Tuesday 24 May 2016

SAT VS NET

Making the right choice between the NET and the SAT's is a subtle one.
Given the wrong option, not only will you have  wasted a whole lot of dough, but may fail the admission itself!
In this blog we will not only discus whether one should  give the SAT's or the NET;
and the constituents that will make up that decision;
but also how to maximize your score on the respective decision.



One of the prime objectives of college is to secure a seat in a prestigious university. It is imperative that the right decisions be made in order to achieve this goal, and the sooner one decides on :
  • A profession;
  • Whether they want to study abroad or not;
  • And likewise the method(Sat etc.);
The better are your chances of making it.
I have seen students suffer from the decisions of both the methods. Those who gave the SAT were preparing for the Net the next year and those who gave the Net initially were preparing for the SAT the next year.
This articles hopes to help you avoid such a blunder.
I hope to save your time, money and a whole lot of frustration.
Lets get started.

How do I choose a career?

That is a very good question. I tell you what, one day you will wake up and the realization will just dawn on you!
No, that is not what happens. My understanding is the career decision comes when you sufficiently understand who you are. And that self discovery is the purpose of your education. You don't decide a career based on what gives the most chink-chink nor the one with the most scope. You decide it on what profession you like.
Although, it is ok to go for the most high paying jobs, are you just up for the work?
Along the line, there are people who become electrical and mechanical engineers but realize they are unable to cope with the physically demanding  work!
Don't worry you can always become a teacher as a back up plan. Right? (Don't point fingers.)

There a few professions out there with a party type scene. Who you work for is crucial to your happiness. What you should understand is there is a difference between the profession and the job. In a particular profession there are then jobs. You may like a particular job in that profession. You will have to do a lot of informational interviews( Meeting people of the profession that interest you and asking them questions) to find the road you seek. You will get cold feet now and then. Its normal. Don't throw away a  years worth of planning because of it.
Be patient grass hopper!
  • I want you to read a few chapters of this.
  • You should also watch these short and funny videos on this link:
  • You can be adamant to your choice of humanities. The nation needs you. (Every nation does):



Do I study abroad?
The first question I think should be : Can I study abroad? If you get a good scholarship you are more likely to do so. And your scholarship depends on your AS grade. Once you get a good grade, your institution's career counsellors will chase you themselves! Before that you'll have to get their attention. You'd wanna attend any Education Expos as well. They are held from time to time and you'll meet delegates from foreign Universities. Don't be shy to talk.
And yes. You definitely want to discuss this with your parents.

DO I give the SAT or the NET?

Lets have a look at the pros and cons of both and I'll let you decide which ever seems best to you.
The SAT is far the friendlier among the two. The idea that SAT's are easy for A-level students is wrong. Maybe you consider your English to be weak, that has more to do with the school you went to than the last two years of Matrix or O-level.
In any case, it is the SAT Subject test that is required as this post is predominantly for the Engineering section but stay tuned as Math is a requirement for many other sections and we will talk about that too.
The Net, though do-able, will over whelm you to the point of running away to the SAT's. This may happen because you decided to study it yourself, with a shortage of time on top of you. Unlike the SAT's which you can learn all by yourself and still score a whooping 2300+ (Even 2400!), the NET is  not the same. The FSC books you may have to read are far lengthier. And depending on the subject such as physics for instance a good portion of the questions are based on memorization.
On you having rot the facts. What is the escape velocity in Jupiter? (Don't worry, I'll provide you with a good resource to go about that)

The professional "Swapping back and forth among subject" tactic in tests is possible for Net only.
The SAT subject test is an hour long each. Once you choose a subject test, you have to continue with it. There are breaks after each hour. The NET is straight three hours long.

The NET score is only valid for that year, The SAT however has two years validity.(You may take into consideration the criteria of other universities. The deadline varies and hence when you appeared could be important.) The SAT score takes time to get checked and time again to send scores.( Please plan tests date to meet the deadline of 'last date of score received'. Do also remember to utilize the free send scores) The SAT has more acceptability but not as much as one would hope.  Both have a concept of  'best score  considered'. The NET is wallet friendly, whereas the SAT's are an expensive choice. (mention friend who gave individually) The investment saves you from spending time, money and hard work learning FSC but alas the seats are very limited and hence the SAT's suffer.
The SAT is very competitive. You have a very slight chance on making it on the national seat. I have to be candid. You don't score high, you can forget it. The merit has gone as high as 2380.
But, there is a but. There are international seats which are not as competitive and you are sure to make it through if you score decently.(To be safe 2200 according to our seniors). Do discuss the option with your guardians.
 If not for the fact there were limited national seats, the SAT would be a superb option.

Summary.
SAT's are comparatively easier.
More expensive(especially international seats. COST twice as much) but can be studied by oneself.
Multiple test dates.
Score lasts two years
Currently lacks popular acceptance from majority of universities in Pakistan
Takes time to be checked and sent
Currently Limited national seats
International seats good back up plan.

NET
Relatively less costly
tuition needed
more chances of making it in.
Get scores the following day.


You may apply to both. The more the merrier! I guess that's another advantage of the SAT's. Please don't spend your summers on which. Do at least one in your holidays.


This page is under improvement. If you find something that needs correction, we will thank you for suggesting.