School Guide

Distance Learning
Open learning: no longer a refuge for average scorers

The School of Open Learning (SOL) has for long been looked down as an option for average students. Ritika Kaushik discovers otherwise

Delhi University’s School of Open Learning (SOL) has emerged from being a sanctuary for those who don’t get admission in University colleges to the most feasible option for the ‘futuristic’ generation. With the growing number of students enrolling for courses, the School is gaining popularity among the best students. It is revolutionising the domain of distance learning in the country. For example, when Neha Bhatt, with an aggregate of 85 per cent in class 12, opted for English Honours in the School of Open Learning, her friends and family were shocked. Neha pursued a job as a trainee in a media company alongside and thus made the most of her three years of graduation. She says, “Although it was difficult to convince my parents, I knew that only a graduation degree will not help me face the cut-throat competition. Hence, I chose to club academics with hands-on experience.” With a wink, the teenager adds, “In fact, now I have become a trendsetter in my family where my younger cousins are thinking of being smart the ‘Neha’ way.” SOL is governed by the same rules, offers the degree from DU, the same syllabus, the same evaluating authorities and almost the same examination papers. Moreover, migration is also possible from one system to another. Dr Pokhriyal, Executive Director, SOL, noted that the response to the School had been very encouraging in the past few years as it was no longer regarded the last resort for those who did not score well in Class 12. Students speak
“I was disheartened when I did not get admission in any good college and SOL was a dreaded option. But now I feel I could not made the best choice”, reveals Anubhav Sharma, Manager in a US-based marketing company who has done his BA from SOL. He adds, “With the flexibility of learning, it is a great system for those who believe in self-study. It is any day better than the exorbitant private universities as one can simultaneously pursue hobbies and professional courses as well.” Not all share the same positive zeal of Anubhav. Students have to sacrifice a lot of things integral to the college environment. As Parul Garg, IP College, says, “After the restrictive school life, we all look forward to the recklessness of college life. Who doesn’t wish for the Bollywood style campus nuances?” While exposure is important for people like Parul one cannot expect to have everything.
System analysis
While the courses offered are BA (Prog), BCom (Hons), BCom (Prog), Political Science (Hons) and English (Hons), SOL has also improvised its facilities to attract more students. Since the admission and examination processes are now computerized, students can now avoid the serpentine queues and can enroll within five minutes. Learners can simply take a print out of the admission tickets from the website and appear for the examination. To cater to the large influx of students from East Delhi, enrolling for the institution, it is now all set to open a new campus at Tahirpur. SOL has also tied up with companies like Genpact for getting their student recruited from the campus for training.
Medium of instruction
The medium of instruction at SOL is primarily through printed course material that is distributed to the enrolled students on the spot of admission. This is also supplemented through a Personal Contact Programme.
For students who wish to pursue professional courses like CA and ICWA, SOL provides time, flexibility as well as a back up plan. Suvidhi Jain comments, “It was very difficult to manage your CA syllabus with the regular Bcom one. I did not want to compromise on my studies, so I opted for SOL and now I can easily utilise my time for studies and do my internship.”
Suvidhi is not the only one; most students resolve to SOL for the similar reasons. Also after ICAI’s change in regulations and requiring students to gain work experience, students from regular colleges are also expected to migrate to SOL. From being the measure of last resort to being the latest buzzword, SOL has come a long way. With its developing edge and growing popularity, it is definitely a worthy choice for those who can cope with self study and wish to manage their time to the maximum.

Top 10 Study Tips - Youth CentralHere are our top ten tips to help you study. If you’ve got an exam coming up you might also like to have a look at our Top ten exam tips page.
1. Find your study space

Everyone has their own idea about the best place to study. Find a space that works for you and stick with it.

* Do you prefer to study in silence or listen to music?
* Do you work better alone or with other people?
* Do you like to study at home or at school/uni/TAFE/library?

2. Be organised

Make sure you have all the materials you need in your study space before you start studying. Getting up to look for a pencil sharpener or ruler will break your concentration and waste your time.
3. Clear your mind

If you’ve got a lot on your mind take a moment to write yourself some notes about what you're thinking about before you start studying. This will help to clear your mind you focus all your thoughts on your work.

