Top 10 courses YOU MUST pursue this summer

These courses will not only help you develop a new skill, but also give you an edge while planning your career.

For most of us summer vacations translate to memories of adventure trips and long hours of playing games with friends and cousins.

But if you ask your parents, they will tell you how they also spent their summer vacations learning how to type or shorthand, because they were told that some of these skills would help them later in their career.

While typing and shorthand may have lost its charm, these days, you will find that youngsters look forward to summer vacations to pursue their long pending passion -- like learning how to play the guitar or brushing up basic culinary skills for that matter.

Times have changed, but the purpose remains the same -- making the most of what you can in the 2-month summer break. And why not? Time spent in summer workshops are investments with long term benefits.

While a few weeks spent in a theatre workshop can help you develop your communication and public speaking skills, learning French or German will give you an edge if you want to pursue a career in the hospitality industry.

From photography to bartending, here are top 10 courses you can pursue during vacations without missing out on the fun and action.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

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You may have a shrill voice or a gruff tone, but a course in voice modulation will only give you reasons to be proud of what you have.

Voice modulation is an art that allows you to tweak your voice's pace, pitch and volume to suit the mood of the conversation.

Since each one has a unique voice, learning the art will make you realise how you can still make the most of it.

A short term course in voice modulation will also train you to develop your accent which will help you score on your communication skills and present your ideas better.

Voice modulation workshops also teach you how to effectively communicate through different mediums -- phone, meeting, classroom etc, says Satish Kakri, Director, Nimble Foundation that organises short term certificate courses in voice modulation, accent training, public speaking, written communication and more.

If you subscribe to a course at the Indian Voice Training Centre, you can learn these techniques from the comfort of your home. All you will need is an internet connection and a Skype id.

Professional voice modulation artists are employed in radio stations as radio jockeys, while some also end up as dubbing or vocal artistes recording for ad films, feature films, theatre etc.

Where to study

Nimble Foundation
Course details: 30 hours spread across 10 or 15 sessions as per your convenience
Fee: Rs 7,500 onwards
Contact: www.nimblefoundation.org

Where to study

Indian Voice Training Centre
Course fee: Rs 1000 onwards
Contact: http://www.indian-voice-overs.com

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

Even if you do not aspire to be an author, journalist or a copy writer, a basic course in English language communication will help you understand and use the language better.

From speaking skills to reading and writing the language, British Council organises summer intensive batches to train students in creative writing, presentation skills, BPO skills (telephone marketing and negotiating) and more every year.

Although the basic course is for 8 weeks, you can also upgrade your skills as you advance further.

However, you have to be 16 years of age and will have to appear for an assessment test before enrolling for the course, said an advisor from British Council who further revealed that these courses help students polish their accent and improve their confidence while conversing with people across the globe.

Meanwhile, you can also opt for a 30-hour creative writing course at Whistling Woods International, Mumbai for which you can also earn credit points. The course is directed at graduates who want to pursue a career in journalism, advertisement or feature film making.

Not just students, even corporate professionals pursue these courses to upgrade their language and communication skills over time.

Where to study

The British Council
Course fee: Rs 10,700 for the spoken English course; Rs 11,700 for creative writing
Contact: www.britishcouncil.org

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

With reality shows like Master Chef popularising the vocation in India, cooking and baking are no longer considered as weekend hobbies.

This summer, you can choose from courses that teach you to make your favourite chocolate in 1 day; get trained in the basics of international cuisine in 3 days or become a professional in 3 months.

Certificate courses in baking and confectionary are organised by institutes like the International Institute of Culinary Arts, Delhi which are open to both students and working professionals.

Arjan Datta, COO, IICA says that most professional courses fail to provide hands-on training and hence, graduates must also gain some work experience alongside their training if they want to make it big in the hospitality industry.

He says, students who are unable to decide about their career can pursue these short term courses rather than spending a year and lakhs of money and realising that they do not want to take it further. "Short term will help you understand the fundamentals of culinary arts so that you know what to expect in a full-time course," added Datta

Neetu Faneja who has been organising hobby classes in baking and confectionary for students, working mothers and young professionals during weekends, Christmas and summer holidays says her students have always come back for more.

"Hobby courses held during vacations offer you the flexibility to customise your course depending on the availability of your time and resources. Students who pursue the course are trained to meet requirements for birthday parties and local events.

Passionate students can also venture into event management, hotel management, or entrepreneurship," added Faneja, founder of Neetu's Hobby Classes that have cooking courses for as less as Rs 600.

Students are awarded certificates after completion of these courses.

Where to study

Neetu Hobby Classes
Fee: Rs 600 to 1500
Contact: www.neetuhobbyclasses.com

International Institute of Culinary Arts, Delhi
Fee: Rs 2000 per day; Rs 6000 for a 3-day course
Contact: http://chefiica.com

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

Clicking pictures can not only be fun but also a creative hobby that can accentuate into a promising career opportunity.

You may not want to make a career out of it, but knowing your basics will give you an edge at your friend's party, a college event or a corporate function, says Suchitra Surve, counsellor, Global Education Counsel.

