My Science School

“ We want to protect her for a long as we can,” says Dolly Malvai. “ But we realised that she would never be able to walk alone in life if we continued to shield her. We have to trust her and let her go.” Almost all Indian parents feel that their children severely lack the latest information, are ignorant of modern trends, and are immature and too inexperienced to take a rational career decision. They worry whether, once out of their reach, they will be able to guard themselves against everything that is “evil”. But Mrs Malvai felt that this was an occasion where she could show her daughter how much she trusted her, thus giving a tremendous boost to Rhea’s self-confidence.

 For Mrs Goel, the fear of racial discrimination was a very real deterrent. However, she felt that they had many relatives in the UK who could extend help if their child faced problems.

 A noted Delhi psychologist, Dr Shukla Shree Gupta says, “ Social and cultural differences can be the cause of depression, but this is a passing phase in every student’s life. A student from a small town can feel intimidated by the atmosphere of a metropolitan city, even in India. Parents can help by trusting their children to take the right decision at the right time.”

 

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Once the child gets into the swing of leading an independent life, it becomes more and more difficult for him/her to consider returning to India. Lack of infrastructure and unstable political conditions in the country, which were once a part of their lives, become insurmountable problems for their future. Parents are well aware of these apprehensions in their children’s minds. Furthermore, the prospect of physical distancereinforces the fear they develop of not seeing the child for a long, long time.

 Take the case of Anirban, a commerce student of City College, Kolkata, His higher secondary results were abysmal by any standards and he faced a bleak future in his home state. He felt that even if he were to get a degree from an unknown college in the US, it would still promise a better life, if he worked hard enough. His parents were traumatised on the other hand  and even tried emotional blackmail by declaring, “Your father will suffer a heart attack if you go away.”

 Says Dr Achal Bhagat, MD, senior consultant psychiatrist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, “Parents are basically insecure about their own future when they try to impose such restrictions on their wards. They feel that their children’s support during their old age will crumble if they let go of them. But more and more middle class families in India are getting used to the concept of their children going abroad to further their dreams. The day of saat samundar paar are over and improved communication systems help remove the mental block against children travelling abroad.”

 

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The first consideration is always that of being able to support the child in a foreign country for four years, or till such time that the child is able to secure some form of scholarship from the university where he or she is studying. Even if the family is from the upper middle-class, the cost of higher education abroad is forbidding. The parents have to educate themselves on the financial options available. Once they are able to work out the precise economics, they either become more open to the idea or it is a clear negative response. Then, of course, there are those who get scholarships from various universities and this considerably reduces parents’worries.

 

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 When Anirban announced one fine day that he wanted to go abroad for higher studies, there was furore at the Dasgupta residence. His parents were dismayed and shocked and the immediate response was to disallow him to exercise this option. What followed were many days of coaxing by Anirban and many sleepless nights for his parents. Finally, Anirban flew off from Calcutta International Airport on a sultry August evening last year. His destination? The US of A. He has joined Austin College, Texas, for a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

 The Malvais from Gurgaon, on the other hand, found it easier to accept their daughter Rhea’s decision to go to the UK for a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Although Rhea is still studying in class XI in Sriram School, her parents feel that she is a mature child and should be supported in her initiative to get admission at the Birmingham University. Their only concern is the financial fallout of this decision.

 Again, Sushma Goel from New Delhi found it difficult to accept her daughter Pankhuri leaving for Australia to get a bachelor’s degree in jewellery design and manufacture. She worried about her well-being, but was ultimately resigned to accept the inevitable.

 Commenting on his daughter Ayesha’s decision, Ajay Gopal says, “It wasn’t her or my decision. It was our joint decision while planning her career. We realised that in Bangalore or in India in general, entry into good colleges is virtually impossible. But once we decided to let her go abroad for further studies, we were in a dilemma. As a parent, my worry was that she would settle down there and get used to that lifestyle. But then, it’s her life. She wants to join a liberal arts college and major in economics, then work for two years after which she would do her MBA. Her admission is to be finalised in May and then she would leave by the end of August.”

 Reasons to go

In the present environment of rapid growth of technology and the ever increasing need for specialisation, a degree in higher education abroad has gained considerable significance. Students are finding it very difficult to obtain high quality education in India because of increasing competition and a limited number of good colleges. A stimulating educational environment and endless job opportunities, high standards of living exposure to a new world, a new culture, and the promise of good monetary returns have made higher education abroad an attractive proposition.

 But these are not the only reasons that lure a teenager towards the west. Impressionable minds are also influenced by social and peer pressure. Career choices are usually guided by friends’  choices or what is in vogue at that point of time. Very few actually think through the proposition in its totality.

 

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First, why do you assume that you will not get the required marks. You still have five months to study and you can work hard to get the required marks.

Second, it will not be the end of the world if you don’t get science. You can do well in commerce or arts too.

