Friday, September 21, 2018

Top 10 Professional Courses after 12th Standard
Taken from Sure Jobs site

Indian students consider Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)/12th as turning point of their lives. Post HSC, students are confronted with multiple choices. Indian colleges and universities offer wide range of courses.
Higher studies after 12th standards come in two categories: Bachelor/ Diploma degree profession linked courses.

Degree/ Diploma courses

These include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science. Archaic Indian education system permits students to opt for these studies provided they have passed HSC exams in corresponding subjects.
For example, students who take science subjects for HSC usually enroll of BSc while those with commerce studies go for B.Com and arts for BA.

Flawed, inexplicable, opaque migration pattern

Arts students cannot migrate to science or commerce because they are considered relatively tougher subjects, for reasons best known to concerned authorities. Strangely, science and commerce stream HSC students can migrate to arts for their graduation studies- another fundamental problem in the Indian education system.

Job market compatibility

Regardless, BA, B.Com and BSc students face some disadvantage in domestic job market unless they opt for further, employment specific qualifications. These can range from ubiquitous Master of Business Administration to Chartered Accountancy, Microbiology to Social Science.
None of these qualifications assure a job; they only negate an inherent disadvantage over counterparts who study profession linked courses.

Advantage professional courses after 12th

Thanks to reforms in India’s education system, higher study courses that prepare students directly for specific professions are available.
Profession linked course, wrongly termed ‘Professional Course’ in India, provide one distinct advantage over undergraduate courses.
They assure basic employment in that specific sector. Employers seek final year students for work, before or immediately after completing the course.

Practicality over perfidiousness

Indubitably, a profession linked course is better than regular graduation. Some profession centric courses are perfidious: They deceive students into falsely imagining successful career.
Topmost among profession oriented courses that do not pay well are medicine and engineering. Indian Medical Council estimates over 200,000 qualified physicians countrywide are languishing sans employment.
Medical colleges in India churn out some 50,000 doctors annually. All India Council for Technical Education reports, 60 percent of the one million engineers who graduate every year, go unemployed.

Fatal career decisions

Suicide rate among unemployed doctors and engineers is alarming. India has the highest rate of suicides among people aged between 15 and 29 years, with career and unemployment related deaths ranking fairly high. Lack of proper career guidance and career counseling is quoted as reason.
Pressure from parents to study or follow a particular profession is cited as main cause for suicides among students. According to National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 135,445 Indian committed suicide in 2016, including 79,773 men and 40,715 women.
A shocking 40 out of every 100,000 Indians between 15 and 29 commits suicide due to career/ employment issues.

Disclaimer and Important Note

SureJob does not endorse or oppose any profession, career, course or educational institute. Higher education and career are strictly the choice of students and their parents.
This article is solely intended to serve as guidelines for work oriented courses. This website and its owners are not liable for damages of any nature arising due to decisions based on this article.

