Settling Down in College

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:27 / comment : 0 CAREER ADVICE

Settling Down in College

If you have completed your 10+2 with Science, you were probably aspiring for a seat in a “professional course”. When your friends from Commerce and Arts were relaxing after the final PUC exams, you were slogging away to appear for IITJEE, AIEEE or CET exams. When the CET results came, and if your merit ranking was not very high, you went through the suspense of whether you will get a seat in a good college. The counselling process took its own sweet time, and you finally managed to get a seat allotted, either in a college of your choice, or by compromising for some other. The journey of becoming an engineer has now begun.
As soon as you start your course, you realize that things are completely different as compared to PUC or CBSE or ISC, whichever stream you came from. And you know that you now have four years to struggle before you can call yourself a qualified engineer (i.e. if you are not one of the unlucky ones who lose a year or two). Since this is a crucial phase of your life, which is going to prepare you for your future as a professional, it is essential that you need to prepare and adapt yourself suitably. Here are some practical tips

COLLEGE AND ITS ENVIRONS

The engineering college inevitably has a different atmosphere, since the teachers, labs and the facilities are quite unique. Get yourself familiarized with the entire campus, explore every nook and corner, visit the other departments, introduce yourself to each teaching and non-teaching staff member. Get acquainted with not only the rules and regulations, but also the unwritten rules and norms that are expected to be followed.
Find out also about the extra-curricular activities and see where you fit in. It is essential that you give yourself an all-round development. Make yourself self-reliant in terms of all the day to day needs, and start using the library. The faster you make yourself familiar with each aspect of the campus, the smoother your stay for the next four years is going to be.

HOSTEL

If you are living in a hostel or a PG accommodation away from home, particularly if you have left your family for the first time, be prepared for facing some amount of loneliness and depression. Try and get comfortable with the food, find out alternative foods available so that once in a while you can have a change. Try to make a habit of managing your clothes, inculcate the discipline needed to get through the morning routine, and find ways and means of developing friends so that you don’t feel homesick.

PEERS AND FRIENDS

Make friends with as many as possible, not just from your own class or section. Do not make the mistake of getting identified with one “gang” in the initial stages. However interesting they may seem, keep away from the frivolous ones who believe in enjoying life at the cost of academics. Don’t feel bad if you cannot maintain the life standard of some of the richer ones, particularly those who flaunt mobile phones or motorbikes. These are very minor aspects of life, and you will soon get over the craze.

ACADEMICS

After your tenth standard, you had no board exam for two years, and you have probably got tuned to studying only for the “final” exam. In a professional course, every semester has an exam whose weightage is equal to all other semesters. Your final grade will be an average of all the semesters. Hence get into the habit of studying for each semester without delay. Be aware of the subjects you are finding difficult, and seek help in them if necessary.
Talk to seniors and teachers and find out about the subjects you will be studying in the subsequent semesters, so that you feel connected to the course you have taken up. Start looking up data about the industry you will be joining. The more you know about your future, the more interesting your studies will appear to you. Identify teachers who are not only knowledgeable but also interested in students, and you will find that you can learn a lot from them outside the classroom.

DOUBTS

If for any reason you are confused or doubting whether you have landed up in the wrong place, do a quick analysis without getting too sentimental about it. Try to pinpoint what exactly is causing you the distress. If it is homesickness, remind yourself that it will not last long. If it is fear of some new subjects, you can always put in some extra effort and get familiarized with them. If it is a major doubt like whether you have done the right thing in taking up engineering at all, then do introspect, discuss with your parents and if possible with a career counsellor, and find out whether you would like to continue. In this aspect keep in mind the fact that engineering sharpens your abilities and opens doors for you in a wide variety of fields – so you can always switch over after completing your B.E.

You have landed up in the wrong course

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:27 / comment : 0 CAREER ADVICE

You have landed up in the wrong course

Kaarthik always wanted to be an engineer. Not because he was attracted to technology or was good in science, but because everyone told him that good jobs and high salaries await those who study engineering. He gave up his interest in literature, creativity, human interaction. Vaguely he had decided that after engineering he will do an MBA, after which he was told he will become a CEO and could lead a luxurious life. Halfway through his BE he is struggling with ‘backs’ of subjects he failed in the last two years, and is now very depressed even thinking of working as an engineer for the next few decades.
Suresh and Sajiv were friends since they began school. They were both fed with dreams of how IIT engineers go to USA and earn in dollars – and without knowing anything about what it entails, they set their goals for IIT. They both joined coaching classes right from high school. While Suresh progressed well, both in school and in coaching class, Sajiv found himself struggling, and managed to get only about 55% in his 10th Board exam. Nevertheless, he followed Suresh and joined an upcoming Integrated PU college and took up science. Within a month Sajiv realized that he was unable to cope with his studies. Worse, he was finding the coaching for IIT even more difficult, and the total strain was pulling him down immensely. Suresh was sympathetic to some extent, but he had his own ambitions and dreams, so he drifted away, making Sajiv even more depressed and uncertain. With great difficulty Sajiv scraped through his 1st year PUC, made desperate attempts to prepare for competitive exams – but landed up failing in two subjects in the 2nd PUC exams.
Sajiv’s cousin Raju has a different dilemma. Though he scored poorly in PUC Science, his parents managed to get him a payment seat in an average engineering college. He struggled through, lost a year due to ‘backs’ and finally completed with a second class in five years. Not only in campus recruitment, but wherever else he applies, he is not even getting an interview call.
There are innumerable students like Sajiv and Raju who, despite having fairly good intelligence and capabilities, land up in courses and subjects they are absolutely unsuited for, and then either drop out or end up being misfits in their profession.
For those who find themselves in such situations, it is not too late to try and find a better direction. The two crossroads of 10th and 12th, when career decisions have to be taken, should be time of great introspection and careful decision making – even if a wrong move has been made.
In large cities, science continues to be the most popular choice after 10th, not because of interest and aptitude, but because of the mistaken notion that science students get better jobs and careers, and also with the thought that one can always switch over from science to commerce and arts, but not vice versa. Those with a basically high intelligence, or those who can work very hard and consistently, do manage to complete their +2 with respectable marks. And if they do so, there is again pressure to continue with higher studies in engineering or technology. Many students, and even more parents, are not even aware of career options beyond engineering and medicine.
A few months into the academic year, if you find yourself regretting your choice and are very uncomfortable or even disheartened with the course, you need to clarify to yourself the following:

Are you going through teething trouble of settling down in the new environment? If so, give yourself time, try and make new friends, get involved in extra-curricular activities in college, and try to do additional studies at home.
Do you find subjects very tough, and are not getting enough support or guidance from teachers? Firstly, be assertive and tell the teachers your problem, and ask if they are willing to help. If not then seek extra coaching either from elders known to you or from professional tutors.
If you have regrets about the course itself and feel you are not motivated towards the career your course is taking you towards, then firstly explore the possibility of completing the course and then moving towards a field that you like. If you are just not able to push yourself towards completion, only then think of dropping out, losing a year in the worst case, and starting afresh in a field you have interest and aptitude for.
Do not make the mistake of dropping out and switching to the most convenient alternative e.g. students who find Science tough switch over automatically to Commerce. Those who cannot cope with engineering take up Business Management. With such impulsive decisions you could go from the frying pan to the fire. Since you have made a mistake once, be extra careful in selecting the second time.

