How to Choose the RIGHT Engineering Branch for yourself

Life is all about choices we make as we shape our journeys alongside others.

An academic choice is one of these quintessential moments when an individual chooses not only what he will be specializing but what kind of career and lifestyle he will be signing up for.Its an important decision and as a student you need to be well informed and aware of your own interests. Any choice you make should have your full buy in and a sound introspection is highly recommended.

But where do you start and what are the cardinal principles you should keep in mind ? What arethe factors you should consider to base your decisions ? How do you insulate yourself from hearsay and populist choices ( e.g. if its engineering it has to be Computers & IT etc )
 

We suggest you few tips that will help you answer some of these questions and take a judicious choice that suits your best interests.

1. PASSION / INTEREST vs SCOPE

While we may say that scope for a field keeps changing with time, as we see new trends coming up every few years.The reality is, every branch has good scope and opportunities if you perform well in it.Contrary to this, if you take up a branch just based on its job prospects and lack interest in it, you'll end up getting nowhere.

So it is very important to go for a branch that is of your interest.

2. INCLINATION vs PEER PRESSURE
 

How many times we have heard this. I took Branch A because my friend Mr X , Miss Y etc also took it. So they must not be fools and I can pick the same. Absolutely NO.

What's your inclination ? 

Ask yourself simple questions. For e.g. 

Are you interested in designing the machines and repair it? ( Mechanical ) 

Are you interested in networking, how internet works? ( IT & Computers ) 

Are you interested in architecture?  ( Civil & Architecture )

Are you interested in study of DNA and RNA? ( BioTech or BioMedical )

Trust your gut, it never lies.

3. DO YOUR RESEARCHKnow yourself !!At the start of your careers you have choices so you do your homework and research to see what suits your best interests.Whether you choose college A over college B or branch X over branch Y should not be a random decision and instead be based on research on these colleges and theelectives they offer under each course.

Run through the college websites and the course material they offer under the branch you aspire for to make the right decision.

4. SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE matters....Engineering provides opportunity to specialise.Choosing one from the various types of engineering disciplines is not an easy job.Digging deeper and knowing more about every branch can help you in making the right choice.It is the same as taking a straight way to your destination or taking roundabouts to get to the same place. Clearer the approach, better will be the results.

For example, if you are interested in cars, you might as well want to take up Automobile Engineering instead of Mechanical. But the message is: be sure of what you want to pursue.

5. LIFE post EducationIt is critical to understand what kind of professional work is expected out of you once you take up a job.For instance, A Computer / IT Engineering will mean long hours in front of PC's and confined in a chair for long time. A Mechanical / Production Engineering will mean you on a shopfloor with dust, smoke, machines, grease in your hands and travelling to remote areas for industry setups etc.

Think it through and ask family and friends who are already in these fields.

6. Further Studies on your Mind
 

If you aspire to do post graduation, and have some ideas already, it might be a good idea to do a quick check on the opportunities for the post graduation.For example, if you choose to pursue Bachelors in Information Technology you may want to specialise in Artificial Intelligence or Algorithm Analysis and land up a job at Google or Yahoo! who specialise in these areas.

Concluding
 

Whateber choice you make should be based on factors that work best for you in the shorter as well as longer run.Last but not the least keep consulting and talking to your FAMILY & FRIENDS. They have your best interests at heart and will always help when you need help the most.

We wish you the best of careers and great success ahead.

Hope you found this article useful. Right to us and share your feedback.

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