I am 21. I am confused about my career and further studies. I have completed B.A. by correspondence, and a diploma in graphic design. I have been working as a graphic designer for the last one year and also preparing for a government exam. I am confused and depressed. Please guide me. — Asmita
Cheer up! You are young and are perhaps experiencing the lack of an identity and a solid goal that can define you. I understand your confusion about your eventual career choice and further studies.
What would make you happy and make you feel purposeful and resourceful? What will bring a smile to your face instantly and keep you happy? Spend sometime with yourself and introspect to get the right answers. Be kind and accommodative to yourself in doing so.
I am 17 years old and I have just completed Class XII. Until Class X, I was good at academics, but later, due to extra pressure from tuition and school, and depression, I was unable to do well. I couldn’t understand many topics and the limited time I had didn’t allow me to do self-study either. If I take engineering I don’t know if it’s going to be my passion or not. I love English, computers and I yearn to be a YouTube artist.
If I take English, I may not be able to earn enough and may have to give up computers. I also once had a dream of becoming an animator. Right now I am very confused and I am unable to sleep. I don’t want to risk my life by taking a wrong decision. — Platina
Your name roughly translates into an alloy of platinum — a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious transition metal! That is what you are: rock solid. Never doubt that. The Class XII Boards must have been a killer but the worst is over. I think perhaps you overdid Class XI and XII and experienced a burnout during your final leg. The good news is that that too has passed! What’s next?
There is no dearth of employment opportunities for the driven, motivated, and passionate. I can confidently say that those from school (back then) who we thought would do wonders are unfortunately stuck at mediocre jobs. Those who were a little unsure and worse, written off by most, are genuinely enjoying themselves, doing great work and living a fulfilling, rich life.
Engineering, as a professional course, is valued more. But what you do with it matters. Don’t sign up if you have no interest, only to drop out or get frustrated with it. With English, you could do law, mass communication, journalism, MBA, event management, and so on. With animation and graphic designing you could work on software and content development for gaming companies, TV production houses and films.
Two truths of life: one, there are no shortcuts in life, and two, you need to maintain a hobby besides your core profession. It gives you the sanity to cope with everything else in your life. Your yearning to be a YouTube artist can be developed as a hobby until you see the potential in it to become your primary source of income and identity.
Currently, I’m doing B.Tech. I want to prepare for the UPSC exam. But everyone is saying that since I am a general category student, my chances are low, and the better option is to start preparing for GATE. What should I do? – Shweta
What does your heart want to do? Where do you see yourself five years from now? What kind of a work culture do you seek? A government setup or an MNC job? Private or public sector? Would you want to study further? A master’s programme, or a Ph.D and a fellowship after that?
There is unfortunately no correlation between what people say and what really happens in one’s life, is there? Yes, UPSC is tough, no doubt, but GATE is not much easier either. They both have very different trajectories, but both require grit, determination, hard work and consistency.
The question is not about taking the easier route but about what’s closer to your eventual goal in life. Take your time and make an informed decision. Happy cost-benefit analysis!
I am a final-year mechanical engineering student. After high school, I was confused about what to study. My family and relatives asked me to study mechanical engineering, but I found it was not my cup of tea in my very first year.
In my third year, I attended an internship interview in which quantitative aptitude was the first round. I didn’t prepare much, but still got the second rank while competing with 200 students. I then came to know about the CAT. Though I didn’t have any interest in pursuing MBA, I lied to my dad that I was interested and forced him to enrol me in private coaching classes to learn quantitative aptitude. I attended the classes for nearly nine months but I didn’t prepare for the CAT sincerely.
I expected a mediocre result, but to my astonishment, I got 93.97 percentile. I didn’t get any IIM calls but I have applied to three private B-schools. I have a plan to study for banking/SSC exams. Any other suggestions on what I can do next with these skills? — Anonymous
Quantitative aptitude tests assess the ability of a candidate to handle numerical data and problems. You certainly have a way with numbers and possess good mathematical skills. A high score is indicative of your ability to analyse and understand problems using the correct application, knowledge, formulas, problem-solving techniques and your mind, very swiftly. These skills are essential in any competitive exam today and you seem to be gifted with them. Use it to your advantage.
What would you like to do? Bank exams, quantitative finance careers, or PG courses in mathematics — The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai are some of the options that I can think of. Be sure to pick something you are passionate about and not merely a stop-gap escape route.
Disclaimer: This column is not a substitute for long-term therapy. It is merely a guiding voice. Some issues may need medical intervention.
The author is a practising counsellor and a trainer. She has worked extensively with students and young adults across a range of issues. She will answer questions sent to eduplus.thehindu@gmail.com. The subject line should be: ‘Off the edge’.