It’s also a good idea to keep some spare paper next to you while you’re studying so if you think of anything you need to do later you can write it down and put it out of your mind, then get on with the studying.
4. Get motivated

Think about what it will mean for you if you do well in your studies. How will it make you feel? If you keep the end result in mind it will help you stay motivated.

You might like to find a quote or an image or something that represents success for you and put it somewhere you can see it while you’re studying.
5. Plan your time (and use it well)

It helps to plan when you will study and how you can make the most of your study time.

Use a calendar or a list of dates or a wall planner to keep track of exam dates and assignment due dates. Plan ahead. Space out your study time each week for the whole term/semester - don’t try to cram it all in the night before!

Do the hardest work when you’re feeling your best. Save the easy stuff for when you’re tired.

Set yourself a time limit for each task and follow it.
6. Know your learning style

Most of us have a preferred way of learning. Get to know your learning style and study in the ways you learn best.

Auditory learners learn by listening. If you’re an auditory learner you could try reading your notes aloud and discussing them with other people. You might like to record key points and play them back.

Visual learners learn by seeing. If you’re a visual learner you could use colours in your notes and draw diagrams to help represent key points. You could try to remember some ideas as images.

Tactile/kinesthetic learners learn by doing. If you’re a tactile/kinesthetic learner you could use methods like role-playing or building models to revise key points.

Courseworks at the University of Melbourne has a quick quiz you can take (new window) to see what kind of learner you are.
7. Use your notes

Taking detailed notes in class will save you heaps of time later. Re-writing and adding to your notes is a great way to revise what you’ve learned.

Check out this online Study Skills Library for explanations of five note-taking systems (new window).
8. Make your own study materials

Think up some practice exam questions or create your own flash cards to help you study. This way you learn it all twice: once when you make the study materials and twice when you use them to revise.
9. Test yourself

Don’t wait for an exam to test your knowledge – test yourself first. Get a friend or family member to quiz you on key concepts or offer to help other students with their work. It’s a great way to get confident with what you do know and find out what you still need to learn!
10. Take time out

You study better when you're feeling good. So make sure you eat well and get enough sleep. Exercise is great but don’t overdo it.

It’s also a good idea to schedule regular breaks when you’re studying and keep hydrated. You’ll study better if you take care of yourself.
Come up with your own strategies

Remember - these tips are only some of the things that you can do to get the most out of your studying. There might be other things that work even better for you.

Ask around - find out what your friends do when they're studying - maybe some of their tricks will work for you too! Maybe your teachers have some good recommendations too.

Whatever it is, whatever strategy you come up with, when you find something that works for you, put it into practise and go for it!

1. Be sure to use the exam requirements, recommended literature and sample exams. The exam requirements, which includes a list of literature and the sample exams can be found by selecting the exam of your choice on our exam overview. Literature can be ordered via EXIN's e-bookshop.
2. Complete the sample exam first without consulting the answers. Then make sure to carefully read and understand the feedback.
3. Make sure to allow for plenty of time when travelling to the exam location.
4. Enter an exam well-rested.
5. Start with the easy questions. Do not get stuck on difficult ones, but put those questions aside and return to them later.
6. Often, first impressions are best. Therefore, do not change your answers unless you are absolutely certain that you have made a mistake.
7. Read the question very carefully. Consider what precisely is being asked. If the question demands four arguments, then give four, not three or five. Do not write more than required in the hope that the people marking the exams will select the correct answers.
8. The so-called ‘Open exam questions’ demand that you compose the entire answer yourself: make sure you write clearly.
9. In the case of multiple choice questions: think of your own answer first before looking at the answers listed on the page.
10. When you are finished, check carefully whether you have answered all the questions

There comes a time in every student's life when those things that you dread begin to loom on the horizon. Depending upon how confident you are about them, your horizon will either be measured in months, or maybe days. What am I talking about? Of course I mean examinations. You may be about to go into mid term mock examinations or you could be facing your final tests.

Whatever your situation and whenever you are going to be sat in an examination room it is never too early to start getting ready for those tests. Thorough preparation will provide you with a strong foundation and will give you the confidence and belief that you can do them and that you will get the grades you want.

