From tabulating the active COVID-19 cases to easy digital
transactions happening in every micro- to large-scale sectors, technology
adaptation is becoming unstoppable by the day.
Will this bring down human employment opportunities? Not really, say experts, instead, it will propel upskilling of labour, enabling humans to move above mundane tasks and use their skills more effectively. From healthcare to education, technology is everywhere and is pushing everyone it comes in touch with to learn new things at every turn.
With the boom in innovative fields of technology, right from
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive Technology, Automation, IoT, 5G, Aerospace
and Cybersecurity, the scope for Engineering has grown by leaps and bounds. An
extensive subject in itself, Engineering is, opposed to popular conception, far
more diverse than just Computer Science Engineering. So are the associated
career options that go with various types of engineering degrees.
With so many options to choose from, narrowing down the right
one is not simple. To figure out factors that help students decide, it is
essential to identify what field they’re passionate about. Keeping in mind the
institution chosen and associated facilities provided for your selected field
is essential too.
All the engineering aspirants and their parents are in
confusion in choosing right engineering college and right engineering branch. This is true because of the existence
of around 50+ Engineering Colleges and each is having an average of a minimum of 5
engineering branches. I as a career counsellor & TPO who shares the pain of the students, I wish to share few points which I feel you
should consider before taking admission. Here is an attempt to reduce the
confusion among the aspirants and their parents.
There are some definite parameters that are to be kept in
mind while selecting the right engineering college. In +2 college level, the
students are taught the basic concepts in the subjects and test their
understanding capabilities in the examinations. But in engineering colleges, it
is not only the understanding the concepts but also having the capability to apply
the concepts in real life. For example, in classrooms, they should understand
the principles of Electro Magnetic Induction and in the laboratory they should
apply this principle and see how an electrical motor is built and run!! In
addition to the technical competency, an engineer should have good temperament,
problem solving skills and communication skills. So the engineering college
should have all facilities so that the students can be developed as good
engineers for the society. Keeping this in mind the following parameters are to
be checked while selecting the right Engineering College.
Choosing Right Engineering College
Class Rooms: The class Room should be spacious to
accommodate around 60 students and well ventilated with proper lighting and
Fans. Each classroom should have facilities for Over Head Projector, LCD
Projector etc. There should be enough classrooms for catering to all four
years and for each branch.
Faculty:
The college should have Qualified and experienced faculty. As per AICTE norms, the faculty and student
ratio should be 1: 15 for B.Tech Course. The Minimum qualification is M.Tech
Degree. Minimum one professor with Ph.D Degree should be there per branch. It is
desirable that faculty should have experience in Teaching, Industry and
Research.
Laboratories: Laboratories are important for engineering college students. It is here the student, whatever he learnt in the
classroom, will experiment practically with his own hands. So the engineering
college should have state of art Laboratories for each branch. Each branch should
have at least 6 Laboratories with up to date equipment apart from the first
year labs. The number of equipment should be sufficient to cater 60 students
at a time. Latest Computers with licensed software, CAD/CAM, Simulation
laboratories, Mechanical Workshops, Electrical Machines laboratories, Satellite
communication Labs are some of the important laboratories Engineering should
have.
Library: Library is the Heart for the
Engineering College. Generally, the University sets the syllabus for four years for a particular batch and will be reviewed or updated only after few years. But technology is changing very fast. The mobile phone which is operated with the
keypad has become redundant within three years and touch screen operation is the order of the day. Even touch screen may be outdated very soon and pave the way
for voice instructions for mobile phone operations. Since the technology is
changing very fast the student has to utilize the library only to keep updated with
the technological changes. The Library should have enough technical books,
Volumes, subscription to Technical Journals and Magazines and should have a
digital library with Internet facility so that the student will be in touch
with the latest technology. The latest Technical Journals will help students to
know the current research topics that are going worldwide.
Training &
Placement Cell: An
Engineering College placements will depend upon how active the Training &
Placement Cell in the College. The T&P Cell should conduct training for
Personality Development, Campus Recruitment Training and Communication Skills.
In addition, the T&P Cell should be in touch with the leading companies for
Placements, Students major and Mini Projects and arrange for Guest lecturers
from the leading Industries personnel.
Promoters of the
College: The
promoting Society member’s background should be from the educational back
ground preferably worked as professors from the Universities. These people have
fair understanding of the Educational System, Values and Ethics and work for the
development of the college.
Admissions in last
three years:
Nowadays, a typical situation is seen whether the engineering college will
exist for the next four years or not. Many Engineering Colleges are closing within
very short time due to poor admissions. It is worthwhile to check the admission
details for the last three years to assess the future of the Engineering
College.
Facilities for
Co-curricular and Extracurricular Facilities: As per NASSCOM only 20% of the Engineering graduates
are industrial ready for Jobs. Fairly, all the Engineering Graduates are
technically good but in Communication skills and other personality development
front they are highly lacking. Regular
Co curricular and extracurricular activities will bring out leadership skills,
Team spirit and organizational skills among the students.
College Attached
Hostel: If the
College attached Hostel is in the Campus, it gives access to Library in the
night hours to the students and students can spend productive time in the
library. It also helps professors to conduct classes late evenings and during
vacations.
Feedback from the
senior students: No
feedback is better than the students already studying in the college. Take the
feedback from the students on all the above parameters and choose the right
college.
Choosing the Right Branch
of Study: Another
confusion for the students and parents is choosing right branch. In engineering,
all branches are equal and have equal importance. In the present
circumstances the country is facing an acute power shortage and if proper measures
are not taken the country cannot progress. So Electrical Engineering Branch is
very important. If the Roads, Dams, Flyovers, Bridges, and big structural
buildings are not planned there will be transportation and agricultural
problems. Similarly, there will be heavy communication problems, be it satellite
communications or telephone/wireless communications, if Electronics and
communications Engineering Branch is not developed. For the manufacturing and
automobile industry, Mechanical Engineering Branch is very important. For IT-enabled services Computers, Science and Engineering Branch is very important. So
with only one single engineering branch, the world cannot grow. Then what is
meaning of choosing the right branch? Maybe, it is not in terms of its
importance but in terms of getting Jobs quickly. If getting jobs quickly is the
criteria, we cannot tell which branch gets more jobs in the first year of
engineering admission. Because after four years we cannot predict what would be
the situations. Eight years back the Computer Science & Engineering
students were getting jobs easily and many of them settled as software
engineers. Seeing that trend many students opted for Computer Science and
Engineering Branch last four years. But today the situation is different, There
is a huge scope in IT industry & any Engineering Graduates can join in IT
industry irrespective of any branch So while choosing branch we have to see
student’s interest first. In which branch the student is having flair. If the
student is allowed to take a branch what he likes then he will study that
branch interestingly and masteries the branch. Then getting a job is not a
problem. All the branches are having Jobs!! Still if there is some confusion in
choosing the branch, here are some guidelines. If the student likes physics
very much and secured good marks in Intermediate his flair may be in
Electronics and he may take Electronics & Computer Branch. If the student
is good in problem solving skills and got good marks in Mathematics, he may go
for core branches like Civil, Mechanical and EEE branches. If the student is
good at logical reasoning and problem solving skills go for Computer Science
and Engineering Branch. In addition to this, the student’s family back ground,
financial status, flair for perusing higher studies is also factors while
choosing the Branch. Ultimately the choice should be left to the students. If
still doubts are there go to experienced academicians for good advice and
counselling.
Susant J Das
Career Counsellor & Mentor
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