Top 10 Professional Courses After 12th

1) Engineering
By far, engineering remains one of the career oriented conventional professional coursein India. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) states, about one million engineers graduate from government universities, polytechnics and private colleges every year.
Unspecified number of Indian students opt for engineering studies in the US and Australia. An engineering course in India costs anything between Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 1 million, depending upon the institute and branch you are choosing.
Top colleges for engineering are Indian Institute for Technology (IIT), College of Technology, Pune, Visveswaraya Institute of Engineering, Bengaluru and Mumbai based Sardar Patel College of Engineering, Sri Bhagubhai Mafatlal Polytechnic and Virmata Jijabai Technological Institute.
2) Law
The demand for law studies in India remains very high. Universities Grant Commission estimates, some 400,000 students graduate with law degrees every year.
The five year course called Bachelor of Arts and Legum Baccalaureus (LLB) is offered primarily at government colleges in India.
A typical BA, LLB course costs around Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 300,000 depending upon the university. Government Law Colleges across the country affiliated to state-run universities offer the course.
3) Medicine
One of the most attractive course after 12th. Over 55,000 students graduate as doctors every year. These include graduates in Allopathy, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani and dentistry streams of medicine.
Common courses are Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Science (MBBS), Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Science (BAMS), Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Science (BUMS), Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Science (BHMS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS).
In some universities, the word ‘science’ is replaced by ‘surgery’. A course in medical studies costs Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 1 million.
Top colleges in India are All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, Grant Medical College, Mumbai, Goa Medical College, Bambolim, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Jamia Milia University, New Delhi, Government Medical College, Puducherry and JIPMER, Jaipur.
Courses in psychiatry are offered by National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore and Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, Goa.
4) Architecture
An estimated 50,000 students graduate from the five-year Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) course in India every year.
But this figure is ambiguous. Various societies of architectures state, civil engineers also study architecture online or private colleges informally.
An architecture course costs between Rs. 200,000 to Rs. 500,000 depending upon the institute.
Top architecture institutes include JJ School of Architecture, Mumbai, Narsi Monjee College of Management, Mumbai and various state-run universities.
5) Journalism
The boom in advertising as well as print, electronic and digital news media, increase in film production has seen a corresponding rise in number of students opting for media and journalism studies as one of the top course after 12th.
Typical journalism courses are of three years and cost around Rs. 300,000 for a Bachelor of Communication and Journalism or Bachelor of Mass Communication degree.
Top universities in this field Osmania University, Hyderabad, Pune University, St. Xavier Institutes, various locations.
The exact number of journalism graduates remains unknown because the stream is considered part of fine arts and literature studies.
6) Chartered Accountant
The best professional course for higher education is Chartered Accountancy. The three to five year course, depending upon the amount of time taken to complete it, allows flexibility to work and study.
Indeed, it is mandatory to work while studying. CA course and exam is administered by ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) and no other college or university is authorized to qualify a person as a CA.
The course costs around Rs. 50,000 only, which is the cheapest for all profession related studies. An estimated 100,000 students enroll for the CA exams but only three percent actually complete this highly complex and competitive course.
7) Internet, web designing, IT
India ranks as the top destination for foreign companies looking to hire IT experts. Over 100,000 students enroll for various IT or web design courses in India.
But this figure is far from accurate since a large number of engineering students also take IT related studies as part of their course.
Bachelor of Computer Science, Bachelor of Computer Management are some of the top IT related courses offered by various colleges and universities.
A typical three-year course costs around Rs. 400,000 to Rs. 1 million, depending upon the college/ university. IIT and various state-run universities are the best for IT studies.
8) Pharmacy
About 25,000 students graduate as pharmacist from various universities in India every year. Pharmacy studies are gaining momentum due to opening of several new and private healthcare facilities across the country.
India’s Food and Drug Administration has also made it mandatory for all large medical companies, distributors and retailers to hire qualified pharmacists, as part of licensing policy.
A pharmacy course- BPharm- is spread over three years and costs about Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 200,000 each. All major state-run universities offer BPharm courses.
9) Nursing
India requires tens of thousands of nurses, paramedics and care-givers annually due to burgeoning healthcare scenarios.
BSc Nursing is an excellent course to study if you possess acumen for caring for humans of all ages and a stomach to witness blood and gore typical to accidents and surgery wards.
Around 20,000 male and female nurses graduate every year from various medical andnursing colleges in India. Topmost among them are Maharashtra Nursing College, Government College of Nursing, Kerala, Goa Nursing College, various hospitals and medicine study institutes and universities.
A BSc Nursing degree costs between Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 300,000.
10) Commercial Pilot
A huge demand for qualified commercial pilots exists in India as the country’s aviation sector witnesses a boom. Flying is also a very lucrative profession after 12th
It offers commercial pilots an opportunity to see the world. Sadly, training institutes for pilots in India are few. Most aspiring commercial pilots are forced to study abroad or join the Indian Armed Forces for training.
A flying course costs whopping Rs.2.5 million and upwards. India requires about 8,000 commercial pilots annually to keep airlines operational. Local flying schools account for less than 1,000 trained pilots.
A bulk of pilots for India’s civil aviation are provided by the Indian Air Force. The only major flying school in India is Government Aviation Training Institute.