Mumbai-based photographer, filmmaker and lecturer Saransh Mohite, who organises workshops to educate students on the basics of photography, says short-term courses not only help beginners brush up their basic skills, but also helps most of them beat the stress off studies.

"Students are taught about indoor and outdoor lighting and are also provided with basic techniques to deal with various types of photography" says Mohite, who trains students for nature, fashion, catalogue, travel and function photography.

Although most summer courses are of 1-3 months duration, he emphasises that students who want to pursue photography as a full time career must undergo at least 6 months of professional training.

In fact, Delhi School of Photography organises weekend courses in photography for students as young as class 8.

For the foundation course held in April, participants are required to have a digital SLR camera with a minimum resolution of 8MP.

And for those who do not want to invest time in finding out whether these courses are available in their cities, institutes like the Indian Institute of Photography (IIP) are also offering a 3-month online course in photography which is inclusive of training and field assignments.

At IIP, you can also opt for a 45-day summer certificate programme which commences May or enrol for a 1-month course and study online.

Where to study

Delhi School of Photography
Course Fee: 8,000 onwards
Contact: http://www.delhischoolofphotography.com

Indian Institute of Photography
Fee: Rs 1500 for one month; Rs 12,000 for 45 days, Rs 8000 for 3-month course
Contact: http://www.indianinstituteofphotography.com

Knowing a foreign language is always advantageous for you irrespective of the profession you intend to pursue.

While Chinese, French, German and Spanish are some of the foreign languages that will help you when you travel abroad, French and German are popular choices among students, says a representative from InaWord Languages, an institute that offer certificate summer courses in foreign languages in Chennai.

For a two week course at this institute, students are provided with study material and are trained for basic skills in reading, speaking and writing the language.

Those who cannot find time to visit an institute, can also learn French from the comfort of your home by opting for online courses, like the one provided by Alliance Francaise.

"Students can enrol online and download study material which comprises audio tapes and interactive tools. Certificates for these courses are attested by French Embassy and Alliance Francaise," advises Karan Kaushik, student advisor, Alliance Francaise.

Ganesh Iyer, Director, Iyer Language Classes that teaches language courses to students across the globe says you can learn the basics of any language (speaking and responding) if you can dedicate 3-4 months.

If you want to master your reading and writing skills, you will have to spend a year or more.

Iyer's institute, for one, has faculties to train you in French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, German, Danish, Swedish, Portuguese, Indonesian and Dutch as per your convenience and availability.

"If you are staying out of Mumbai, you will need a Skype account," insists Iyer who also trains international clients in Indian languages.

Where to study

INaWORD
Course fee
Rs 3,000 for a 2 week course
Contact: http://www.inawordlanguages.com

Alliance Francaise
Course fee: Rs 3,990
Contact: contact@clickonfrench.com

Iyer Language Classes
Course fee:Variable
Contact: http://iyerlanguageclasses.webs.com

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

If you want to pursue a career in fashion or design, you need not wait for the academic year to begin. You can start preparing right away.

While institutes like National Institute of Fashion Technology, National Institute of Design and others offer vocational courses starting June onwards, institutes like Arch Academy of Design, Jaipur offer certificate courses in Fashion business start-up, illustration and draping (2 months each); block printing, tie and dye and batik and yarn craft (1 month each) which you can pursue during the months April, May and June.

You can brush up basic skills like sketching, stitching and pattern making, which are essential for every design aspirant.

"Not only students, but housewives and young professionals who want to take a break from their career pursue these courses," says Ankita Gandhi, student advisor, Arch Academy of Design, Jaipur.

From designing leather bags to clothes and jewellery, Gandhi says the courses can be customised as per requirements of students i.e. you can learn the 2-month course in one month provided you are willing to devote more hours a day.

The course may not guarantee you placements, but will definitely help you add an additional skill to your CV.

Where to study

Arch Academy of Design
Course fee: Rs 10,000 for 1 month course
Contact: http://www.archedu.org

If Tom Cruise and Hrithik Roshan can impress the girls with their bartending skills, you can at least give it a try.

And if you have already appeared for your class 10 exams, a 6 week course in bartending is all you need to get acquainted to the basics of the profession.

One of the coolest hobby courses to pursue during vacations, the scope of career as a bartender only widens if you want to pursue it full time.

Edison Amalraj, Principal, Indian Institute of Bartending (IIBT), Chennai says they have designed specific courses from 6 weeks to 3 months and 1 year to meet the demands of students who to add on to their skills.

The minimum requirement is that you should have appeared for your class 10 exams. "Pass or fail doesn't matter," he says because the course will train you enough to get a job.

"Bartending is an emerging field and these certificate courses will train you to be employable while you are pursuing your education. You can look at it as a skill development programme while you are planning your career or taking a break from work. But if you want a full time career, you may have to upgrade your skills from time to time," he adds while pointing out how the institute has taken care of the short term and long term career needs of students.

