Job Portal

SMART Career Choices

Login

Password

Remember me

Survey : SECTION 2 – HOW I WAS SHAPED

The years when formal systems tried to shape you and you responded in your own way

Before we begin - this matters…

Everyone goes through school and college, but no two people are shaped the same way.

Some grow through encouragement.

Some grow through pressure.

Some grow despite systems, not because of them.

This section is not judging your marks, ranks, or institutions.

It is trying to understand how education, exposure, and circumstances actually shaped you as a person.

Take your time. There are no right or wrong answers.

Choose what reflects your lived reality not what sounds impressive.

2.1 Your Schooling Environment

Q: Which statement best describes your overall schooling journey?

Why we are asking this; Schooling continuity or lack of it quietly affects confidence, adaptability, language comfort, and learning habits. We want to understand the environment, not evaluate performance.

Choose the option closest to your reality - one only:

Option A: Mostly stable – same school, same city, minimal disruption. Example: studied in one or two schools with continuity.

Option B: Mostly stable, with some changes – changed schools or cities once or twice. Example: parent transfer, hostel years, board change.

Option C: Frequently disrupted – multiple changes in school, city, medium, or gaps. Example: migration, financial constraints, health or family reasons

Option D: Highly disrupted due to circumstances beyond my control. Example: conflict, caregiving responsibilities, major instability.

2.2 Medium of Instruction & Learning Support

Q: Which learning environments influenced you the most during school years? You may select more than one.

Why this matter; Language medium and learning support shape expression, comprehension speed, and confidence but are often misunderstood or unfairly judged later.

Select all that apply:

Option A: School education primarily in local/regional language

Option B: School education primarily in English

Option C: Shifted between languages or boards over the years

Option D: Coaching, tuition, or self-study played a bigger role than school itself

2.3 What Actually Shaped You During School

Q: Looking back, which forces shaped you the most during school years? Please rank your top 3 With 1 = strongest influence.

Why this question exists; This helps us understand whether you were shaped more by people, pressure, curiosity, or constraints.

Options to rank:

Option A: Teachers or mentors

Option B: Family expectations or responsibilities

Option C: Peer group and social environment

Option D: Competitive pressure like exams, ranks, comparisons

Option E: Personal curiosity and self-driven interest

Option F: Constraints - financial, social, health, geography.

2.4 Co-curricular & Non-Academic Exposure

Q: How would you describe your experience with non-academic activities during school?

Why we ask; Participation often depends on access and encouragement—not interest or ability.

Choose one:

Option A: Actively involved and encouraged

Option B: Participated occasionally when opportunities arose

Option C: Wanted to participate but lacked access or support

Option D: Rarely participated or was actively discouraged

2.5 College / Course Choice Reality

Q: How did you arrive at your college or course choice?

Why this matter; This helps distinguish intentional choices from constraint-driven paths—both are valid, but they shape outlook differently.

Choose one:

Option A: Clear first choice, consciously planned

Option B: One of several acceptable options

Option C: Decided mainly by marks, rank, or cut-offs

Option D: Influenced strongly by family or financial reasons

Option E: Drifted into it without much clarity at the time

2.6 Competitive or Entrance Exam Experience

Q: Did competitive or entrance exams play a role in your education journey?

Option A: Yes

Option B: No

Q: If Yes, the next question…

Follow-up: What best describes your experience?

Option A: Cleared as expected

Option B: Cleared after multiple attempts

Option C: Attempted sincerely but did not clear

Option D: Attempted mainly due to pressure or expectation
Why this exists; Attempts successful or not shape resilience, self-image, and decision-making under pressure.

2.7 Breaks, Detours, or Shifts

Q: Was there any break, pause, or significant detour in your education journey?

Option A: YES

Option B: NO

Q: If Yes, the next question…

In 2–3 lines, share: What caused it, and one thing you learned from that phase. Example: responsibility, patience, clarity, resilience.

2.8 Exposure Beyond Textbooks

Q: During your education years, how exposed were you to learning beyond textbooks?

This includes; Reading outside syllabus, discussions, travel, events, cultural exposure, real-world observation. Choose one:

Option A: Very exposed

Option B: Moderately exposed

Option C: Limited exposure

Option D: Almost no exposure

2.9 What Education Actually Gave You

Q: If you had to be honest, what did formal education give you the most? Choose one:

Option A: Subject knowledge and conceptual clarity

Option B: Discipline and routine

Option C: Confidence and expression

Option D: Social exposure and networks

Option E: Less than what I learned informally

2.10 Quiet Reflection - Optional, but valuable.

Q: Complete these two lines - 2–3 lines total:

One way my education shaped me well is

Q: Complete these two lines - 2–3 lines total:

One way it did not prepare me enough is

Closing note for this section;

Thank you for taking time to reflect.

This section helps us read your later choices fairly, not judge them.

You can move on now or pause and return later.

Your journey is allowed to be complex.

Note; You can save and return to this section anytime.”

Dear Academics,
Would you like to make this profile public and display it on our website. If yes, Click here and see you public profile.
Note: You can withdraw this any time later in your profile settings.