Journey to Becoming a Technological Innovator: From Childhood Dreams to Cambridge Institute of Technology

I have always been an introvert and a thinker since childhood. When others watched television, I liked to sit with my drawing books near my window to draw what I saw around me. Most of the time I observed animals and insects around me and imagined if cars, buses, and automobiles looked like those animals. When I used to go up and tell these thoughts to my father- he just responded by saying ‘interesting’ and nothing else. So, I never discussed these thoughts with anyone.

I used these imaginations to create interesting science projects and often showed them to my teachers. They were very well appreciated in school. One time, in Class 7, there was an ‘Innovative Idea contest’ held at school where I won the prize for giving a futuristic design idea for recycling waste. The jury of this contest was a CTO from a big company and he asked me what do I want to become. I told him I wanted to become an engineer who could find out problems and solve it with some new ideas. That was the first time I heard words like technology innovation, research, and sustainability from him and how new technology can give solutions to daily life problems. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to become an engineer, more so a technologist and create new design and ideas to solve big and small livelihood and environmental problems.

During my PU years I started looking for colleges with those three words that stuck in my mind- innovation, research, and sustainability. My parents wanted me to become a computer science engineer but I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. My teacher Mr  sir told me that my skills were perfectly fitted for mechanical engineering. But I wanted a college that also helps me work on computer science and mechanicals during projects and everything. I hunted a lot of college but didn’t really like any. Most of the colleges said they did something but during college tour it was really bad and sad. Then a senior in my neighbourhood told me about Cambridge Institute of Technology.

How did I get into Cambridge?

I took Karthik’s email and phone number from my senior and called him to take a campus tour appointment. When I visited the campus with my family, Karthik sir invited us in his cabin and gave an overall idea of the campus. Then we took the lift up to different departments on the different floors. I think out of 6 colleges we visited, this college seriously had industry on campus and so many labs with so many interesting projects!

There were so many Samsung labs, and Synopsys labs and I loved the fifth floor which was the incubation area. So many start-ups were working there and had labs also. Karthik sir told us how most of the students get into working on industry research projects from 3^rd semester only. He explained how interdisciplinary the courses are, how corporates have Generative AI and other futuristic technology training on campus other than the usual academic and that I can also complete MTech or MBA from the college after BTech if I wanted to. Because the college is autonomous, I will be free in choosing my courses and what I want to learn. The college wants students who are interested in solving world problems with technology and are research minded and just not finish a BTech degree.

So after this, I had to take an examination which was set on a particular date. The whole examination was done digitally. I could answer most of the questions. After this I had to wait for some time till the list came out and then the call came for personal interview. The personal interview was simple. It was with Mr Karthik sir to understand my acumen and my interest to join the institution.

My experience at the Cambridge Institute of Technology

My college helped me expand my capabilities and make the best version of me

I can say that I have received what was promised. When I joined the college there was a 15 days orientation programme which was like a festival. I got to make friends not only from my department but from other departments too. I also got to pick the clubs I wanted to be a part of and quite a lot of games, workshops for us to get acquainted with our campus.

Now that I am in the 5^th semester of computer science engineering (yes I had to take this because of my parents), I have acquired 3 certificates- two from Samsung and one from EOS. I have also worked on a small project with Persapien which is a startup in our campus founded by a Stanford University alumni and it helps in purifying air that we breathe, I am an active part of the Zero Waste team and is also in the performance team of Chiguru- the annual fest. I have also become a part of the TEDx and the technology clubs. Best of all, I am working on developing new products with mechanical engineering teams and corporate teams in the campus that Anthony Sir heads. All the professors in the campus are open to new ideas and here I can share my ideas so openly and discuss them. If the idea is great, Nithin Sir (CEO of CIT) helps students and faculties get the idea funded and started. There are almost 30 such student-faculty startups.

I am glad that I chose CIT. It has and continues to challenge me to expand my capabilities every day and helps me build for a progressive future. I feel that I am creating something here- something that will make the world a better place and will make my profile internationally acceptable.

About the Author:

 

 

Shania Britney Hoskins, Computer Science Engineering Department, Cambridge Institute of Technology

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha