“Degrees are a means and not the end”- 4 August 2013
Ajinkya.
Q. I am a B.E. final year student of ETC branch. I am a student with 60% aggregate till my 3rd year. I have opted for a masters degree in the same domain and also joined coaching classes for it. But now a days I am confused about my decision. I am not 100% sure about it. And due to this feeling I am in a state of dilemma and not able to concentrate on my studies. I don’t want to discuss this with my parents right now and put them in any sort of tension. Every day I need to convince myself that I have to do masters in engineering, which makes me feel restless and stressed. I am not able to decide what to do and where to proceed. At present I am attending regular tuition and studying regularly. Please help.
Ans. Decisions such as these have to taken with a lot of serious thought and discussions. You must know your aptitude, your type of personality and also your long term goals to be able to arrive at the proper decision. Degrees are not an end by themselves but a means to an end. If you are aiming for more knowledge, or a career in research or academics you must do masters. If you would like to get into industry, do practical work and make your mark there then you might consider doing an MBA. This is just a broad guideline. A session of counselling in career planning will help you make the best choice. There should be no regrets later.
T. K
Q. I am 11th class student (PCM). I am a good student so as my one friend we are talking with each other since we have a same friendship circle. Now the problem is his jealousness. I have introduced him in our group but now from 2-3 yrs he is trying to create a wrong image of mine in front of my friends. Then he tries to provoke me against them. In classes he always tries to create his impression. But whenever I am asking teacher anything he interrupts. He tries to prove that he his superior. Please guide what to do. I am in trouble
Ans. He is a bad soul and does not seem to have the proper goals in life. You are likely to meet all types of people in your life as you grow up and get into college. You ought to learn how to be assertive and how to manage bullies. Once you stand up to him he will get afraid or get more aggressive. Do not be afraid of bullies. They are actually cowards who hit below decency. Face him boldly, answer him back, never keep the hurt in your mind, just let him know how you feel. Besides being assertive never lose track of your studies for you are a good student and your friend might feel happy if you get disturbed and lose out on your rank. So do not fall into any trap.
A.K.M
Q. My son 18 yrs, is a student of class XII. He is an introvert since early childhood. He does not have any friends, doesn’t like to mix-up even with relatives, gets irritated very easily, feels fatigued always and wants to stay at home alone. He is good in studies normally but not able to score good marks in exams due to silly mistakes he commits. We have taken the help of a Psychologist who have given some sort of Psychotherapies, called “Biofeedback”, in which the brain is given stimulations by some instruments for about 15-20 minutes per sessions. Though, it helps temporarily, but the effect is not sustainable. Now, since last few days, he is telling me that he wants to become extrovert and wants to consult some doctor who can help him. Can you please tell me whether an introvert person can be changed to extrovert? This question intrigues me very often. Please throw some light on the above.
Ans. Your son seems to have two issues, one that his personality has a strong trait of introversion; and two he might be suffering from mild learning disabilities which seems to have gone unnoticed by the school and well as the counsellor. Learning disorders can upset the emotions too. Coming to your important question of whether introverts can become extroverts, the answer is not simple. Generally introversion is an inborn trait and as long as introverts are happy about it- it does not matter. The moment they want to change we help him develop many types of social skills that they are generally deficient in. Introverts have a problem with social shyness, social communication, boldness and being assertive in public. All these skills can be taught to anyone. That increases their social comfort while they can still enjoy being introverts at heart. The skills help them strike the social balance as they are able to do what they want to do. You could call us for an appointment.