Let us explore alternatives: Those who are finding only Math difficult in PUC can take the option of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Home Science, which is now being offered in more than half a dozen colleges and is also available to boys. ISC and CBSE offer various options in science without Math. Those who cannot cope with science subjects can take up Math with Business Studies, Accountancy and one more subject. With such a combination they are eligible for architecture, Masters of Computer Applications and various other courses. Commerce need not be the only alternative to those who do not like science – Arts also offers equally good opportunities for those who have skills in languages, people interaction, social sciences, creativity, administration and many others.
I have also nurtured many students who took up Science and have been disappointed – but they have enough intelligence to pass. Such students have been encouraged to continue and complete PUC with Science, avoid the pressures of coaching classes, and then switch over to any field of their choice, even if they do not score very high in the Board exams.
On the other hand, those who are just not able to cope with Science, and do not pass in 1st PU (or scrape through with great difficulty) can and should consider moving away without wasting another year. They can register under National Institute of Open Schooling (www.nios.ac.in) to appear for 12th Board exam with any subjects of their choice (even without any other language) for the subsequent year. The same applies to those who have failed in 2nd PU Board exam and supplementary. Admissions are still open for 2014 April exams, and NIOS is a Government of India body recognized all over the country. They have a regional office in Bangalore, phone 80-23464222 or 1800-180-9393 and email lsc@nios.ac.in
Many students who are good in practical technology, gadget fixing etc. are not cut out for serious academics, and they may do far better in a three year Polytechnic Diploma than in B.E. And anyway they have the option of lateral entry to 2nd year B.E. when they successfully complete their Diploma. 10% of the degree seats are reserved for diploma students through a special CET which is less competitive than the regular one.
High marks in 10th standard after extensive studying, coaching, pushing by parents should not be taken as a parameter that the student will do well at +2 level. The portions increase significantly and there is much less hand-holding by teachers. Often the numbers in a class go as high as 100 and above, due to which teachers cannot give any individual attention to students. Similarly, while Integrated Colleges are a boon to the science-oriented bright students who get coaching for entrance exams in their college itself, they can be a source of great stress for those who are not cut out to be engineers (leave alone IIT-ians) and an unnecessary financial burden on parents.
The craze for engineering continues, despite the fact that now India is producing more engineers (15 lakhs) annually then USA and China put together, and the demand may not keep up with the supply. Marks scored in Math and Science in 2nd PU or 12th standard are generally a good indicator whether the student can cope with the rigors of engineering. Similarly, failure in number of subjects in the first or second year of B.E. should make a student sit up and review whether he should sacrifice the year lost and move to a field in which he has both interest and aptitude.
While it is true that competition has increased significantly, it is equally true that opportunities have increased much more. Even if a mistake has been made by selecting an unsuitable course or subjects, it is not too late to change – but after due exploration and matching interest with aptitude. Parents too play a significant role in not pressuring the child into studies which he is just not suited for, but by helping him or her make the right choice Failures are stepping stones to success.

Career Counselling Advice

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:26 / comment : 0 CAREER ADVICE

Career Counselling Advice

Marks vs Learning

Shruti is very dejected and angry. While she scored 97 in Physics, she got only 95 in Maths in her 2nd PUC exam. She was sure that she will score a full 100 in Maths. She has been told that even if she asks for re-totalling, they will not change her report unless the difference is more than 6 marks, which in her case is impossible! She has been taking out her frustration on all and sundry.
In the case of Rajiv, the whole family is worked up. No one wants to believe that he has scored only 46 in Chemistry, and they have even been speaking to a lawyer friend to find out if they can sue the PU Board! Christopher had an excellent track record, finishing his 10th with an aggregate of 72%. He even had a first class in his 1st PU. Now he finds that he has failed in 2nd PU because he managed only 20 marks in Biology. He is confused whether to start studying for his Supplementary exams, or to wait for the revaluation that he has applied for. The CET results that are round the corner now become meaningless for him, even though he did so well in it.
There are long queues everywhere for retotalling, photocopies of answer sheets, and revaluation. From those scoring in their nineties, to those who have failed in all subjects, thousands are unhappy with their results, and have the strong feeling that there is something wrong in the evaluation.
The Director of PU Board, Mr. Nayak has gone on record to say that the valuation has been done correctly, and there are no major errors. And yet the number of dissatisfied students this year is perhaps ten times larger than ever before. There is anger, frustration, defiance and a sense of gloom from students and parents alike. They feel that their future has been jeopardized due to wrong marking. More than looking towards deciding the right career at this crucial juncture of their life, thousands of students are stuck in the quagmire of resolving their grades.
While only time can tell how rampant the errors of the PU Board were, this brings our focus to the fact that every single mark seems to have become like the crucial peaks at Kargil that our brave soldiers were trying to defend. Examinations have lost their significance of being stepping stones to further studies, and have become the end-all of a person’s life. And the sad part is that parents seem to be encouraging their children into this type of thinking.
It is already very sad to note that the two year PUC has become an outdated and senseless drilling of students into a wide variety of subjects, many of which they may never use in their practical life. Since first year PU marks are not taken into account, many students relax in their +1, and get back to studies only subsequently. A majority of them do not know till the last minute where their future lies. Many are exploring alternatives as wide as medicine, engineering, law and management. Innumerable students are going in for “professional” courses by paying huge fees, without knowing where they are headed.
It is time for the PUC system to be replaced by a four semester pre-professional course where students can be given insights into life sciences, technology, human behavior, life skills, and most importantly – knowledge of various career options open to them. Till this happens, students will have to go through the meaningless PUC, at times choosing optionals like PCMB “to keep all options open”, or taking up Commerce because “science is too tough, and arts has no scope.” The least that parents can do is to make their children understand that it is the learning that is important, not the marks.
In the words of John Ruskin: Education does not mean teaching people to know what they do not know; it means teaching them to behave as they do not behave.
(All names and minor details have been changed to protect the identity of the students)

How Expensive is Today’s Management Education?

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:26 / comment : 0 CAREER ADVICE

How Expensive is Today’s Management

Education?

. management has been one of the prized fields of study for over four decades now. The boom came with the establishment of IIM’s, and a generation ago any youngster’s dream was the IIT-IIM path to success, glory and riches. The growth of other management colleges was comparatively slow, and even a decade ago, there were less than one third of the management institutions as exist now.
Another step forward in management education was when some colleges took the risk of doing away with university affiliation, and began “autonomous” post-graduate diploma courses. Initially students were hesitant to join these, and would join such courses only when they did not get admission in “recognized” MBA colleges. But the tide turned, and soon the industry realized that autonomous diplomas were more practical and oriented towards the world of work – and students with PG Diplomas that are branded as “equivalent to MBA” have been getting equal job opportunities.
Then came the phase when private operators got into management education in a big way. Dozens of engineering colleges started MBA courses affiliated to the technological universities in their states, and even IIT’s started offering management education. Today the directories of B-Schools, as they are often referred to, run into hundreds of entries in most states.

