What are the best courses to take after 12th?

The best way to decide which course to take after 12th is to research. The first step in this process should be to think about you, what do you want to do, what are you passionate about and where do you want to see yourself in 30 years. Think about these questions, slowly, do not rush as the decision you take will decide what your life will look like down the line. 

GET TO KNOW THE COURSE :

After you have found out what you want to be and what you are passionate about, the next step will be to find out what you’re getting into, you will need to learn about what your life will be like while studying the course, it’s subjects, it’s intensity etc. There are many ways to get information regarding this. 

• You can ask relatives, friends and neighbours who have studied or are studying such courses. 
• In today’s world, anything and everything is available on the internet, there are forums and groups where you can ask questions regarding the course. 
• You can also ask a professional career consultant, these are people who are very knowledgeable when it comes to the different types of careers available and the people who are suitable for it. 

 

FUTURE SCOPE OF THE COURSE :
Another major factor that you must take into consideration before joining a course is the scope of the course. Will getting a job be easy? Are there good jobs available in your country/state or will you have to move abroad? Is the job a well paying job? Things like these are really important when it comes to your overall happiness in that career. 

Some of the most popular courses are :

Engineering: Anything that is built must first be engineered. An engineer is a person who designs and builds complex machines, systems, or structures. Engineers want to know how and why things work. They fix problems. If this is something that you want to do then engineering is the right course for you.There are a lot of engineering colleges in India and more than 10 lakh students aspire to be engineers. To make the process of admissions more efficient, many reputed colleges have an entrance test that one must pass to get admission. One such entrance exam is the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE). This exam is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for admission into the numerous engineering colleges in India. It is divided into two stages, JEE Mains and JEE Advanced. The students/aspirants who pass the JEE Mains are eligible for admissions in all the engineering colleges of India but only the students who pass the JEE Advanced stage are eligible for admission into the IITs  (the top most college when it comes to engineering in India). There are also other entrance exams like BITSAT For BITS Pilani, SRMJEE for SRM Chennai, VITEEE for VIT University Vellore etc. 

 

As an engineering aspirant, you have the choice on a number of engineering fields like :

• Mechanical Engineering: As a mechanical engineer your tasks would involve the design, testing and optimization of mechanical systems. If you like tinkering/fiddling with mechanical objects and like finding new innovative solutions to problems then this is the perfect field for you. 
• Electric/Electronic Engineering: Design of electronic systems at both large scale (Production and transport of electricity) and small scale (electronics of semiconductors and other electronic appliances). If you are interested in knowing more about how these systems work then this is the right field for you. 
• Computer Engineering: This field deals with computer hardware and software. If you are interested in the design of computer components and making software that helps solve problems then this is ideal for you. 
• Civic Engineering : Ideal for those who are interested in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings. 
• Chemical Engineering: Deals with chemicals and the manufacturing of new useful chemical substances. 
• Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering : The field deals with everything related to aircraft, their design, manufacture, technology etc. If you are curious about how aircraft work and how flight in general works then this is right up your ally. 

Apart from the above fields there are other new and upcoming fields in engineering like Environmental Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Biomedical Engineering etc. 

Medicine : Another popular field after 12th that students opt for is Medicine, this includes Doctors (with various specializations), Pharmacists, Nurses etc. To be a doctor in India you need to complete the 5-year graduation course called MBBS. You can do it by applying to any medical college, most colleges have an entrance exam that you have to score well in to get selected. NEET is the most popular exam. NEET is conducted by the National Testing Agency.

 

If you are really fascinated by biology and the human body (or the animal body for that matter), then medicine would be the right path to choose. As a doctor, you will get to learn all about how the body works and help solve patients problems. 

 

Commerce : For a commerce student the most sought after course is Chartered Accountant. As a chartered accountant you will responsible for 

1. Manage financial systems and budgets
2. Undertake financial audits (an independent check of an organisation's financial position)
3. Provide financial advice
4. Perform tests to check financial information and systems
5. Produce reports and recommendations following internal audits or public-sector audits 
6. and much more.

To become a CA you will have to write 3 exams (CA Foundation  - CA Intermediate - CA Finals) along with a 3-year internship. CA Foundation is the first step to become a CA after 12th, after passing CA Foundation you will have to pass the CA Intermediate (which is divided into two groups) and after that CA Finals (which is also divided into two groups), before writing the 2nd group of CA Finals you are required to do a 3-year internship.

 

Then there’s ACCA. ACCA stands for Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. It is the global body that provides Chartered Certified Accountant qualification. They differ in the sense that ACCA is a paper wise exam while CA is not, in CA you are required to write all the papers of the required group at once while in ACCA you can write any number of papers in a single attempt, thus ACCA is more flexible compared to CA. They also differ by scope of job, an ACCA can get you a job anywhere internationally but in India, CA’s are prefered more. There are many other differences, click here for more info. 

 

You will have to pass two stages to get accredited with an ACCA qualification. 

1. Fundamental Stage, which is further divided into two parts, Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills. 
2. Professional Stage. 

You are also required to complete 3 years of practical training. 

 

We also have Certified Management Accountant (CMA). There are two types of CMA certification, CMA India and CMA US. 

 

CMA India: This course is offered by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI).The CMA is an advanced professional certification specifically designed to measure the critical accounting and financial management skills. This is especially relevant for success in a business environment. It is aimed at students who wish to pursue in the area of cost management accounting. Obtaining a CMA certification opens up an array of career opportunities. In fields such as financial manager, financial analyst, analyzer, controller, cost accountant, cost manager etc.

Just like for CA, CMA also has three stages : Foundation - Intermediate - Finals.

 

CMA USA : The CMA (US) is also a highly respected certification awarded by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). This is a US-based worldwide association for accountants and financial professionals working in business. Both CMA India and CMA USA cover the same field but if you plan to go abroad then CMA US is better as it is a globally recognized course whereas if you plan to stay in India then CMA India is better. Now, this doesn’t mean a CMA US certified person cannot get a job in India, they can but one is prefered over the other depending on the location. Some key responsibilities and decision analysis areas that will be assigned to CMAs are:

• Pricing Decision
• Cost Management
• Budgeting & Forecasting
• Raising Capital
• Investment decision
• Financial Analysis

The CMA (US) Exam is divided into two part, 

1. Part I - Financial Reporting, Planning, Performance and Control

2. Part II - Financial Decision Making

It is important to have a strong acumen in finance related subjects to ace the exams.

Another popular field that commerce students opt for is Company Secretary (CS). A Company Secretary is responsible for the administration of the company. It deals with the legal activities of any business. They must communicate and register the shareholders of the company. They need to make sure that the dividends are paid and records of the same have to be maintained. It’s a job that not only provides high levels of job satisfaction but also financially rewarding. There are three stages to become a CS : Foundation - Executive - Professional 

 

Then there are also courses like B.Com, BBA, Economics etc. Something to keep in mind is students who pursued commerce without maths might not be eligible for some courses. 

 

Arts : The arts field has a wide variety of courses to choose from. Some of the courses to choose from after Arts are : 

1. Mass Communication
2. Journalism
3. Advertising 
4. Interior designing
5. Graphics designing
6. Psychology
7. Sociology
8. History
9. Fashion designing
10. Photography
11. Linguistic studies
12. Religious studies
13. Art restoration
14. Foreign languages
15. Filmmaking
16. Art history and other such related fields.

 

So, in conclusion, there are tons of courses to choose from and it might seem tough to choose the right one but with proper research you can make that easy. Just think about what you want to do, research about it and ask for friends and family who are working in your desired field. Doing this will ensure that you have all the required information that’ll help you come to a good decision.