Which stream to select after CBSE Class X?

Are you confused about the subjects? Do you want right guidance for selecting best stream? What to study after Class X? All your questions about stream and subject selection after Class X are answered here.

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It often happens that after CBSE Class X board exams, students are left clueless and confused about the streams they must select. Different parameters must be thought over to select the right stream for your Senior Secondary education. The foremost criterion is to select a stream which is your strength.

It also occur to us that we have an inclination towards Science, but our score card reflects highest scores in Social Studies. So, selecting Humanities rather than Science would be the best option.

One must only select a stream that he/she gets connected with. Following are the information that is a must for every Class X student to read and consider so as to make the right choice for the future.

The Main Streams to select.

The broad three streams after class X for students to select are- Science, Commerce and Humanities/Arts. These three streams are broadly categorized as per their course structure and subjects, explained below:

• Science:This field is related to Medical studies and Engineering, with subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

• Commerce:This stream is related to trade, commerce, business and financial marketing. If you have a strong mathematics and financial abilities, Commerce is best for you.

• Humanities/Arts:This stream is the widest of all, and is related to education in subjects like History, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, languages, Anthropology, Human Resources, journalism etc.

Below are the details, advantages of each stream and educational prospect of each stream, which answers the question of which subjects to select after CBSE Class X in a simplified way.

The Most Attractive Science

Science has always been the most fascinating among all the streams and the most lucrative to study in, but it is not a stream that you can just study without any interest. The main subjects to study in science are Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and C++ (depending upon the school).

To a Class X student the Science stream option gives an opportunity to pursue their future careers in Medical and Engineering related fields. The subjects include practical labs and theory which requires a lot of hard work from the students.

Further a student can select Medical and Non-Medical field, which is differentiated by Biology subject. For every medical student it is important to study Biology as a core subject and non-medical students must study Mathematics and Computers, along with Physics and Chemistry.

Commerce for Business

Commerce field is all about learning and studying subjects related to trade, business, finance and economics. This is the most preferred stream of education by most of the class X students who wishes to embark a career or profession into MNCs, Banks or even entrepreneurship. The important subjects to study in this fields are, English, Business Studies, Economic, Accounts and Computers.

Few competitive exams to pursue after Class X in commerce related fields are:

C.S Foundation Course

C.A Foundation Course

ICWA Foundation Course

Humanities or Arts, the widest study option

As a student if you are keen into studies and aspire to learn most of the things, Humanities is the perfect stream. With Humanities a student gets to study History, Geography, Language, Psychology, Political Science, Literature and Journalism and Mass Media.

If you are thinking ‘What to choose after Class X’, Humanities can be great opportunity for your career, as the wide range of subjects offer great career options. Also, if a student aims for being an IAS officer or desire to get into other civil services, this is the best field to select for.

For every Class X student selecting a stream after CBSE Class X is an important question that must be answered in a simplified way so that students can decide about what stream they must select.

Read about National Level Olympiads:

NTSE Scholarship Exam

Indian National Olympiad- INO

National Standard Examination- NSE

Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana- KVPY

Fundamental Rights Guaranteed by the Indian Constitution

The Constitution of India guarantees certain Fundamental Rights to the Citizens of India.

The Indian constitution contains a chapter on fundamental rights. Part III (Art. 12-35) contains fundamental rights of Indian citizens. The fundamental rights are called fundamental because they are basic to the development of human personality.

The Indian fundamental rights, contrasted with such rights contained in the U. S. bill of rights, present several peculiarities. First, the fundamental rights in India are far more elaborate than in the U. S. A. Thus, for example, the U. S. bill of rights (first ten amendments) only names some rights. The Supreme Court, through the process of judicial review decides the limitations on these rights. In India, determination of limitations on fundamental rights is not left to judicial interpretation. The constitution itself contains (clauses 2-6 in Art. 19) such limitations. The limitations contemplated by the constitution are-

• Public order,
• Security of the state and
• Sovereignty and integrity of India.

In the face of these limitations, the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution cannot be said to be absolute.