Which institute to join and what price to pay?

Innumerable students aspiring for management education are in a dilemma when it comes to choosing the right institution. And one of the major factors is the price. Most post-graduate courses in management do not come cheap. A few colleges that have not yet acquired a reputation, charge within a lakh of rupees per year, but those more in demand easily command fees of up to three or four lakhs per annum. At times one is left wondering whether such high fee is justified, since management education does not require expensive equipment like engineering, IT or medicine. Of course, they do spend lavishly on infrastructure, ambience and furnishings – but it is debatable whether these are absolutely necessary.
Even though such fee amounts are beyond the reach of most middle-class families (particularly since many parents may have already spent a sizeable amount for the undergraduate studies), the hopes and dreams built around an MBA are so alluring that parents are willing to beg, borrow or scrounge.

Is MBA education value-for-money?

Hence one needs to ponder over the question whether the amount spent on such education gives value-for-money, and does it really ensure a bright future and lucrative returns to the student? Unfortunately the answer is not always “Yes”. With the spurt of B-Schools, many candidates are being churned out who do not necessarily acquire the managerial skills to get remunerative employment. And the aura of an MBA is such that every candidate expects to start with a fancy salary, getting sorely disappointed at times.

Practical exposure before an MBA

The exception is the growing number of candidates who are going in for a stint of work experience before coming back to do MBA a year or two later. They have a fair knowledge of the job market, and hence have realistic expectations. They take up MBA to enhance their qualifications and thus their market value. They also are able to choose the B-School more judiciously, and gain more from the course.

Prestigious institutes and the entrance tests

For those wanting to get into MBA immediately after graduation, it is imperative that they choose the college with care. Admission in good institutions is based on entrance exams, of which the CAT, conducted by the IIM’s, is the most popular, and is used for selection by other prestigious institutions also. Another selection exam, the MAT, is held three times a year, and dozens of other institutions base their admissions on the marks obtained in this test. Hence if a candidate has scored high marks in either of these entrance exams, he is assured of admission to a prestigious college. Even if he cannot afford the fees, banks are more than willing to advance a loan. These colleges boast of good campus recruitment, so the candidate is assured of a good starting salary, and can repay his loan within 3 to 5 years, or less.

Not all institutes have good infrastructure

The problem occurs for those who do not do well in CAT or MAT. Karnataka has its own K-MAT for colleges affiliated to the state’s universities, including VTU. But unfortunately not all these colleges have good infrastructure, teaching, or reputation. Students graduating from some of the lesser known colleges, particularly those who have taken loans for their fees may find it very difficult to get a sufficiently well paid job and repay the loan fast. Hence one needs to be very careful, and not get enamored with the label of “MBA”.

One should ensure the following facilities before joining a management college:

Good infrastructure in terms of library, computers, auditorium, etc.
Well qualified teachers who have put in a few years of steady service in the institution. If teaching staff has been leaving frequently, it is a strong indicator that the college is not good.
Track record of campus placement -- and most importantly, the TYPE of jobs that candidates have been securing. It is not enough to get impressed by the names of companies doing the recruiting, because they may be recruiting for lower level posts or BPO’s.
Quality of the students seeking admission, their background, their academic standards and their seriousness.
Whether the college has a good industry interface and gives sufficient exposure to practicing managers and field visits.

Psycho-social Educational Testing & Counselling

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:22 / comment : 0 CAREER ADVICE

Psycho-social Educational Testing & Counselling

The future of your child is in your hands!

You have given your child a good education, provided the best of comforts possible, given all your love and affection. (S)he is growing up now and needs to find an identity and a direction. You can provide that to her, provided you know what she is good at and which direction she needs to be guided towards. You also need to be aware of her limitations and areas where she needs improvement.
Banjara Academy has designed a unique system of assessment on a holistic basis, taking into account all aspects of the child – academic, behavior, emotional and interpersonal. The test is a simple one, a combination of oral and written questionnaires, requiring about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. It can be taken up by students from 7th standard upwards, and it is administered on any working day from 11:30 a.m. onwards. The one-time fee is Rs. 750/-, inclusive of testing, interview, report and subsequent counselling.
After the test is done, the evaluation is made and the written report will be given in a few days. Candidates and parents are welcome to come back any number of times to discuss the future course of action, and to avail free counselling.

How sharp is your brain?

Do not use a calculator, and try to get the exact answer to the following (read it only once): On a Sunday you are driving a bus from Bangalore to Mysore. There are only 4 passengers in Bangalore when the bus starts. In Ramanagaram six people get off the bus, and nine people get on, in Channapatna two people get off, and 4 get on, in Mandya 2 people get off and 6 people get on, and on the outskirts of Mysore 6 people get off… the bus then arrives at Mysore city. What was the name of the bus driver?

Sharpen your Axe

You must have heard of the story of the very enthusiastic woodcutter boy who had an opportunity to cut many trees and make lots of money. He became so obsessed with spending all his time chopping trees, that he forgot to sharpen his axe. The more he would chop, the more his axe would become blunt.
Sometimes there is a need to sharpen your axe. With the same efforts you can achieve more, if you know what are your strengths and weaknesses, how you can improve your concentration, study skills, interpersonal skills.
Come over for an hour or two and tackle some interesting mind games and quizzes – and we will profile you and tell you how to sharpen your axe. Answer the questions and leave, and we will send you a report highlighting all your good qualities and potential. See you soon!

Answer to “How Sharp is your brain”?

Isn’t it obvious? The name of the driver is YOUR name. Read it carefully once more and you will see why. If you did get the answer in first reading, then hearty congrats. Whether you got the answer or not, you can sharpen your brain further. We will show you how.

Aptitude Testing

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:21 / comment : 0 CAREER ADVICE

Career Counselling (Career Guidance)through

Aptitude Testing

Our Career Counselling (Career Guidance) through Aptitude Testing helps you match your talents and potentials with your interests and helps you choose appropriate careers from a wide range of choices suited to your abilities - whether you are a student wondering what course of study to pursue, whether you are working and thinking of changing your job or whether you are seeking voluntary retirement.

Do you know where you will be five years from now?

While competition is increasing, opportunities and variety of careers are also increasing rapidly. There is no such thing as an “ideal” career with the best “scope.” If you choose your courses of study and your career based on what you are good at, you will always be successful.

What is career?

It is not just a job. It is a way of life, and your achievements and happiness depend on it. Today, innumerable new avenues have opened up. Do not get into a course or a job just because everyone else is rushing for it.

How do you select your career?

Very often we are pushed into jobs and careers which are not suitable for us. To really be able to succeed, progress and enjoy our work, it is necessary that we should have interest in what we are doing, and also have an aptitude for it. Aptitude is the potential to develop the skills that are required in any particular field.

Each career has different aptitude requirements, and only by matching them scientifically we can be sure that we are heading in the right direction.

How our career counselling (career guidance) is done?

