7 Ways to Stay Positive in Engineering Life

Engineering is four years long. You have to study many subjects and appear on many exams. The competitive exams are the cherry on the top of your problems. Some students fail to cope up with engineering life due to faulty strategy. They get very much tensed and stressed. Stress shows up on their performance. One becomes an average student who used to be a bright student throughout school and college. This happens all the time.

Staying positive is key to success along with the right strategy. If you stay positive, you can absorb more knowledge and get ahead in life. Otherwise, you will whine and contemplate like a narcissist. There are a few ways to stay positive. 

(1) Course work: One should concentrate on studies and complete home works as per the deadline. This keeps you away from unnecessary academic pressure during these years. Irregularity & indiscipline in studies may lower or degrade your performance. Therefore, prevention by a continuous effort is better.

(2) Do not compare: We are surrounded by people. People influence us. There may be students brighter than you. But that does not mean less bright you. You should not compare. You have to introspect and work on your weaknesses by improving your strengths at the same time. Always one has to remember “slow and steady wins the race”. Besides, one should be careful of various social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. These platforms are filled with influencers backed by promoters who show a stupendous life. One should not try to copycat and lead a fake life. Furthermore, you will be tempted by your friends with nice posts on social media. You have to understand these traps and stay focus on the cause.

 (3) Associate with positive people & stay away from emotionally draining people: When you stay with good people, you will automatically feel the difference. Suppose, your roommates are very studious and toppers, you will automatically like to be them because of social pressure. Hence, positive people make you positive too. I have seen so many instances like these in Jorhat Engineering College hostels where students like to keep the name of the seniors and hostels. There are rooms of toppers. Students do this and that to stay in those rooms so that they can break the jinx of poor performance. Seniors too remind them frequently.

You may meet emotionally draining people in life all the time. They have very irritating personalities. I have seen people who ask for this and that all the time. They eat your brain piece by piece by their presence. Some people are very negative about everything and find fault in everything. These people can drain you mentally. Staying away from them is the best way. 

 (4) Exercise: Some regular exercise like jogging and light cardio can make you fit and healthy. Exercise takes off the stress and fills you with positive energy. In the first few days, your body will ache. Once you overcome this, you will be more likely to be happy like never before.   

(5) Taking the right opportunities: College campus could full of opportunities. You can participate in debates, workshops, conferences, etc. These extracurricular activities help developing personality and nourish leadership quality as well.

(6) Join a club:  You can join different clubs in college for your hobby. The hobby is something you do in your leisure or spare time. It should not take over your normal activities.

(7) Time for self: One should keep some lonely time for himself/herself. You can do meditation for peace of mind. It helps to focus on things.

You can read B.Tech Guide Book for more such stories

M.Tech: What to do & What Not to do !!!!!

I completed my Bachelor in Engineering in 2009. By the time, I was in the 7^th semester, I appeared many placement drives. But, I lost interest in those placement drives. Each month, one company visited. Each had different criteria and a different evaluation process. I had to devote a lot of time in that preparation. It was taking a toll on my normal studies and the companies were not at all as per my expectation. Furthermore, I wanted to maintain an average performance throughout the course.

After detaching myself, I studied dedicating to the course matter. That helped me develop my concept of the fundaments of various subjects. I appeared for the entrance exam at Tezpur University. I did well and got a call from the University.

I did my M.Tech in Energy Technology. The Department of Energy of Tezpur University was a nice little department back in 2009 with a few outgoing batches. The M.Tech course had four semesters of 6 months long. The 1^st and 2^nd semester included subjects on conventional and non-conventional energy sources and technologies along with a few laboratories. The laboratories were well equipped. We, the students, devoted a lot of time in labs. This gave a lot of confidence in later years to handle different types of machinery. The last two semesters were kept for the final year project solely. In those days, one could go outside to some organization to do projects or stay in the department for doing the project. Initially, I went to do a project in DSL, Delhi but returned after a few days. It occurred to me that the project did not have many prospects.  

After returning to the department, I started my project on solid biomass fuels. I researched briquettes and developed a cheap technique to produce them without any heat as per the Indian context. The two semesters were very fruitful. I did not limit myself to my project and engaged with others too. This gave me valuable insights into other’s domains. We always need to extend our knowledge base.

Coming to research in the M.Tech project, one needs to make his mind by the end of the 2^nd semester. He should study enough literature to generate some ideas about the project. After 2^nd semester exams, we tried to find out gaps in the literature meaning something which had never been done. The follow-up studies would go on over and over to determine whether we could do the project in the current existing set up in the department with available resources. Sometimes resources were there but most of the time we had to purchase it. Purchasing took time and delayed the project.

At the starting of the project, we planned all things and showed the guide in a planned manner like an algorithm with time. We prepared a budget to purchase things. This was the first step towards research life. The things, I learned during those days stayed with me and helped me every single time.

M.Tech research is full of rivalry. Once you are in the project of certain a guide, you are in that camp. Some students were dedicated to the camps. They hated other camps and disregarded other guides. I did not do that. I remained neutral. I communicated everyone with respect. I saw people taking revenge on other camps. The key to success in these camps is to talk less and do your jobs. Lobbying and camping are useless in life. You are there for two years only.

At the end of the fourth semester, I appeared for the final viva of the project. The Director of SSS-NIRE came to take the final project viva. He observed presentations and gave valuable suggestions. The marks were awarded pretty much by the guide and external was mere formality.  

Related Posts

 Sometimes, it is good to be not placed!!!

M.Tech: What to do & What Not to do !!!!! 

 B.Tech Guide Book for insights into B.Tech

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.

Sometimes, it is good to be not placed!!!

When you reach the 7^th semester in B.Tech, you are under pressure to get a job in campus placement. We were too under tremendous pressure to get a job in our college days. We appeared for various companies private and PSUs alike. We prepared for written tests, group discussions, and personal interviews. After appearing in some PSUs we lost interest in appearing. There were a few reasons. The preparations for different companies were different and required a lot of time. This hampered normal studies. I was worried that this would lower my percentage. One should maintain a good percentage for future opportunities. Therefore, I gave up appearing in job interviews and continued my studies wholeheartedly. Furthermore, I kept preparing for various entrance tests. Luckily, I did well in the Tezpur University entrance test and got a call. I was elated and took that chance. That was a good decision. If you can, one needs to explore the world. I did M.Tech and am on the verge of completion of a Ph.D. I met so many people in life and gathered so many experiences. Due to my studies &  conferences, I often visited so many places. These were nice experiences. Sometimes, it is good to be not placed.  

You can read B.Tech Guide Book to know more about B.Tech life