If you are one of those students who has passed the 10th or 12th standard board exams and opted for science, congratulations!
While some of you may have opted for science because you are interested in the subjects the stream has to offer, others may have opted for science because you want to avoid the subjects arts and commerce have to offer, and yet others may have opted for science because their parents asked them to pick this stream.
Whatever be the case, you have picked a stream that has great potential. It’s a stream that allows you to change career paths easily should you wish to in the future. Of course, it’s too soon to think about the rest of your life just yet.
Are you still wondering: 12th ke baad kya kare science student? Well, you could pursue a BSc (science) degree next or if you want something more specialised then, you could opt for BTech (engineering), BArch (architecture) or MBBS (medicine) degree.
The beauty of being a science student though, is that you can still pursue a BA (humanities), BA LLB (law), BFA (fine arts) or even a BJM (journalism) degree if you so wish to.
Then, how do you decide which one to go for, eventually? The answer is internships. Internships are a great way to gain the reality check you need about pursuing a particular career path professionally.
What exactly are internships? It refers to “the position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.”
By exploring an internship that is related to your interests, you can make an informed decision about what to pursue post the 12th standard board exams.
There is a common misconception that internships are not meant for school students. Yes, generally, internships for college students are more widely-known, but you shouldn’t let that stop you if you are a school student.
We will look at five broad categories of internships science students can pursue in this YKA blog:
- Teaching
- Research and data analytics
- Animation and design
- Sales and marketing
- Working for a cause
Teaching
A lot of coaching and tuition centres, even individual students need teachers who can help them beyond the classroom setting. You can try to teach in schools near you, too. Look for leads near where you put up so you can cut down on travelling. Online classes are booming too, nowadays.
If you are someone who is good at subjects like biology, physics or chemistry, and you enjoy teaching, you can give this a shot. As long as you’re academically thorough, you can take up such a position.
Not only will this allow you to revise the basics of your favourite subject(s), it will also give you insight into what teaching is like. What’s more, if you are planning to appear for competitive exams later, it’s always a good idea to brush up on the basics.
Research And Data Analytics
Do you know what data science is? “Data science is a multidisciplinary field focused on finding actionable insights from a large set of raw and structural data.”
Data analytics, on the other hand, is focused on processing and performing statistical analysis of existing datasets.
If numbers, patterns and big data analytics excite you, then you should look at interning with organizations that work with data. Did you know that it’s among the most sough-after career fields in India currently?
Research to do with data is not the only kind of research internship out there though. Besides academic research, there are a lot of new-age opportunities such as robotics and astrophysics.
For example, you could try writing to a professor of astrophysics to express your interest in the field and figure out how you can assist them in their work.
These are emerging fields with a lot of potential. Based on your interests, you can try your hand at something completely out of the box, too. Don’t hold yourself back!
Even if you want to try something more convention, keep your eyes peeled for internships and the like offered by reputed universities. For e.g. the Narendra summer internship program in the field of computer science offered by the IISc (Indian Institute of Science), in Bengaluru. It comes with a stipend of ₹10,000 per month.
Animation And Design
For the more artistically inclined, you may want to place your bets on an internship to do with animation and/or design. You will get to work closely with experienced artists, animators and designers.
Not only will it allow you to hone your technical craft, it will also help you to improve your storytelling abilities, based on the exact nature of your position and the work responsibilities that come with it, of course.
Developing a story, designing and animating characters—if this sounds like fun and something you want to do more of, become a design and/or animation intern. Many firms offer summer internships so look for something that fits your bill and get started!
Sales And Marketing
If you are thinking about pursuing a BBA or an MBA later, chances are you are looking at a career in management. A sales and marketing internship can help you decide if that is the right career path for you.
What is sales and marketing? As an intern, your main role will be to persuade selective clients to give your company a shot i.e., the product or service it is known for.
Such an internship will help you work on your people skills (communication, team management, negotiation and the most important of them all, according to me: building interpersonal relationships).
Working For A Cause
If you are someone who is passionate about a particular issue, then working for an NGO which works for a cause close to your heart, might be the right door to knock on.
Be it animal welfare, public health or climate change, there are several, credible organisations working hard to improve the lives of the vulnerable around us.
For instance, if you are passionate about youth education and good at documentation, you could consider applying to this edtech internship by Pratham.
Not only will an internship with such an organisation help you refine your understanding of the cause you believe in, it is bound to be a soul-satisfying experience, too, because you will leave with the feeling of having contributed to something you care about!