To help people find the right directions, time-proven and highly successful aptitude test and career counselling (career guidance) is done by Banjara Academy for students (who have completed 9th standard and above) as well as those wishing to change jobs or seek voluntary retirement. Each evaluation of the test is done personally by DR.P.SHIVAKUMAR , eminent trainer, mentor and counsellor. Personal counselling is done by DR.HARIS AHAMMED [BHMS.MD,]. DR.P.SHIVAKUMAR is a regular career counselling columnist in south India.

Our written report will outline how good you are in your fields of interest, and all the possible careers you are likely to do well in. You will also get exhaustive information and guidance on how to reach your goals, with personal counselling.

All you need to do is spare about 2 to 3 hours in a relaxed mood (come between 10 am and 2 pm), and do a battery of written and verbal tests (nothing to do with textbooks).

Briefly our process of career counselling (career guidance) through aptitude testing involves the following steps:

Undergoing the aptitude test on any working day between 10 am and 2:00 pm (it takes about three hours to do the battery of tests, no preparation or prior appointment is needed). Bulk tests can be conducted at the premises of institutions on prior arrangement.
The candidate will be called back for individual career counselling after the evaluation (which will require some time as it has to be done individually). An exhaustive report will be given, including general comments on areas for improvement, list of suitable careers, and suitability for careers of the candidate’s choice. Parents will also be counselled if they so desire.
Information will be provided on the avenues, openings, courses, and type of work in each of these careers.
Subsequent follow up can be done if necessary after you take steps towards your goal. Future career counselling and consultation is free of cost.

Evaluation of test papers is done personally by DR.P.SHIVAKUMAR - Trainer, Counsellor, Life Skills Coach, and Career Columnist.
Individual career counselling is done by BREENA

Aptitude Testing

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:21 / comment : 0 CAREER ADVICE

Career Counselling (Career Guidance)through

Aptitude Testing

Our Career Counselling (Career Guidance) through Aptitude Testing helps you match your talents and potentials with your interests and helps you choose appropriate careers from a wide range of choices suited to your abilities - whether you are a student wondering what course of study to pursue, whether you are working and thinking of changing your job or whether you are seeking voluntary retirement.

Do you know where you will be five years from now?

What is career?

How do you select your career?

Each career has different aptitude requirements, and only by matching them scientifically we can be sure that we are heading in the right direction.

How our career counselling (career guidance) is done?

All you need to do is spare about 2 to 3 hours in a relaxed mood (come between 10 am and 2 pm), and do a battery of written and verbal tests (nothing to do with textbooks).

Briefly our process of career counselling (career guidance) through aptitude testing involves the following steps:

Undergoing the aptitude test on any working day between 10 am and 2:00 pm (it takes about three hours to do the battery of tests, no preparation or prior appointment is needed). Bulk tests can be conducted at the premises of institutions on prior arrangement.
The candidate will be called back for individual career counselling after the evaluation (which will require some time as it has to be done individually). An exhaustive report will be given, including general comments on areas for improvement, list of suitable careers, and suitability for careers of the candidate’s choice. Parents will also be counselled if they so desire.
Information will be provided on the avenues, openings, courses, and type of work in each of these careers.
Subsequent follow up can be done if necessary after you take steps towards your goal. Future career counselling and consultation is free of cost.

Evaluation of test papers is done personally by DR.P.SHIVAKUMAR - Trainer, Counsellor, Life Skills Coach, and Career Columnist.
Individual career counselling is done by DR.HARIS AHAMMED

Others

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:06 / comment : 0 IMPROVE YOURSELF

Others

The Stray Dog at My Office

Like humans, dogs love company, of both dogs and humans, but I admire them for their capacity to also remain absolutely alone, find their own activity – and just laze around happily without the need for a ball to play or a human to pet them.
We have such a stray dog outside our office. I have seen her grow up from a small puppy. She is very loving and comes and greets everyone warmly. She rejoices when someone gives her a pat, and moves on when someone ignores her. When no one is around, she finds a perch in the shade somewhere, and either dozes off, or lies down watching the world go by.
She has no assurance where her next meal is coming from. She has no family, no permanent friends, no one she can rely on. Yet she is happy – you can make out by the way her tail gives little wags at times even when she is asleep. If she does not have anyone petting her for days, she doesn’t sulk or complain – she comes back without malice, wagging her tail with gusto to see if you will give her a pat or a stroke. And then she walks off contentedly !

Book Reviews

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:06 / comment : 0 IMPROVE YOURSELF

Book Reviews

My Experiments with Truth

As a college student long ago I had read My Experiments with Truth, the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi. I adored him and his qualities, but could not learn much from the book. This year I read it again. My respect for the great soul went up higher, because now I could see him as a simple, struggling, confused and exploring human being. Yet I could learn so much from his ‘experiments’, including the fact that he mentioned he should not be writing his autobiography while he is alive, because putting down his thoughts in writing will prevent him from changing his thinking or approach later.
Mahatma Gandhi

Yet, he constantly changed his attitude. From being an ardent admirer of the British Raj, to becoming its greatest nemesis; hiding from his father and eating mutton to becoming such a staunch vegetarian that he declined to drink milk (one of the first vegans I suppose!). The beauty is that he never hesitated in admitting all his mistakes, page after page in his elaborate book. Nowhere do we see a hint of self-praise, or description of achievements, from the pen of a person who the whole world recognized as a ‘Mahatma’.
This book I am told is the world’s highest selling autobiography. And I am also told, that despite its highly subsidized price in India, his home country is one where the book does not sell much. What is the lesson we learn from this, can we introspect? After all we get a full day’s holiday on 2nd October to think.

Letters

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:05 / comment : 0 IMPROVE YOURSELF

Letters

Absolutely Anonymous

Date: 1 Jan 2013

Lieutenant Colonel Krishna Iyer did not see the dawn of 2013. Before the rising sun could reach the window of the Geriatric Ward of CSI hospital where he lay, at 6 a.m. on the 1st of January he quietly passed away. There were no military salutes or funeral processions. A few of his most beloved friends took over the last rites while the nurses of the hospital, who had become deeply attached to him, shed quiet tears.
Retiring early from the army, Krishna decided to devote himself to those whom society shuns. He became a ‘sponsor’ to anyone who wanted to give up alcoholism. Day in and day out, quietly and without expecting anything in return, he would visit such people, call them over, sit for long hours chatting with them, and constantly reaching out with his helping hand even if they pulled away theirs and walked away from him.

Image Credit: Kevin, cc-by-2.0, flickr.com

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), as the name suggests, is a fellowship of men and women who have the desire to give up drinking. [Times of India news article on AA]. No one holds any position of authority, there is no funding, and even names are kept anonymous. Thus, even though he served for years as a Trustee and in various other capacities of AA, the world did not know him. And he did not care.
He had just one mission, to reach out at an individual level, one day at a time, one person at a time. And he did it till his last breath. His last breath came sooner than it should have – for when his kidneys started failing, he refused dialysis, allowing himself to sink into eternal sleep, and the money that he saved and had earned through his military services was willed away for the formation of a Trust to educate girls through B.Ed. – for he believed that one girl who becomes a trained teacher can spread the light of knowledge to thousands of others.

