NITK Surathkal And Engineering in general...

Well many thanks to people who have posted comments or asked relevant questions regarding NITK Surathkal or Engineering in general... all of those along with my replies are in the comment section in the post "NITK SURATHKAL: From the eyes of a student (batch-2010)...."
I plan to integrate all that into a new post sometime in coming weeks as most of the doubts cater to all the freshers in general and ain't very case specific. So for now you may treat them as a separate post with some insights... feel free to go through and may be they would answer some of your own questions...
Look forward to help to the best of my capabilities... thanks... good luck...

a couple of things:
1) go with your gut rather than your parents' coz it is your life and only you would have to live it and in case you botch up, to your credit least you did it yourself and this my friends feels much better, i speak from great experience here.

2) KISS: Keep it simple and stupid... don't clutter your mind with more and more mind boggling, unnecessary scenarios. Anxiety and misery have some magnetism, so save yourself... whatever may be the college, if it is known to be at least a good one for some years, and you commit to being in the top 15%, you will sooner than later end up with the same opportunities which a premium college would have provided... the only differences a reputed college makes is in Post graduation resume, recommendations for the same and for placements the benefits just stay with the 1st job....

3) Be wary of the fact that whatever you may like today or feel like having enthu for, can become history in no time, over the time you spend in college.... so go about with an open-mindset and see the things for yourself before clinging to one or another. i.e Go ahead with Dual degrees, MS, Phd courses with a lot of introspection...
before committing to something please explore how much knowledge you really have about that field... Google should be your best friend in this endeavor...

4) don't let yourself be bound by the regional boundaries when it comes to choosing college... explore... this is the best time of your life to do that and there is so much to learn... by living in the cocoon which many parents want (Knowingly or unknowingly) for them to feel secure, will only spoil you for the worse and would be not be unlike a frog in the well with no idea what is beyond....North Indians especially please explore south unless you are getting a seat in IITD, PEC, DCE, NSIT....learn/unlearn... make new friends....JUST EXPLORE...

A NOTE FOR FRESHERS:

A NOTE FOR FRESHERS- if you didn’t make a cut in IITs or got a rank in excess of 2700(when most of the good 4 yr courses are done, IIT Roorkee's Civil, aeronautical being the last available better flavor) u may go for another shot, it s worth it. I won’t say it matters for any of the non IIT colleges but these 6-7 top ones deserve another shot, subject to your thinking and ability to strike a chord. If you are genuinely interested in engineering my answer would be definitely yes for some guy who has cleared JEE in first attempt. Others who doubt their real interests need not bother much.

Remember any ok college in India has more than enough opportunities at least for their toppers wrt placement. And you will sooner than later land up with what you deserve.

When you enter a college your AIR becomes a thing of the past, the same way your college becomes nothing more than a mere ticket and an eligibility criterion when you land up with a job. When u make a switch in jobs it’s the last one, u had that matters. In the long run everything balances itself out.

PLEASE BE RATIONAL- FOLLOWING WILL HELP YOU TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ROAD TO TAKE

The journey doesn't come to an end after cracking some entrance exam, in fact it just gets a heads up form there;There are so many branches which paint the canvas to become even more illusory.
Think rationally, THE WHYs::

1) Why have you chosen engineering?

2) What are your interests in here or what are you really up to?

If the picture is not clear here are some checks which may help you-

1) if you are passionate about engineering- go for the branch of your interest, name and reputation of college takes the back seat, the 2nd priority.

Now how to decide the branch of your interest?

Well if you are some comp geek, there is absolutely nothing wrong in being one (already have some languages up your sleeve) or have some real passion for games and the Internet then you are expected to have a coding gene or two in you. Or if you have some coding experience and it was to your liking go for Computer science as your first preference and Information technology as your second. Note IT is not available in IITs. The drawback with IT is, it is not much recognized as a branch but is seen like something that has manifest itself due to demand and boom in IT sector. The smart money is on rather normal growth and potential in this sector or even some dip following the economic crisis that has been lurking for quite a while now.

Well not a coding warrior? You can go for Electronics and communication/telecommunication (ECE/ ETE), the ever green branch with good scope as well as nice pay checks. Please note it is different from Electrical and electronics (EE), the difference being the scale of electronics involved while the later has heavy electronics under its purview, ECE has semiconductors. The stress in case of the former is on the small components that make our electronic devices like semiconductors, ICs, chips, printed boards, example being the core hardware of any computer. In case of the later you will take on giant electronics which we see all around us, the line cables, transformers, motors etc. it is a millennium long trend that people prefer ECE over EEE in NITs and EEE is one hot branch in IITs only after comps (There is no ECE in IITs).