However, whenever the state restricts fundamental rights by legislation, the courts have the right to examine whether the limitations imposed are “reasonable or not.” The courts are free to strike down any law imposing unreasonable restriction on the enjoyment of fundamental rights. The courts in India enjoy a limited degree of judicial review with respect to fundamental rights.

Yet, in view of these limitations, some critics argue that the Indian constitution gives fundamental rights with one hand and takes them away with the other. It should also be pointed out that provision of preventive detention under Art. 22 is a gross violation of the individual liberty under Art. 21. The power of the state to detain persons without trial is not to be found in any other democratic country like the U. S. A. Further, in case of proclamation of emergency under Art. 352, fundamental rights guaranteed under Art. 19 remain suspended by virtue of Arts 358 and 359.

Again, the Indian constitution is based on the theory of Parliamentary sovereignty and not constitutional sovereignty, as is the case in the U. S. A. Consequently, the Parliament may easily tamper with Indian fundamental rights. The capacity of the judiciary to afford protection to the fundamental rights is very limited. The Supreme Court verdict that the fundamental rights are not amendable was subsequently reversed. In the Keshavanand Bharati case, Supreme Court held that the Parliament may amend the entire constitution. It cannot only alter any basic feature of the constitution.

The processes of amendment given in Art 368 are far easier than the one given in Art 5 of the U.S. constitution. Consequently, the Union Parliament with a qualified majority may now easily amend any fundamental right contained in Part III of the constitution.

Kinds of fundamental rights

The Indian constitution originally provided 7 categories of fundamental rights. But one fundamental right, that to property was removed from the list of fundamental rights by 44th amendment. Right to property now is an ordinary legal right. Thus there are now 6 categories of fundamental rights. These are:

(1) Right to equality (Arts. 14-18).

In this category there are five rights

1. Equality before law,
2. Abolition of discrimination on grounds of caste, race, sex or religion,
3. Equality in public employment,
4. Abolition of untouchability, and
5. Abolition of titles.

(2) Rights to freedom.

(Arts. 19-22) these now include six freedoms-

• Freedoms of speech and expression,
• Freedom of assembly without arms of association,
• Freedom of movement,
• Freedom of residence and
• Freedom of profession or occupation.

These freedoms are however not without limitations.

(3) Rights against exploitation (Arts. 24 and 25)

Include prohibition of traffic in human beings and prohibition of child labour.

(4) Rights to freedom of religion (Arts. 25-28)

Include freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. Citizens are free to profess and practice any religion. These provisions make India a secular state.

(5) Cultural and Educational rights (Arts. 29-30)

Include right to protection of language, script and culture given to the minorities. The minorities are also given the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their own.

(6) Right to constitutional remedies (Arts. 32-35)

Provides for enforcement of fundamental rights through the judicial process.

Thus the constitution contains an elaborate scheme of fundamental rights. But the fundamental rights in India are not absolute. They are hedged by many limitations. Indeed, fundamental rights cannot be absolute anywhere in the world. Countries differ only in their degree of limitations on fundamental rights.

Keep your child stress-free after exams

The exams have already taken a toll on your child’s mind, so don’t stress him or her more by asking them about it.

It is but normal for you to want to know how your child has fared in his or her exam. But the examinations have already taken a toll on your child’s mind and further introspection can make him or her panicked. We tell you how you can help your child come out of this phase.

1 Stop talking about the examination:

First and foremost, to ensure that your child’s mind is absolutely free from exam-related stress, don’t talk about it further. You have asked your kid once how the exam was, now let the mind be free and focus on doing fun things together so that your child can prepare better for the future.

 
2 Go on a vacation:

One of the great ways to ensure that your child stops thinking about the examination is by going out on a holiday together. The holiday will ensure that your child stops thinking about the exam and can take a break from thinking about studies and further exams and can have some fun.

 
3 Call in cousins or friends for a stay over:

Your child needs to relax after the exams are over. If you haven’t booked for a holiday yet, don’t worry. Call in your relatives or his/her friends over on a short stay. This could be a night over or simply a week’s stay.