Think out of the box

The course will define your career option after 12th and future life. Sadly in India, students are plagued by the ‘Me Too’ syndrome.
They join a flock rather than study something offbeat. Below are some excellent courses that offer great careers but are relatively unknown-
  • Forensic sciences.
  • Agriculture ( including horticulture and floriculture)
  • Marine biology
  • Geology
  • Logistics and warehousing
  • Pyrotechnics
  • Nutrition
  • Food technology
  • Micro Biology
  • Industrial safety and security

In conclusion

Several key factors are considered by students while enrolling for career oriented professional courses after 12th. In India, the sole decisive factor the tag a student or graduate gets.
Youngsters are more inclined to study for medicine, engineering or IT despite inherent shortcomings of the profession. They choose courses that offer them a tag or label that decides their social status.
Indians go for degrees based on social and matrimonial considerations rather than interest and profitability. Parents do not allow kids to digress from their own archaic beliefs. Great career options are available for all who pass HSC exams.

What are Co-curricular Activities at Schools – Importance with 25 Examples

If you are a student of parent of school going kids, you will be aware of co-curricular activities at schools. In simple words, co-curricular activities are learning programs that support the curriculum of a class.
They make learning easy and fun by using creative teaching methods.
Some co-curricular activities are also held for imparting certain life skills to students. They help a child develop physically and mentally, acquire social skills and attain some degree of independence in doing day-to-day chores.
I am listing some common co-curricular activities that are found at schools to help you better understand their importance in education.
However, the availability at your school can depend on its location and type of curriculum.
co curricular activities

Fun Activities for Kids

Fun activities for kids are held as part of the learning process. Here are some common fun activities for kids.
  • 1- Celebrating festivals at schools: It helps to foster a sense of fraternity by involving students of all faiths and followings.
  • 2- Fancy dress competition: Helps to create dignity of labor about people of various professions and trades.
  • 3- Decorating a classroom wall: Brings out creativity among students and promotes team spirit.

Summer Activities for Kids

In my days, two or three schools combined resources to hold common summer activities for students.
  • 4- Summer Camps: They are held on a school campus and include sports activities. Usually several teams of students will be formed to play sports like cricket and football, badminton and hockey. They help develop team spirit and healthy competition.
  • 5- Arts Club: As a member of arts club of my school, teachers encouraged me to draw and paint pictures on various themes. It helps develop creativity and give expression to emotions.

Craft Activities for Kids

Craft activities help students to give expressions to their creativity. Nowadays it also teaches students how to recycle things such as paper, cardboard, plastic, Styrofoam and other material.
  • 6- Craft Classes: Most schools will include a craft class on its weekly timetable. Children have to create various articles using colored paper, cardboard and other material.
  • 7- Album Making: In some countries, this is also called scrapbooking. This co-curricular activity includes making an album on one or two topics of interest to a student from the regular curriculum. For example, you can make an album of newspaper clippings and pictures about geography or history, news and current affairs.

Activities for Kids at Home

This was my favorite type of co-curricular activity since I could do it with little or no help from teachers and parents.
  • 8- Experiments: Doing simple experiments at home can include growing a plant from a common food grain, building a kaleidoscope or periscope with broken glass bits and mirrors and several other similar things.
  • 9- Home Projects: You can be asked to work alone or jointly with other students of your class who live near your home.
  • 10- Helping Neighbors: This co-curricular activity is practiced in some schools. Students will help neighbors to perform simple chores like shopping for groceries, cleaning their house or vehicle for a small fee. The amount collected goes to the school to support students from economically weaker families.

