Education advice - Counselling for Career-28

Q.
I am a Class XII student. I have opted for Hindi, English, economics, history and physical education to prepare for the civil services. I want to take admission in the best national college/ university to pursue a BA in history or psychology. Will I have to take any admission test? If yes, then what’s the syllabi for these? Should I start preparing for these exams now? Will my X and XII marks be counted? What’s a ‘cut -off’? — Anu

A.
For a BA degree in history or psychology, you do not have to prepare for any entrance test. Universities have cut-off percentages for different programmes. If your percentage qualifies the cut-off for a chosen course, you are eligible for a seat in that department. In most cases, the Class X percentage is not considered. What matters only is your Class XII percentage. Cut-offs these days go above 90 per cent even for subjects like history and psychology. So, to get into a good college/ university, you should aim for above 90 per cent in your Class XII exam. If you are considering Delhi University (DU), it takes into account the marks of your best four subjects. English has to be counted with three other subjects. Physical education is taken as a vocational subject and will not be included in your best four subjects. In DU, at least St Stephen’s College takes Class X marks, too, into account, and calls the candidate for an interview in most cases. Some universities such as Jamia Millia Islamia hold entrance tests. Graduates (in any subject) are eligible to take the civil services exam. You are allotted to a civil service depending on your rank in the exams.

Q.
I am a second-year BSc (PCM) student from MJP Rohilkhand University. I like earth science. What should I do? — Sachin

A.
Earth science deals with all the subjects concerned with the origin, evolution, structure and the behaviour of our planet and its place in the universe, especially in the solar system. While few institutions offer courses in specialised branches of earth sciences, educational opportunities exist primarily in two broad fields — geology and geography. It is only at the Master’s level that courses in special areas are taught. Specialised areas in earth sciences include: oceanography, remote sensing, atmospheric sciences, space science, hydrology, geosciences, cartography, and geographic information system (GIS). Geoscience is an important area due to the awareness about depleting natural resources. Its major applications are exploration and responsible development of natural resources (oil, gas, coal, minerals, construction aggregate, water, and soil), preservation of the natural environment, restoration after environmental damage, and mitigation of geo-hazards such as earthquakes and landslides, and exploratory research. With the discovery of oil reserves in Rajasthan, for instance, there is a growing demand for specialists in earth sciences to work with exploration, geological and geophysical companies, oil, gas and resource companies, engineering consulting firms, petroleum service companies, and gas and chemical plant operations.

Q.
I am a final-year BE (computer science) student at Jammu University. I have scored 70 per cent in aggregate till now. After graduation, I don’t want to change my field by doing an MBA. I am interested in my field and my programming skills are also quite good. I would like to go for a job but what if I don’t get a good one. So, my parents want me to study further and I, too, want to do that. I am thinking of opting for an MTech but I have seen most MTechs doing teaching jobs which I don’t want to. Is there any scope of an ME in the industry? What are the good colleges for pursuing the same? — Monica Hali

A.
It is a wise decision to take up an MTech programme instead of an MBA. Computer science and engineering (CSE) is one of the most widely used branches of engineering. It has wide applications all over, almost in every sector. MTech in CSE deals with a complete study about the software as well as hardware of the computer. In short, it teaches everything about computers and things related to computers. The MTech programme in computer science promises wide job avenues. Becoming a lecturer is one of the options for those who want to go in the education sector. You can also get a job in IT and software firms. There are various private as well as government sector jobs. Almost all engineering colleges and institutes admit students to MTech programmes based on their score in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Prominent institutes include: *IITs in Chennai, Kanpur and Kharagpur www.iitm.ac.in, www.iitk.ac.in and www.iitkgp.ernet.in *Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, (www.bits-pilani.ac.in). Those with engineering degrees and 60 per cent marks can apply. Selection is through a computer-based online test and interview.

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