“Is Dropping a Year a Good Option?” – Admission Queries Answered

Confused about colleges, courses and careers? The Quint is here to answer all your questions.

It’s admission time, and students all over the country are scrambling for answers to their queries surrounding careers and higher studies.

That’s why at The Quint, we intend to make your life a little easier. Educational counsellors from CollegeDekho will now help clear all your confusion regarding courses, colleges and universities. Send in your sawaal for some expert advice on [e-mail].

Here, we answer some of the questions submitted by readers:

I have secured 95 percentage in my class 12 exam and I am a bit confused about whether I should go for BTech from some private University like Manipal or amity or get into a BSc (computer science) course from a renowned Delhi University college. I want to pursue MBA as my post graduate course.

Harshit Rastogi, a Reader of The Quint

Hey Harshit,

The best way is to opt the field that you interested in and it will be good for you in the longer run. If you like development, programming and technology, then BTech will be the right path for you. If you want to foray into the teaching line and save a year of your graduation, then BSc is a 3-year course.

As for private universities is concerned, opt for central universities as the courses offered by them are relatively cheap. Manipal would be a good option if you are getting a scholarship as BTech programme from this university cost up to Rs 10 lakh.

You can also consider pursuing BCom or BMS programmes from DU if your core interest lies in the field of management.

I have passed my class 12 exam with 88 percent (Maths and Bio both). Last year I was not able to score good in JEE as well as NEET, so I dropped one year. This year my JEE mains score was 114 and ranking was 54000. My NEET marks are around 360-400. I am very confused about what to choose.

Pawan Bhatia, a Reader of The Quint

Dear Pawan,

Medical and engineering are both challenging career options that require different skill sets. Depending on what you are interested in you shall make the choice.

If you opt for engineering, it is a good idea to take a provisional admission basis your rank in the ongoing counselling for admissions to various colleges in the country. Other than that, we suggest you wait for the NEET result announcement and evaluate the college you can get on the basis of your score.

Finally, it is up to you to decide where your actual interest lies. After 4 years of BTech you can take up a job or pursue an MBA/MTech, or after pursuing 5-year MBBS course, it will be advisable to do an MD too, considering the competition that exists in the field.

Read the following articles for more details:

Admission to Top MBBS Colleges: Eligibility, Entrance Exams & Scope
How to Select a Good Engineering College? Find Answers Here

I am currently in my second year of college in Christ University, Bengaluru. I had Science with Economics as my stream in Class 11 and 12. I scored 93.4 percent in my boards. I am currently pursuing a triple major course in BSc EMS (Economics, Mathematics and Statistics). I scored 89.3 percent in my first year. Now, as I have started planning my future, I am confused about what to do after my graduation. I have more liking for Economics and am certainly not interested in research. While some of my friends suggested me to go for an MBA or Actuarial Science, I am still not sure. Whether to go for a job or higher studies and in which field, I am totally confused.

Varun Lakhwani, a Reader of The Quint

Dear Varun,

Whatever you choose to pursue should depend on your comfort, interest, and ability.

Since you mentioned that you do not want to get into research, you may choose to pick up any of the following options for higher education, including:

MA in Analytical & Applied Economics, Applied Economics, Business Economics, Corporation and Applied Economics, Econometrics, Economics, Indian Economics, Quantitative Economics, MBA in Business Economics, MSc in Applied Economics, MSc (Mathematical Economics), MBE (Master of Business Economics) or Actuarial Science

If you wish to go for a job, there are various opportunities both in public and private sectors with benefits such as perks, incentives, and high packages. After completion of graduation, you can apply in companies of the public sector, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other PSUs offer vast employment opportunities. You can also seek jobs in the private sector like in Commercial Banks and Multi National Banks, Marketing Segments in various companies, BPOs and KPOs.

You can also try for Indian Economic Services. Read more about it here – Explore Career Prospects & Government Jobs after Pursuing Economics

I have done my class 12 with PCM from BSEB in 2016. I have dropped one year in hope of jee but did not qualify. Now I want to graduate and prepare for UPSC IAS. I have 65 percent marks in 12th and I am confused about in which university I could get admission in. Can you tell me a reputed university in Delhi or any other metro city where I can get admission with 65 percent. Also which course should I take that will be beneficial for UPSC as well as in long run for my career.

Sohail, a Reader of The Quint

Dear Sohail,

If you are sure of pursuing and preparing for UPSC examination, we suggest you opt for a BA Pass Course in subjects such as Political Science, History, Sociology etc. depending on the option you wish to choose in the examination.

Some good colleges or universities you can opt for in Delhi include:

• Ambedkar University
• Jamia Millia University
• Delhi University's School of Open Learning

For a complete list of colleges, please click this link – BA (Bachelor of Arts) colleges in Delhi NCR

I have scored exact 75 percent in my CBSE class 12 board exams this year. I am thinking of dropping this year and start preparing for JEE mains 2018. Is my decision right to drop this year?

Achintya, a Reader of The Quint

Dear Achintya,

If you believe you will be able to crack the exam, then you can skip the year. Did you appear for JEE Main this year? With 75 percent score in CBSE you can opt for a private engineering right now. Depending on your location preference and stream preference we can help you target colleges accordingly.

Read the article below to evaluate pros and cons of dropping a year:

Planning to Drop a Year for JEE Main? Consider the Following Factors