Group Activities for Kids

Every school conducts group activities for kids as part of co-curricular education. These activities are usually in the form of competitions.
  • 11- Quiz Contests: You can become part of a group in the class and participate in quiz contests. It helps develop general knowledge.
  • 12- Drawing Competitions: Drawing competitions are held as group activities for kids of all ages. Here you can give expression to your creativity.
  • 13- Crafts Contest: Using simple stuff like colored paper, cardboard and glue, you can create something useful and win a prize.
  • 14- Decorating Classroom Wall: This co-curricular activity usually involves pasting pictures, short articles and interesting material related to your subjects on the classroom wall. Every student pastes something in which they have interest and is related to the curriculum.

Art Activities for Kids

Art activities for kids are excellent since they bring out the cultural diversity and helps develop fine arts and performing arts.
  • 15- Dancing classes: Here you can learn dances from various Indian states.
  • 16- Singing solo and group: Become a part of the school’s music club and develop singing skills. You will also be called to sing on occasions like Republic Day, Independence Day, Parent’s Day and Annual Day celebrations.
  • 17- Drama & Acting club: Schools include drama and acting club or invite students to participate in plays to showcase talents during various celebrations or to create awareness among public.

Picture Activities for Kids

Picture activities should not be confused with regular drawing and painting classes conducted at schools. Instead, they are more advanced as they focus on teaching more skills to students inclined towards such arts.
  • 18- Photography club: Lots of schools have photography clubs where you can participate. You will need a basic camera and shoot pictures for display on the campus. You might also have to participate in group projects.
  • 19-Drawing and Painting Excursions: This means you and other students will be taken to a scenic place. You have to make drawings and paintings of various elements at these spots.

Science Activities for Kids

As the term explains, science activities aim at improving knowledge in various fields. These activities are very useful for higher education such as medical and engineering streams.
  • 20- Science clubs: Students and science clubs are assigned individual and group projects and experiments. Depending upon your interest, you can join a physics, chemistry or biology club.
  • 21-Math clubs: Another very important subject is mathematics. Here you will learn more skills related to the math subject in your curriculum.

More Important Co-curricular Activities for Kids

There are few more co-curricular activities for kids that are organized by most schools. Joining them will also boost your knowledge.
  • 22- Environmental studies: Here you will learn a lot about the environment, environmental threats and pollution, awareness and recycling material.
  • 23- Student’s Banking: Nowadays, most banks in India offer special accounts for school students. This is done in collaboration with schools. The objective is to encourage you to save money and learn how to manage finances.
  • 24- Sports: Though all schools have annual sports events, some also offer sports clubs. Here you can practice and perfect your skills in a favorite sport.
  • 25- Story and Essay Writing: Other than writing stories and essays as part of the main curriculum, schools also hold competitions. You can write essays and stories on own topics to compete.

Importance of Co-curricular Activities

In my humble opinion, co-curricular activities are equally important for every student. Here are some reasons why co-curricular activities are important.
  • They provide a fun way of learning to students.
  • Students find it easier to remember skills learned from co-curricular activities.
  • Parents, teachers and students can identify their innate skills through co-curricular activities and fine-tune them to make a career.
  • Co-curricular activities develop a sense of team play and camaraderie.
  • Certificates from participating in co-curricular activities are useful when seeking admission for higher education and later, in job hunts.
  • Students that participate in co-curricular activities develop higher levels of confidence.
  • During vacations, students remain gainfully engaged with co-curricular activities.
  • In a multi-ethnic country like India, co-curricular activities fosters better understanding of different cultures and creates a sense of unity.

Final Thoughts on Co curricular activities

Generally, participating in co-curricular activities organized by schools is free of cost for students. In some cases however, a student may have to bear expenses related to buying material, equipment or traveling. Schools usually subsidize the expense of extra co-curricular activities. Therefore, you can select a co-curricular activity that suits your passion and budget. Participating in them will help you lifelong.