Rate your priorities – The Hindu

I am in the third year of BSW. How can I balance academics, fieldwork, and UPSC prep? Should I focus on completing this degree, pursue an MSW before taking the UPSC, or take a gap year? Aishwarya

Dear Aishwarya,

Focus on completing BSW now, as that is a prerequisite for your UPSC exam. Prepare when you have time after the coursework and fieldwork. Fieldwork will help build social awareness and provide exposure, which is extremely useful for UPSC interviews and the Ethics paper. I would recommend delaying Delay the pressure of juggling MSW and UPSC prep. Give yourself a cut-off time for the attempts you want to take to crack your UPSC. Take a gap year if necessary. If this does not work, consider an MSW only if you want a strong academic grounding in social work or plan to work in the policy or NGO sector. You could also start working in NGOs and prep alongside after your BSW.

I am in Class 10 and want to pursue higher education in Maths. However, I do not want to study Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in Classes 11 and 12. What do I do? Palash

Dear Palash,

For higher education programmes such as B.Sc. Maths, B.A. Maths, B.Statistics, B. Math (integrated programmes), the only essential subject is Maths at the 10+2 level. Many top Indian institutions allow students to take Math with any combination of non-Science subjects such as Economics, Computer Science, Statistics, or even Humanities. Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are only needed if you plan to study Engineering, Medicine, or Pure Sciences. Your focus should be on Maths and one complementary subject (Computer Science, Statistics, Economics) that aligns with your interests.

However, the ideal combination is Maths and Computer Science for the B.Sc. Math, B.Tech (if you change your mind later) or Data Science. You could also consider Maths and Economics if you are keen on mathematical economics, finance, or statistics. This opens doors for B.Sc. Economics, B.Stat, B. Math (Hons). Maths and Statistics are ideal for data analytics, statistics, and actuarial science. It will help prepare for exams like Actuarial, SSC, Banking, and Data Science careers. Maths and Humanities or Social Science, if offered by your school, can open doors for a B.A. Maths or applied mathematics in Social Sciences.

I chose English Literature as my UPSC optional and have written the Mains, but I find parts of it boring. My true interest lies in Physics (B.Sc. in Physics and Maths, M.Sc. in Electronics. I am conflicted between pursuing Physics, which excites me but demands more effort, and continuing with English Literature, which is easier but less engaging. Syed

Dear Syed,

This is the classic ‘comfort vs. passion’ conflict. Are you committed to UPSC as your primary career path or do you find a Science/Tech career more luring? Are you willing to invest 3–5 years learning Physics and Maths for long-term satisfaction? Or do you want to pursue UPSC now to complete your current cycle? How important is immediate career progress vs. long-term passion? You need to think about all this deeply, honestly, and sincerely because this is not just about UPSC but about deciding a long-term career choice that you enjoy and are motivated about. Rate your priorities, your passion, ease, career security and financial stability. I would recommend that you give UPSC a shot first, as it seems like the most balanced approach, given that you have already written Mains, then decide and evaluate your options if Physics/Maths is worth a career shift.

I appeared for NEET but did not clear it. I am doing a B.Sc. (Hons) Community Science at a state university. What are the career options for this? Should I switch to Microbiology or Biochemistry for a Master’s? Suhani

Dear Suhani,

Clarify your career interest. Do you enjoy field/community work? Then stay in Community Science. Does a lab/research-heavy Science career excite you? Then switch to Microbiology/Biochemistry.

Community Science is an interdisciplinary course that offers exposure to Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health and Community Development, Human Development/Psychology, Food Technology and Quality Control, and Family and Consumer Sciences. You can consider an M.Sc. in Nutrition, Dietetics, Community Health, or Human Development and look for internships in NGOs, hospitals, health programmes, or the food industry. Career options include dietician, nutritionist, health educator, community health officer, programme coordinator, research assistant, or in quality control, product development and food analysis. You can also consider teaching roles by taking the TGT after graduation or PGT after postgraduation. Other options include government exams such as the UPSC, state PSC and health department. Microbiology/Biochemistry offers more lab-based, research-heavy career options in Biotechnology, Pharma, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Research.