Engineering in India is a course that many take up, most continue, and some stay in the field later on.
If you’re doubting picking this course up at any point, be it before joining or being 2 years into it, then we’ve got just the solution for you.
Be it archaic syllabi and teaching methods, or the sheer number of engineering students in India – the highest dropout rate is from B.Tech and BE (Bachelor of Engineering).
Let’s deal with all issues faced by budding engineers in India.
Before course selection
If you’re fortunate enough to choose your course, be absolutely sure about what you want to do. Most engineering dropouts have the same reason for leaving – didn’t find anything else, so took up B.Tech.
B.Tech. is a pretty convenient course when it comes to scoring. If you ensure a minimum percentage, you’re ensured a job from placements.
However, students generally don’t find it appealing to work on something apart from their interests, which gives rise to change in fields after graduating.
Academics
This is one area where engineers can be calm about. Owing to the flawed education system for engineering in India, an entire semester’s syllabus can easily be covered in one or two nights. You’re usually expected to rote-learn theory instead of grasping and understanding concepts.
The syllabus taught in most engineering colleges is ancient. My first semester saw me learning how to make Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.
Don’t hold high expectations course-wise until 2nd year.
Submitting assignments and lab files is crucial, though, the negatives of not doing so might not be many but it has an overall positive effect on your GPA.
Keeping your percentage above a certain percentage (usually in the range of 60-75%) gives you a safe backup plan. This is the minimum criteria for most companies when you sit for placements. Hence, academics is not an area one should worry about if they pick B.Tech or BE.
Related – How To Get Through Your 1st 3 Months In DU; A Guide For 1st Year Students
The A word – Attendance
Ever have your DU friends mock you over having a rule on attendance? This menacing rule in engineering colleges requires you to maintain a minimum attendance percentage to be eligible to give examinations and sit in placements.
There’s no bright side to this, no plus points. If you want to take part in debate tournaments or extra courses, that’s all on you, your engineering college will not budge at all.
One way out is to be good chums with your proctor and submit your assignments regularly. You’ll get your marks, and if you’re short on attendance, it might just be overlooked.
Career
Engineering is a field where there is the highest unemployment rate, and yet has the largest scope for growth and development. The former is due to the fact that students overlook the importance of exposure and internships, and take this as a textbook school-like course.
One major issue faced by many is their college’s level and reputation. I agree, that it matters to some extent when you’re looking for jobs after graduating.
However, be it a tier 1 or tier 3 college, if you’re not doing something extra to gain an edge, count yourself in among the 60% unemployed engineers.
B.Tech. and BE are technical courses, with hoards of resources available on the Internet. Get yourself enrolled in courses offered by the likes of Coursera.
These teach you essential stuff that’s important in the industry but probably isn’t taught in your college. This gives you an extra edge over lakhs of engineering students.
One last imperative to excel is in taking part in hackathons, competing on online platforms like CodeChef and SPOJ, and doing related internships.
These stand out in your CV, as a company is more likely to select a candidate from a Tier 2 college who has cracked Google’s Summer of Code rather than a Tier 1 college graduate whose credentials stand nil.
The Psychological and Mental Angle
Most college students who have depression and countless other mental and psychological issues belong to engineering colleges. The topmost reasons are – lack of support, the looming threat of unemployment, and the sheer amount of stress.
Engineering in India can take a toll on you, yes, but only if you let it do so.
I agree that regular assignments and examinations, combined with the attendance rule and unemployment, can have a serious effect on mental health. However, what makes everything go away is social interaction and extra-curricular.
Pick up a hobby, be it debate or guitar. Don’t lock yourself up in a room and avoid social interaction. Academics in engineering isn’t at all time-consuming, and hence one is left with plenty of time to pursue online courses to gain an upper hand.
Engineering in India can be challenging, but there’s a whole new world with a plethora of exploration options for B.Tech. and BE students. One simply needs to do the right thing at the right time.
Image Source – Google Images
Reach the blogger @Vindicator28
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