The charm of correspondence courses

Highly competitive eligibility criteria at top institutes coupled with the availability of part-time jobs has resulted in students opting for correspondence courses more out of choice than compulsion.

“I chose correspondence course over regular because this way I could do as many professional courses as I want to,” says Himanshu Bhalla,a B.Com 2nd year student.

Institutes like IGNOU,Delhi University’s School of Open Learning and Amity offer correspondence courses and usually do not make academic excellence a criteria for admission. They also have the same examination system and a syllabus similar to the regular courses.

Dr. Dinesh Gupta,Deputy Director,School of Open Learning (SOL),Delhi University says,”We offer courses that have the same syllabus,same exam system,similar evaluation techniques and we offer the same degree”.

For Gaurav,a BA (Honours) student of DU,not getting into the regular courses was a set-back initially till he explored other options.

“Just because of a few marks I failed to get admission in the institute I wanted to go but later I found better courses available through distance learning,” says Gaurav.

Some organisations do not differentiate between correspondence and full-time courses when they are screening candidates for jobs,accepting people based on their individual capability and skills.

“Doing all my courses through correspondence didn’t ever create a problem for me. It depends on an individual. I worked and studied simultaneously. So,when I faced interviews,I was well equipped,” says Faisal Haq,Lecturer of Development Communication in Amity International.

“We would surely try to know why the candidate has opted for a correspondence course instead of a regular one. Capabilities are individualistic. Degrees matter but it is ultimately how well the student is groomed,” says an HR manager at a five star hotel in the capital.

However,many companies still prefer to employ people who have a degree from a full-time course at a well known institute.