Therapy Corner

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:04 / comment : 0 IMPROVE YOURSELF

Therapy Corner

Deep Hurts
Why they continue to make life miserable years later, and how one can get over them

The memories looked so hazy and yet so clear. The pain was real, although the incident was years and decades old. Monisha somehow could not get over the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that kept coming back every now and then. It was almost twenty-three years now. She was not even eight then, and a happy lively child. One day she was playing in their sprawling house with her cousin who much older than her. In her innocent childlike way she was running around with him, catching him, jostling him. When they reached a remote corner of their house, he suddenly encircled her. He put his mouth to her face and tried to kiss her, holding her tight and uncomfortable all the time.
The shock of what was happening to her took a few seconds to register. For some time she went numb and could not resist. Finally she gained courage, with all her strength peeled off his hands that were now groping all over her body, and pushed him with as much strength as she could muster. She knew what he was doing was bad, very bad. But she did not know what it was. She was scared, and at the same time a bit guilty. She kept away from him the rest of the day, a thousand thoughts flooding her innocent mind in a haze. She was desperately waiting for bed time. She went to bed and was wide awake; pretending to be asleep until her mother came to join her. When her mother came to bed, she could not control her tears, and they came out in a torrent. Her body shook with her sobs, as her mother, concerned and puzzled, gathered her up in her arms and held her close.
After a long time she could control herself enough to be able to talk to her mother. In one flow the whole episode came out. She felt relieved for a moment, and was sure that now her mother will protect her. Imagine her shock the next moment when her mother held her strongly and started admonishing her. “You are a dirty girl” she hissed “why do you get into situations like this? Don’t complain unnecessarily. You are only interested in playing and enjoying yourself. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” Monisha could not believe her ears. She had no answers. This shock was far greater than what she had endured earlier in the day. When her mother finished scolding her, she quietly turned around and pretended to go to sleep, but she remembers that she cried endlessly until sheer fatigue took her into a disturbed slumber.

Credit: Gogoloopie, CC By 2.0, flickr.com

The hurt of her mother’s accusations and scolding just would not go away. Life has not been the same any more. She could neither relate to her mother, nor to anyone else in the family as she used to do earlier. She went ahead with life, but more like a zombie. She excelled in studies, kept up her social interactions, participated in group activities, got absorbed in painting. But life was just not the same as before. Monisha had a deep hurt within her. It had left a permanent scar. She could not talk to anyone about it, because she loved her mother, and somewhere deep down she had a feeling of guilt whether she herself was responsible for what happened to her. At the same time she could not shake it off. Now she was thirty two years old, with an understanding but very busy husband, two lovely little children, a comfortable house ... and a deep void within her heart.
Deep hurts are due to a sense of denied justice, particularly from those whom we love and trust most. They cannot be compensated or balanced by other good things happening to us. Sometimes we ourselves do not know what hurts us most, at times we are caught unawares in our sense of complacency.
It is said that time is the greatest healer. Unfortunately for deep hurts it is not always true. The greater the sensitivity of a person, the more the hurt is likely to keep paining. The closer the relationship with the person who caused the hurt, the more the misery. At times the hurt may be so bad that the mind pushes it down into the unconscious mind. But the pain is only buried alive, to surface later, or to just go on hurting from within.
Unresolved deep hurts can result in psycho-somatic illness (aches and pains that have no organic cause – particularly ulcers, neck and back pain, migraines, etc.). They can also lead to bad interpersonal relations (repeated anger towards children, suspicion against the spouse), sense of denied justice in life in general (“no one cares for me, everyone is happy except me”), long bouts of depression (not wanting to make friends or enjoy oneself), or personality disorders. Behavioral scientists have identified a state known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that can cripple a person emotionally, and become almost permanent if not dealt with and resolved.

Resolving Deep Hurts

Credit: Untitled blue, CC By 2.0, flickr.com

The first step would be an awareness that you have a feeling of deep hurt that is not going away. Acceptance of your feelings is a vital pre-requisite.
Talking it over with someone confidential and trustworthy, who will listen with empathy and not pass judgment (and definitely NOT give advice).
Get a thorough medical check-up done to ensure that there has been no damage to the body due to continued stress.
List out other good things that have happened in your life, and accept that life has both ups and downs.
Try to relive the painful incident, preferably with a trusted friend or counsellor, and rationalize why it happened, what were the intentions of the person who hurt you.
Try and forgive the oppressor, not to condone the bad deed, but to free yourself from any emotional control he may have over you today.
Get involved in activities that give you pleasure and satisfaction. Give yourself small rewards and bolster your self esteem.

Remember that you owe it to yourself and your near and dear, to resolve the issues that have been hurting you for a long time. There will be a significant improvement in your quality of life, and others will also find themselves happier being close to you.

Emotional Healing

Emotional wounds are very much like physical hurts. There are some superficial wounds that just heal with time, while others are so deep that they can go on causing pain for a long time, sometimes even life-long. Neglect of emotional hurts can make matters worse, cause further damage, lead to complications, and even become chronic wounds. For deep emotional hurts, first aid is very important to begin the process of healing. And as in physical First-aid, one does not need a doctor or a professional's help. Any one of us can do it. Giving support and understanding is like rubbing a soothing balm on a physical wound. And if emotional healing takes place, then the mind can even command the body to heal itself. Time and again it has been proven that the mind-body connection is so strong that even the worst medical ailments can have accelerated healing if the mind is positive.

To help a person go through emotional healing, here are some practical tips:

Break ice gently by proper introduction, greeting and smile
Identify what is causing the hurt and emotional trauma
Show concern and gently touch upon the areas where the feelings are hurt
Avoid asking too many direct questions if the person is uncomfortable
Make empathic statements that you understand the feelings. This usually makes the person open out on his own. Keep your curiosity in check.
Let the conversation flow at an easy and comfortable pace. Do not "push" a person towards action or recovery when he is not ready. Let him control the progress
Give positive strokes, compliments, appreciate good qualities or action
Express your availability to the person, indicating, "I am there for you." (it is like many of us like to keep "Tiger Balm" or equivalent by our bedside, it is so reassuring)
Provide the right ambience and security for the person to talk and share
Be non-judgmental, do not criticize the person for any act of his
Wherever socially acceptable, use touch, or go close
Where there is no "solution" to the cause of the emotional distress, help the person come to a level of acceptance. Only then can he move on
Encourage the person to engage his mind in some activities
Refrain from giving the examples of others who went through similar experiences

Keep in mind that there are no medicines to heal the mind, there are no pain-killers for emotional pain, and there are no diagnostic tools to measure the intensity of hurt. Hence the human touch is the best balm.

Stress is cumulative. People who undergo repeated emotional trauma (even after long gaps) start losing their ability to heal and bounce back. Such people need gentle handling, and a healing of many past issues that may still be hurting. Do not get complacent when a person "appears" to have become normal. Many times people mask their sorrows, and will open out very selectively, and only when they are assured of unconditional support, understanding, and confidentiality.

Dealing With Insomnia

Here are some steps to bring back your natural sleep. You may succeed in doing some, and not succeed in others. But do try each one of them (and for many days at a stretch):

1. Establish a desired bedtime and wake time (even if sleep does not come).

2. Every day do some physical activity involving whole body, till you feel the physical tiredness and increase in heart-rate.

