Kolkata :
While last year it was microbiology, this year English, physics and economics seem to be the toast of the season among undergraduate applicants. Studying these subjects increases possibilities of bagging a job after completing the three-year graduation course and also opens up avenues for higher studies.
Students applying in St Xavier’s College has always had four favourites — BCom (honours and general), English, BBA and economics. “These have been the most preferred choices among applicants over the past few years. I believe the reason is high probability of placement and the excellent reputation of the college,” said principal Felix Raj.
He added: “In BCom, we are the best in the country. There is a lot of scope for higher studies for those who opt for these four subjects. The teaching faculties in these departments are also excellent. Syllabus modification has also attracted a lot of applicants over the last few years.”
St Xavier’s is introducing a new campus at Raghavpur in South 24-Parganas, around 20km from the city, from this academic session. “We will offer for the first time BCom honours, Bengali honours and BA general courses on our new campus and the medium of instruction will be Bengali. We have 50 seats in each department,” added Raj.
Sheuli Sarkar, principal of Lady Brabourne College, said: “The highest number of forms in our college is taken for English. Almost 1,100 students appear for the admission test while the total number of applicants is more than 1,500. Among other in-demand subjects are sociology, microbiology, zoology, chemistry and physics. This year, too, we are expecting a high number of applicants in English. I feel the reason of its high popularity is the possibility of bagging jobs after graduation. Moreover, the reputation of Lady Brabourne College is high for teaching the subject very well.”
At Scottish Church College, English attracts the highest number of applicants. Principal J Abraham feels the trend will continue this year, too. “We don’t offer geography, which is, of course, one of the most popular subjects in several colleges. Usually English is the top scorer. Last year we had 4,838 applicants for 65 seats. Scottish Church College is very popular for English and the faculty is excellent. The teaching is mostly done in English. Many students prefer it because it helps them while getting jobs,” the principal said.
“NAAC has awarded us ‘A’ grade and the ‘college with potential for excellence’ status has helped us get a high number of applicants. In terms of demand, English will be followed by chemistry and physics along with zoology. We have the best faculty among colleges affiliated to Calcutta University since laboratory facilities for all science departments are up-to-date,” he added.
At Presidency University, English has always been one of the preferred choices, followed by physics and economics. “This year, too, we are expecting to see similar preferences from applicants. In humanities, the subject that offers the easiest opportunity to grab a job is English. Apart from that, English has always been very popular in Presidency because of the excellent faculty. Every year, more than 1,000 students take the admission test for 32 seats available. Though the numbers of applications are almost the same, physics comes a little lower on the demand chart as compared to the first two subjects,” said an official at Presidency.
Physics is the most wanted subject in Asutosh College, followed by zoology, English, microbiology, journalism and biochemistry. “Students coming to study science subjects have a very good opportunity to score high marks due to excellent laboratory infrastructure and faculty. Moreover, the possibility of getting a job goes up. English, however, has always remained a favourite over the years,” said principal Dipak Kar.
In Sarojini Naidu College for Women, geography seems to be ahead on the popularity chart. “None of the colleges around Dum Dum offers the subject and hence the craze among students. Last year we had held admission test in English. This year, it won’t be possible. English remained one of the most preferred subjects until geography was introduced,” said Urmila Ukil, principal of the college. She added: “Our hostel accommodation is an added benefit.”
Jadavpur University’s application for introduction of geography from this year is still pending. “English, followed by economics and international relations, has the highest number of applicants every year,” said dean of arts, Rajat Acharya.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Education> News / TNN / June 05th, 2014