How to Select Courses of Study

This is written especially with students in mind for whom a career with monetary support is necessary. Out there are many courses for study, and once taken, it defines a path of a career.

It might be very difficult to change later. So it is important to be cautious in choosing courses.

Every student receives basic education, which comprises of all subjects like social, science, mathematics, languages, arts, etc. This exposes him to the available knowledge in the country and the world.

Most pupils during their study of these subjects have a preferential likeness to one or two subjects and rarely all of them. Because if this is likeness to the subject, he has a better understanding and memory of it than the rest.

So he may like the teachers teaching those subjects, even curious about the television programs, conferences & workshops related to them.

So it is very natural for him to perform well in those subjects, exams and careers.

But the career options taken based on interests have consequences like changes with regard to his social position, monetary gains, stability, growth, etc.

So when these changes seem unfavorable, the person might lose interest in the field. Then he might consider changing. But this change is not so easy in many cases as one will have spent many years perceiving the previous one.

So course selection during, especially higher education, is vital.

How to select courses for study

1. Consider the impact and contribution of the course to society.

Let’s take some examples of great scientists who showed a real life examples. Mostly science is considered to be a field where finances are meager, even before discovery or after a great discovery. There were many scientists who died living poor. You can go through the life of great people like Einstein and Newton or great mathematicians like Ramanujan. They all had simple lives even after great fame and success in their field. This is because most of their work had an impact on humanity and its knowledge and opened way for future development but not for their personal financial success.

But Thomas alwa Edison once invented equipment and he was really excited about it. But he was disappointed with it because it did not bring him fame and sufficient financial support for his future projects.

This made him think and realize that he should not make any new invention without direct and immediate application and use in society. So everything he created from there on was all highly beneficial monetarily and made him very famous and also turned him into a very successful businessman who established one of the fortune 400 companies, namely GE (general electrics). Most of the inventions also got patents and thereby benefited his country’s patent office immensely in terms of work and monetarily.

So this simple instance shows one how an application-oriented thought benefits a person and not just his interest alone.

So while comparing this to present society trends. It seems courses related to a direct human application like medicine (even para-medical courses), engineering, arts (related to human pass time or fun like acting, singing, music, drawings (like cartoons), animations, etc. are highly in demand due to their trends like sufficient growth options, social contribution, monetary support out of work, stability, etc.

2. Is Competition level an aspect to worry about or not to worry?

Many of them seem to worry about competition. It might be true to some extent. But how can competition affect the extent of the goal you want to achieve or work you can contribute? If you want to get through a competitive exam, how does competition affect you from scoring 100 out of 100 marks? And if you score 100, then how will you not be successful in the competition? So one needs to fear competition in case one can’t perform well, like due to aging or resources but not due to others…

3. Be careful with the advice you get or rely on to decide:

It is a natural tendency to listen to others’ opinions regarding courses, careers, etc. It is well-known that we need to listen to them but take a final decision from our side. But there are many people who readily give advice. Among the advisers, there are three types.

a) Those who did it and know how to do it and what is the present situation there.

b) Those who are in the field and partly successful but will be expecting greater success if one does in some way they did not see but just hoping so. Check for more details in this advice.

c) Those who are not in the field but know or hear from others. These people advise that one must be really careful.

4. Think of financial support for your education & alternative options, if any

This is vital for everyone. There are many who can’t afford to study the course they desire. Some can’t sustain long education as they may need to take up family businesses or responsibilities.

For the above two problems, there are plenty of chances to still go ahead. There are many banks to offer easy education loans, while also there are financial supports from the government side in terms of fee waivers or financial support in terms of fellowships or scholarships etc.

If you have family responsibilities, try to take some time to work for your family responsibilities and then come back. Or try to do it in distance education mode or do the course from the place nearest to your home so that you can balance both duties.

5. Problems with some subjects or chapters, or concepts

This is specially mentioned here because there are many students who left maths or social or science in their further study due their reluctance or uneasiness to those subjects though they might have been having good potential in it.

In any course or field, you like to perceive, there will be one or more subjects, or concepts that one feels are tough to perceive or digest. But still, one go ahead with some extra focus and understanding of the subject. Don’t just think of quitting the course or field because you are unable to accept or digest or overcome that subject or topic in your study or course.

6. Check for availability of the course and career aspects in or around your place.

There are many courses that may not be available or accessible (Ex: Astrobiology, Computer-based art and designs, etc.) due to a lack of universities or institutes offering them. In such cases, you may need to see for outside country for them to perceive. For this, the options are to clear the requirements for getting admission over there like basic education, GRE, TOFEL, monetary support and other formalities beforehand.

Also, think of interdisciplinary courses for the study if you have diverse interests. This helps to shift your career in case you wish to in the future.

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  1. SIR, maine last year B.D.S complete kiya hai. aur ab mai M.SC in zoology se karna chahata hu. kya ye possible ho sakta hai ki mai direct B.D.S ke baad M.SC zoology me admission le sakta hu please rep.

    Reply
    • Tikesh, Kabhi mai tho isa nahi suna hoon. MSc is a specialization in zoology and one with good exposure to zoology in degree level can only do well in MSc zoology. So this option may not be available to you as you are not from a degree with zoology as one of the main subjects. But still there are universities offering MSc zoology to those with degree in any life sciences or animal sciences.So enquire from where you wish to perceive your course of MSc.
      regards.

      Reply

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