The hardware fantasy, the very base of the world we see around us, Mechanical, is arguably the coolest branch in engineering, definitely not for most girls (Said at the risk of sounding Chauvenist) due to the heavy duty, physical pain and prosaic dresses that these warriors have to wear during those eternal long hours in their labs. From robotics to automobile to aerospace all has mechanical at its heart. It is not all sweaty hard work in non-ac labs but has a fair share of auto-cad designs and other easier on glucose activities. Has a lot of scope with specializations in Aeronautics, Automobile, Thermodynamics etc.

Civil is expected to become one major player in the infrastructure and construction boom in most developing nations including India. Architecture is seeing growth like never before. Fascination for structure and skyscrapers a must for any aspirant.

Chemical is an evergreen branch and boosts a constant growth. Do you have some interest for chemistry the mystery? Higher studies and you will be among the most sought after few.

Metallurgy can be preferred over mining engineering because it has a wider scope.

2) Not a genuine engineer inside? Go for the coolest ones the ones with good packages and yet involve minimum effort. Comps, IT, Mech, Civil make the cut. They are listed in order of my preference. Name, reputation of college takes control, tags really matter in your case. I made a mistake in this regard. You are anyway going to take a different road, non engineering one. So it will be better to be known by the reputation of coll, that establishes you as some sort of performer, a guy with apti or tenacity or whatever. For example an IITian tag is much better than some good branch in non IIT coll when your concern does not involve branch, at least the tag signifies you cracked JEE.

But as is the case with most people, we have little idea afresh from high school if we do have an engineer inside or what we want to do with life in the first place + the madness about engineering/medical and a rather misplaced euphoria doesn't help the cause either. So consult, open your heart to people who want the best for you in order to realize what you want.
Google all your doubts and concerns.

I can sum up for the time being with a well realized statement: sooner than later you would end up with what you deserve, just don't let your ill-choices or circumstances to bog u down.

A DUAL DEGREE IN I.I.T s - some points you might like to take note of...

WHY YOU SHOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE GOING FOR A DUAL DEGREE (5YR) - a dual degree with integrated MTECH is common in IITs, and is not offered in most of the other colleges. Some of the points against going for it –

The THOUGHT PROCESS- your mind and data available to you continues to evolve and grow with time, so do your choices. It is imperative for you to understand that what seems trivial today may catch your eye in future or vice versa. Most of us don’t know about what we are getting into until we have taken a plunge so it is better to play safe rather than giving in 5 yrs. Remember you don’t get a chance after admission.

FUTURE- the future of today’s world is uncertain; the trends may fizz out in no time. Booms and busts are a norm. It is advisable to play safe.

MS/ MTECH in India sucks big-time, even in IITs- The value, rate of return of masters in India is no where close to that of most of the foreign universities. MTECH in IITs is mostly taken by students from non IIT variants and has a really poor rate of return(the % of the ratio of "value generated" to "money and time invested").

A MSC course in physics, chemistry, math, economics etc is a STRICT NO-NO for those who lack genuine interest and thinking about going for it just for the tag that comes along namely being an IIT graduate. It gives a poor rate of return for anybody anticipating good placements and in particular has scope limited to research.

So what are the alternatives:

1) You can go for a course in top NITs and prepare alongwith the first year for JEE next year.

2) You can prefer a 4 year course over the 5 year one, eventhough the former may be low on your wish list.

NITK SURATHKAL, KREC, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KARNATAKA: From the eyes of a student (batch-2010)....

*Yeah all the keywords are impregnated for SEO.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY- NITK (KREC) SURATHKAL, MANGALORE KARNATAKA is one of the top 3 NITs in India, though not flaring in top 25 colleges in India Today-2007. I would go on even to say that I doubt authenticity of the ratings they so proudly provide. Latest news: In top 10-11 in all the surveys.

Some time back it did seem like there was no hope for many colleges, IIT Guwahati and IT BHU, VIT Vellore to name a few. But they all have jumped several places and climbed up to make it to the privileged few; don’t know what makes such a huge impact within a year. Some money transfers might have helped a lot.

I am not a big fan of my college, nor am I here to show my passion or patriotism for the same. I would just like to give some inputs which I think could help you to make a decision.

The college has an advantage with respect to the location and reputation that it has acquired over the years. For ex Location is something which works as a disadvantage for IIT Guwahati. NITK finds itself in the commuting range of Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai. To boot Mangalore which is among the upcoming Tier II cities is also taking a leap.

