I want to complete my graduation after a gap
Pervin Malhotra
Q.I passed Class XII in 2010 with 78 per cent marks, but couldn’t continue my further studies due to a serious accident. Now I am working in a BPO. Although the money is good, I have this urge to study further. I want to do my graduation (BA Economics) from IGNOU. Please tell me, if I can do MJMC as a regular student after BA from IGNOU.
—Uma Jaiswal
A.It’s NEVER too late to resume or continue your studies. Doing your BA (Eco) from IGNOU is a good idea. And IGNOU being a fully recognised Open University (besides having made it to the Guiness Book of World Records for having the largest number of enrolments in the world), you should have no problem whatsoever in pursuing your Master’s in Journalism & Mass Communication or in any other subject for that matter. As is evident from the marks you’ve scored in Class XII, you’re a bright and capable student, so please go ahead and continue your education from IGNOU or any other Open University for that matter, without any hesitation.
Know your strengths to overcome failure
Q.I’m a BCom first year student. I have lost confidence after failing twice. Please suggest a stream wherein I can pass easily. Also please tell me the field in which I should plan my career.
— Tirna Sen
A.You haven’t mentioned your stream in Plus II or your marks, so it’s hard to suggest what other areas of study may be of interest to you.
You know, there are no absolute “easy” or “difficult” courses — it’s all relative to our individual strengths and interests. The same person who excels in Humanities subjects may find himself struggling with maths and statistics, while a science student may find accounts to be a mystery.
It would help to analyse the reasons for your failure — is it due to insufficient effort, low motivation levels, lack of familiarity with the subjects/ field of study?. If it’s on account of lack of effort or motivation, then the remedy lies entirely in your hands. While you many not particularly enjoy studying (and not everyone does), think of it as a necessary ‘must-do’ to help you move ahead in life. “Picturing” the rewards of completing your BA programme, may act as a strong motivator. Also, please don’t let minor setbacks, such as this, dent your self-image or self-confidence. Many of those who fare rather poorly in studies go on to do quite well later in life. This may also be due to the fact that many of us are good at “practical” tasks and find ourselves more motivated and focused on doing them. This may also offer you a clue for choosing a subject for your graduation. Perhaps looking at courses in practical areas may be helpful — hotel management, journalism or mass communication, office management, travel & tourism, art and design etc. Some universities also offer a BA in Vocational Studies.
Parting advice: Don’t let what you can’t do, come in the way of what you can do.
And in the off-chance that these courses are possible to do or enter at the graduation level, then do remember that these areas of work are open even after completing your graduation from any course. You can also look at diploma courses in these areas while pursuing your graduation in distance or correspondence.
