My Science School

 

Whenever I go to a party with friends, I come home and cook up a story. But my parents don’t believe a word of it. Now, my brother tells the same tales, they believe him. This infuriates me. Why do they believe the tales of one son and not the other? I feel very small when they treat me like this.

Remember you will gain respect and regard when you speak the truth with others whether they are your parents, friends or relatives. Truth always makes others feel good about you. Going for parties is not wrong but going for them without your parents’ consent and later lying to them not just makes you feel bad but also makes you think they are not on your side or appreciating you. With regard to your parents, you can always directly ask them why they believe your brother and not you. Their reply will enlighten you regarding their behavior.

 

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I get bullied very easily. Nowadays, I have stopped talking to a good friend of mine because of pressure from another friend. I am feeling very bad about cutting off from this good friend. But if I start talking to her, my other friend will be very upset. How do I keep both the friends happy at the same time? I do not want to antagonize either of the two.

You are highly susceptible and don’t have confidence in your own decisions. This tendency to cling to someone to get his or her favor is an indication of lack of confidence. In this case that you have cried, all you have to do is start talking with your friend even if the first friend gets a little disappointed. That is, if you want to talk to her, do so. When you do things you want and what you think is right, others will begin to respect you for the same. But if you succumb to pressure from others to do things their way you will never be happy within. You can keep both your friends happy by beginning to talk with your friend and bringing her over to the other friend also. All three of you, I am sure, have lots in common, which you can share.

 

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I am a student of class IX. My problem is shyness. I am not able to give an answer even if I know it. I also suffer from stage fright. I am not bold and courageous. My father insists that I participate in competitions. I feel that I will not be able to speak on the stage. Please help me. I feel miserable that I will not succeed in life if I do not overcome my shyness.

Since you are aware that you are shy and have stage fright, you should also understand that this shyness would disappear if you have confidence in yourself. The fear that may fail when you are on the stage makes you afraid of the stage. Similarly the fear that you may not come up to others’ expectations and the anxiety that others would think negatively of you makes you shy. This can be overcome if you start thinking positively and take up such tasks, which you can complete successfully. If someone gives you work, complete it as well as you can and take pride in what you have achieved. Even complex tasks can be successfully accomplished if you spend time thinking how best you can complete it. Think of the different ways in which you can solve the problem and choose the best out of them. This way you will gain confidence in yourself and the fear of having to bear criticism will also disappear. You can thus overcome your shyness. In addition you can do breathing exercises for about three or four minutes just before you take up a task or just before going on stage for some programme.

 

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I think the most promising area is e-commerce. All those courses that require heavy input of information technology will gain ground. Commerce is done more and more with the use of IT. Basics may remain the same but there will be a lot of infusion of the technological aspects.

Let me add here that commerce by itself is not a very distinct discipline. It’s an amalgam of several things. In fact it’s multi-disciplinary. Commerce has become popular precisely because it has multi-disciplinary content. In commerce we teach English, we teach political science, history and economics.

 

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This saying is surely based on the scientific facts. In the morning our basal metabolism is at its peak and so are our requirements. As the day progresses the requirements decline and by the night our requirements reach the lowest ebb with decrease in the physical activities. Things eaten in abundance at this fag end of the day won’t be utilised fully, leading to a sensation of bloating of tummy. Or else it would get deposited as fat, leading to obesity. Therefore never leave for school/college without having breakfast.

 

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It only helps in the initial stages of preparation since most of the good books are published in English. But if the person has the capacity of converting it into his own language then it’s not a problem. But I have taught a lot of students from states like Bihar, and within three to four months they are tuned to English. They should have conviction in their own intellectual strength. English is a barrier that can be easily overcome.

 

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It’s a very popular and glamorous notion that one should concentrate on physics and maths, but you will be surprised to know that the paper which makes a student pass or fail JEE is chemistry. The logic behind this is very simple. In chemistry there is a limit beyond which you cannot complicate the problem. But in maths and physics there is no limit. Students are known to score 70-80 per cent in chemistry. But getting more than 40-50 per cent in maths and physics is very difficult. I have never known a student who has passed the JEE exam by doing badly in chemistry. Similarly, I have not known many students who have not cleared JEE by doing very well in chemistry.

 

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Marks are not a criterion. Students who got 99 in school may also not get through. But an honest student can surely put some questions to himself: Am I the type who tries to locate whether I have seen this type of question or not. Does it fit into the familiar case or not. If there is some unfamiliarity, does that make me uncomfortable. Am I always looking for formats? If so, you will also find it difficult. This category of students will find it very difficult. It’s a matter of how much you love the subjects.

 

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They are pre-occupied with formulae and equations. A times they don’t even know what is to be done with the questions. They tend to confuse. The problem at first seems to be one based on equation A but it may be of type B.

 

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That’s not far from the truth. But one thing is clear, it’s a tremendously educating and enjoyable experience. It will enrich your soul. Unlike many other exams, the preparation uplifts your soul. Yes, you do burn the midnight oil, but then the oil burns and gives you energy. This is a process which is tremendously educating. It uplifts your soul. I am talking the words I have lived myself. You will be a tremendously enriched person after two years of preparation of JEE. Passing and failing becomes a by-product.