 
4 Watch movies together:

Your child has probably not spent the last few months in front of the TV. Though you would not like him or her to get addicted to it, yet you can always arrange for a movie marathon in your house over the weekends or simply take your child out for a new film that he or she is interested to watch.

5 Do activities together:

Enjoy the time your child is spending at home by doing some activities together. Instead of just getting your child enrolled into a hobby class, the two of you can enrol together and enjoy yourself doing some craft together. From dance classes to craft, cooking sessions, there are plenty to choose from.

Why are so many teachers, professionals and subject matter experts becoming members of the online teaching community? The motives are many and they are both personal as well as professional reasons. Let’s look at several . . .

1. Online teaching allows for 24/7 access to class materials, online classrooms etc. This allows part time instructors with full time jobs the ability to perform their teaching duties at their convenience.

2. Using the internet as a classroom provides the instructor the ability to conduct classes with students from across multiple time zones, without having to travel. Because of this, smaller specialized classes are more likely to have enough students to be feasible. This allows instructors more opportunities to teach and is especially valuable for training offered by professional organizations.

3. The online environment aids in some of the more sensitive areas of classroom administration. Online assignment posting areas provides a secure and time documented avenue for turning in assignments. Servers that retain chat session and newsgroup documentation provide indisputable records of class participation for both volume and quality. This reduces the hassles associated with face to face instruction.

4. Online instructors working for organizations whose libraries have electronic collections have 24/7 access to business research, online journals and magazines and often online or e-books. These are valuable resources, not just for course delivery, but also for the instructor’s other professional endeavors and personal growth.

5. Online institutions typically offer continuing education sessions throughout the year, providing facilitators and trainers opportunities for skill enhancement in areas such as providing feedback, problem based learning, handling difficult students, and critical thinking. These sessions are almost always held online, and can be attended at the convenience of the instructor. This is in addition to faculty tips, bulletins and other memos that are sent to faculty and retained in online newsgroups.

6. These institutions also hold their faculty meetings online, keeping records in newsgroups that can be accessed after the meeting. This helps keeps faculty on track with what’s new with the organization.

7. Most universities that have an online presence offer their facilitators and instructors, even those that are part-time a substantial tuition discount. These can be used to take course of general interest or to obtain an advanced or additional degree.

8. The online environment provides an opportunity for community that surpasses those for on the ground instructors. Online Faculty Lounges exist for facilitators from all over the globe to informally chat, ask advice, allow venting and provide counsel on topics ranging from dealing with plagiarism to computer problems and difficult student issues.

9. Lounges also exist to bring together teachers of like topics. Newsgroups by subject matter such as strategy, accounting, operations management etc., allow teachers of the same course to share ideas, fix course problems and collaborate to provide new and improved courses.

10. Many online institutions are specifically looking for business people to teach their online courses. This strategy brings practical experience to the students. This approach, combined with the online environment that can be accessed from anywhere in the world, makes it possible for more people to teach and earn extra income.

11. Because online classes are structured to compel discussion from all students, a teacher can see immediately if the student does not comprehend the material. Immediate, private correction can be made, putting the student back on course. In traditional environments the problems might not be uncovered until a major test or a major paper has been failed. This was a good bit of frustration and failure can be avoided.

12. For many online institutions, the coursework for each class has been standardized and posted on a course website. Recommended assignments and grading rubrics are pre-developed as are class overviews/lectures. This simplifies the work of the instructor a great deal and they can focus on bring practical experience to the class and not worry about lesson plans and reading assignments.

13. Many of the organizations that offer internet based education consider their teachers employees. As such they offer certain employee benefits such as stock purchase programs, stock option awards and 401k savings plans, providing tax deferred savings opportunities that would not otherwise be available. Other benefits offered include special employee purchase programs for personal computers and wireless communications plans.