Where to study

Indian Institute of Bartending
Course fee:Rs 9,000 for a 6-week course; Rs 17,500 for a 3-month course
Contact: http://www.iibtindia.com

From painting online to learning to make animated videos, it's time to go digital this vacation.

Institutes like MAAC and Frameboxx Animation are offering personalised multimedia courses in digital painting, editing, compositing, 2D-animation and more.

Courses range from 7 days to 3 months and cost as less as Rs 1500 to Rs 10,000 depending on the curriculum.

Alok Mishra, a graphic artist and visiting faculty for advanced computers (a subject in the Bachelor of Mass Media programme) in Mumbai says students who want to make a career in animation, gaming or design should pursue these short term courses and upgrade their skills from time to time.

While institutes like Lil AniMasters, Pune have courses for children as young as 10 years old, Jyoti Nathane, Area Manager, Frameboxx Animation says students above 14 years of age should consider these courses before planning a career in animation or digital arts.

In fact, Nathane says that certified professionals who master the art can also work part time along with studies.

With the increase in the number of movies that are being made in 3D, Mishra says students who learn graphics and visual effects will be easily absorbed into the industry.

"Students who pursue Arts and mass media in their graduation have been benefitted by their course. They are absorbed faster by advertising and publishing houses and get to work as illustrators, animators. Some of them also end up as website developers," added Mishra who encourages students to pursue it as a part time vocation.

Institutes like MAAC offer 2 month courses in advanced digital sculpting, animation, VFX, digital effects etc.

Frameboxx Animation has customised packages which range Rs 10,000 upwards per specialisation.

Where to study

MAAC Animation
Course fee: Variable
Contact: www.maacindia.com

Frameboxx Animation
Course fee: Rs 10,000 per specialisation
Contact: info@frameboxx.in

Lil AniMasters
Course fee: Rs 3000 for a 1 month course
Contact: 020-60606655

If you are up for grooves this summer, dancing is a great way to exercise and light up your mood.

Not to forget, how most people who take up short term dancing courses often become part of the dancing troupe and tour with them thus getting ample opportunities to showcase their talent and learn with experience.

With at least one dance reality show running per channel, the prospects of choosing choreography even as a part time profession only look promising.

Noted choreographer Sandeep Soparkar whose efforts in popularising the ballroom and Latin American dance forms in India has been appreciated by the Queen of England and the Prince of Wales organises salsa classes in weekends and holidays in Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad and Nepal.

The salsa course is spread across four levels and can be learnt in 2 weeks time. The ballroom programme covers rumba, cha cha, jive, waltz and foxtrot across five levels for you to choose from.

Seventeen-year-old Mridula Ram from Mumbai who learnt salsa from Soparkar's Ballroom Studio last year says it helped her a great deal.

"Dance is a great stress buster. You will be amazed to find how good your body feels after dancing. Learning new forms of dance will improve your knowledge about different cultures and also keep your body flexible," says the mass communication student who is also a trained kathak dancer and now choreographs for college events.

One of Bollywood's contemporary choreographer Shiamak Davar who is known to take his students to tour abroad and perform, also has exclusive summer batches in cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi and some of his students are as young as 4 years old.

Where to study

Sandip Soparkar Ballroom Studio
Course fee: Rs. 3500 onwards for salsa; Rs. 4000 onwards for ballroom dance
Contact: www.ballroomindia.com

Shiamak Davar Institute of Performing Arts
Course fee: Rs 2500 onwards, varies per city
Contact: http://www.shiamak.com

You may have never participated in a school or college play, worst, you have never dreamt of even making a film, but here's the perfect time to get started.

You can join an acting school and learn the nuances of acting, dancing and performing on stage and in front of the camera or join a film institute and learn how to appreciate cinema, make films or edit them on various mediums.

The Whistling Woods international school for one, offers a unique course in mobile film making which can be learnt in 24 hours. You can also earn credits for the course.

Among the other courses you can learn and earn credits would be Basics of screen direction (Rs 6000 for a 12-hour course); Film appreciation (Rs 8,000 onwards for a 20-hour course), Digital video production (approx Rs 20,000 for a 40-hour course).

If you want to learn acting, Anupam Kher's Actor Prepares academy which has trained actors like Deepika Padukone and Gauhar Khan is offering a one month part time certificate course which covers both acting and dance.

Starting April 30, the academy is also organising a special children's workshop for students aged between 7 and 14 years, which will act as a fundamental course in acting and performing on stage besides focusing on educating children on the fine elements of acting -- articulation, pronunciation, the right pitch and volume etc.

Even though you may not want to pursue a career in acting or modelling later, counsellor Suchitra Surve says dance and theatre workshops help students overcome stage fear and builds up their confidence in public speaking.

"You may not end up as an actor, but you will definitely see an improvement in the way you communicate with people after attending the workshop," she adds.

Where to study

Actor Prepares
Course fee: Rs 20,000 for acting, Rs 25,000 for acting and dancing
Contact: www.actorprepares.net

Barry John Acting Studio
Course fee: Rs 8,000 onwards for summer workshops
Contact: www.imagoindia.com