Day: November 10, 2021

Things to do after BA in English Literature

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

BA in English Literature is an undergraduate course that is opted for following the completion of the 10+2 formal schooling. Do you have a knack for analysing poetry or writing one? Are you keen about learning the history and evolution of different forms of arts and literature? Then a BA in English Literature was an ideal choice for your graduation. Many great inventions today across different fields such as astronomy, engineering and medicine are influenced by ancient literature and several art forms. 

For example, Nicolaus Copernicus’ book “The revolutions of the celestial spheres” popularised the heliocentric theory that proposed the sun as the centre of the universe. With the majority of students opting for medical, engineering or legal degrees, Bachelor of Arts as a degree course is often undermined. There are a lot of common misconceptions and stigmas surrounding this graduation course. 

  • Students studying BA in English Literature are assumed to lackluster in studies. 
  • It is a course often idealised as suitable for women. 
  • Students opting for BA in English LIterature can only become a teacher or professor. 

Many students graduate in English Literature as they are passionate about what the course has to offer. Although women are the majority among English Literature graduates, Men also specialise in this field and go on to pursue post graduation alongside women. 

As we have debunked some of the misconceptions and stigmas surrounding BA in English Literature, let us look at the doors of opportunities this course leads us to. 

Courses to take up after BA In English Literature

BA in English Literature is a three year graduation course that familiarises you with the evolution of English language and its literature through plays, different forms of poems, novels and theatre. Its curriculum consists of literary analysis, literary criticism and communication skills. Graduating in English Literature qualifies you for several job opportunities and higher studies. 

For further specialisation or better job opportunities, doing a Masters course following BA in English Literature might be an ideal choice. 

Here are the following courses you can consider following your graduation in English Literature. 

Master of Arts in Communication

Photo by Terje Sollie on Pexels.com

MA in Communication is a postgraduate program for the duration of 2 years which equips students with information regarding transmitting messages and principles of communication. 

This masters course prepares its candidates for professions such as film directors, producers, screenwriters, journalists, public relations officers, and other professional careers. 

Eligibility

  • Minimum requirement for admission to MA in Communication is a Bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized university. 
  • Students must have secured 50% in their bachelor’s degree course. 
  • Candidates may be required to pass entrance exams conducted by specific colleges or universities. 

Employment Opportunities

Choosing MA in Communication following BA in English Literature can set you up for the following employment roles. 

  1. Television or Film Director 
  2. Content Writer
  3. Event Management
  4. Digital Marketing Expert
  5. Journalist
  6. Public Relations Professionals

Master of Arts in Sociology

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

MA in Sociology is a postgraduate program like MA in Communication. Students keen about social studies, politics and economics can pursue this masters course following BA in English Literature. The MA Sociology curriculum consists of the study of religion and society, political society, Indian society, economy and society, social development, and research in sociology. 

Eligibility

  • Interested candidates must be graduated in any stream of education from a reputed university.
  • Candidates must have scored a minimum of 50% in the undergraduate level. 
  • Some colleges expect students to be a graduate in psychology while the others accept candidates across different streams. 
  • Colleges conduct entrance exams that need to be cleared by the admission seeking candidates. 

Employment Opportunities

MA in Sociology opens doors to an expansive range of career opportunities after your graduation in English Literature. Following are some of the job profiles that might get you interested. 

  1. Counselors
  2. PR Executives
  3. Administrators
  4. Educators
  5. Sociologist
  6. Researcher

Master of Arts in English Literature

Photo by Janko Ferlic on Pexels.com

Nothing seems more appropriate than studying for MA in English Literature post your graduation from BA in English Literature. This post graduation course in English Literature is the study of ancient and modern English literature, consisting of poetry, drama and fiction. Literature in the English language is not only written by English authors from England but also writers from across the world. 

Post graduation in English Literature sets you up for job profiles such as a teacher or a journalist. Candidates interested in writing and translating for agencies can also benefit from this masters course. 