As you can see, online teachers enjoy their roles for a number of reasons, some of them are financial, some are personal, and some are professional. However, all of them are significant reasons for becoming educators in the cyber world

How to Beat Exam Stress in 10 Easy Ways

Every student who aims to become a high-achiever will experience exam stress. It’s an unavoidable part of student life that can be a tough nut to crack. Remember, stress exists for a reason and you can choose to let it be your downfall or use it to drive you to improve your work.

To combat exam stress, firstly you need to understand the reasons behind this heightened anxiety. Then you can establish methods to reduce the pressures you feel. Researchers have uncovered some common explanations for this:

• Low motivation levels
• Lack of preparation and planning
• High expectations from others
• Competition from peers

The difference between a student who allows stress to overwhelm them and someone who uses it to push them harder is what they do when they are facing that brick wall mid-study. Admirable students will pause, reflect and choose a path that will help them overcome the impasse, not just wait for the wave to engulf them.

Outlined below are some unexpected ways that you can put those negative feelings to one side and concentrate on your learning goals. If you’re not stuck for inspiration at this moment (maybe you’re procrastinating by reading this?), you may be looking for this advice before your exams so take note!

10 Surprising Ways to Beat Exam Stress

1. Listen to Classical Music

Listening to music can create a positive and productive environment by elevating your mood and encouraging you to study more effectively and for longer. Classical music is recommended as the best type of music to boost your brain power but ambient music can work too. Check out the playlists on Spotify to easily find what works for you.

2. Take a Quick Walk

Many students feel as if they should spend their entire time before exams with their books open and their pen poised for action. However, research has proven that exercising such as taking a walk can boost your memory and brain power.

The image below shows the results of a study conducted by Dr. Chuck Hillman of the University of Illinois. It clearly demonstrates the effect exercise can have on your brain’s activity. Imagine how this could improve your exam performance!

3. Plan your Study Routine

This may not be a big surprise but what is shocking is the amount of students who discount the benefits of creating a personal study plan. With some initial effort, you can become more productive and motivated each day you approach your study by understanding your learning progress. If you’re using our learning platform, the GoConqr calendar tool will help you align your goals with your day-to-day study.

4. Play with Bubble Wrap & Puppies

Where do puppies come into exam stress? Lots of universities have installed ‘puppy rooms’ where students can come to relieve stress and anxiety. Pets have also been found to help you focus while studying but we wouldn’t recommend dropping into the library with your pet hamster! Popping bubble wrap is another stress reliever you can save for home study.

5. Try to Get Enough Sleep

For some people, this is something that’s always put on the long finger especially if you are trying to get the most out of college life. The benefits of a proper night’s sleep can never be underestimated. Most importantly, sleep helps your brain to assimilate new knowledge into your long-term memory so that you can recall it when it comes to test day. Anyone who has tried to concentrate with half a night’s sleep can also testify to improved focus with better sleep.

6. Use Mobile Apps

There are tons of mobile apps designed to improve your quality of life. Whether you want to get better organized, improve your mental arithmetic or work on your English language skills, there’s an app for that. We’ve even launched our own mobile apps for iOS and Android so you can make the most of your time no matter where you are. Downloading the app will give you access to over 2 million learning resources from around the world.

7. Give Your Mind Space

Meditation is one of the most effective ways to take a break and see your stress from a different perspective. Practicing meditation is another way to maintain focus while improving both mental and physical health to reduce pre-exam stress.

8. Eating Dark Chocolate

Believe it or not this is 100% true. Eating dark chocolate which is over 70% cocoa fights the stress hormone cortisol and has an overall relaxing effect on the body. Plus chocolate releases endorphins which act as a natural stress fighter.

9. Let it All Out

Sometimes you just need to talk to someone, other times you need to shout it from the rooftop or scream from the top of your lungs. Figure out what you’re feeling and then let it out. Speaking to a family member or friend can highlight the bigger picture for you and empower you to rise above the exam stress.

10. Break Free from Distractions

I bet you don’t even realise the number of times you check Facebook, Instagram or whatever your vice is? When you add it all up together, it amounts to a significant waste of time. It can be hard to detach from your life outside of studying but keeping the end goal and timeframe in mind will ease the process.