Mangalore is a coastal city which definitely has its moments, and is somewhat fun to roam about (unlike many other cities in Karnataka). A private NITK beach made a big impression at the start but the feeling soon withers thanks to the easy accessibility, black muddy water and dark sand. The campus is nicely built with good hostel facilities but food sucks BIGTIME. A mega hostel is under construction for the soon to be implemented OBC quota*.

*the construction is now complete, and we the final years are expected to inaugurate the same in this odd sem session of 2009. 7 storey, with a view of the beach from the floor i am going to occupy, can it get better than that. Yes it can, Yes it can. Our gang, THE AVIATORS has full floor to ourselves!

Coming to the studies, I would say the college is average+ but so are the bottom three which round up the top 10 (non IITs). You don’t have much choice in India, you can either crack JEE or round up like many others. Looking back I think, I made a mistake to not to get into some 4yr or a chance with dual degree in IIT @ 3000 AIR. If you are not much into engineering but have shown interest because of the hype and reputation that comes along, you may think about not making the same mistake. Something most people realize only after making the cut, we all lack a good enough idea of what we are really up to, what we really want as freshmen(women :P)? If you have fat placement packages in mind , then you may not have much enthusiasm for engineering as such. If you are looking for some bachelors’ degree and management or civil services is your dream, then the branch makes a little impact and it’s the college that holds the key. But if you have some family tradition or it feels like there is some engineer inside longing to come out, then branch and of course college are paramount. I thought I was the later one and ended up choosing Electronics and Communication @ NITK. That is the biggest challenge, to decipher who you really are, what you really want and the whys!!!

The college is average at basic infrastructure (engineering stuff) that has nothing to do with funding, it is the faculty, and people employed which saddens more than often. The faculty is scarcely capable (shortage + at least 50% lack the means to be good at teaching, BUT PL NOTE: CHEMICAL, CIVIL BEAT THE REST IN THIS REGARD) and non teaching staffs are highly incompetent, yet it doesn't get much eyeballs in India and is taken as more or less a norm and of course you have got to pay some price for not cracking JEE. Practically every non-IIT is like that, anyway the education imparted is already obsolete, so it matters even to a lesser extent. Although The obsolete education is not one trend that is solely associated with non-IITs, the IITs have not surged far ahead either. What your potential employer wants to check is whether you have it in you to learn and implement quickly, the aptitude. The cultural difference between north-south and "sometimes" bias also add up to misery.

All in all you should lower your expectation was something which we were lectured on our orientation to ECE department, which is arguably best what we have got in India. Yes that is right. (None of the IITs offer this branch). What you can really expect is good placement. For people interested in going abroad for future studies especially MS or Mtech to specialize more in their respective fields or whatever (not deviating from field of engineering) are expected to work harder unlike the reputation and easy meat that one gets in IITs. ECE at NITK is good in this regard, the faculty has good rapport abroad.

So the bottom line is placements are good in NITK (GOD FORBID, the same sources who come up with so horribly misguiding rankings every year ranked NITK among top 3 in India (incl IITs) in terms of placements), though you can’t over rely on them either, it is something that fluctuates with demand and supply. Any branch which is in heavy demand also attracts equally heavy supply. Also the trends are never constant and vary over a period with booms and busts being the norm, they continue to evolve and change. So placements too provide an incomplete picture. All I am saying is you just can’t say hey chemical attracted a package of 10 lpa previous year, think I should go for it. Think rationally, about the whys, my other post might help.

*latest news regarding placements: as on June 08, 2009. Placements have touched a new low, and >100% (Yes people used to get more than one placement opportunity thus pushing the number to above 100) are things of the past. Top 10 students were finding it hard to get placed, just a healthy CGPA is not enough by any means. Again recessions are not going to last for ever and for you, with another 3 years to go to placements, they might be on a new high by then. The best branches in terms of placements were clocking in the range of 85-90% in terms of people placed.

VARIOUS BRANCHES AT NITK-

disclaimer- The point of view given below are my personal and may vary from observer to observer. The data/views has come from fellow students and notices as posted in coll. I've not considered off campus and exceptional stand alone placements.

