G. Swarnarekha and C. Kavin Aadhithiyan, both students of Focus Academy for Career Enhancement (FACE), Coimbatore, have secured ranks three and 17 in the Humanities and Social Sciences Entrance Examination (HSEE) conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM). According to T.P Senthil Kumar, Director, Campus Programmes, FACE, the examination is for admission into a five-year integrated master's programme - M.A. in Development Studies, Economics, and English Studies.

Introduced in 2006, this is fast evolving as one of the most sought after courses at IITM. The IIT tag, limited number of seats, and the plethora of opportunities which the course offers has been attracting applicants from across the country. Swarnarekha has also secured a ranking of 110 in CLAT (the national level Law entrance test).

“I followed the systematic schedule given by the institute. The innovative training methodology used by the faculty, the class handouts with objective questions and mock tests were very helpful. Also, I am an avid newspaper reader, so keeping abreast with current affairs did not require any extra effort. Coaching helped me streamline the preparation,” says Swarnarekha.

Those interested in undertaking coaching for HSEE, can contact FACE on 99524-34315 or visit the website www.focusacademy.in.

It was a ‘traditional' victory for K.R. Kavishaa Sri, a Bachelor of Design in Textiles from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai. She has bagged the “Most Creative Design Collection of the Year” award (an annual award given by NIFT to a student graduating from the college) with her collection of 14 saris.

This Coimbatore girl says that while her friends opted to work with home furnishers and apparel designers, she wanted to do something out of the ordinary. After a long search and discussion with the faculty members and seniors, she chose to work with the 62-year-old Alangombu Thevangu weaving cluster from Sirumugai.

Kavishaa had to come up with three collections for her final project. Her first collection included five intricately woven jute-silk Jacquard saris. The second had five saris by the pension scheme weavers and the third comprised four saris created by recycling and printing on old saris discarded by the cluster. She had also made stoles and clutch bags with the left over silk.

“I came up with ideas in such a way that the materials could be used to the fullest and I showed the cluster how well jute could blend with silk. They are utilising the techniques now and I feel happy for it,” says Kavishaa.

The jute-silk collection was showcased on the ramp for the end-of-term fashion show. It had taken about six months for Kavishaa to complete her collection.

Her interest in designing started right from when she was in school. The nature walks that they went every day during the last hour in school are still green in her memory as they were the inspiration for her paintings.

‘If I had my way, I would have been satisfied with painting on random medium”, says Kavishaa. But she was advised to channelise her talents to enable her make a career out of them.

Fashion technology inspired her even more as there were no theory exams but presentations in front of internal and external juries that were quite challenging and different from the other courses.

Kavishaa is currently working with Crocodile International, Coimbatore, on men's apparel, toning down haute couture into street-wear to suit Indian markets. She plans to pursue her Master's provided she gets to specialise in textile designing again. She is looking to gain experience before she can branch off on her own.

Her ultimate dream is to have her own label.

It is that time of the year when students are anxiously waiting for admission to engineering, medical and arts and science courses of their choice. At this crucial stage both the students and their parents must exercise caution when it comes to choosing an educational institution.

Clear understanding and awareness about excellent opportunities and possibilities in streams other than engineering and medicine will help students narrow down their choice of courses they want to pursue.

Students should have a clear understanding about the distinction between science, engineering and technology. Briefly, science observes how things behave in Nature and attempts to give an acceptable explanation. Engineering is the application of science. Technology is application of engineering and science with multitude options thrown open for achieving the end result. With this clear understanding of the distinct nature of each subject, it becomes easier for students do decide why they want to study a particular subject.

Many students were lured to IT-related courses until recently. Parents also pressure their wards to choose a particular course not because their children are good and have desire, but because some have done well and excelled because of having chosen that particular course.

Now the trend has shifted from IT to core disciplines such as civil, mechanical, electrical and electronics, etc. Here, students should realise an important point that whatever course and career they choose, unless and until they work hard and study well, they will not excel in that field of study.

Students who join engineering courses should be aware that engineering course is tough and challenging. There is lot of mathematics involved, and students must try to relate mathematics taught with engineering applications.

Teachers' role here is of utmost importance. Students who study professional courses have a tendency to neglect science subjects, only to realise sooner the importance of physics and chemistry when they do their postgraduate studies and dissertations/projects.

Similarly, it has been observed that bright students coming out from school often get dejected when they are introduced to newer subjects in engineering curriculum such as engineering graphics and engineering mechanics in the first year of study and design subjects in the later years.

A lot of imagination and perspective thinking is needed whenever such new subjects are introduced. Further, students should have a vision for their future. In this competitive age we live in, a postgraduate degree is essential to strengthen one's domain knowledge, more so for students who opt for IT-related courses. Similarly, those who wish to pursue a management degree, should ensure they have at least two years of work experience as this would provide them with real-life case studies and industry knowledge.

For those students keen on further research or teaching, Ph.D will be the natural option. In general, staying alert and being aware of options for higher education and making a career choice accordingly will go a long way in making a successful career in the chosen field. Hard work and perseverance is the formula for success. Intelligent and prudent use of the Internet has its many advantages for the student community.