10 Expert Tips for Improving Your Grades and Achieving Academic Success

1. Understand Yourself -

A big part of academic success is having the right mindset. You have to not only believe in yourself, but also know enough about yourself to know how to achieve that success. Take the time to examine your academic strengths and weaknesses and find ways to capitalize on your strengths while overcoming or minimizing your weaknesses. Finally, understand how you learn things best — your learning style — and try and find classes and study methods that best utilize the way you learn.

2. Manage Your Courses -

Many students struggle academically, not because they do not have the abilities, but because they simply do not actively manage their courses. You should be an expert on the syllabus of each of your courses, with a strong sense of every major assignment and test — including expectations, requirements, and due dates. If some of your professors are too vague on their syllabi, take the time to get the detailed information you need to better plan and execute all graded materials for your classes now.

3. Read Actively -

Yes, there is quite a bit of reading assigned in college. Still, part of your job as a student is to not only read all of it — but do so actively rather than passively. Active reading means doing more than just reading. For some people, it means underlining, highlighting, or annotating the materials. Others develop a list of keywords and summarize materials as they read. Still others continually quiz themselves and try to put the information in a different context that helps them better understand it and retain it. Understand the three R’s of memory: reception (attentive and observant), retention (review and recite), and recollection (organizing and visualizing).

4. Utilize Every Class -

Too obvious? This tip is not just about attending every class — though attendance is the foundation of it. Not only must you attend every class session, but you should do so with a strategy to succeed. First, you should sit toward the front of the class; studies show that students who sit in one of the first few rows generally achieve better grades than students who sit toward the back. Second, you should get actively involved in the class. Of course, some classes are pure lecture format, but most allow — and desire — some level of student participation — so get involved and speak up. Finally, if you’re going to make the effort to attend class, do so with the primary goal of learning — which means don’t be distracted reading other materials, texting, surfing the Net on your laptop, or talking to the student next to you.

5. Take Great Notes -

It’s not enough to attend and be actively involved in every class — you need to also listen carefully and take detailed notes. Obviously you need to listen to take great notes, but there’s more to listening than just taking notes. Many professors provide pretty strong clues about the most important elements within a lecture — even going as far as to say something about a topic’s importance for the next test. The best students pick up on these clues. In terms of note-taking, there are any number of systems (Cornell, outlining, mapping, charting, and sentence methods), so the crucial step for you is to find the one system — including one you develop for yourself — that works for you.

6. Study Daily and Differently -

Every single study of academic success shows that students who commit some time every day to studying — reading, writing, reviewing, etc. — perform at a much higher level than those who study in larger chunks, and much better than those who cram. Studying daily builds and increases your knowledge base for the long-term — assuming you are studying actively rather than passively. Active studying means practicing involving behaviours, such as creating outlines, developing flash cards, participating in study groups, rewriting notes, etc. When possible, take practice quizzes and tests to prepare for the actual examinations.

7. Know Your Professor -

Put another way, make sure your professor knows you. It’s amazing how many students choose to be anonymous in the classroom. There’s nothing wrong with that strategy — and in some massive lectures halls of thousands of students, it might be your only choice. You don’t have to become best buddies with your professor — and we are not advocating the “kiss-up” strategy either. This tip is about you moving beyond being an anonymous name or number to being an actual person — whom the professor recognizes. We suggest visiting the professor during his/her office hours. The benefits of this strategy are enormous because you’ll get the help you need as well as often getting some insider information — and there’s even something termed the “halo effect,” which deals with the concept that a professor grades more leniently when s/he grades an assignment of a student s/he knows (and respects).

8. Obtain the Help You Need -

Don’t wait — find the help you need as early as possible in the course, long before you begin worrying about whether the course is even salvageable or not. Your first line of help, of course, is your professor and/or graduate assistants. Next up are campus tutoring centers (most colleges have writing, maths, and foreign language labs), where you can obtain expert advice and assistance from other students. You can also find your own personal tutors, as many graduate students offer tutoring on the side. If your problem is less academic and more related to other issues, visit your school’s academic support center — in which you’ll find assistance for learning disabilities and other guidance. Finally, for more informal help, don’t forget to turn to your classmates for assistance.

