Father Manipadam Principal, provincial youth delegate, Don Bosco Youth Services, Calcutta

Q: I have just completed my Plus Two with a physics-chemistry-maths-biology combination. I want to pursue MBBS but couldn’t get through any medical college this year. Is it safe to drop a year and try for MBBS again next year' Or should I take up any other subject and get admitted for graduation this year' Are the prospects for BPharm. good'

Irshikha Das

A: Instead of dropping a year and preparing for MBBS again next year, why don’t you get on with your graduation in some other subject this year as you simultaneously prepare for the entrance examinations for the coming year. BPharm. is a good option too with lots of job prospects.

Q: I have just completed my Class X and want to get into the IITs. Right now, I am studying in the ICSE board. Should I change over to CBSE' Will that affect my chances of getting through the IIT JEE'

Sudhanshu

A: You need not change the board in order to get through the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Prepare for it along with your Plus Two studies. It is held immediately after your Class XII board exams. The board exams don’t get you ready for the JEE but there are a number of institutions that can help you prepare for it.

Rajkumar Roychowdhury Head, physics and applied mathematics unit, ISI, Calcutta

Q: I am doing my BA in English. I had taken up science in HS and failed in maths. Will this hamper my future prospects' I am also doing a three-year computer course. Is this the right decision' I want to become a newsreader in the future.

Santanu Dutta

A: You are afraid that poor marks in mathematics will hamper your career. But a career in what' Surely, you can’t go for an engineering or a science degree with poor marks in maths. Since your ambition is to be a newsreader you need not worry about your performance in maths and should try to get good marks in BA. Computer literacy is now a must for any job.