ECE- ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION- the most demanding branch, in terms of curriculum, faculty, Competence among students. It provides very good placement opportunities along with high scope for future. With the continuously evolving trends it is believed to be one of the ever green branches. The faculty at NITK, barring very few professors is very incompetent and still NITK, ECE is a very good department with national and international repute. Profs with PhDs are scarce though improving numbers don't tell the real stories of the incompetence underneath. The lectures are hardly lucid, labs flare better and much more fun. Overall an option to go for if you are really into engineering as it seems people with interest always make their way despite hindrances. Please don’t mistake into thinking that these lecturers to be incompetent in evaluation and less demanding from students, it seems these dudes have really high opinion of themselves. The grading system sucks, wrt pointers are not on scale as in many other branches.

Placement- 4.4 lpa being the average (if the first words on reading were- hey that is quite low!!! please update yourself with reality, money is nowhere raining in engineering, yes even in IITs. People never shy away from cooking figures to make themselves look good.). Not long ago it was rated among the top 3 in India (incl IITs) wrt placement. Range: 3- 9 lpa

Verdict- go for it if you have some genuine interest and your AIR is >2700 in JEE. An Other and somewhat better alternate being ECE at NIT Trichy, Warrangal. But i admit for a north Indian surathkal provides a better culture and environment.

If you are just looking for placement hold on please, it is not a fun place to be in, Comps and IT are just right for you.

CSE: COMPUTER SCIENCES- a good department in all, good placements and cool lecturers... though my friends have reported about some some scary ones too. All the good companies are on campus. Random grading (your answer sheets won't matter a single bit) system is in place in some courses, High pointers (CGPA) is a norm. Not even close to highly demanding, so it has very good returns and is quite a bargain.

Placement- 4.7 lpa being the avg. Highest in the coll. Range: 3-10 lpa

Verdict- Go for it unless you are not much into computers and hate coding/ programming. Very cool branch, you can utilize your 3 month breaks in between semesters and cram up some languages and you will be done for the next sem.

IT: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY- all the benefits of COMPS minus (somewhat non recognized branch (please check details, I've not updated my database) and too much dependency on industry, prone to booms and busts). It is tailor made for industry requirements and has only lately come up in NITs, still not offered in IITs. Random grading + vacant lecturer posts, believe me you ll have to attend only half of the classes, but it gives rich dividends in terms of placements and Anyway who cares for regular classes.

Placement - nearly the same as in Comps, the highest package being a tad lower.

Verdict - Go for it, provides some easy meat. Though there are some risks involved. Kindly go through status-quo regarding acceptance nowadays.

Latest news,2009: The IT department which was once hosted in a single room (Story of 2006) has moved into one full fledged Building along with EEE. Way to go IT!

MECH -MECHANICAL - highest intake minus beautiful creatures (at least supposed to be) called girls. A really annoying teaching staff, as reported by students. Profs follow their own rules - Random grading, never ever question the prof (they are always right), you are always in for a surprise. Attendance holds the key. Marks, talent hardly matter + there is no vindication in case you call for one when u find yourself in trap. NBA (some AICTE body which evaluates departments) refused to give accreditation thanks to poor infrastructure and poorly executed cover up.

Placement- 3.7 avg. Range - 2.5 - 6.5

Verdict - avoid, if you are looking for mech go for TRICHY OR WARRANGAL.

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS - the most uncool branch in coll, i say so only because of the trend in our batch and one that followed: all Muggus from all over India find a place in this mother of crammers. You will find all variants from different corners of the country. I got to admit I've rather poor idea of what they are up to, their department and everything. But what is EEE all about? All heavy electronics you see around (except semiconductors and other minor scale electronics) comes under the purview of EEE. So it is a branch with huge scope and is a hit in IITs after Comps.

Placement - 3.8 "i think" is avg.

Verdict - i just don't know, but i won't like to be in their branch at any cost, thanks to their always studying culture. My say would be you should opt for Trichy, Warrangal if you are getting one. There is absolutely no problem with the branch and it is IIT's pride.

CHEMICAL- one of the better departments here. Good placements + good GRE (for higher studies off to best schools in US) track record. Good teaching staff as i've heard.

Placement - highest can go up to anything in upscale of 7 lpa. Avg must be around 3.5, "not sure"

Verdict - go for it.

CIVIL- a replica of chemical in many ways minus the higher study factor.

Placement and Verdict are tad lower in terms of stars but with civil booming like never before, it is a good bet.

METALLURGY AND MINING - well Meta is better than Mining. apart from that I've little to add.

please note: I am not the right person for asking the branch, College you can expect at said rank, some of these posts are just a guide towards how to go about choosing college and branch, a guide nothing more.

for any other queries pl feel free to ask... post as comments or email aviator003@gmail.com, gurlivleen@in.com...