I am often asked for my top ten tips when it comes to exam success and over the years I have accumulated many ideas (most of them captured in my e-book "The 77 Habits of Highly Effective Students"). However if I were to limit myself to ten it would be the following:

1. Find your own deep and compelling reason to successfully learn your subject and pass your exams.
2. Plan your time to include study, revision and social commitments - a balance of having fun, taking breaks and studying is vital.
3. Use multi-coloured Mind Maps® for your notes.
4. Review your notes regularly to reinforce your new-found knowledge.
5. Swiftly skim through your text books and course material before you read them in depth to give you an overview of your subject.
6. Learn how to remember lists of things by linking each item to a location on a journey or route you are familiar with around your town. You could even use your own home.
7. Before you do any revision, warm up by doing some gentle exercise to relieve any tension in your body and to get a rush of healthy oxygen flowing to your brain.
8. Do past papers under thorough exam conditions as often as possible to familiarise yourself with the format and the pressures of working under exam conditions.
9. In an exam, make sure you read the question completely and fully understand what the examiner wants before you allocate your time and begin answering the questions.
10. If you are faced with a mental block breathe deeply, relax and ask yourself "If I did know the answer to this question, what would it be?"

MBA Colleges in Andhra Pradesh

MBA Colleges in Andhra Pradesh

On this page are listed some Management colleges in Andhra Pradesh. It also includes Hyderabad Management College as well as management colleges in other cities of Andhra Pradesh.

Following are the Business Management colleges and institutes in Andhra Pradesh
List displays all Business Management colleges in Andhra Pradesh with the link to their websites.

ANDHRA PRADESH
ABDUL QADIR JEELANI CENTRE FOR POST GRADUATE STUDIES VISAKHAPATNAM www.aqjcollege.com

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF COLLEGE OF INDIA (ASCI)


HYDERABAD
www.asci.org.in / www.internetindia.com/asci
AMBEDKAR INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES VISAKHAPATNAM www.aimsindia.info / www.aimsbschool.org
THE ASSOCIATION OF INDIAN MANAGEMENT SCHOOLS (AIMS)
AIMS TEST FOR MANAGEMENT ADMISSIONS (ATMA) SECUNDERABAD www.atma-aims.org
AURORA POST GRADUATE COLLEGE HYDERABAD www.aurora.ac.in

BADRUKA COLLEGE – PG CENTRE


HYDERABAD
www.badruka-mba.com/ www.badruka-mba.ac.in
BADRUKA INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN TRADE HYDERABAD www.bift.ac.in
CHAITANYA POST GRADUATE COLLEGE WARANGAL www.chaitanyacollege.net
DECCAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT HYDERABAD www.deccancollege.com

DHRUVA COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT


HYDERABAD
www.dhruvacollege.net
DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR OPEN UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD www.braou.ac.in
DR. N.S. KOLLA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS VISAKHAPATNAM www.drnsk.com
GITAM INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN TRADE VISAKHAPATNAM www.gitam.org / www.gitam.edu / www.gift-india.org

ICFAI BUSINESS SCHOOL


HYDERABAD
www.icfai.org / www.ibsat.org / www.ibsindia.org
ICFAI SCHOOL OF FINANCE & MANAGEMENT HYDERABAD www.icfai.org
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED MANAGEMENT VISAKHAPATNAM www.iiamindia.org

INDIAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS


HYDERABAD
www.isb.edu
INDO-AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS VISAKHAPATNAM www.indoamericanin.org
INSTITUTE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH IN BANKING TECH. HYDERABAD www.idrbt.ac.in

INSTITUTE FOR TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT


HYDERABAD / WARANGAL
www.itm.edu
INSTITUTE OF INSURANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT HYDERABAD www.iirmworld.com
INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISE HYDERABAD www.ipe-hyd.org/default.htm
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR INSURANCE & FINANCE HYDERABAD www.iiifindia.com

