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Think before you choose
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With counselling for the various engineering courses in the State soon to begin, it is time aspirants paused to ponder over the options available before making a choice. Some tips on how students could prepare themselves to take those crucial decisions that can make or mar their future...
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AS THE counselling date for engineering courses draws near, candidates and their parents seem to be getting increasingly anxious. Nowadays, the concern is not so much about getting an engineering seat because more seats are available, but whether one will get the stream of one's choice. In such trying times, it was surprising to meet a mother sans worries but who like all other parents, was proud of her son's achievements. He had secured 272.14 out of 300. Her only concern was whether he would get a `free seat' in an engineering college within the city. She said, " I have never had the need to tell my son to study hard, he always seems to know the right thing to do. He has already made up his mind what engineering group he is going to opt for." The thought that the younger generation of today has definite ideas about their careers was heartening. But, the happiness turned out to be ephemeral.
A cousin, who had recently received her Plus Two examination results, was hopeful of bagging a seat in a good engineering college. However, unlike the mother of other Plus Two candidate, here was a mother who was not without cares for, she was uncertain whether her daughter could meet the `cut-off' mark requirement.
To test the theory that the younger generation knew what it wanted, I asked my cousin if she had decided what course she was going to pursue. She promptly replied, "Electronics and Communications (ECE)". I ventured to ask further, "Why ECE?" She said, " I hate computer science." I was surprised. It is hard to discern whether the `subject of interest' is chosen after careful thought or just as a matter of course. Unfortunately, the latter seems to be the case with most students. It is not uncommon to find Plus Two students taking such crucial decisions arbitrarily. They tend to defend their decision by saying that they have chosen a "subject of interest." Likewise, they reject other options on the ground that they are "subjects that don't interest them."
It is quite normal for youngsters to be unsure of what they want to do in life. The correct approach is for them is to collect as much information as possible regarding all the groups that a B.E programme offers and then find out what will really hold their interest. It may also turn out that engineering might not after all be their interest.
Nowadays, people don't seem to be opting for computer science (CSC) because it no longer seems to hold out attractive job prospects in the U.S. But none seems to notice that the computer industry within India is booming and there is a huge requirement for skilled hands here. Therefore, it is perhaps not advisable to condemn the CSC group based on superficial logic or the specious reasoning that the job market in other countries is dull. There are some students who do not choose CSC because they have fared badly in the subject in the Plus Two examinations. Since examinations are a good way of measuring a student's skills this reasoning may appear sound. But, it would be in the interest of students who fall into this category to remember that the Plus Two and engineering syllabi are written by two entirely different bodies. In a society such as ours that is plagued by bureaucracy, it would be incorrect to assume that the computer course covered in Plus Two syllabus prepares one for the computer science stream of engineering. On the other hand, computer knowledge is indispensable to every stream of engineering. If it were a perceived weakness then the correct approach would be to find ways to overcome it.
Amusingly, the anti-CSC wave has led many students to choose ECE. The `communication boom' is frequently cited as the reason for this choice. ECE seems to make everyone happy. But, it has somehow escaped notice that the industry worst hit in America and elsewhere, is not the computer industry but the communications industry, which not only crashed badly but also in the process took the computer industry down with it. Jobs in the communication industry are considered unsafe and have become scarce.
That there is only a limited demand for people with ECE, EEE and Civil Engineering skills is evident from the "Opportunities" column in any daily. It is also significant that IIT and many universities outside Tamil Nadu do not have an ECE programme. The syllabi of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) and Mechanical Engineering (ME) courses have matured over the years. The EEE-B.E program provides a strong foundation for candidates who wish to pursue a career in electrical engineering. There are ample research opportunities for ECE and EEE graduates. But as job opportunities in Electrical and Electronics engineering (EEE) are limited most students in these groups prefer to pursue computer courses from private institutes and use those qualifications to get a software job. American universities have a consolidated Electrical Engineering group at the postgraduate level, which accepts Indian students from ECE and EEE streams. Engineers would have an opportunity at that point to pursue hardware-engineering interests where job opportunities are greater.
Mechanical Engineering has been around long enough to be referred to as "ever green". The syllabus of ME is quite involved and is often considered the most challenging of all engineering subjects. Girls usually do not prefer this group because of the notion that the coursework involves lot of physical activity. At postgraduate level mechanical engineers also have the option of pursuing Industrial Engineering, which has greater job opportunities. Similar to the ECE the EEE, candidates with ME qualifications often end up in software jobs. This again indicates a contrast vis-a-vis job opportunities in CSC and other fields. Although job opportunities in ME are lesser than in other fields, there are still enough niche areas in ME to absorb students.
Civil (CE) and Instrumentation Engineering (IE) are usually the least preferred among the engineering streams. The reason for this is limited job opportunities for students of these streams. This article is not a comprehensive guide on how to chose an engineering course nor does it pretend to be. It only tries to focus on the amount of thought that is involved in taking decision of magnitude. One should gather as much information as possible on the syllabus, job opportunities, opinions of present and past students, etc. before opting for a course of study. The decision could also be based on what the student aspires to do after completing his engineering education. If one aspires for a research career, then the choice of group demands serious thought, otherwise one will be stuck with a group rather than be blessed with it.
During counselling week it is wise to keep track of the seats available in the various colleges. It is also advisable, on the day of the one's appointment, to go to the counselling centre early and keep track of the available seats, nowadays a difference of one mark could place 100 students ahead of you, and seats disappear quickly. When one's turn comes, it is advisable to have a list groups and colleges one would like to opt for in order of priority. When called before the computer to make a choice, inquire if the first choice is available and then request to be allotted to that college. Poor planning before the counselling appointment will lead to chaotic scenes at the counselling centre. One often sees parents and wards get confused and panicky, thereby making a poor last minute decision, which they may regret for the rest of their lives. It is best to avoid last minute decisions at such an important juncture in your life. Steven Spielberg, when asked to comment on the progress of his latest movie remarked, "Ninety-five per cent of my movie is done, only the shooting remains". So much depends on planning; the rest will follow.
BHARATH RAM
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