Fr Manipadam Provincial delegate for Don Bosco Youth Services, Calcutta

Q: I am a student of Class XI (science). My English writing skills are very poor, though I take keen interest in it. I am from a middle class background. What should I take up as my career?

Name withheld

A: If you are not good in English, you are unlikely to do well in areas like journalism, law or communication, which require language skills. But as you are a science student, there are a lot of other areas like engineering and medicine that you could go for. However, you need to be good in subjects like maths, physics, chemistry and biology. Or if you have a computer combination, you can go in for computer engineering or any other area of studies related to information technology. It will all depend on how good you are in science and maths.

Q: I am pursuing maths honours and will be sitting for my second year university exams next year. What should I do after college?

A. Poddar

A: After maths honours, you can continue to pursue masters in maths or go for a specialisation in actuarial science. You can try for an MCA if you are good with computers. Depending on your proficiency, you can specialise in networking or systems. You can be a mathematician or specialise in software development or become a systems analyst. Another area that’s open for you is the insurance sector. You can also do a specialisation in insurance and risk management.