Set a clear goal and strive to achieve it

Updated on: Monday, June 21, 2010

It is that time of the year when students are anxiously waiting for admission to engineering, medical and arts and science courses of their choice. At this crucial stage both the students and their parents must exercise caution when it comes to choosing an educational institution.

Clear understanding and awareness about excellent opportunities and possibilities in streams other than engineering and medicine will help students narrow down their choice of courses they want to pursue.

Students should have a clear understanding about the distinction between science, engineering and technology. Briefly, science observes how things behave in Nature and attempts to give an acceptable explanation. Engineering is the application of science. Technology is application of engineering and science with multitude options thrown open for achieving the end result. With this clear understanding of the distinct nature of each subject, it becomes easier for students do decide why they want to study a particular subject.

Many students were lured to IT-related courses until recently. Parents also pressure their wards to choose a particular course not because their children are good and have desire, but because some have done well and excelled because of having chosen that particular course.

Now the trend has shifted from IT to core disciplines such as civil, mechanical, electrical and electronics, etc. Here, students should realise an important point that whatever course and career they choose, unless and until they work hard and study well, they will not excel in that field of study.

Students who join engineering courses should be aware that engineering course is tough and challenging. There is lot of mathematics involved, and students must try to relate mathematics taught with engineering applications.

Teachers' role here is of utmost importance. Students who study professional courses have a tendency to neglect science subjects, only to realise sooner the importance of physics and chemistry when they do their postgraduate studies and dissertations/projects.

Similarly, it has been observed that bright students coming out from school often get dejected when they are introduced to newer subjects in engineering curriculum such as engineering graphics and engineering mechanics in the first year of study and design subjects in the later years.

A lot of imagination and perspective thinking is needed whenever such new subjects are introduced. Further, students should have a vision for their future. In this competitive age we live in, a postgraduate degree is essential to strengthen one's domain knowledge, more so for students who opt for IT-related courses. Similarly, those who wish to pursue a management degree, should ensure they have at least two years of work experience as this would provide them with real-life case studies and industry knowledge.

For those students keen on further research or teaching, Ph.D will be the natural option. In general, staying alert and being aware of options for higher education and making a career choice accordingly will go a long way in making a successful career in the chosen field. Hard work and perseverance is the formula for success. Intelligent and prudent use of the Internet has its many advantages for the student community.

Dr. R. Ramaprabhu is currently Professor of Eminence, Anna University, and was previously dean, College of Engineering, Guindy.

Set a clear goal and strive to achieve it

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