Can I pursue law and journalism simultaneously?

Pervin Malhotra 

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Q.I am doing BA (Hons) English and enjoying it greatly. While I am keen on pursuing a career in journalism, I am also fascinated by law. Could you please tell me whether it is possible to pursue both courses simultaneously? —Tahira Munshi

A. As you’re interested in both law and journalism, I don’t see why you can’t pursue courses in both disciplines simultaneously. The way to go about doing this would be to opt for a regular course in the field that interests you the most and enroll for a correspondence or part-time course in the other. However, there’s a considerable hitch. While there are plenty of MA (English) courses available through distance learning, hardly any distance learning courses in law are available. Neither do they entitle you to practice in a court. Which means that you’ll have to go for a regular LLB programme as far as studying law is concerned. 

Of course should you wish to become a legal correspondent or advisor or work in legal transcription, the distance learning programme in law will do. So, if you can comfortably manage both courses simultaneously, just go ahead — have your cake, and eat it too!

Foreign language courses in JNU

Q.I am currently taking my Board exams (Class XII). I have taken French as one of my subjects and have also done a course in Spanish. Can you please tell me something about JNU’s courses in foreign languages. —Sarita Uppal

A.The School of Language, Literature & Culture Studies, New Delhi, is the only department at Jawaharlal Nehru University that offers Undergrad programmes. It’s also perhaps the only institution of its kind in the country that has facilities for teaching and research in most of the major foreign languages including a number of European, Central and West Asian as well as East Asian Languages, such as French, German, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.  

Total 431 seats are available across 10 languages under the B.A. Foreign Language program at JNU.  

Selection to the programme is based on an Entrance exam which will be conducted henceforth by the National Testing Agency (NTA), that also conducts the NEET and the JEE (Main) exams. The exam will be held between  28 – 30 May 2019

The Application Deadline is May 15, 2019

A top ranked Indian University, NIRF-2018 has ranked JNU at #2 

The English & Foreign Languages University (EFLU) Hyderabad, Shillong & Lucknow is yet another reputed Central University that offers specialized courses at the UG (BA (Hons) as well as PG level in a number of Indian and foreign languages. However, the application deadline for this year is over. Selection to these courses is also via an Entrance Test.

Besides these, several other universities in India offer a Bachelor’s degree in foreign languages.

Switch jobs cautiously

Q.After completing my BTech, I have been working in an IT company. For some reason I’m not happy and feel like changing my job and moving to advertising. But I’m not sure whether it’s a good idea to do so at this point. —Sameer Handa

A. There are plenty of reasons because of which people switch jobs — better opportunities, better pay, better work environment, boredom or lack of challenge… the list is endless. So what is it that is prompting you to make this switch? 

Whatever be the reason/s, make sure you have a thorough understanding of the industry and what it takes, before you decide to take the final step of switching over. 

For some reason, the grass always looks greener on the other side! But remember, not everything is a bed of roses. Along with the plusses, even your new career option would come with certain disadvantages. 

And gone are the times where companies (advertising included) offered job security. That’s a thing of the past.

So do weigh the consequences of your decision carefully. You might even want to get some advice from a professional career counsellor or someone who is already in the field you are looking at moving into. 

Sure, changing careers is a risky job but once you’ve made the decision, do give it your best shot to make the most of it.

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