ITUC SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT


HYDERABAD
www.ismindia.org
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD www.jntu.ac.in
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION MANAGEMENT HYDERABAD www.manage.gov.in
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY HYDERABAD www.niftindia.com
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WARANGAL www.nitw.ernet.in
PROF. G. RAM REDDY CENTRE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION, OSMANIA UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD www.cdeou.org
REGIONAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE WARANGAL www.recw.ernet.in
SIVA SIVANI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SECUNDERABAD www.ssim.ac.in
SRI KRISHNADEVARAYA UNIVERSITY ANANTAPUR www.skuniv.ap.nic.in
SRI SATHYA SAI INSTITUTE OF HIGHER LEARNING PRASANTHI NILAYAM www.srisathyasai.org.in
SULTAN-UL-ULOOM COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION HYDERABAD www.sultanululoom.org

S.V. UNIVERSITY – SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT


TIRUPATI
www.svu/index.htm / www.members.tripod.com/~sbm

T.J.P.S. COLLEGE OF P.G. STUDIES


GUNTUR
www.tjpscollege.com

TRANSWORLD INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT


HYDERABAD
www.timindia.org
UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD HYDERABAD www.uohyd.ernet.in
VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SECUNDERABAD www.vignanajyothi.com

VIVEKANANDA SCHOOL OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES


HYDERABAD
www.vspgs.com

Top B-Schools in India

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM A)
Ranked amongst the top most business schools in India and Asia. The institute offers four programmes in Management. The PGP – Post Graduate Program (equivalent to MBA), the FPM – Fellowship Program in Management(equivalent to Ph.D), the FDP – Faculty Development Program for Management teachers and Trainers and the MDP – Management Development Program – a refresher for middle and top level managers. Admission process for PGP and FPM of IIM Ahemedabad involves taking the Common Admission Test (CAT) followed by group discussion and interviews for short listed candidates.

Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM C) @ Kolkatta
Ranked amongst the most prestigious business schools in India and Asia. The institute offers three full time programs. The PGDM – Post Graduate Program in Management (equivalent to MBA), the FPM – Fellowship Program in Management, the PGDCM – Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Aided Management. All three programs require the candidate to take CAT. The institute also offer part time PGDBM – Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management for managers with relevant work experience. In addition, MDP – Management Development Programs are held in regular intervals for middle and top level managers.

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM B)
IIM Bangalore offers two year full time PGP – Post Graduate Program in Management (equivalent to MBA) and a FPM – Fellowship Program in Management. Both these programs require the candidate to take CAT. The institute also offers part time non residential PGSM – Post Graduate Program in Software Enterprise Management. There is a separate entrance test for this program. This business school is ranked amongst the top three business schools in the country.

Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM L)
IIM Lucknow offers a two year full time residential PGP – Post Graduate Program in Management and a four year FPM program. Both these programs require a candidate to take CAT. The institute also has an interesting student exchange program where students of this B-School go to premier B-Schools the world over and do part of their education. Students and faculty from these internationally reputed B-Schools in turn visit IIM Lucknow. It is ranked amongst the top five B-Schools in India.

XLRI – Xavier Labour Research Institute, Jamshedpur
Xavier Labour Research Institute, popularly known as XLRI was established in 1949 at Jamshedpur. The institute offers two courses at the post graduation level in management – a post graduate diploma in Business administration and a post graduate diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations (PMIR). Online version of the brochure is also available. In 2001, the average salary (including foreign offers) soared by 70% (over last year) to a whopping Rs.8.06 lakhs per annum. The offers in the Business Management program averaged at an awe-inspiring Rs.9.71 lakhs and in the Personnel Management program at Rs. 6.5 lakhs. And these exclude ESOPs and other means of compensation.

ISB – Indian School of Business, Hyderabad
Indian School of Business, Hyderabad is emerging as a preferred choice for MBA aspirants who want to pack in the program into a one year course. As it gradually builds up its permanent faculty base, the ISB has created a unique and sustainable visiting faculty model with some of the world’s leading academicians from Wharton, Kellogg, Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, Duke and Texas among others. The school offers a one year Post Graduate Program in Management.

FMS – Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi
FMS is amongst the top 10 B-Schools in the country and probably one of the two attached to a university amongst the top ten. The full time program of FMS started in 1967. The whole outgoing batch of 2002 was placed within a span of 2 days. There were 8 foreign offers including British American Tobacco (BAT), OLAM and QAI among others.

