“Choose the career of your interest”- 23 April 2017.

Q. I am depressed and don’t sleep at night. I keep awake and cry a lot. My parents are angry with me. They had told me the boy was a bad boy and I did not listen to them. He made me fight with my parents and my friends too. I love him a lot and cannot get him out of my mind. His thought is always there. Now he blames me for everything going wrong in his life. He is cheating me and making stories of his.

Ans. If the guy is cheating you and making up stories against you, the faster you move away from him the better. He will stay in your mind for many more months before you forget him. He has exploited your emotions and left you in the lurch. It is natural that you are depressed and feel like crying. But you will need to be brave and stop this with conscious effort. Take a rational decision about the guy and accept the fact that you have made a wrong choice. Your parents proved right and they will forgive you in any case. Get yourself involved in interesting hobbies or work and make a new circle of friends, of course girls. You will be fine soon and since you are young you have much to look forward to in life. Wake up and do some action with a goal. Join a class, meet people, go out for walks or any such thing. Stop crying and stop loving the boy.

S.V

Q. I don’t want to become a doctor and engineer. All the institutions and people mainly focus on these two careers only. I am interested in something related to science and research so what are the different career options as I have given 10 Std examinations now??

Ans. As you have rightly said the people of the city mostly focus on two professions of engineering and medicine as neglect other ones. Do not worry at all for there are many more career options that are good. It is nice to know that you are interested in science and research. After 10 Std you should choose between biology and maths as Physics and Chemistry is common to both. After that you could into pure science at the undergraduate program or opt for the five year integrated program which includes masters as well. The reputed institutes like IIT, NIT, BITs, IISc, and IISER also offer pure science courses, besides many others. The job opportunities are plenty and there is nothing to worry about it. Please follow your own interests if you are very sure about it.

G.K

Q. I hate biology and I am being forced to take general stream with PCMB for my 11 Std. I don’t know what I want to do. My parents are also not clear what I should do but they say I must not give up science till 12 Std. I am okay with PCM but not biology. What is it important to study biology now at this class? Please help me madam decide what is best for me.

Ans. It is okay to be unclear about one’s goals but it is about time that you discussed this issue in depth with parents. It is also okay to take science in 11 Std for two more years before you decide to drop it, but you will need to decide soon about your entrance exams after 12 Std boards. Biology and maths may not be taken together. If you do not like biology and like maths then it is advisable to drop it altogether for it will not serve any purpose. For the time being you can take science but decide fast about the list of careers you are interested in. A session of career counselling will help you as well as your parents to arrive at a list of careers of your choice.

P.L

Q. My son gets angry for little things. He is irritated all the times and complains are coming from school often. My husband also loses his temper on him and all this worries me. I am worried his studies are also getting down and his marks are going lower each year. Please advise if he needs medicine or counselling can help.

Ans. Counselling helps cure 85% to 90% of the problems related to behaviour and emotions. He does not need medicine to begin with. If other abnormal signs are seen we will then take a call on that. Generally there are simple things that bother children and because they do not express their emotions and their problems in explicit words, it gets manifested in behaviour. If a child is behaving badly and is irritated at most times and gets angry easily, it is a sign that the child is ‘hurting’. We need to explore his mind for the issues that are bothering him. If a child is unable to express his emotions, we put him through projective techniques for analysis and assessment. A child is never harmed with counselling and they generally like the sessions. Please bring him once at least.