(What is a better option, diploma after 10th and then a degree in engineering or a degree after completing 12th through entrance exam?)
Ah, the golden question, the Ultimate Question even – what should you do with your life after high school? – or rather, a simpler aspect of the enigmatic question, one without the baggage of existentialist crisis attached to it: What should a student pursue after high school? A Diploma in their subject of choice, or complete Junior College and directly go in for a Degree.
A conundrum which has many permutations and combinations, and sadly (or luckily) there is no right and wrong answer here. Merely a choice, one to guide your future for the next few years. No pressure, right?
Well, here’s some information which could help you make the best decision for yourself, if not necessarily the perfect decision.
To generalize, if you are sure about what you want to do in the future, and by sure I mean undoubtedly, indubitably, 100 percent sure, then the Diploma could be a good option for you. Why? Well, simply because you will directly be entering your field of choice on completion of your schooling, getting more industry experience via internships, as well as detailed knowledge about the field you have decided to be a part of in a bid to understand its nuances better.
Once you are done with your Diploma of 3 years, you will proceed to do your Degree in the same field, and instead of the usual 4 year course, you will be finishing off your course in 3 years. (Note that the time taken to do your Diploma and Degree equals to 6 years in total, and the time taken to do your Junior College followed by your Degree would also equal 6 years, so if you are thinking of doing a Diploma thinking that it will save you a year; don’t do that. It won’t).
A combination of a Diploma and a Degree will sink you into the field directly, and you will arguably have more information and knowledge about it than someone who has done a Degree only after their Junior College, supposedly giving you a head-start and placing you in a better position once it is time to get a job.
Of course, most people at that age are unsure about their aim in life, their passion, their true calling, and so chasing after a Diploma instead of experimenting with different fields in Junior College could lead to potentially disastrous consequences if you suddenly decide that say Engineering isn’t for you, and you want to do something in the Arts field.
In such a case, it is always better to follow the usual tried and tested routine of Junior College followed by a Bachelors in your field of choice. Hopefully those two years in JC will suffice in helping you decide on what you want to pursue, and enable you to take the proper steps in the right direction to pursue it.
To that end, I would suggest a Degree after 12th would be much better than doing a Diploma immediately after 10th, after all, it is better to research, experience and experiment at a young age than be stuck in a field because of a decision made on incomplete information, which could lead you to hate your field if it doesn’t turn out to be all that you thought it was.
You are young. Study, experiment, experience, and understand what passion calls to you. Make sure it is the phoenix’s melodious song which draws you towards it, and not the seductive, but ultimately dangerous howl of the werewolf, waiting to pounce on you.
