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I’m in class X and excel in maths. But I’m also good in art. I’m confused whether to pursue engineering or art as a career. Please advise. Rahul Kelkar, Pune To excel in engineering you need to be strong in physics and chemistry besides mathematics. To qualify for admission into an engineering college, you need to opt for physics, chemistry and maths in Plus Two. On the other hand for admission into a fine arts study programme, you can choose either commerce, arts or science in class XI. Excellence in maths will help you in the art world, especially to become a competent designer. I’m a third year medical student. After graduation, is it advisable to sign up for a postgraduate degree in medicine? Aditya Raman, Chennai An MBBS degree is sufficient to practice as a physician, but a specialised postgrad degree will definitely improve your career prospects. Usually, MBBS graduates practice as general physicians for two-three years before choosing a postgrad specialisation. Popular specialisations are radio-diagnosis, dermatology, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and anaesthesiology. I’ve been working as a senior manager in a multinational company. Now I’m keen to sign up for a one-year executive MBA in the US or UK. Which universities offer this programme? Ravi D’Souza, Panjim The most reputed universities offering executive MBA programmes are the University of Chicago, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Phoenix, Arizona and Northwestern University, Illinois, USA; London School of Business in the UK, and IE Business School in Spain. I will complete my B.Tech (biotech) degree programme in 2015. As I’m deeply interested in teaching and research, I would like to know if I am eligible to write CSIR-NET. Shalini Rao, Bangalore You are eligible to write CSIR-NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Eligibility Test) as the council has revised its eligibility criteria to include candidates with the following degrees: chemical sciences, earth, atmospheric, ocean and planetary sciences; life sciences; mathematical sciences; physical sciences; engineering sciences; B.Sc (Hons); BE/B.Tech; B.Pharm; MBBS; integrated BS-MS and M.Sc. To encourage engineering students to pursue Ph D programmes while teaching, CSIR-NET has introduced a sixth paper in engineering sciences, which is common to all engineering disciplines. The syllabus is uploaded on www.csirhrdg.res.in. I’m planning to study in the US after graduating in 2015. Should I give more importance to the college/university or study programme while making my decision? Neena Desai, Mumbai Universities in the us encourage students to find the right fit between aptitude and study programme. It’s important for students to understand what they want to study and then select universities which offer their preferred subjects. Another important factor is what you want to do after graduation. It helps to deeply research study programmes, departments and universities before beginning the admission process, especially for postgraduate programmes. Too often students become enamoured with big names such as Harvard, MIT etc which may not be the best places for your chosen study programme.  As a student in the UK, am I allowed to work while reading for my degree programme? Prachi…