The 3 Things you should consider before pursuing Engineering in India !

I am writing this article in context of those students who will be pursuing engineering course in non-IIT/NIT/BITS colleges.

So you have cracked the State Level Entrance Exams & are on track to choose an Engineering Stream ; a degree which you believe will open up opportunities to get a package of around 10–15 lakhs in a Dream Company.

1.Only Coders/Programmers can crack the Technical/Aptitude Test of high paying jobs.

This means that if you are in only for a High ROI or want a premium job ; you need to start focussing on coding & programming from First Year itself.No need to be very hard on oneself but you should try to prioritise your short term goals that will eventually lead you to a long term goal.

If you read placement reports/newspapers that mention a handful of students getting a starting job in the range of 10–15 lakh in big Finance Companies or Banks , then you must understand that all these individuals got selected on the basis of their programming talent.

They have good competitive programming skills coupled with a determination to not give up easily as programming ,no matter what anyone says is difficult to get started with & even more difficult to continue practising it.

So choosing a Computer /Information Technology Branch will be preferable as your goals & syllabus would match.

Some Resources to start :

codecademy.com(Free, follows interactive learning based methodology)

geeksforgeeks.org(Free, all about programming from blogs to interview question )

Codechef.com(Competitive Programming question )

Remember , google any query you have related to programming,it just takes few seconds to do that. There is a vast collection of resources available at your disposable.

2.Your college is not liable to to hold your hand & teach you these coding skills.

Instead of incessantly lamenting over this fact , try to make most out of this opportunity by focussing on building up your coding skills through online resources or a mentor.

You will always feel that the portion being taught to you is outdated & the teachers are not equipped with the understanding of latest technologies.But this is the case everywhere.Your syllabus is aimed at creating a strong foundation & if you practise it with clear dedication you will excel in competitive programming too.

So never give excuses as to why you could not understand programming.You are responsible for yourself & you the most important thing with you which is your TIME.

3.Do anything to avoid KT in engineering.

There are two types of KT’s in Mumbai University : Internal & External.

The former is less dangerous as you get 2 attempts in the same semester to remove it completely and never create a backlog in your academic profile.

The latter i.e. the external KT is something that should act as a motivation to open up your books & start learning. If you get an External KT , a stamp of dead KT always appears on your profile & many Companies avoid it or you may have to prepare a strong case that could back you on questions regarding it.

Both KT’s either external or internal are we equally damaging to your profile.So take this as motivation & grab your notes at least some days before exam.