9.Improve Your Writing.

Writing is the cornerstone of academic — and career — success. You most certainly should strive to improve both your writing and your vocabulary while in college. Becoming a strong writer with the ability to clearly express your ideas and arguments will have amazing payoffs in courses that have a writing component — whether a research paper, term project, or essay exams. Plus, working to improve your writing also strengthens your critical thinking abilities as well as your listening, reading, and speaking skills — and helps to build your self-confidence. Developing better writing skills will make you feel — and sound — smarter, and lead you to greater professional success.

10. Get Involved on Campus -

This advice might seem counter to some of the other tips in this article, but studies show that students who have some involvement in campus activities actually are better at managing their time and balancing multiple demands for their time. In fact, don’t just get involved but strive for a leadership positions — doing so will force you to work harder, plus it will look good to schools and employers when they review your resume. But before you happily join a bunch of clubs and organizations, please note that your involvement should be moderate. Be involved, but not over-extended. As soon as your social life starts interfering with your school work, cut back so that it does not affect your goal of better academic success.

Final Thoughts on Improving Your Grades, Greater Academic Success

Becoming a better student is a process; it won’t happen overnight. But if you are personally committed to improving your grades and follow these tips, you will be well on your way to a journey of greater academic success

One lakh fewer JEE (Main) aspirants in 2016

The number of applicants for all-Indian engineering exam JEE Main has dropped again in 2016.

New Delhi: The number of applicants for all-Indian engineering exam JEE Main has dropped again in 2016.

Last year in 2015, the number of applicants dropped by 50,000. This year, it is down by almost a lakh. JEE (Main) is the first round of test for admission to undergraduate engineering courses (B.Tech.). The national-level joint entrance examination is conducted by CBSE every year.

At least 13.03 lakh students got themselves registered for JEE Main in 2014 while in 2015, 13.56 lakh applicants had registered for the exam. Surprisingly, this year the number of applicants decreased further as total 12.07 lakh aspirants registered for the exam.

According to experts, since last few years, large number of engineering seats remain vacant in the engineering colleges of every states. It could be because of variety of career choices to students today.

The last date of online submission of application form of JEE (Main) 2016 was extended till January 11, 2016 (12.00 midnight) in view of requests from various stakeholders.

JEE (Main) is conducted for admission to technical institutions such as NITs, IITs and institutions in participating states. Of the total applicants, the top 1.5 lakh students are selected to take the JEE (Advanced) for admissions to IITs. The IIT council had decided to shortlist at least 2 lakh candidates this year.

What is the importance of the Indian Institutes of Technology with respect to India’s technology and engineering sectors?

5 campuses of the Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras Kanpur, and Delhi) were established in the late 50s and the early 60s with the intention of producing engineers and leaders who would lead India’s industrialization and modernization. These institutes had significant funding from foreign governments (USSR, USA, and Germany) and organizations (UNESCO). University of Roorkee was later converted into an IIT and IIT Guwahati was established in 1994.

In a country where most places still don’t get 24-hour electricity, IITs quickly became the mecca of education. Thanks to a healthy amount of government funding, they had excellent residential facilities, recreational facilities and lab facilities. They attracted the best faculty, and developed good industry contacts which led to some of the best job opportunities.

For some inexplicable reason, Indians typically value engineering and medicine above most other professions. So most bright students are encouraged to take up either of these two. For perhaps this reason, the amount of attention and care given to the IITs was not extended to liberal arts and pure science colleges. IITs soon became the place to go to, to get a quality undergraduate education.

