Many alternatives to reach your dream career

When you appear for your first board exam in Class 10, the only anxiety is about what percentage you will get, whether you can secure admission to a school/college of your choice, and which optional subjects you should choose.

However, the situation is far more complex in Class 12. You not only strive to get the best possible marks in your board exams, but are also confused about the time and attention you should give to your regular academics, and how to prepare for various entrance exams.

Though science students have to generally appear for a maximum number of competitive exams, other streams also have many entrance exams that cause apprehension, confusion and difficulty in making the right choice.

Results of SSLC, PUC, ICSE, ISC, CBSE 10th & 12th and IGCSE have all been declared. CET, COMED-K, NEET and CUET results are awaited. JEE Mains results are out, so those aspiring to join central engineering colleges such as NITs and IIITs can start applying based on their ranking. Those selected for JEE (Advanced) are now rigorously preparing for this highly competitive exam. You may also have appeared for entrance tests of some of the private universities, which may be setting the last dates for payment of fees. It may even be worth your while to wait for CET results so that you have a wider choice.

At this juncture, it is necessary to do proper decision-making without panic or anxiety. If you have been selected into a course or college of your choice you can celebrate and go ahead with the admission. But what if you had dreams of taking up a particular course or getting into a top institution but have not been able to make it?

Firstly, you must be clear that not getting the required rank in a competitive exam is not a ‘failure’. Sometimes even bright students miss out when they make small mistakes if they are stressed or confused during the test. It is important not to get dejected or feel pulled down. Move on quickly and ensure that you pursue your target career, not just your desire of getting admission to a particular institution.

Do not move away from your chosen career path just because you could not secure admission to the best college you had aimed for. If you cannot get into IIT, there are other excellent engineering colleges such as NITs, IIITs, BITS, VIT, Naval Institutes, and many reputed ones in Karnataka itself. And studying in one of those you can again aspire to do a post-graduation from IIT. If you did not get a good rank to secure a seat in MBBS, you have many more options in the health field, from alternative medicine to dentistry, and veterinary to paramedical and nutrition or biomedical engineering.

Similarly, those who could not qualify for national law schools can seek admission to a reputed private law college that holds its own entrance tests. What is important is that you stay with your original career goal, if you have chosen it with due diligence and proper exploration. Minor setbacks such as not making it to the most reputed course or college should not deter you from pursuing your ambition. You will have many opportunities to upgrade yourself, go for higher studies etc. and have a long-term vision for 40-50 years of your working life.

Ensure that you have the right attitude and required skills to do well in your chosen profession, list out in order of priority the courses and institutions where you can study to get the required qualifications and capabilities. If you focus on your eventual profession or domain specialisation, are mature enough to look at all options with a balanced mind, and do not get carried away by external influence or glamour, you will be able to take the right decisions.

Do not take hasty steps because of pressure to pay fees with a threat that you may lose a seat. Keep your long-term goals in mind, you can always look for alternate paths to reach there even if it takes time. For example, by joining an average college for undergraduate studies, you may be able to join a top institution in India or abroad for your higher studies if you perform well. The most successful professionals are those who systematically and patiently keep finding alternate paths to reach their destination.