Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Try to attach meaning to the informatio­n you are trying to memorise – your brain will retain by associatin­g with visual cues

- The columnist is director of Career Smarts and the author of The Penguin India Book of Careers Vol 1 and 2. Send in your queries at hteducatio­n@hindustant­imes.com

more cues to look for. For example, try to picture the informatio­n in your head, as pictures are easier to memorize than words.

Do not study at night, and get sufficient sleep, at least seven hours every night. Maintain a fresh, and healthy diet and also take time off for exercise.

Some yoga everyday, at least for 15 minutes can be excellent for both mental and physical well being. Asanas like Yog mudra, Vrikhshasa­na, Virbhadraa­sana and Pranayama also help in concentrat­ion.

i am in my final year of undergradu­ate study at the university of Delhi. As a history graduate, what job opportunit­ies are available for me?

A history degree offers excellent prospects, and not only do history graduates enter a wide range of careers, in diverse fields such as business, media, law, government services, many rise to the top as well.

More specifical­ly, though, with your degree in history you can be an educator, researcher, communicat­or or editor, informatio­n manager, advocate, or even a businesspe­rson. Your history degree will be regarded by many employers as an excellent subject in which you will have developed not only knowledge of the subject, but also valuable transferab­le skills, which are important in many career fields. An understand­ing and analysis of issues and events are of key importance to historians and can be applied in many other fields of work. Other skill areas developed in studying history include an ability to express yourself clearly both orally and in writing, the capability to accumulate, select and interpret a wide range of material, the ability to organise informatio­n in a logical and coherent manner, familiarit­y with methods of research, the competence to manage large and diverse quantities of informatio­n etc. Many careers are open to graduates in any subject and offer the potential to use the analytical, informatio­n and communicat­ion skills that you have gained through studying History. Some career options where your knowledge of history can be directly useful include – archivist, museum/art gallery curator, archaeolog­ist, librarian, and teacher.

In addition, your degree is useful in a range of other careers such as informatio­n manager, civil services, public administra­tion, marketing , journalism, advertisin­g and public relations, law, judicial services, publishing, travel and tourism, and many others. There are a wide ranges of careers you can do – much will depend upon your interests, the skills you wish to us and the opportunit­ies that are available.

i am currently studying science in class xi. however, i am confused about what to pursue after class xii. i am good at english, chemistry and C++ though maths and physics are not my areas of strength.

Science is an important area of learning and can lead to almost any field of interest. Whether your interest lies in science itself, or not, you can choose to take up any course of study, depending on your interests and career goal. A background in science can be the basis for any kind of career, whether it be management, industry, finance-related or in communicat­ions. If you are an explorer with an analytical mind, curious about the world around you, your love of science can lead you into a fascinatin­g and successful career in the sciences. As you like chemistry explore the career paths and match your skills to the field of science that’s right for you—biochemist­ry, biotechnol­ogy, environmen­tal science, ecology, food sciences, genetics, clinical medicine, pharmacy, micro-biology, and so on with many study and career options. Each of them offers good career prospects and you can either directly take up a BSc/ BTech in the particular field, or a general BSc followed by an MSc in the specialize­d field. There are MSc courses in applied science fields also which offer a variety of options in industries such as agrochemic­als, petrochemi­cals, toiletries, plastics, polymers, in the manufactur­e and processing of food and beverage products as also those in the energy - oil, gas, and power sectors, and in the health and pharmaceut­ical fields. You can also get into research and teaching, depending on your field of interest. Admission to most MSc programmes is on the basis of an entrance test.

However, if you are not interested in a science-based career you can take up any other course of study open to students from any stream. These could be as varied as business management and hotel management or law, mass communicat­ion, art and design, architectu­re or computer applicatio­ns. If you have good managerial skills and wish to join the corporate sector then doing BCom or a BBA could be a better option. If you wish to work with computers you could consider web designer, digital marketing, e-commerce solutions, online marketing, and many other new and exciting options.

So think about what you would like to do in the future and then decide on the most appropriat­e course of study.

With social media going big, creating a brand out of oneself has become easier than it once used to be. There’s no point in denying that it can instantly fetch you much needed recognitio­n, but this demands certain skills including spotting trends, generating content, scriptwrit­ing, and video editing. Leveraging the social media opportunit­y with these skills can surely get you ahead of the curve.

TRAINING PROGRAMMES

A few hotel chains such as Oberoi’s, ITC, and Taj also run management training programmes which provide the perfect confluence of classroom studies and job training experience. After completion of the programme, students get absorbed into the chain at a junior management level. This gives a considerab­le boost and advances their career by 5 to 7 years.

 ?? GeTTy iMAges/isToCKphoT­o ?? Prepare a timetable for study and stick to it
GeTTy iMAges/isToCKphoT­o Prepare a timetable for study and stick to it

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