Forget the passing and failing – if you are better off intellectually, the process would be worth it. You are preparing for IIT-JEE when you are 16-17. This s the time when one peaks in intellectual growth. At that point of time, the preparation inculcates in you the methodology of looking at things differently. That capability will remain with you throughout life.

I have come cross students who prepared for IIT intensely, could not get through, joined a regional college and still excelled in their professions. What are you going to lose? Some money, maybe. Some prime time, yes. But the intellectual gains are tremendous, which no process after 18 will help you gain.

 

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Yes, there is no need to prepare separately. In Mains, the problem would be based on one concept and not involve much mathematical work. In the JEE Advance exam, you will be presented with a combination of problems. But then the concepts would remain the same.

 

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They look for students who have not confined themselves to the regular information, but have gone deeper. It is not just about textbooks. You have to go through more books and absorb what all you would have read. Someone might clear the examinations by reading one book and someone else might go through 10 books and still come a cropper. How you handle the book is more important than how many books you would have handled.

 

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I am in the habit of telling my students that the only certain aspect of the examination is its uncertainty. The entire philosophy of the JEE paper is, let the student face a situation he has never been through before. They ask the kind of questions that’s not often asked, and they might increase the duration of the examination or reduce it. How effectively a student handles these aspects will determine the final outcome. This is one aspect you must bear in mind even as you decide to prepare for the exam. The right strategy would then be to gain a deep understanding of the subjects. The fundamentals should be clear. Try to convert the information into knowledge. In doing so you would have to go beyond working out the formulae and concepts an definitions and get to three level, such as:

1. What happens when a particular law is applied.


2. How to handle a situation where-in four laws are put together.


3. How to convert numerical or applied case into theory.

You would have to ask what you learnt while solving the problems. You will be amazed to find that there might be 10,000 problems, but all of them boil down to 10 or 11 key solutions. Make every problem an educational experience.

By strategy, if you mean joining a coaching institute, yes definitely, it helps to learn from a person  who has live with the subjects for 10 years. But just keep in mind that the questions themselves might not come in the examination.

 

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There are two parts to your question. Ideally, students should start preparing from class IX itself. Not that you should be thinking of IIT itself, but you should try to go deeper into whatever subject you are studying at that point of time. In class X one tends to think of scoring marks. But in class IX, that’s not the case. So you could devote time at that stage to gain a deeper understanding of the subjects. Some help from the teachers may be required, say in answering questions like ‘Why am I learning what I am learning’. Can I go beyond that? But if even if you hadn’t started the preparations in class IX, don’t think that your purpose is defeated. The moment you finish class X examinations get started with the preparations for JEE.

 

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I am studying in class XI. I have opted for non-medical science subjects with a certain objective. I want to be an astronaut or a space scientist and join NASA at any cost. But I don’t have adequate awareness about this field. Can I join IIT in aeronautical engineering, instead of BTech or MTech? I don’t even know which exam to take after class XII to achieve my aim. Should I appear for IIT or BTech? And, do I have to do PhD after IIT? Do I have to appear for any national or international exam for NASA? Which books should I study?

While NASA would be the dream destination of every student interested in space science and astronomy, a graduation in aeronautical engineering or any other related subject does not naturally mean that each and every student will get a place at NASA. It’s a long way to the portals of NASA.

As a science student, you can start your space odyssey by reading literature related to space – magazines, books and websites. Try to take part in every competition and event possibly related to space. Visit the planetarium in your city or nearest to your city. Make your interest in space evident to the authorities and ask them for a calendar of events, so that you get a chance to interact with an authority in this field who might be visiting that planetarium.

By making your interest obvious, your teachers will remember you when the right opportunity strikes. For example, in case of Kalpana Chawla’s alma mater in Karnal, bright students are asked to write an essay on a space-related topic and selections are made for a month-long visit to NASA on the basis of that essay.

In the case of Satvik Agarwal, he spotted an advertisement for the Mars mission in a newspaper, and followed it up on the website. So you see, you have to keep your eyes open and look out for information on all forums.

Why just NASA, at this stage you should be open to any learning programme that a planetarium, science society, university, European space research organisation or our own ISRO, might be inviting you to.

After graduation you could go for a post-graduate course to he US and get into the US mode. Join a university/institute of good standing and take up research work. That is one way of your name becoming familiar in NASA circles. Or else, do your post-graduation, and then, if possible, a PhD in India, and join an organisation of repute ( if possible, ISRO). NASA usually invites scientists on deputation or on full-time basis.

But you should have it clear in mind that being part of NASA does not necessarily mean being part of a space crew. Also keep in mind that being a space scientist does not necessarily mean that you will land in NASA. Other prestigious space organisations are also doing ambitious work. Would you say that ISRO, or the European Space Agency, that recently sent Beagle 2 to Mars, are not prestigious places to work?

You seem to be confused about BTech and IIT. The undergraduate programme in engineering offered by Indian Institute of Technology is called Bachelor of Technology (BTech). Aeronautical engineering is one of the courses offered at the BTech level. So, do not think that if you are doing BTech you cannot join an IIT or do aeronautical engineering. Also, BTech in aeronautical engineering can be done at other prestigious engineering colleges too. And no, there is nothing like an annual written exam for NASA, like IIT-JEE for IIT.

 

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