Trust your instincts

I have passed Class 12 (PCMB) with a state rank of 10 and have taken NEET 2026 and KCET. I want to pursue B.Sc. Chemistry but people say I should not do so because I have such good marks. I am also considering BDS or a B.Sc. Paramedical course. How should I choose the correct college? Name withheld The attitude that a B.Sc. means “wasting” good marks is outdated. High scorers choose B.Sc. degrees not because they lack options, but because they want to pursue research and specialised fields. Choose a career that aligns with your strengths and interests, not other people’s expectations. B.Sc. Chemistry can be an excellent foundation for Computational Chemistry, Molecular Modelling and even Quantum Machine Learning. An M.Sc./Ph.D. can open opportunities in global R&D labs, research and technology, and the pharma sector. Studying Python, data structures and machine learning alongside your degree. Look for institutions where science is treated as a research discipline and ones that have four-year B.S./B.Sc. (Research) programmes such as IISc, IISERs and strong universities with active DST/CSIR-funded research. While choosing a college, examine its laboratories, equipment, computing facilities, faculty publications, computational chemistry projects and industry connections. Remember that moving into research from dentistry or allied health is relatively uncommon. Trust your instincts and invest in a discipline you find genuinely fascinating. I am from Arunachal Pradesh and want to pursue BBA and CA. I have interested in business, finance and entrepreneurship from a young age. Would a BBA followed by CA be a suitable path? Rose Dear Rose, While BBA and CA are valuable, this combination may pull you in two different directions. BBA is qualitative and theoretical, covering Human Resources, Marketing and Organisational Behaviour. CA is heavily technical, analytical and compliance-driven, covering Taxation, Auditing, Corporate Law and Advanced Accounting. You need to complete practical training under a practising CA after the first exams. This means working full time. Given your goals, I would recommend B.Com and CA. The B.Com syllabus aligns with CA Foundation and Intermediate, covering Financial Accounting, Mercantile Law and Economics. A college with relaxed attendance, or distance/correspondence study, can free up time to clear CA Inter and begin Articleship. Alternatively, consider BBA Finance with CFA if your interest in finance is more about start-up valuation, venture capital and investing. BBA Finance teaches you how companies operate and scale, while CFA teaches you how markets value them. CFA does not require a rigid daytime articleship, allowing you to enjoy college, network and develop business ideas. Look for colleges with active E-Cells or incubators. Since you are from Arunachal Pradesh, keep an eye on the Northeast Venture Fund and Startup Arunachal for grants, subsidies and soft loans. After PG English Literature, I have been placed as a technical writer. How can I prepare for this and use it to expand my career options? Treesa Dear Treesa, View this role as a masterclass in tech dynamics. Learn Document-as-Code and Markdown. Modern software companies rarely use MS Word; they write documentation in Markdown and manage it like code. Download VS Code, install a Markdown preview extension, and practise formatting. Learn Git basics: cloning a repository, creating a branch, and making a pull request on GitHub. API documentation is a valuable niche. Learn what an API is. Explore Swagger or Postman and understand how developers read technical endpoints. At work, volunteer for tasks and seek opportunities to work with Product Management, UX/Content, Product Design, Strategists and Researchers. Upskill in Data Literacy (SQL basics), Product Thinking, AI Prompting and LLMs such as Gemini. Learn to co-author with AI to accelerate editing, formatting and brainstorming. Enjoy this phase. Enjoy learning and exploring. I completed graduation in English Language and Literature and PG in Rural Development but am not able to find a prestigious or high-paying job. Do I need other degrees or skills? Ananya Dear Ananya, A PG in Rural Development channels freshers into grassroots NGO roles, field operations, or basic block-level jobs, which are highly impactful but often underpaid at the entry level. To pivot into a high-paying corporate or international track, you need to stack specific, in-demand technical skills. The high-paying jobs in social and rural development happen in corporate boardrooms, consulting firms, and international think-tanks. Your English background is a massive advantage in communication, writing, and synthesis, while your PG gives you domain knowledge. Look at Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Management. Large corporations hire professionals to design, budget for, and manage these projects. International bodies hire Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) / Data Analyst specialists to track whether rural development schemes work. Learn Advanced Excel, data visualisation tools like Tableau or Power BI, and basic statistical analysis. You could also consider Public Policy and Development Consulting. Build a portfolio that proves you can execute corporate development tasks. Take certification courses on Coursera, Udemy or LinkedIn Learning. Analyse a government rural scheme and publish it on LinkedIn as a visual resume. Look for jobs on DevNetJobs India, NGOBox and the career pages of large foundations. Network actively, as many high-paying roles are filled before they are advertised. Disclaimer: This column is merely a guiding voice and provides advice and suggestions on education and careers.The writer is a practising counsellor and a trainer. Send your questions to eduplus.thehindu@gmail.com with the subject line Off the Edge Published - August 22, 2026 07:00 pm IST