Now that admissions to the college is just a few steps away, here is a thread you need to follow to know what fields you can choose from within engineering... Follow this thread to have all your queries answered...
I am confused between 2 fields. My parents insist on Software Engineering but I want to get into electrical. Which of these has more scope today ?
On both trips, that 8 year-old Nilam Hargude accompanied her mother to her workplace, she came back crying. Seeing her mother carry loads of vegetables and roam the streets of Mumbai was a dreadful scene for Nilam. She vowed never to join her mother in the trade.
At 3, when she lost her father, Nilam's mother made ends meet by selling vegetables. "Being the only bread winner, she carried so much more weight than what she could manage. She had to make enough business for the day. She would carry around 40 kilos on her forehead and another 40 kilos in her arms," Nilam, all of 22 today told PaGaLGuY.
And this scenario, that remain etched in little Nilam's mind, is exactly why we are writing this article today. Nilam vowed then that she would become an engineer and work in a 'proper office' which would get her family out of the daily misery.
In a few days, Nilam leaves for the United States to pursue MS in Electronics and Electrical engineering at California State University, Long Beach. Nilam is an engineer having graduated from Ramrao Adik Institute of Technolog , Nerul, in Mumbai. She was placed in a corporate but did not take it up because it was not her specialization. "I know that taking a job even for a while would have been good but it was in IT and my specialisation in Electronics. Besides, I would have to pay a penalty had I left the job midway," Nilam said.
Instead the mother-daughter duo worked towards her admission to colleges abroad. Meena, her mother said, "She was always a good student and lovable daughter. I told her to follow her dreams. I will make arrangements for the money."
Meena toiled hard day in and day out to make money for her daughter's dreams. "It was lakhs and lakhs but my mother used to be out of the home at 4.00 am and come back only late in the day. She worked very hard and collected quite a bit of the amount."
Nilam needs over Rs 20 lakhs and only Rs 7 lakhs is done for now, which will suffice the first year's studies. "The banks are not too forthcoming with the money because we don't have collateral or any property to show, so let's see," said Nilam.
The youngster has made arrangements to work on campus and her seniors from her engineering college who are already in the US are going to be helping her with it. "But I will have to spend on staying there and also food and travel, so expenses will be incurred anyway," the 22 year old said as a matter-of-fact.
However, she is not deterred. It's been tough for her to become an engineer having studied in the Marathi medium section of Shree ND Bhuta High School of Andheri, and also trying to overcome so many other 'cultural' issues. "I didn't know English too well for one. For the first year I only spoke in English to everybody, read English newspapers, magazines and books and saw English movies and plays, it all helped."
"Also, since we could not afford expensive clothes, I sometimes felt odd in front of others but my dream to become an engineer was way too powerful."
Nilam agrees that there are few options for engineers in India and most of them choose IT. "Hence I will finish my Masters, conduct research in my field of study and do my PhD. I will take my mother and brother to the US. An engineer can do so much," she signs off, eagerly waiting for August 10, 2015 to take-off on her dreams.