Their legendary status was further established by a draconian entrance examination, the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (IIT JEE) which at its peak, had a selection rate of about 0.1%. This has recently doubled as the government has established 8 new IITs (Bhubaneshwar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Jodhpur, Mandi, Patna and Ropar). Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU) has also been accorded IIT status. About 400000 people take the entrance exam every year, and about 8000 get through. You need a rank in the top 3000 to get into IIT Bombay, and Computer Science at IIT Bombay closes below rank 100. So if you want to study computer science at IIT Bombay, you basically need to be in the top 0.025%. Understandably, the competition to get into the IITs is cut-throat. Children are told - “Beta, ek baar IIT mein aa jao to zindagi ban jaayegi” (Son, get into IIT and you are set for life). Which isn’t really true, but let’s set that aside for the moment. So, given the level of hype around the IITs, a whole industry has cropped up - IIT JEE coaching classes. There are entire towns (Kota in Rajasthan) which just have a huge number of coaching classes and almost nothing else. These coaching classes further propagate the “legend of the IITs” which has led to the cult status that the IITs currently enjoy in Indian society.

It should be noted that these numbers (0.1% etc.) aren’t as impressive when you take into account the fact that almost every aspiring engineer in India takes the exam, while not every student in the US would apply to an MIT or a Stanford. And there are other institutes of comparable standards - BITS Pilani being one of them and maybe one or two NITs.

Of course, that is not to say that IITs are all about the hype. You need to be very smart, very hard working or very lucky to get into an IIT (At the risk of offending some IITians, I dare say that luck has become much more of a factor since the exam became multiple choice objective). Because the IITs get the best students in the country, the best faculty are attracted to it, the best companies come to hire here, and foreign universities also recognize the name (thanks to 50 years of the steady diaspora of IITians, which incidentally, is another thing detractors of IITs take issue with).

All these people - engineers, managers, academicians, who are alumni of IITB have ostensibly done well in their chosen fields, which is the reason people still want to hire IITians. And as a result of all this, IIT has become the biggest brand name in Indian education today. Which is why you hear about them all the time.

IITs are some of the best graduate schools in India (some of the others being IISc Bangalore, TIFR Mumbai, IIIT Hyderabad, BITS Pilani) sans the hype around entrance examination. They enjoy huge amount of funds from government and industry. IITs attract a large number of masters’ students, who prefer it mainly for availing good job opportunities. Each year, the number of PhDs passing out from IITs is increasing (and hence # publications and patents). Many of these masters/PhDs go into Indian academia, R&D industries and a few start their own companies. Some IITs have good business incubation centers which help in the early years of such start ups, thereby realizing one of the main goals of the IITs.

5 Simple Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp

The importance of keeping your mind sharp cannot be overstated. We’re all part of a fantastic intellectual and information economy, which thrives on ideas, creativity and intelligence. Keeping your mind sharp is sure to give you the edge over the competition, and more importantly lead to your own higher levels of happiness.

When your mind is in top shape, you will:

• Have greater motivation and focus
• Get more done
• Come up with more creative ideas
• Find inspiration more often
• Remember more
• Experience a better life

I’d like to share a few practices I’ve found are extremely beneficial in keeping my mind sharp and can help you as well:

1) Continue reading, absorbing knowledge and experiencing culture

Sorry to use a clichéd quote, but education is not preparation for life, education is life itself. It should be something pleasurable and done for intrinsic reasons above all else. Read blogs on subjects both within your field and in new fields you know nothing about; read books; watch lectures on fascinating new subjects; read about ancient societies; take in a new form of art you’ve never experienced; you get the idea. Challenge your mind to continually broaden your horizon and soak up new information like an infinite sponge (that’s pretty much what it is, you should use it to do just that).

2) Learn a skill or craft you’ve never tried before like playing an instrument, composing music, painting, building a model airplane, or even coding computer programs.
Engage your mind in learning a new skill. You’re never too old to do this, but this is definitely something you should start as young as you can. I started composing my own music at around 17, and in retrospect I wish I had started even younger. You’d be surprised how much learning a new skill will open up many new paths in your mind and help you become even better at whatever you are already an expert at. You’ll also open yourself up to tons of new connections and intellectual social circles by engaging yourself in a new hobby, form of art, or trade.