Indian Institute of Management, Indore (IIM I)
The Indian Institute of Management, Indore (IIMI) is the latest addition to the IIM community. IIMI has a two-year post graduate programme emphasizing on Experiential learning, IT orientation, and Social Sensitivity. The construction of the new campus is progressing at a rapid pace and IIMI plans to operate out of the new campus from June 2003. IIM-I offers the following programs viz., (a) The Post Graduate Programme (PGP), a two year programme (b) Management Development Programme. These are held throughout the year. (c) Faculty Development Programme (FDP) is designed to assist in the development of teachers, researchers, and trainers for management education and (d) Executive Post-Graduate Programme (Exe-PGP) a 18-months programme, designed for working executives.

Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIM K – Calicut)
Established in 1996, The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, IIMK is the fifth Indian Institute of Management. Its academic programmes encompass a range of long term full time diploma programmes such as the Post Graduate Programme in Management, and a number of short duration executive education programmes. The institute also offers an “Interactive Distance Learning Programme”

Doctor of Business Administration

The degree of Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) is a research doctorate. The D.B.A. often requires coursework beyond the masters’ level in addition to research that results in a dissertation that contributes to business theory or practice.

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA Degree) & the Doctor of Philosophy in Business (PhD) graduate programs are generally intended for students who wish to pursue a career in academics, research or government. PhD business programs tend to focus more intensively with developing theory & is more appropriate for those wishing to become professional researchers. The DBA degree program research however focuses on the application of theory & addresses applied business issues with respect to the student’s business or profession.

The U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation recognize numerous research-oriented doctoral degrees such as the DBA as “equivalent” to the PhD.

The D.B.A. is usually identical to a Ph.D in Business Administration, except that it tends more towards applied research rather than theoretical research. Harvard Business School, Manchester Business School, Boston University School of Management, Copenhagen Business School, Cranfield School of Management, Durham Business School and Maastricht School of Management, among many others, offer the choice of D.B.A. or Ph.D as equally rigorous doctoral programs, the only difference being applied-research orientation of the DBA programs

Both doctorates involve the development of substantial original work. However, a professional doctorate such as the DBA requires a different type of research development from that of the PhD. For a PhD, research needs to make a significant contribution to an area of knowledge. For the DBA, research needs to make a significant contribution to practice, policy or strategy. The research involved in a DBA is applicable to a business issue (or issues) and is carried out in the context of professional practice.

The DBA is designed to enable a significant contribution to be made towards the enhancement of professional practice in the area of management. Thus, the research undertaken has to be rigorous to be worthy of a Doctorate and immediately relevant to the world of management through addressing real problems. It is a Practitioner Doctorate. The structure is to form a cohort for each intake of around seven to ten students.

The DBA is right for today’s business world. It is often better received in business than a narrow PhD Doctorate. This is because the approach is broader and the thesis takes a practical subject as its basis for the research study.

Typical entry requirements include MBA, MSc (Mgt) or similar Masters degrees, or equivalent qualifications in general management, or in a functional field by examination awarded by a professional body. Often Universities will also ask for significant experience in a managerial or professional supervisory position involving responsibility for strategic or professional development issues. The D.B.A. normally requires a significant thesis, dissertation or final comprehensive project including a formal defense and approval by nominated examiners or an officially sanctioned and qualified doctoral review committee. The degree is conferred when all coursework, testing, and written research is completed satisfactorily and when it has been examined, reviewed and approved by the awarding institution.

The D.B.A. degree may have a specialization such as management science, technology management, organizational behavior, economics, or finance. Many business schools offer both D.B.A. and Ph.D. programs in various fields. Curricula may be offered on a full-time or part-time basis. Under the Bologne Process it is stated that the normal duration of a doctorate should correspond to 3-4 years of full time study.

Acknowledging the diversity of structures and nomenclature used in different universities, it is expected that responsibility for the overall quality of a D.B.A. program within the University context will reside within the Research Degrees Committee (or equivalent), rather than any other structures which might regard it as a taught course. D.B.A. programs must have a specific set of university regulations and must be subject to appropriate quality approval processes. Regulations should include reference to protocols for treating ethical issues in research, including those involving researchers working within the organisation that employs them and/or having access to privileged information.

Colleges Offering DBA