Choose the right stream

Q: I passed Class X with 88 per cent marks. I have done equally well in all subjects. I want to know which subject I should choose in future.

— Avinash Uppal

A: It’s difficult to direct you to a specific stream or career without assessing your aptitude or interests. However, I can offer some suggestions which will help you select a stream.

You can switch over from science to commerce or arts, and from commerce to arts, after Class XII or even after graduation, but not the other way round.

Choose a career or stream where the highest paid job is not that of a university professor, but out in the marketplace. Otherwise, it is possible that you will end up competing for the same job with numerous others, your merit probably counting less than your connections, and even if you end up teaching as a professor, you may be burdened with the guilt of leading your students to a largely jobless blind alley.

But, if you end up teaching a subject which is valued more in the marketplace, you will have the satisfaction of leading your students to a bright career.

Two subjects are so valued that if you are good at them, you may earn a living from them, even if you have no money to start with. Maths is valued all over the world. I have heard of private maths tutors earning in lakhs, even in some remote areas.

English is highly valued in every country, as in India, with a non-English speaking majority, because it is the international language of communication and often the language of the elite. So, play your cards right.