“Be clear about your career path”- 8 May 2016.

R. I

Q. Madam, my cousin is in the final year of engineering and wants to opt for psychology after she completes her engineering. But she never had biology subject as her group was PCM in 11th and 12th. So can she take psychology now? And if yes, then how to go about?

Ans. You do not need science or biology to study psychology. After she completes engineering she will have to enrol in the undergraduate course with psychology as one subject or with honours in psychology. Then she will do a Masters in Psychology and then further a Masters in Philosophy (M.Phil ) in Clinical Psychology. There are some colleges that allow direct admission into the Masters course in Psychology after any graduation but she might not be allowed to do the course in Clinical Psychology in that case. She must make clear her career path and goal before she decides to opt out of engineering and into another discipline. She could get into HRD training with a diploma in it after engineering which deals with people in the industry as an alternative. A session of counselling will help set her aims and further line of study.

S.T

Q. I am an MBBS student. I am an open-minded, happy person. Madam I don’t know how to deal with people. Wherever I go, I find most of the people, except few of them are jealous of me; whether it’s at my college or my home. Either they pass comments, ignore me for no reasons or hurt me in many ways. I really don’t know how to deal with those pack of haters and they have been always hurting me ma’m. I cannot focus at my work and I am finding it really difficult to live with them. Please help me.

Ans. I suggest you come for a session of counselling. There has to be more to the story than what you state. There has to be some history and background to this mass hatred for you. Generally it does not happen that way. You may make a few ‘enemies’ or you may upset one particular group/ gang who may oppose you and obstruct you. There has to be some reason for people to hate you like this. Please see me soon enough. We will surely find a solution to your problem.

Asmit.
Q. I am a 2nd year Engineering student at Nagpur. I was never interested to pursue Engineering, however had to do it due to some family pressure. This is my third year in the stream, already repeated a year and I don’t think I can make it even now! I am interested in writing and historical studies. I have been writing for a media website too. (www.sukeindia.com/author/asmit). Pursuing Arts, here they say is very lowly. They think Arts students are poor in studies etc. I cannot continue engineering anymore. I am willing to opt out anyhow and study arts or journalism. I have almost decided to leave home and change college. Please guide me.

Ans. Certainly, I agree with you that Arts and Humanities is a great field of study and if you love it please go ahead and do it. Yes, you should leave engineering now and not later and join the course of your passion. But first be very sure that you know all the pros and cons of the suggested course and its future prospects and your aptitude and personality fitness for the same. Once bitten twice shy they say. You should not make a mistake second time and should be very sure of your choices before you take the plunge. A session of career guidance would certainly be helpful.

S.V

Q. I read your weekly columns regularly, and enjoy them, mainly because you have a very common-sense approach, so refreshing in these “it’s not your fault” pass-the-buck days! Could you please give my son some guidance about his career? His ambition has always been to become a research scientist. Having no interest in either engineering or in medicine, with full support from his father and myself, he opted for B. Sc Science and is in first year at a college here in Nagpur. He wants to do an integrated M. Sc+ Ph. D course if such an option is possible. Could I know if such a course is available, and if so, where? What other supplementary courses could he pursue along with his degree which would be of use later? Please give the answer in your weekly column, as some other classmates of his too are interested in this.

 

Ans. Please check out the websites of the good science colleges of India. You could look up Indian Institute of Science, Banglore, Christ College, Banglore, Delhi University, St. Stephens Delhi University and some more. I am sure there are integrated courses in M.Sc and Ph.D at these colleges /departments. I hope your son knows which discipline of science he wants to pursue, whether it is physics, or chemistry, mathematics, or astrophysics etc. The choices are numerous. It is nice to know he wants to get into research and pure science and not run after engineering which seems to be the current trend. It is also nice to see that as a parent you are supporting him fully. Best wishes!

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