Career counselling: questions and answers

Q1: Dear Mr Abidi, I have recently completed my FSc Pre-Engineering with 70% marks and I am currently preparing for IELTS. I am interested in applying for relevant courses in the UK. With these grades, will I be eligible to apply for bachelors’ direct entry in the UK? Please guide.

(Rehan Sarwar, Lahore)

Ans: Dear Rehan, your score is also pretty good, which is the basic requirement for study in the UK. However, please note that the direct entry requirement for bachelors in the UK is 13 years of education with an IELTS no less than 6 band. With your credentials, you can apply for a Foundation programme that leads to admission in a UG degree programme in the UK.

Q2: Dear sir, I am currently studying in A Levels (A2) and my subjects are Business Studies, Computer and Mathematics. I also have a good extracurricular profile.

Can you please suggest some universities in Pakistan I should apply to which would also consider my extracurriculars along with my academic grades.

(Muhammad Qasim, Islamabad)

Ans: Dear Qasim, your subject combination is really well thought-out and your extracurricular profile (as you say) is like cherry on top. If you finish your A Levels with good grades such as A’s and A*s and a SAT score above 1450, you’ll be an ideal candidate for LUMS, LSE and NUST in many programmes that align with your subjects.

Q3: Dear sir, I have done bachelors in Mass Communication, and I have recently married. Because of my busy house routine, I can’t go out and work.

Can you guide me about the ways I can use my education to make some money while working from home?

(Anoosh Ibrahim, Karachi)

Ans: Dear Anoosh, it’s always nice to hear that housewives like you want their education to empower themselves financially.

Mass Communication is a degree with a variety of career options such as Social Media Marketing, Content Writing/Creation, and Talent Acquisition Hunt, and luckily for you, all these are mainly remote jobs.

Q4: Dear Mr Abidi, I have recently completed my Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). I want to know your opinion on whether I should do my master’s right away or should I first gain experience in the field before masters?

(Anabiya Ilyas, Faisalabad)

Ans: Dear Anabiya, Doctor of Physical/Physio Therapy is a very well-regarded field of study. As important as it is to continue upgrading one’s education, DPT is a field of study that requires an individual to have hands-on experience. So, it’s only wise to first gain some experience in the field, either by interning at a hospital or by employment. Research shows that universities prefer students for master’s who have prior work experience in this field of study.

(Syed Azhar Husnain Abidi is a renowned educationist in Pakistan, with more than 20 years of experience as provider of education counselling services. He has represented Pakistan in over 100 national and international seminars, conferences and fora. He is a recipient of the most coveted civil award Tamgha-e-Imtiaz).