My college shaped my life: Vaibhav Sharma

Punjab Engineering College

The engineer in me smiled ecstatically seeing the perfect ten on the report card. “Science stream it has to be for me!” Despite being equally good in arts and biology, I chose to go for engineering. The next two years were going to be tough- Boards and competitive exams were the main goals. My time was mostly spent in the company of books and in coaching classes. I prepared for JEE Mains and JEE Advanced to get into the best colleges across the country. The more you practice, the more you succeed in JEE. My mantra was to have clarity of concepts and mock tests every month, and as the time approached, the frequency of the mock tests increased. The hard work paid off. I scored well in Boards and JEE Mains.

Life was not so simple ahead though. Now came the time of college searching and college counselling. None of the engineering colleges’ rankings were left untouched by me. I had chosen the best government colleges to apply to. Also, the last year’s cut-offs guide you a lot. It gives you knowledge about all the trends. My score was 94.6 in Boards and an AIR of about 19k in JEE Mains. Among all these colleges, I chose Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh. The question was whether to choose it or go to some NIT. PEC, being one of the oldest colleges across the nation, has an unmatched legacy. I was totally not into circuital subjects like programming or current and communication. I applied through Joint Admission Counselling (JAC), through which you get admission into PEC and other engineering colleges in Chandigarh. The first choice was Mechanical Engineering and luckily, I got it in the first round of counselling. Few weeks later, I had to appear for document verification in Panjab University (PU) and then for registration in PEC. The first time I stepped into the college, I was filled with joy at the thought that this was the place I would spend the best years of my life in. The major reasons to choose this particular college were the placement stats and the overall reputation of the college.

My college life: classes, extra-curricular activities and more

The college started. The first four days were supposed to be orientation, which is an introduction to the college, and cultural programmes, and the technical project display. I was guided by a signboard to collect the goodies and then reach the auditorium. Seeing around 500 people, the introvert in me got nervous. But I overcame this fear when I thought that it was the place where I would learn and grow and a few among those people would be my friends for life. The seniors seemed to be the best people in the world, treating us like their younger siblings. They cleared all our doubts and the cultural programmes prepared by them were awesome.

Then, the normal classes started- 9 am to 3 pm from Monday to Friday. The teachers were awesome and I knew I was at the right place. Today, I am in the 4th year of Mechanical Engineering, aspiring to be a successful engineer. The college has been helpful in choosing a right career and has helped a lot in this direction. Students acquire all the necessary skills through industry-related and other workshops. Guest lectures are also arranged. Various clubs and technical societies bring out the best in us and give us a chance to pursue our hobbies or learn new skills.

All the softwares I know today are a part of my curriculum and special workshops are organised by technical societies. The course here is industry-oriented and gives us a chance to pursue a 6-month internship in one semester. That is the time when you get a glimpse of the corporate world and get to know how the industry works. The college life has been a bundle of joy, with amazing friends, caring seniors and lovely juniors. On day one, I had never imagined that I would head the college fest committee and a technical society. College does shape your personality. All your experiences reflect in you.  

Being interested in the core mechanical branch, I have chosen to go either to PSUs or big firms which come to the college for placements. Whatever your career option may be, the college, seniors and peers are always there to help. It is life and yes, we all make mistakes and I had made my share of mistakes too. Not a mistake but a regret, I would say, that there remains a part untouched by me and sometimes I feel I couldn’t make the most out of my college life. My advice to the budding engineers reading this is to make the correct career choice which is not influenced by others. It should be what your heart loves. A few years later, happiness will matter more than money. Choose the field where your passion lies. After engineering, you have a lot of options- government or private sector, core and non-core jobs, MBA or MTech, research, teaching, etc. I started as a studious introvert. Today, I am just one step away from following my passion. College life is amazing; make the most out of it.

About the Author:

I am Vaibhav Sharma and I am currently pursuing BTech in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College. I aspire to be a successful engineer. My future plan is to pursue higher studies and later work for top engineering companies. I am interested in Thermal and Industrial Engineering.