engineering field and then specialise in design; or he can apply for a four year Bachelor of Design (BDes) course offered by IITs and various other institutions. Job opportunities are not restricted to Indian employers since he can be working from any location for any organisation in the globe. Painting would be a good alternative to biology if he is planning to be in a design career.

Additional tuition, if required, should be specific to the needs of the child, and not just blindly attending coaching classes anywhere. For example, there are centres that coach for the National Institute of Design (NID), and the U-CEED exam of IITs exclusively for cracking their entrance exams. If he is unable to score well despite putting in hard work, we need to assess his study methodology, comprehension levels and multiple intelligence, rather than pushing him into more hours of tuition.

Dear Sir,

My relative has taken up BS, MS dual degree course in IISER - Tirupati. Kindly let us know the various job opportunities that are available in this field.

Thippeswamy

Dear Thippeswamy,

There are seven Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) offering education in pure sciences, and they are outstanding institutions offering the best of learning.

If your relative has gained admission in IISER, then he is on the way to a good future. When he comes to the final year he can decide whether he wishes to go for higher studies, or take up a job — which he will get without much difficulty. After a couple of years he should start narrowing down to his field of specialisation, and whether he would like to get into pure research, applied research, teaching, quality control, product development, etc.

Dear Sir,

My daughter is studying in Class 8 (ICSE). She detests mathematics and is not keen on science subjects as well. As there is an option in ICSE to choose core subjects in Class 9, she wants to choose commerce instead of science and mathematics. Do you think she should wait until she completes Class 10 to take up commerce or humanities? Her interests lie in English and Music.

Kindly advise.

Sunil

Dear Sunil,

I would generally not advise forcing a child to study subjects which she actually detests. It will bring down her motivation and her confidence levels, and her academic performance will also be very average. There are plenty of lucrative career options related to both commerce and humanities, and she can start the process of narrowing down to her career goals once she comes to Class 10.

Until then allow her to explore and learn more of English and music in her free time.

Dear Sir,

I finished my II PUC (PCMB). I want to become a clinical or human geneticist. Can you suggest what I should take up. Is it okay if I do BE in biotechnology. What is the scope in India and abroad?

Easha

Dear Easha,

There are two paths to becoming a scientist in the field of genetics: either through a degree in biotechnology or genetics engineering, or studying pure science after your PUC. It depends on your skills and whether you wish to work more in application of genetic science or in pure research. Scope should never be the criteria for selection of career. Anything that you are good in and passionate about will get you sufficient money and good opportunities.

Ensure that you have understood the field well and have the necessary abilities i.e. proficiency in biology, particularly zoology, an eye for detail, long attention span, exploratory mind, willingness to work on your own, etc.

Dear sir,

I am a PU student. I failed in two subjects in II PUC Board exams. I am really interested in coding, logical thinking, problem-solving, math, artificial intelligence, etc. So, I am planning to first do diploma in Computer Science because my basics are not good and it will help me start fresh. I would then like to do BE in CS. Would that be a right choice? If yes, then please let me know some good colleges offering diploma programmes in Karnataka.

Junaid Soudagar

Dear Junaid,

Though you have a deep interest in areas of computer science, do check out which subjects you failed in, and why. You mentioned that your basics are not good, but you need to be good in math and physics, which will lead to your success in related subjects and a career in computer science. Only then you will know whether diploma in computer science will be the suitable path for you.

You can get a list of approved polytechnics from the Directorate of Technical Education and select the most suitable one for you. Admission is on the basis of your marks in Class 10. Since you have lost two years, do ensure that this time you take the right decision based not only on your interest but also your aptitude.