3. Have your last meal at least two hours before bedtime, and avoid rich or heavy food. If you feel hungry later, have a very light snack (or liquid) before going to bed.

4. Give a 15 minute gap after dinner and go for a leisurely stroll in a quiet area (if not possible, then on the terrace or backyard).
5. Plan a sedentary evening routine one hour before the desired bedtime. Avoid tea, coffee colas and any other addictive substance or activity. Have a relaxed chat with someone you like. Do not watch highly stimulating or violent TV programs.
6. Do not use the bed or bedroom for any activity other than sleep – except for sex. A light massage can be very useful to relax muscles if someone can do it for you.
7. Ensure that your bed is soft but firm, pillow is at right height, bedsheet or blanket appropriate to weather, and freedom from the “mmmm…….” of mosquitoes. It is also said that light blue or violet colours of night-clothes, bedsheets and walls are conducive to sleep.
8. Use regular pre-sleep routines to associate with bedtime: brush teeth, set the alarm, etc. Do pre-sleep routines the same way every night. Avoid group discussions, animated conversations at night, and definitely avoid arguments.
9. Go to bed at the fixed time, and see that there are no bright lights or loud sounds around. Turn out the bedroom lights as soon as you get into bed. Assume your preferred sleep position, and start relaxing each part of your body.
10. If sleep does not come within 10-20 minutes, get up and go into a separate room, or another part of the same room. Occupy yourself with some non-stimulating activity and relaxation exercises until you feel drowsy. Then return to bed quickly. Try out creative visualization (traditionally known as “counting the sheep”)
11. If still not asleep after a brief time, try out one or more of the following: Light and positive books (even story books or comics), soft music (which can switch off by itself after some time), or slowly chanting your favourite mantra. Never take any sleeping tablet unless prescribed by your doctor.
12. Do not take a nap during the day, except for a short period if you are very tired (by setting an alarm to get up within 15-20 min). Do not sleep late in the morning to compensate lack of sleep. At a fixed time get up, open the curtains, go out in morning sunlight. Plan your sleep schedule in multiples of 1-1/2 hours (e.g. 6, 7-1/2, 9 hours).
13. Remind yourself that it is not necessary that you have to sleep for many hours each night. As long as your mind and body are getting relaxation, it is okay.
14. Despite trying out all the above, when it is bed-time and you are getting afraid you may not get sleep, one day try out the technique of telling yourself that you need to keep awake, and that you will NOT allow sleep to overcome you. Actually make efforts to keep awake, and see how your body reacts. Go to bed only when you are actually feeling very drowsy.

Check out if there are any specific causes for your insomnia: therapy_corner1

Medical factors like breathing blocks, weakness of bladder, persisting pain.
Very sedentary life style with no exercise.
Psychological factors like anxiety, depression, phobia.
Stress could be a reason for your insomnia. Check out your stress levels, and get down to some stress reduction techniques.
Physical discomfort, unusual setting, noise or light disturbances

Walk The Thought

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:04 / comment : 0 IMPROVE YOURSELF

Walk The Thought

Being Assertive Against a Person Who is Getting Overbearing

Don’t get tense when the person starts talking something negative. Your body language gives you away. Maintain a relaxed posture and make eye contact without any hesitation.
Resist the temptation to interrupt or correct the person. Keep listening quietly, making mental notes on what is to be replied.
When the person stops talking, ask for more details or clarification about what he told you.
Without admitting whether you were right or wrong, ask the person what HIS suggestion is as to how you should behave or respond.
If the person is getting very angry or overbearing, give a simple excuse like “I need to get some water to drink”, go away from the room, calm down, and then return.
If he is asking you to respond to a particular issue and being unreasonable, look at him firmly but politely, and in a soft tone say, “This is important, I need to think over it. I will decide and reply to you.”

Image Credit: Daniela Vladimirova , cc-by-2, flickr.com

In the worst circumstance if you feel the situation is really getting out of hand, just say that you have some urgent work (don’t tell what it is) and leave the place for a long time.
If possible, when the person has cooled down and is in a good mood, talk to him about how you FELT when he was talking to you, and what you would like from him next time when he has an issue. If he is likely to get angry again, then leave it.
Practicing general meditation or deep breathing exercises helps you to strengthen yourself to face such situations. Keep a short prayer handy in your mind, and softly repeat that prayer to yourself as the discussion is going on. If the other person is receptive, discuss that prayer with you and ask for opinion. E.g. “Jesus said, the meek shall inherit the earth.”

Our Children

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:03 / comment : 0 IMPROVE YOURSELF

Our Children

How To Be With Special Children

Many of us are uncomfortable with people who are different from us. Children who suffer from developmental or physical disabilities, or who are intellectually challenged, are difficult to understand when you first interact with them. You may have noticed this in your visits to institutions for special children.

What we need to do is to increase our sensitivity to these “differently-abled” persons. Do not show your compassion or pity because they cannot do some of the activities we can. Do not talk about their disability in their presence (they can “hear”, and even if they are deaf, they can understand your body language). Do not presume that you can intrude on their privacy. Show genuine interest in befriending them, and treat them as you would treat any other so-called “normal” child. If you need more learning about their specific disabilities, find out from books, experts, or Banjara, but do not ask questions in their presence. Let them feel that they are no different, for indeed at the emotional level, they aren’t. Thanks.

Think About It

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:02 / comment : 0 IMPROVE YOURSELF

Think About It

Change is the only thing permanent in life

Heard this proverb number of times, isn’t it? You were also advised by elders that you should learn to adapt to change, and you did keep trying. But now the scenario is completely different. The time has come, not to ADAPT to change, but to ANTICIPATE the change that is likely to occur in the near and far future.
If we follow the old principle of slowly becoming aware of change, finding out all about it, and then adapting to it, the change would already be outdated, and something new would have come in, putting our efforts to waste. Those of us who were born before 1980 should remember that we are at a disadvantage: The new generation is growing up in a different world where they know nothing of the olden ways, and they do not care to either learn or practice them. Hence for them it is a simpler task.

Image Credit: sankarshan sen, cc-by-sa-2, flickr.com

As someone said, New Generation people are Digital Natives while the elders are Digital Migrants. We have migrated from an old culture and life-style to something that is alien to us. It is like the difference between a person who has grown up in a big city vs one who migrated from a village after he grew up.
Hence, for your own welfare, progress and well-being, keep your ears and eyes (and mind) open, develop strong instinct or intuitive skills, and be ready to keep learning, unlearning, and re-learning all the time.

