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BACK ISSUES | FEBRUARY 2010 | CURRENT ISSUE
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Careers with Dr Vibha
WRITER OR ENVIRONMENTALIST?
I wanted to become a doctor but now I have realised that it is not what I want to be. I am a good writer and love to write articles and side by side I have a will to do something for the earth. Which way should I go — writer or environmentalist? If both, then how should I proceed?
A career in writing comes in two basic forms: you can be a journalist working for a magazine, newspaper or website, either on staff or as a freelancer. Or you can write a book and sell it to a publisher. Many writers learn their craft writing for periodicals and go on to write books.
Like many glam professions, writing is very competitive and actually involves a lot
of tough work. People think it's all about inspiration and the creative process, but, in reality, you have to deliver a product. Good writers laboriously research and report, then craft every word, writing and re-writing.
If you want to become a journalist, it's better if you have some degree in mass communication, for which eligibility is 10+2 in any stream. Along with this, you can explore some short term courses on environment and nature. But if you are keen on becoming an environmentalist, go for higher education in Environmental Science. Along with that you can try sending your articles to various publications and see where you stand.
CAN I STILL DO ECONOMICS?
I'm a student of Std XI of Humanities stream and am very interested in Economics. I want to do my B.A. with honours in Economics from St Stephen's College, Delhi. But I don't have Maths. Will that be possible? Which alternative reputed institution in Delhi can I go to?
Generally, mathematics at 10+2 level is not the basic requirement for doing B.A. (Hons.) in Economics. Still, focussed studies in this field require strong mathematical and 'quantitative' skills. Students who want to apply to Economics Honours should be very comfortable with Class XII mathematics and should be familiar with logical reasoning starting from clearly stated assumptions. For details, visit St Stephen's College web site (www.ststephens.edu).
There are many other good colleges in Delhi like:
The admission process for all these colleges is centralized and conducted through University of Delhi (www.du.ac.in).
I AM INTERESTED IN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOLOGY
I am currently doing well in B.Com. But my interest lies in counselling and psychology. Is it advisable to change my field now? Which counselling course can I opt for and which institutions offer it in India? Are there bright career prospects in this field? Is it advisable doing this course abroad? Which recognised foreign university offers this course?
If you are really interested in psychology, it is better to have some professional qualification in this field. For specialized courses like Clinical and Community Psychology, you need to have B.A. in Psychology. Some other specialized areas are Guidance & Counselling, Vocational Rehabilitation & Counselling and Rehabilitation Psychology.
After pursuing counselling courses, you will acquire 'helping skills' to counsel and advise people on how to deal with problems of everyday living and help them make changes for the better. You will guide them for coping with their educational, social or personal crises using various techniques (interviewing, observation, questionnaires, surveys and testing). Due to rising alcohol and drug abuse, divorce rates, family violence, crime and other social ills, the demand for psychologists is increasing.
Studying abroad is good only if it is from some reputed college, otherwise in India also, there are many good institutes.
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