I chose the right career for myself: Harsh Shah

When I was in the 10^th standard, I was a bit confused about which stream to select (Science, Commerce or Arts). I was clear that I wanted to go for either Science or Commerce, but which one was the question. So, I listed out all the possibilities about what the future scope was in each stream, and what I wanted to do in that stream. Afterwards, I realized that whatever I wanted in the Commerce field, was also possible with the Science stream, like CA, MBA, or likewise. In addition, if I took Science stream with Maths as the main subject, I didn’t have to give the entrance exam for CA i.e. CPT. So I was clear that I wanted to go for the Science stream.

Now, again in the Science stream, there was an option between Maths or Biology. Now for that, I listed out what was I good at and were the future subjects in each stream suited for me? So, it came out that I was more interested in Maths than Biology. I went for the Maths stream to become an Engineer/CA or join the forces.

Now that I cleared 12^th, again it was about choosing BTech/ BE/ BSc? Now I was clear that I didn’t want to do BSc Now BE and BTech are apparently the same. Just that BE is provided by the institutes/colleges and the BTech is provided by the private universities. BTech holds more importance than BE, so I was clear about getting admission in a private/ deemed university.

Now came the question regarding the selection of branch. I was weak in Physics and Chemistry. So, I didn’t want to take admission in any of the branches which included them and also, I was interested in the study of computers and programs. So, I had three choices; Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering or Information Technology. Now, In CE and CSE, there were some portions of hardware in later years and I hated those the most, whereas in IT, there was only software. So, I chose IT as a career.

Now was the time to choose universities. Now in Gujarat, there are 29 universities. Out of which DAIICT, PDPU, Nirma University, MSU, DDU and CHARUSAT are some of the best. Now according to the marks I got in 12^th, DAIICT, PDPU, Nirma and MSU were out of the list. I first got admission in CHARUSAT, which was one of the best universities infrastructure-wise, study-wise, placement-wise and an all-rounder for CE/IT. After some admission processes, I finally got admission in the Dharmsinh Desai University (DDU) in the IT branch.

MY ADMISSION JOURNEY

DDU takes admission through ACPC on the basis of the marks of 12^th Board and the GUJCET. And as it is one of the best universities, it takes lots of efforts (merit-wise) to get admission in it i.e. you have to score good marks. Another quota for admission is the NRI, in which some seats are reserved for the NRIs or the NRI sponsored whose merit is prepared separately at the university and the fees are more than that by the ACPC.

As far as entrance exams are concerned, I appeared for VITEEE, BITSAT, JEE, etc. In JEE, the score was less so I didn’t get NITs, IITs or other good colleges. In BITSAT and VITEEE, the score was somewhat less due to which, for admission, I had to pay more fees and which I denied.

I didn’t take any coaching classes, for me self-practice is the best way to study. And for the preparation, you have to start from the very first day, otherwise, you couldn’t score well by preparing the whole syllabus at the last moment (which I didn’t and that was my biggest mistake).

For admission in  college, one has to stay calm and not hurry. The admission process is very long and you might get the admission in your desired college at last if not at the first instance. Plus, there is Management Quota available in some colleges where you do not have to pay any extra fee which is also a good idea to take admission in. And even after the end of the admission process, if there are vacant seats in some of the colleges, they fill it by on-spot admission where you have to fill up the formand the college will set up a merit on that, and will call you for counselling (I got admission in DDU through on-spot admission).

LEARNINGS AND INSIGHTS

The college life is just awesome. Most of the people think of  college as they have seen in movies. But it is totally different. The best part of the college is when you are hanging out with your friends, fresher’s party, tech fest, annual functions, farewell, etc. Otherwise, there are all these internals, submissions, practical sessions, and externals, though they are enjoyable. Hostel life is also great, with those night snacks (mostly Maggi), tea, etc. Group study is the heart of college life. It is the best way to learn in college.

I am still studying so I I took an internship during the vacation which was a great experience. All that you learn in college, its practical applications can be learned from internship.

I chose a career that was right for me and I never regretted my decision. I am happy with my career. As of now, IT is the rising branch due to the Make in India project, and with the rise of IT hubs or knowledge cities, there are many opportunities of jobs in this sector.

There were some mistakes I made on my way. Like, I never studied regularly. I always opened the books in the last week before the exams. No doubt, I scored somewhat good marks, but if I studied regularly, then I would have scored better marks and could get admission in the best college. Plus, I didn’t concentrate in the class due to which, while self-study, it was harder to recall what I studied. If I had concentrated in class, I wouldn’t have to take stress during exams. These were the biggest mistakes I made on my way.

DDU provides one of the best teaching schemes which makes a student work hard to be in the competition. It made us industry-ready by making us work hard, providing practical knowledge  through various state/national-level competitions. Earlier,  we thought that it wouldn’t help us in the future. But, now when we look back, we realize that it was for our own good.

When I look back, what worked out for me was the patience. Firstly, during the admission process and then, during my college life and now again, in the society. Plus, the fact that elders’ advice is always good to be considered. It helped me a lot.

When you select your career, don’t see where your friends or the others aregoing. Because that would increase your competition and also, if you aren’t interested in that subject, you would not be able to concentrate on studies. Instead, make sure what you are interested in and select that. That will make studies fun and stress-free. And don’t select your career based on the present situation because when you finish your studies, that field may not be worth it in the future. So, think of the future requirements after your college and choose that.

About the Author:

My name is Harsh Shah. I am pursuing BTech (IT) at Faculty of Technology, Dharmsinh Desai University. My hobbies are reading, writing, travelling and learning new things. I own an online shopping store named HBS Fashion. I am also a photographer, blogger and a singer, besides being a funny person.