Eligibility

  • Already being a graduate in English Literature, one needs to make sure that he or she has earned upto 50% marks to be qualified for admission. 
  • Your graduation course should be from a recognized university.
  • Admissions can be provided on both merit basis as well as clearance of entrance exams. 

Employment Opportunities

Upon completion of your post graduation course, you will be qualified for the following job profiles. 

  1. English Language Specialist
  2. Translator / Interpreter
  3. English Teacher
  4. English Editor
  5. Junior Parliamentary Reporter

Bachelor of Law (LLB)

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com

Bachelor of Law is a popular choice for higher studies among graduates of English Literature. A degree in LLB familiarises students with environmental law, consumer protection act, arbitration, and insurance law including others. Following the completion of Bachelor in Law, candidates can opt to study LLM (Masters of Law) for further specialisation, practice law after registering with certain agencies or take up careers as legal professionals in public or private sectors. 

Eligibility

  • Students aspiring to study Bachelor of Law must have graduated from a recognized university with an aggregate of 45% in any stream. 
  • Selection for the course is based on the results from entrance exams such as SLAT, CUET, and CLAT. 

Employment Opportunities

Careers after a Bachelor of Law are not confined to courtroom duties involving defending clients. Law graduates today have scope for job profiles in corporate firms, legal agencies, IT firms, and administrative services. Following are some of the job profiles mentioned below.

  1. HR Manager
  2. Legal Advisor
  3. Lawyer
  4. Attorney
  5. Legal Manager

Bachelor of Education

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Graduates who want to begin a career in the field of teaching can further study Bachelor of Education. This post graduation course acquaints the candidates with different learning methods and Pedagogy of a school subject. The course lasts for a duration of 3 to 4 years. 

After the completion of B.Ed, clearing aptitude tests such as TET and CTET will qualify you for teaching in primary and secondary schools. 

Eligibility

  • A bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with 50% aggregate marks.
  • A master’s degree from a recognized university with 50% aggregate marks. 
  • Aspirants for B.Ed must be at least 21 years old, irrespective of their graduation or post graduation. 

Job Profiles

Job profiles for B.Ed graduates are usually related to the field of teaching. One can become a teacher with specialisation in a particular subject or head teacher in a primary or secondary school. 

Happy Learning!

References

Vinayak Kashyap, mycourseguru.in/courses after ba english/

Team Careers360 | Updated on Sep 29, 2021 – 3:32 p.m. IST career360.com/10 best career options to progress with after llb degree/

5 Scientific benefits of dark chocolate consumption

To all the chocolate lovers out there, did you know that consumption of chocolate can be beneficial for your health too? Well, Dark chocolate i.e chocolate containing cocoa solids and cocoa butter sans the milk and butter generally found in milk chocolate has been scientifically proven to provide potential health benefits to humans.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Listed below are 5 benefits of dark Chocolates:

1) Good for skin

The cocoa in dark chocolate contains flavonoids which helps our body to function more effectively. It fights off toxins and stressers and acts as a natural source of anti oxidant that helps in slowing down the ageing process in humans!

2)It is good for heart

Some of the compounds in dark chocolate especially flavanols helps in fighting off high blood pressure and high cholestrol which are the two major risk factors in heart disease. Henceforth, regukar consumption if dark chocolate may lessen the likelihood of a person developing heart diseases.

3) Improves brain function

According to researchers, dark chocolate may improve brain functions and prevent neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. According to a small study held in 2018, reasearchers suggested that the flavanols present in dark chocolate may improve neuroplasticity which is the brain’s ability to reorganise itself in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli.

4) Improves blood sugar levels

Regular consumption of dark chocolate has been found to be helpful in metabolisation of glucose. A study in 2017 in the journal Appetite showed that participants who rarely consumed dark chocolate had higher risks of developing diabetes five years down the road when compared to participants who consume dark chocolate at least once per week.

5) May help with weight loss

Researchers suggest that dark chocolate may play a role in controlling appetite which in turn could help with weight loss. In the books Eat Chocolate, Lose Weight written by neuroscientist Will Clower suggests how eating a bit of dark chocolate before or after meals triggers hormones that signal to the brain you are full. However, proper diet chart and regular exercising should be done to help in successful weight loss.