3) To improve memory don’t write everything down
If you can, try this for a week: write down everything you need to do at the beginning of the week, as you normally would, but take your list and put it out of sight. Instead of keeping that list visible at your desk, internalize your projects and simply remember and know what needs to be done, prioritize it in your mind, and do it. Your brain is extremely powerful and you’ll find that, in time, you may not have to write anything down to remember everything (you can still keep a list for reference, but it’s great not to need it).

4) Give your mind time to assimilate knowledge
We live in a culture where we are constantly experiencing and learning new things and taking in new information. This is a great thing, I’m not going to go into the information overload spiel, I don’t really believe in that anyway (you are in total control over how much information you take in at once). But in your process of absorbing new skills, knowledge and life experiences; internal analysis of yourself, what you have learned and where you are going is vital to put everything in proper perspective. Some people do it well during running, others through listening to music, and some people through making art. Find your own place that allows you to assimilate all you have learned and frequent it often.

5) Eat well, sleep well and exercise often
Giving your mind the proper rest and energy is essential to getting the best performance out of it. This one is pretty self-explanatory, but people often forget that you need proper fuel and proper rest to function optimally. Also, putting your physical body through the paces is a surefire way to rejuvenate yourself mentally. If you’re ever feeling stressed, out of inspiration, or depressed, a few days of nutritious food, good sleep and vigorous exercise will put you back to your full self soon enough.

JEE 2016: Preparation strategies and tips

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is conducting the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main examination on April 3, April 9 and April 10, 2016. The admit cards for the same have been released on the official website of JEE, the link for which is http://jeemain.nic.in/.

Important dates of JEE 2016

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main is conducted to short list candidates seeking admission to undergraduate engineering programmes at NITs, IIITs, other centrally funded technical institutions, institutions funded by participating state governments, and several other Institutions.

The JEE (Main) exam will consist of two papers: Paper I (BE/B.Tech) and Paper II (B.Arch/B.Planning). These papers can be attempted in pen and paper mode or on-line mode. These shall be held for a duration of three hours each.

The paper pattern in detail

Being one of the toughest engineering entrance examinations in the country, the JEE requires a thorough preparation. Students from all over the country spend hours preparing for this exam. Time management and strategy are two important aspects, which need to be followed with precision in order to succeed here.

Some preparation guidelines to achieve this objective are mentioned below:

• Plan your time accordingly while solving JEE (Main) papers. In the Mathematics based questions, use short methods for calculations, skip irrelevant steps to save time.

• One should be clear about the concepts and formulas.

• Solve various problems with precision and guidance of your teachers.

• Try to improve your speed and accuracy in order to succeed.

• Practice regularly and avoid using calculators for JEE (Main) preparations. Your mental strength and memory will witness a rapid upsurge in this scenario.

• Try to solve the easier questions first before moving to the tougher sections. Give it your best shot and attempt all the questions.

• A positive outlook and dedication are some other factors one should keep in mind.

Points to keep in mind for Computer Based Testing (CBT) procedure for JEE Main:

• A sequence needs to be followed while completing the questions.

• Students should keep it in mind that they need to practice Mock Test papers for the exam.

• While solving questions, try to click on the right options pertaining to different subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and mathematics. Try to cover various topics before submitting your papers.

Tips for the D-Day:

• Be careful enough to reach the test centre at least 30 minutes before the exam.

• Please ensure to keep the Admit card/Hall ticket with you during the exam.

• Attempt those questions first which don’t carry negative marking. Try to avoid those questions which you aren’t sure about.

• Plan 1 hour for each subject so that all the topics can be covered.

• Do the easier questions first and leave the tougher ones for later on.

• Keep your calm intact and your preparation will help you to ace JEE.

Tips to crack JEE (Advanced) 2016:

• Practice a lot to improve your skills.

• Practice previous years’ IIT-JEE papers and pay special emphasis on various concepts.

• Give a boost to your reasoning and analytical ability by practicing these types of problems.

• Take short breaks during practice sessions. Further, eat and exercise properly to maintain adequate strength and concentration.

• Proper sleep is necessary for rejuvenating your spirits. Don’t lose out on sleep as it can harm your health.

• Maintain your confidence levels, and you will do well in the exam.