How I chose my course and college: Shubham Jawandhiya

BIT Mesra

I have been intrigued by Science since my high school. I was quite good in my school studies and hence, secured 95.60% in 10th exams from Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). I decided to go for Engineering and thus got admission in one of the coaching institutes near my home because I didn’t want to waste my time travelling. The college I chose for 11th and 12th was also on the basis of distance from my home as in my opinion, 11th and 12th standard institutes don’t really matter.

My Admission Journey and Exam Tips

The entrance exams I gave after Class 12th were JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, VITEEE and MHCET. I took coaching from Rao IIT Academy. Even though my score wasn’t very good, luckily, it was enough for getting a seat in a good engineering college. In my opinion the best way to prepare for any engineering entrance exam is:

a. To be thorough with the basic concepts and ideas as they are the crux to solve problems in any subject, especially Physics.

b. For Maths, to understand the derivations of formulae as well as learn the formulae for better retrieval during exams.

c. To try solving all sorts of problems from one good book rather than only simple ones from many books as this is what I have observed people doing.

For admission in a good college, make sure you research about every college you are eligible for (mind you I am saying eligible and not whether you can clear the cut-offs). Make your priorities clear while deciding a college and rank the colleges from best to worst. Also, the very important point here is to choose the branch you are interested in. You should also appear for private college entrance exams just to keep your options open. It is better to choose from a wide range of colleges that you are eligible for rather than choosing from a small range of colleges you find good because luck does play a role here. Give more priority to your interest. If you are unable to find your interest, Google things, ask people who have gone through the phase and gather knowledge about different Engineering branches.

My Learnings and Insights

College life is great. Trust me. A good national-level engineering college will teach you a lot of things, and will give lots and lots of cultural as well as educational options and facilities to explore. That is why, work hard in those two years after clearing Class 10th to enjoy such benefits. I chose Computer Science Engineering and according to me, this is one of the best fields to be in. You have a wide and ever-increasing range of opportunities in this field.

One of the mistakes I made was assuming that the college would be like a school where the teacher would teach you everything. It doesn’t work that way. You have to be your own teacher and search resources to know things. Learning the so-called Indian jugaad is what you should do. During engineering, some things that you should know are:

a. Marks do matter but not to a great extent. Maintain a decent score.

b. Try to make use of all the opportunities during your fresher and sophomore years but narrow down your goals till 3rd and 4th year.

c. Try to implement projects as these teach you a lot of things and give you a sense of achievement.

d. Enjoy while you can.

About the Author:

Shubham Jawandhiya

I am Shubham Jawandhiya, a 3rd year undergraduate Computer Science Engineering student at Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra. My hobbies are coding, reading and listening to music. Also, I have deep interest in machine learning and web development.