India and Quality Education – SDG 4

Education is an integral part for the mental development of a human being. Not just education on paper but ‘Quality Education’ which in turn allows the beings to add to the well-being of themselves as well as others without comprising anyone’s needs. Given the importance of quality education in ensuring sustainable growth of the world, one of the sustainable development goals is “Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All” (SDG 4).

Around 11 indicators have been decided by UNDP to ensure Quality Education across countries, which are:

  1. Free Primary and Secondary Education
  2. Equal Access to Quality Pre-Primary Education
  3. Equal Access to Affordable Technical, Vocational and Higher Education
  4. Increase the number of people with relevant skills for financial success
  5. Eliminate all discrimination in education
  6. Universal literacy and numeracy
  7. Education for sustainable development and global citizenship
  8. Build and upgrade inclusive and safe schools – in terms of electricity, toilets (including gender neutral toilets), apt infrastructure for disables, gender inclusive.
  9. Expand higher education scholarships for developing countries – by ensuring the sufficient volume of ‘Official Development Assistance’ flows for scholarships.
  10. Increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing schools
  11. Custodian agencies such as UNDP

The article attempts to throw light on the performance of India in the sphere of Education based on NSSO Education data. It is with no doubt that India has made great strides in this particular aspect but the challenges are always present – which will be taken up in the later section of the article.

As per the data, in 2014, total urban literacy rate stood at 86% (male: 91%; female: 81%) while total rural literacy rate was 71% (male: 80%; female: 61%). The difference between rural and urban male and female literacy rate is quite large. The reasons among many can be lack of initiatives; income-deficit; ingrained favoritism; lack of safe and inclusive schooling etc.

To better understand the Gender-gap/parity, data on Gender-Parity Index (GPI) based on Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER). It has been defined as “the ratio of GER of female students enrolled at Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Levels of education to the corresponding ratio of male students at that level” (ESAG, 2018). During 2015-16, the gender parity stood at 1.03 (Primary); 1.05 (Elementary); 1.01 (Senior-Secondary) to 0.92 (Higher Education). While up to +2 level, gender parity favors females but when it comes to higher education, it favors males. Interestingly, if we focus on the annual dropout rate in school education, 2014-15, it will come to notice that boys dropout percentage is higher in secondary (17.21%) than girls (16.88%).

To get a better grasp of gender equation, the article looks into the teaching section. The data for percentage of teachers who are females, 2014 speaks that the percentage is less than 50 at all levels – with dropping percentage as we move from Primary (49.49%), Secondary (43.21%) to Tertiary (39.03%).

Evaluation of reasons for dropout among both males and females as per NSSO brings out – for males, engagement in economic activities has been vetoed as the major reason while for females, reasons such as engagement in domestic activities followed by marriage stand out. The distance between home and school has also been one of the reasons of dropout among females.

Another set of data released by UNESCO as part of the realization of SDG 4 – ‘State of the Education Report: No Teacher, No Class’ for India, 2021 can be used as reference to right the wrongs, fill in the holes in the education scenario of the country. The report points out that there is shortage of 11.6 lakh teachers and about 1.2 lakh are single-teacher school, with 89% being in rural areas. However, in the private sector, the pupil teacher ratio increased from 21% in 2013-14 to 35% in 2018-19. With variation among states, the national average for percentage of females employed stands at 50.

The pandemic has only thrown obstacles testing the efficiency of the country in this sphere. As the world and its works shifted online, this country and sector did too. The shifting to online classes has led to many dropouts, leading to a break in the education of many pupils. When it comes to teaching, the country has faced certain inadequacy in the percentage of trained government school teacher – to use and teach using electronical devises. The Hindu (2021) reports that only 15% of government school teachers were trained and about 31% in private school.

However, when the world was still in offline mode and so the sector – various government schemes had benefitted the children. In this era of everything being online – government need to come up with new schemes focusing towards digital India, co-operating with various grassroot levels can be quite helpful in percolating the benefits to lower levels.

Image Credit: Google