Extending a helping hand to students

Updated on: Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The maiden guidance-cum-orientation programme organised by The Hindu-EducationPlus in the Central Travancore town of Thiruvalla has drawn the attention of a good number of Class XII students too. The series had begun with an event in Kozhikode some days ago, followed by programmes in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

As many as 650 Class XII students from various schools in Pathanamthitta and adjoining districts of Kottayam and Alappuzha actively participated in the event held at Mar Thoma Residential School in Thiruvalla on June 5, making it a big draw.

B. S. Warrier, career guidance expert, A. Krishna Swamy of Konfidence and S. N. Kumar, former Joint Commissioner for Entrance Examinations who is presently a faculty member of Geology Department at University of Kerala were the three resource persons who led the event.

All the three resource persons focussed on the key message, ‘go by your aptitude', motivating the children to develop an attitude and zeal to learn more.

Mr. Warrier spoke on the objectives and scope of various engineering and medical courses.

According to him, those who choose medical profession should be hard-working and service-minded with a very good patience and will power as it takes at least ten years to become an efficient doctor (MBBS will need five years to complete, postgraduate course two and a half years and specialisation another three years).

He said that an aptitude in mathematics and drawing skills count much for students aspiring to take up engineering courses. “Teacher is only a facilitator and not a knowledge shopkeeper,” he said.

Mr. Krishnaswamy spoke on the importance of choosing the right institution and the right course after completing the Plus Two examination.

“If you want a job, choose information technology as salary in the IT field is very attractive. If you wish to go for higher studies, choose core subjects,” he said. Mr. Swamy further stressed the need for exploring new avenues as there were ample opportunities in every discipline.

Mr. S. N. Kumar spoke on the strategies to be adopted by students for the online seat allotment process conducted by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations. Mr. Kumar also explained all the pertinent points, with examples, that an applicant must remember while filing option.

George Thomas, Assistant General Manager, State Bank of Travancore, made a presentation on education loans offered by the bank for higher education.

M. M. Mathew, MTRS principal, also addressed the opening session. K. Sivadasan Nair, Joseph M. Puthusserry, both MLAs, were among those who attended the programme.

Addressing the valedictory session, Dr. Alexander Karackal, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University and Dr. G. Pramod, Associate Professor in Chemistry at NSS Hindu College, Changanacherry, lauded contributions of The Hindu, with its rich traditions, to the student community.

Students asking questions at the programme in Kannur

In Kannur

"History and geography are important while selecting professional education institutions for higher studies." This was the advice of S.N. Kumar, former Joint Commissioner of Entrance Examinations and presently faculty member in the Geography Department of the Kerala University, to students who formed the audience at the guidance-cum-orientation programme organised at Kannur on June 9 by The Hindu-EducationPlus .

Mr. Kumar urged the students to consider the history and reputation of the institutions they choose. He also gave them tips on participating in the online centralised allotment process. The participation of the students and their parents at the orientation programme held at Kannur for the first time reflected the positive response of the people in the northern districts to the event.

The interactive session at the end of the presentations turned lively with students asking questions on a whole range of topics including courses, career, institutions and the allotment process. B.S. Warrier, renowned career guidance expert, listed the different courses and their scope during his presentaton at the programme.

Mr. Warrier emphasised the importance of developing soft skills by the students for enhancing their employability after completing their education.

For a student aspiring to join an engineering course, the strategy of learning, according to Mr. Warrier, included the following: he or she should solve the numerical problems independently and learn sketches by drawing them.

T.K. Chandrashekharan, Professor of Medicine at the Pariyaram Medical College, said at the outset that the students should select the courses that suit their tastes. He said he often found some of his MBBS students, who were otherwise technically skilled, struggling in their medical studies.

In his talk on medical education, Dr. Chandrashekharan said the students aspiring to become doctors should be prepared for hard work, dedication and they should have a good memory. They should also have a sense of sacrifice, he said. He also advised the students not to be discouraged by failure in the first attempt in the medical entrance examination.

V.L. Kishan Kumar of Konfidence, in his presentation on course and college selection in the engineering stream, said that engineering graduates often get jobs in either their core jobs, IT jobs or ITES or teaching job. An engineering degree had now come down to the level of any basic degree, he said adding that engineering graduates often went for

higher education options including MBA. Computer science had given way to core engineering courses such as civil and mechanical engineering as the most favoured courses in the engineering stream over the past two years, he added.

The participating students, who were initially a little reluctant to ask questions, opened up in the course of the interactive session. There was a surge of questions from the participants that conveyed their curiosities about the courses they were planning to choose.

Students asking questions at the programme in Manjeri.

In Manjeri

The pre-CAP guidance session held at Manjeri on June 10, winding up the six-edition series conducted by The Hindu-EducationPlus in Kerala, evoked warm response from students. The students had many questions with regard to educational loans. M. Raman Kutty, Chief Manager of State Bank of Travancore, Kozhikode, answered the questions about loans. He said banks would lend a maximum Rs.10 lakh for studies in India, and Rs.20 lakh for studies abroad. No collateral security will be needed for loans up to Rs.4 lakh.

Making a two-part presentation – first on courses and choices and later on the Centralised Allotment Process (CAP) – education expert B.S. Warrier advised the students to exercise utmost care and caution while choosing a discipline for higher studies. Mr. Warrier warned the students not to select engineering unless they had an aptitude for mathematics. He advised the students to make studied decisions about the courses and colleges to be chosen. “If you have a passion for a particular course, go for it wherever it is. Otherwise, select the best college available,” he said, adding that proximity to home should not be a binding criterion.

K.P. Abdul Vahab, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Gynaecology, MES Medical College, Perinthalmanna, said that a basic medical degree holder would have more job security than anyone else.

When those joining private medical colleges may excel in theories of

Extending a helping hand to students

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