There are great career options in these two streams – from management, finance, banking and accounts to teaching, research, design to media – you have a world of opportunities to explore.

 

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As an educational consultant you could have a tie-up with a number of foreign universities and represent those universities here. In this case you will be the interface between a given university and the students, and will have to guide them about the application procedure, fees, visa requirements, etc. To be a representative of a foreign university, more than a degree your exposure to the field of education is assessed.

The other option is that of setting up a career counselling unit for students, and guide them about different career options within and outside India, and inform them about scholarships. A career counsellor should ideally be a bachelor of psychology, and should have done a PG course in career counselling.

 

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I am a Zimbabwean settled in India. My two sons are studying in a boarding school affiliated to ICSE board. I would like to know what is the difference between ICSE and CBSE. Which board is of higher standard and which is more beneficial? Will my sons have a problem if they join the CBSE stream after class X, as their boarding school is only up to class X?

ICSE is conducted by the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE). Basically, it is a replacement of the earlier Overseas Cambridge School Certificate Examination. The quality of education of school affiliated to CISCE is high and the examination standard is tougher. CBSE has a large number of schools affiliated to it – public schools as well as government schools – and the papers are easier, taking into consideration the fact that even students from poor background attending government schools take this exam. The advantage of CBSE board is that most of the institutions in India take CBSE syllabus as the basis for entrance exam – from National Defence Academy to medical colleges. In fact, CBSE even has a fixed number of seats reserved for its meritorious students in medical and engineering colleges. However, this is not to say that CBSE is the only board. In fact, almost every state in the country has its own board.

 

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I have PCM and economics as subjects. I wish to earn an honours degree in economics and follow it up with an MBA so that I can find a job in a foreign bank. But will I get admission to the economics or commerce stream at the degree level since I am not a commerce student? What are the other career options I could consider after obtaining a degree in economics and MBA? Would you recommend any post-graduate study other than MBA?

Science students do take up commerce and economics after class XII. Depending upon the university, a few percentage of marks are slashed from a science student’s mark sheet to bring him on par with students from the other disciplines.

In terms of subject options after class XII, science students are at an advantage because all the three streams – science, commerce and arts – are open to them. Job options after economics and MBA range from academics and research to joining the corporate world. Or as you are saying, you can work in a bank. It will depend on the kind of work atmosphere you like to work in, your interests and aptitude. Whether you like planning, whether you like statistical work or research work, or whether you like the hurly-burly of a corporate office, it will help you zero in on your career. You can even appear for the civil services examinations after graduating in economics.

As regards MBA and post-graduation, you should do a post-graduation if you are academically oriented and want to take up a career in academics or research. But if that is not the case, and if you want to join a foreign bank, an MBA would be a better-option.

 

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I am a student of class VIII. I want to know the rules for becoming a police officer. Do they induct police officers because they are strong? Or do they have to clear a test of intelligence?

Police officers are part of the Indian Police Service (IPS). They should have cleared the Union Public Civil Services exam, the interview and fulfilled the physical fitness requirements. States  recruit police officers for provincial civil services through a similar exam.

 

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Joining a BA (LLB) course straight after XII, say at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, will give you a distinct advantage over a student who joins a law course after doing graduation in any other subjects. You will be part of a focussed programme. At the end of the five-year programme, you will be well-qualified to join a law firm, corporate organisation or an advocate.

 

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I am a student of class X. I am going to join humanities in class XI. I wanted to know whether it is necessary to have journalism as a subject in college if I want to become a journalist. Also, if I join a particular media, can I hop from one media to other, or will I be stuck with one media?

It is not necessary to join a degree course in journalism. In fact, people from as diverse backgrounds as Hindi, English, Sanskrit, history, economics, physics and chemistry join journalism. Study of a liberal arts or science subject broadens their perspective. If you want to hone your skills, you can do a PG diploma in print or electronic media after graduation.

Again, journalists are known to switch from print to electronic media. The other way round is also possible, provided you write well.

 

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Students who have not applied for the NDA route to army straight after class XII, can apply for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam, the eligibility for which is graduation. CDS examination is conducted by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) and followedby a Staff Selection Board (SSB) interview. This mode is for graduates or equivalently qualified candidates between 19 to 24 years of age.

January and July are the entry months. In fact, for admission to the Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy (the batch commencing in January 2005) and the Officers Training Academy (the batch commencing in April 2005), the admission announcement has been made in leading newspapers dated September 13. This mean that you should start looking for the related advertisements in leading dailies and the Employment News about 15 months in advance. A written examination is conducted, and based on your performance and on the order of preferences you have listed, you will be allotted a seat in any one of the following institutes:

•  Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. An 18-month course. There are 150 vacancies out of which 32 are reserved for NCC ‘C’ certificate (army wing) holders.