Do It Now

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 04:02 / comment : 0 IMPROVE YOURSELF

Do It Now

Learning to face death

In today’s world of instant communication we can reach out to anyone anywhere with the touch of a button. We get impatient if a phone is unreachable or if we don’t get a reply to our sms instantly. We want to update our ‘status’ on Facebook regularly so that our ‘friends’ know what we are doing every moment. We expect immediate and continuous communication from those we love or care for.
One breakdown of communication, death, is what it was even a thousand years ago – irreversible. What happens when your phone or Internet just cannot reach your beloved, who has passed on beyond this world?
We have all heard the proverb “nothing is certain except death.” Even this proverb we don’t remind ourselves too often – because death is one topic that we would rather not talk about. There are people who almost believe that talking about death hastens its arrival! Knowing that it is 100% guaranteed, is it not better to prepare oneself both mentally and physically for our own death and for the death of a loved one?
Having seen innumerable people breaking down miserably on bereavement, having observed families being broken apart on the death of a patriarch who did not leave a Will, I am a strong believer that Facing Death should be taken up as a vital life skill which should be taught to children, adults and the elderly. If it cannot be done in an organized way, we can certainly do it individually over a period of time.

Technical Interview Questions

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 03:52 / comment : 0 QUESTION PAPERS

Technical Interview Questions







Q.1	Palindrome no?
Ans.	palindromes also offer another great string question. write a function that tests for palindromes bool isPalindrome( char* pStr ) if you start a pointer at the beginning and the end of the string and keep comparing characters while moving the pointers closer together, you can test if the string is the same forwards and backwards. notice that the pointers only have to travel to the middle, not all the way to the other end (to reduce redundancy). bool isPalindrome( char* pStr ) { if ( pStr == NULL ) return false; char* pEnd = pStr; while ( pEnd != '' ) pEnd++; pEnd--; while(pEnd > pStr) { if ( pEnd != *pStr ) return false; pEnd--; pStr++; } return true; }
Q.2	Red marbles, blue marbles?problem: you have two jars, 50 red marbles, 50 blue marbles. you need to place all the marbles into the jars such that when you blindly pick one marble out of one jar, you maximize the chances that it will be red. (when picking, you'll first randomly pick a jar, and then randomly pick a marble out of that jar) you can arrange the marbles however you like, but each marble must be in a jar
Ans.	chance! chance is easy if you know how to do the formula. we know that we have two choices to make. first we'll pick a jar, and each jar will have a 1/2 chance of being picked. then we'll pick a marble, and depending how we stack the marbles, we'll have a (# of red marbles in jar)/(# of total marbles in jar) chance of getting a red one. for example, say we put all the red marbles into jar A and all the blue ones into jar B. then our chances for picking a red one are: 1/2 chance we pick jar A * 50/50 chance we pick a red marble 1/2 chance we pick jar B * 0/50 chance we pick a red marble do the math and you get 1/2 chance for a red marble from jar A and a 0/2 chance for a red marble from jar B. add 'em up and you get the result = 1/2 chance for picking a red marble. think about it for awhile and see if you can figure out the right combination. we had a 50/50 (guaranteed) chance in picking a red marble from jar A, but we didn't have to have 50 red marbles in there to guarantee those fantastic odds, did we? we could've just left 1 red marble in there and the odds are still 1/1. then we can take all those other marbles and throw them in jar B to help the odds out there. let's look at those chances: 1/2 we pick jar A * 1/1 we pick a red marble 1/2 we pick jar B * 49/99 we pick a red marble do the math and add them up to get 1/2 + 49/198 = 148/198, which is almost 3/4. we can prove these are the best odds in a somewhat non-formal way as follows. our goal is to maximize the odds of picking a red marble. therefore we can subdivide this goal into maximizing the odds of picking a red marble in jar A and maximizing the odds of picking a red marble in jar B. if we do that, then we will have achieved our goal. it is true that by placing more red marbles into a jar we will increase the chances of picking a red marble. it is also true that by reducing the number of blue marbles in a jar we will increase the odds also. we've maximized the odds in jar A since 1/1 is the maximum odds by reducing the number of blue marbles to 0 (the minimum). we've also maximized the number of red marbles in jar B. if we added any more red marbles to jar B we would have to take them out of jar A which reduce the odds there to 0 (very bad). if we took any more blue ones out of jar B we would have to put them in jar A which reduce the odds there by 50% (very bad).
Q.3	Surgeons?a one armed surgeon with a hand wound needs to operate on three patients. the surgeon only has two gloves. how can he operate on the three patients in turn without risking exchange of fluids? (remember he only has one arm so he only needs to wear one glove at a time.)
Ans.	the surgeon places both gloves on his hand (1 and 2). he operates on patient A. he then takes the top glove off (#2), leaving on the bottom glove (#1) and operates on patient B. then he carefully reverses glove #2, so the clean side is on the outside, and he places it on top of glove #1 which is on his hand, and operates on patient C. this problem is kind of dumb because how's the surgeon going to change the gloves on his hand when he only has one hand. plus no offense, but how often do you come across a one-armed surgeon (i'm sure there are plenty of one-armed doctors, but a surgeon!?!). anyway, i had to make this problem child friendly and changing the story to the above was the only way to do it. consider for a minute what the initial problem was. the surgeon was just a guy, the patients were women, and the glove was... well, i won't insult your intelligence.
Q.4	you die and the devil says he'll let you go to heaven if you beat him in a game. the devil sits you down at a round table. he gives himself and you a huge pile of quarters. he says "ok, we'll take turns putting quarters down, no overlapping allowed, and the quarters must rest on the table surface. the first guy who can't put a quarter down loses." the devil says he wants to go first. being the smart programmer you are, you realize that if the devil goes first, he may automatically win. so you convince him to let you go first, which makes your day because you know you can't lose. what is your winning strategy?
Ans.	First, put the first quarter exactly in the center of the (perfectly circular) table. Next, for each quarter the opponent places, place one directly opposite it. That is, place it so that the center of the table is halfway between your piece and the opponent's previous piece. This will generate a completely symettric (about the center) layout of quarters on the table. This means that whenever the opponent selects a free space to place a quarter in, the space opposite is guaranteed to be free as well. Since we are always guaranteed an open space, we will never lose with this strategy (and thus win when there are finally no more spaces for the opponent to use).
Q.5	Remember to be yourself, know your strengths and be honest with the interviewer 7.Practice is the keys to interviewing
Ans.	35/45

Technical Interview Questions

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 03:52 / comment : 0 QUESTION PAPERS

