Dropping a year is not a good idea: Akshay Ujjwal

Delhi Technological University

Choosing the right career is the most important decision of life. I was always a Science student. I’ve loved Science since my childhood. So, the only question for me was whether to choose medical or non-medical and that got cleared when I scored the highest marks in my school in Mathematics in 10^th Boards.

After scoring good marks in 12^th Boards, I guess the most difficult and also the most important question in a student’s life is- What now? Please think at least ten times before answering this question to yourself. I chose Engineering and I am pursuing BTech in Information Technology from Delhi Technological University (DTU).

My Admission Journey

What can lack of knowledge do? I came to know the answer to it when I made my biggest mistake in my life. I dropped a year, and yes, that was my biggest mistake according to me and it was just because of lack of knowledge and lack of proper guidance or mentor. I didn’t know much about the cut-off of DTU, so I thought I wouldn’t get admission at the rank I had and didn’t fill the registration form that year. And when the cut-off came, all I could do is regret because I was getting Software that year. And after dropping and wasting one year and lots of money on coaching, I got Information Technology next year, which is almost similar to Software. So I suggest everyone to get proper guidance and knowledge.

If you are thinking of dropping a year for preparation of exam, I would suggest you think twice. I don’t know about you but my experience of dropping a year was really awful.

I took my coaching classes from Narayana, Janakpuri during my year gap and the teachers were good there, especially Jha sir, who taught Physics. He was exceptional. The only way to prepare is to study regularly on a daily basis and give as many practice exams as you can because these exams help in increasing the speed of solving problems.

I gave IPUCET, BITSAT, and JEE but my target was DTU. And after giving JEE, I was pretty confident that I was going to go to DTU. So I gave IPU and BITS exams just for the sake of formality, though I scored good ranks in both the exams. Then, there was JEE Advanced. To be honest, I was never an IIT guy. Though I did well in Advanced, it wasn’t enough. But in the end, I got what I wanted- DTU.

Please take a break from study one day before the exam to relax your mind. While attempting the exam, follow the sequence Chemistry first, then Math, and at last Physics.

If you are choosing engineering, please choose the college wisely. Yes, the college definitely matters. Your knowledge matters too, but the college matters a lot. Also, your trade is important. Choose the trade in which you have interest.

College Life

It’s just a myth that college life has a lots of fun, seriously. Yes, it can be fun if you aren’t there for study. But if you are there for study, then it’s not necessarily so, especially not in engineering. It was my first year in college, only one month had passed, and mid semester exams were already there. We hadn’t even had our fresher’s party till then and we were giving exams.

But still, the first year in DTU is always fun for the students because you take almost a month to see all the spots in DTU. Yes, DTU campus is the best thing about DTU. It has such a beautiful and big campus!

Mass bunks, new events daily, competitions- yes, the first year was wonderful for me in the aspect of fun but not in grades. I scored really poorly, especially in the 2^nd semester.

The seniors said that CGPA doesn’t matter much but now I am realizing how much it matters. I am in the 3^rd year and am giving tests and interviews for internship. I suggest you not to listen to seniors and maintain at least 7.5 CGPA.

The most important year in the college is the 2^nd year because in this year, you study your core subjects. For me, they were DS, OS, DBMS, etc. And these are the subjects which I currently require for my internships and will require them for placement next year. So, the 2^nd year is really important for studies.

The only mistake I made in these years, I guess, is not maintaining my CGPA. CGPA is really important. I don’t know much about the non-technical fields, but for technical, it is important.

About the Author:

My name is Akshay Ujjwal and I am pursuing BTech Information Technology (3^rd year) at Delhi Technological University. My hobbies include watching movies, playing cricket and coding.