Higher studies in Engineering : Benefits

B. Tech is a basic engineering degree. There are lakhs of colleges offering BE/B.Tech degrees in India. BE/B. Tech market is over-flooded with lakhs of students each year. Most of the students in colleges do not get placed as it is pretty impossible. The job market is limited and not growing at the pace of outflow of students. Moreover, the economy is in pretty bad condition for some time after US-China trade wars and US expelling Indian technocrats. Meanwhile, COVID19 has made things miserable. No one knows how long COVID will stay. But, I guess it will be here for a long time. The vaccine may come but it cannot hit the market by March 2021 due to various rules regulations regarding new drugs. Considering these facts, there are limited options for students. One can pursue higher studies such as M.Tech and MBA. For M.Tech, one needs to clear GATE. MBA requires CAT score. Having done M.Tech myself, I can cast light on the M.Tech only. How is it like to do M.Tech?      

I did my M.Tech in Tezpur University. In those days, Tezpur University used to have its entrance exams. GATE students got direct entry with a monthly stipend of Rs 8000/- in 2009. I got admitted through the university entrance exam. So I was not eligible for a stipend. Well, getting selected for higher study was a great joy. I was not concerned about stipend since my family supported me. The M.Tech is a two-year degree. We had four to five theoretical subjects with one or two laboratories in each semester up to 2^nd semester. The last year was dedicated to the final year project. We did good projects back then. Now a day one or two subjects are also included in the final two semesters related to the course.

M.Tech is a fast course. You get to live for two years only in the campus. Furthermore, one becomes more mature in those two years. His thinking gets high and decisions become more refined. At last, one will never suffer inferiority complex for not continuing masters. 

For insight into B.Tech life, you can read B.Tech Guide Book available on amazon.

What after B.Tech?

When I was studying B.E I did not have a big vision. We thought that we will do some kind of job. We did not have an idea of the kind of job we like to do. The times have changed. Now, you can no longer afford to be ignorant about opportunities you are going to have after studying B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering. I am going to discuss from Mechanical Engineering point of view. After B.Tech, there are two routes open for you; job and higher studies.My recommendations are below.

Jobs hunting on campus and off campus

B. Tech is a basic degree. You can get a job on-campus or off-campus. For on-campus jobs, you have to maintain good CGPA without backlogs throughout the course. Companies hesitate to recruit people with backlogs or sometimes, they do not allow people to sit even in the campus exam. It is always observed that students get backlogs in large numbers in the 1^st year. The first year is very hectic and students often do not get time to accustom to the environment. In the later semester, the students get backlogs mostly due to sincerity issues. But it is to be kept in mind that the student has come to take the course seriously rather than engaging his/her precious time in useless activities. Having said this, let us discuss the perquisites of getting a campus placement. Placements on campus are getting thinner by day since companies are not expanding in the recent past. So you have to be the best to get a slot in the receding lot. First of all, you have to study well and score well in the exams. The higher is the CGPA, the higher is the percentage of getting shortlisted initially for getting campus calling. Companies always ask for 10 best students in the class. So you need to be in the top 10. B. Tech is a degree that demands hold on practical. So, you have to be good at the practical aspect of the course. You need to take seriously the laboratory classes. Apart from the course work, you need to keep yourself abreast of current affairs by reading newspapers daily or reading magazines like Competition Success Refresher on monthly basis. Nobody likes an insensitive snob for placement. Additionally, one should study books on aptitude and verbal non-verbal reasoning. If your English is mediocre then you need to read objective English and practice English speaking for interview and group discussion. Many companies complain about the fluency issues of the students. Now a day the job market is moving towards software development. Now a day, companies are hiring for software development, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, robotics, CAD/Cam programming, CNC machining, etc. The conventional ways have dried up. So, students are required to take this route seriously by learning various designing software, programming language, analysis software, etc. Once you master this software in B.Tech, it is the greatest positive to you. You can easily get a job after going through a refresher course on these topics.

Off-campus life is difficult. You need to make your resume a presentable one by investing some time in it. You have to register in online portals like / Naukri, Monster for job offers. It may be paid membership for better offers. Then you have to pursue these offerings. Your knowledge of your course is paramount important. Moreover, you have to be good in aptitude, verbal and non-verbal reasoning and objective English. You may move to Delhi, Banglore, Kolkata, Mumbai, or Chennai for better job prospects. Some people would like to take another way. You can take coaching for GATE or IES. When you take coaching for IES, you become fit for other exams. After sometimes, you start clearing exams as you reach a certain standard. You can check the books below. these are my recommendations.

Higher studies

B. Tech degree is basic. There are different ways for higher studies. You can do M.Tech or MS and then P.hD. For getting into M.Tech in reputed IITs or NITs, you have to prepare for GATE. GATE is an exam that checks whether you have the acumen for higher studies. Once you clear GATE, you get a stipend. Now a day, Ph.D. admissions too require GATE. Ph.D. opens the door for research. If you do not have a longing for research, Ph.D. is not your cup of tea. It takes time and very taxing. One should not go to Ph.D. with a preconceived mind that he would complete by this time that time after completion of course work. One can also go aboard to do MS. Now a day, it is catching the imagination of hundreds of students after the liberalization of the Indian economy. You can also do MBA after appearing CAT exams. Once you get into good IIMs, you can easily fetch good jobs with fat incomes.You can check the books below.