•  Naval Academy, Goa: There are 20 seats out of which six are reserved for NCC ‘C’ certificate (naval wing) holders.


•  Air Force Station, Begumpet, Hyderabad.


•  Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai. There are 235 seats. This is for short services commission officers.

You should specify, in order of preference, the services for which you wish to be considered. Indicate as many preferences as you wish, so that you can be assigned a service depending upon your rank in the merit list. For the Air Force and Navy, a science background- B.Sc. (Physics), B.Sc. (Maths) or BE is a must. The first stage of selection is based on objective-type written exam.

The questions test your mathematical ability, general awareness and English. Once you clear the written test, you will go through an SSB interview that will test your aptitude for the army.

Since you are an engineering branch of the Army, Navy or the Air Force. In fact the Air Force looks for people with electronics background for recruitment to aeronautical engineering. Recruitment is done through the University Entry Scheme and announcements are carried in leading newspapers and the Employment News.

 

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I am a third year BE mechanical engineering student. I am interested in pursuing an MBA from a well-known business school, but I need some guidance on the specialisation to opt for. Please help.

 

You would be making use of your engineering education if you join production or systems management. People often talk of ‘hot’ options. But no stream remains hot forever. However, the ‘hot’ choice for you should be where your heart lies. All the five broad areas of management are on par. The key areas of management are on par. The key areas of management are marketing, finance, human resource management, systems management and production.

Marketing: No doubt, marketing is the most popular area among students of management. There are four specific functions:

•  Sales and distribution management.


•  Product/ brand management.


•  Advertising.


•  Market research.

The opportunities in sales and product management in particular are vast.

Finance: This function is concerned with the efficient use of money. There are seven career paths for people who have specialised in finance;

•  Consumer banking.


•  Investment banking.


•  Institutional banking.


•  Merchant banking.


•  Development banking.


•  Non-banking finance.


•  Corporate finance.

Human resource management: It involves activities like performance appraisal, employee counselling, training and motivation programmes. Handling union problems and labour disputes could also be part of your work profile. The broad areas of work are:

•  HRD.


•  Personnel management.


•  Industrial relations.

System management: The job market is very good. There are four career options in this field:

•  Systems consultancy: Systems consultancies recruit MBAs for their teams which provide consultancy to their client organisation.


•  Business development and sales and marketing account management: Organisations specialising in hardware/software solutions recruit MBAs for business development and sales and marketing functions.


•  Project management.


•  Systems departments of organisations: Since information technology is an integral part of every business today, organisations require managers for their systems departments.

Production: Many production theories and techniques have been developed by management schools. How to mange production and make a production unit more efficient is the crux of this area. This field is particularly relevant to engineering graduates. The basic functions are:

•  Productivity improvement.


•  Quality control.


•  Inventory control.


•  Production planning.

You have to take the decision based on the job profile in each area, and on your own interest and aptitude.

 

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I am a Hindi medium student. My knowledge of English is weak but I am keen to learn the language. I am not comfortable with long sentences, essays and reports. I find many errors in my sentences. I wish I could read, write and speak English fluently. How do I achieve this? Can you recommend some books and authors?

It will require a consistent and long drawn effort. Don’t expect immediate results. The first step is to increase your vocabulary and grammar. Improving vocabulary needs a very good reading habit. Start borrowing novels of good authors and reading them. Understand how words and phrases are used (it is not possible to pick up a dictionary for each word). Mentally try to make a sentence with the new word you have learnt. Vocabulary will not improve by mugging up a list of words. Instead, you would have to learn the usage of words and phrases in different contexts. This would be possible only if you read extensively.

To improve your grammar you could go through grammar books and solve the exercises. Wren & Martin is the Bible of grammar. You grip on grammar will improve with steady practice. But again, continuous reading will also help you understand grammar and sentence construction better.

Once your understanding of English improves, you will get the confidence to speak too. Don’t hesitate to speak English, even if you make mistakes in the beginning. It’s better to seek help of a teacher or a relative in this regard. Also listen to the English news regularly, to understand where to pause, how to pronounce a word, etc. If you feel that you will not be able to work on your English on your own, you can even join an English improvement class, after checking its credentials.

 

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I am a student of class XII. Because of certain household constraints I know I won’t be able to attend college after class XII. I will have to contribute to the family income at the earliest. But since I am keen to pursue graduation, I want to join a correspondence course. Are correspondence courses worthwhile?

Ideally, you should join a regular course. A college of repute will make a big difference to your CV. But if you are simply unable to join a regular course, then at least join a distance education programme of repute like IGNOU. Harp on the work experience that you gain in the next three or four years as a positive factor, something that has contributed to you learning. Don’t be apologetic about not being able to join a regular programme. Also, don’t stop your learning process after graduation. You can gain a post-graduate degree too. And as your family circumstances improve, you can take a break from studies and join a reputed programme like MBA or MCA, depending upon your field.

 

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