Technical Interview Questions







Q.1	Palindrome no?
Ans.	palindromes also offer another great string question. write a function that tests for palindromes bool isPalindrome( char* pStr ) if you start a pointer at the beginning and the end of the string and keep comparing characters while moving the pointers closer together, you can test if the string is the same forwards and backwards. notice that the pointers only have to travel to the middle, not all the way to the other end (to reduce redundancy). bool isPalindrome( char* pStr ) { if ( pStr == NULL ) return false; char* pEnd = pStr; while ( pEnd != '' ) pEnd++; pEnd--; while(pEnd > pStr) { if ( pEnd != *pStr ) return false; pEnd--; pStr++; } return true; }
Q.2	Red marbles, blue marbles?problem: you have two jars, 50 red marbles, 50 blue marbles. you need to place all the marbles into the jars such that when you blindly pick one marble out of one jar, you maximize the chances that it will be red. (when picking, you'll first randomly pick a jar, and then randomly pick a marble out of that jar) you can arrange the marbles however you like, but each marble must be in a jar
Ans.	chance! chance is easy if you know how to do the formula. we know that we have two choices to make. first we'll pick a jar, and each jar will have a 1/2 chance of being picked. then we'll pick a marble, and depending how we stack the marbles, we'll have a (# of red marbles in jar)/(# of total marbles in jar) chance of getting a red one. for example, say we put all the red marbles into jar A and all the blue ones into jar B. then our chances for picking a red one are: 1/2 chance we pick jar A * 50/50 chance we pick a red marble 1/2 chance we pick jar B * 0/50 chance we pick a red marble do the math and you get 1/2 chance for a red marble from jar A and a 0/2 chance for a red marble from jar B. add 'em up and you get the result = 1/2 chance for picking a red marble. think about it for awhile and see if you can figure out the right combination. we had a 50/50 (guaranteed) chance in picking a red marble from jar A, but we didn't have to have 50 red marbles in there to guarantee those fantastic odds, did we? we could've just left 1 red marble in there and the odds are still 1/1. then we can take all those other marbles and throw them in jar B to help the odds out there. let's look at those chances: 1/2 we pick jar A * 1/1 we pick a red marble 1/2 we pick jar B * 49/99 we pick a red marble do the math and add them up to get 1/2 + 49/198 = 148/198, which is almost 3/4. we can prove these are the best odds in a somewhat non-formal way as follows. our goal is to maximize the odds of picking a red marble. therefore we can subdivide this goal into maximizing the odds of picking a red marble in jar A and maximizing the odds of picking a red marble in jar B. if we do that, then we will have achieved our goal. it is true that by placing more red marbles into a jar we will increase the chances of picking a red marble. it is also true that by reducing the number of blue marbles in a jar we will increase the odds also. we've maximized the odds in jar A since 1/1 is the maximum odds by reducing the number of blue marbles to 0 (the minimum). we've also maximized the number of red marbles in jar B. if we added any more red marbles to jar B we would have to take them out of jar A which reduce the odds there to 0 (very bad). if we took any more blue ones out of jar B we would have to put them in jar A which reduce the odds there by 50% (very bad).
Q.3	Surgeons?a one armed surgeon with a hand wound needs to operate on three patients. the surgeon only has two gloves. how can he operate on the three patients in turn without risking exchange of fluids? (remember he only has one arm so he only needs to wear one glove at a time.)
Ans.	the surgeon places both gloves on his hand (1 and 2). he operates on patient A. he then takes the top glove off (#2), leaving on the bottom glove (#1) and operates on patient B. then he carefully reverses glove #2, so the clean side is on the outside, and he places it on top of glove #1 which is on his hand, and operates on patient C. this problem is kind of dumb because how's the surgeon going to change the gloves on his hand when he only has one hand. plus no offense, but how often do you come across a one-armed surgeon (i'm sure there are plenty of one-armed doctors, but a surgeon!?!). anyway, i had to make this problem child friendly and changing the story to the above was the only way to do it. consider for a minute what the initial problem was. the surgeon was just a guy, the patients were women, and the glove was... well, i won't insult your intelligence.
Q.4	you die and the devil says he'll let you go to heaven if you beat him in a game. the devil sits you down at a round table. he gives himself and you a huge pile of quarters. he says "ok, we'll take turns putting quarters down, no overlapping allowed, and the quarters must rest on the table surface. the first guy who can't put a quarter down loses." the devil says he wants to go first. being the smart programmer you are, you realize that if the devil goes first, he may automatically win. so you convince him to let you go first, which makes your day because you know you can't lose. what is your winning strategy?
Ans.	First, put the first quarter exactly in the center of the (perfectly circular) table. Next, for each quarter the opponent places, place one directly opposite it. That is, place it so that the center of the table is halfway between your piece and the opponent's previous piece. This will generate a completely symettric (about the center) layout of quarters on the table. This means that whenever the opponent selects a free space to place a quarter in, the space opposite is guaranteed to be free as well. Since we are always guaranteed an open space, we will never lose with this strategy (and thus win when there are finally no more spaces for the opponent to use).
Q.5	Remember to be yourself, know your strengths and be honest with the interviewer 7.Practice is the keys to interviewing
Ans.	35/45

HR Interview Questions

Posted by: Mohammed Shamil Posted date: 03:50 / comment : 0 QUESTION PAPERS

HR Interview Questions

1	Where do you see yourself in five years?
2	What are your short and long term goals?
3	why do you want to leave your current job?
4	Why should we not hire you?
5	What day do you go back to school, Henry?&q...
6	Know Your Strengths, Minimize Weaknesses
HR Interview Questions
Q.	Where do you see yourself in five years?
Ans.	I started out in my profession as a junior clerk while I completed my college studies during the evenings. Once I had my degree, I applied for a transfer to a more advanced position, citing my on-the-job training. This has been my pattern for my career with my past 2 employers. I learn quickly on the job and am willing to take classes and workshops to augment my experience.
Q.	What are your short and long term goals?
Ans.	The best advice is to be certain to relate your answers to the organization that interviews you. Do not make a point of having goals that cannot be realized there ("I want to work in Paris." Organization is strictly domestic.) If you do your research into the organization, and into what you truly want to do in the future, you will be able to come up with reasonable responses. No one is going to come back to you in five years and chastise you for not meeting these goals! You will not be held to them...it is only an interview and they are interested in how you see yourself (and they want to see you in the job.)
Q.	why do you want to leave your current job?
Ans.	I guess the answer to this question can be situational: 1.If you are relocating to a new place:My family is shifting to this place and I've been away from my family for a long time and I want to be associated with them since they need me at this time. 2.If a new Job with in the same city and has the same domain to work and you hold good experience with your current employer: A lil lengthy,please spruce it by u'r self.The idea would be.... Say that you got the opprotunity to work on this domain as a member of the pilot bathc with u'r current employer and you have been a potential resource and have explored a lot on this/gained good experience and exposure and have built u'r subject matter expertise and you wanna learn some thing new/confront new challanges and implement/utilize the knowledge u've built so far in some thing knew adding value to it where you can see your visability of your potential.This new job has come as a great opportunity in your way and you would not just contribute to this role/co. but also learn a lot from the excellent team you would be associated with. 3.Say a better opportunity where you have a platform to perform well/add value and learn more and grow with the co. In the interview don't degrade your current employer for giving a reason for quitting your co.Remember to project that you have been with winners and this would elevate your image.Talk good about your co... this shows u'r professionalism/healthy relation ship with u'r co./potential and respected resource. Friends I'm new to this site and this is my 1st association with an HR forum.Please let me know your opinion on the above points shared with you.I'm sure this forum would make me use my grey cells and improve my analytical skills
Q.	Why should we not hire you?
Ans.	if you find any candidate batter than me.
Q.	What day do you go back to school, Henry?&q...
Ans.	Henry replied, "Nine days ago,means the present day minus 9 days. the day before yesterday ,means 2 more day should be minused. so all together 11 days to be subtracted from the present day. That day happen to be "three weeks before the second day of term" so add 3 weeks that is 21 days.so we get 10 days from the present day they spoke. They spoke on Sunday.So 10 day form Sunday will fall on Tuesday.
Q.	Know Your Strengths, Minimize Weaknesses
Ans.	My confidence ,hard working ability.I am very much addeptive

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