When i was packing my bags to set off for Pilani. I did not know that there was a super market in the campus itself. I took a trunk full of various items only to realise later that all these were very much available at campus itself. I am listing down here few items which should/can be carried along with you.
1. All documents, certificates, memos etc
2. Winter clothing like sweaters, thermals, gloves, socks etc. Temperature goes down to around 0 degrees in winter. In our times it went till -2 degrees !!
3. Computers will be necessary only from second year onwards.
4. Any specific sports gear/ musical instrument/ books which you are fond of.
I can recollect only these as of now. Shall update whenever I find new things. I suggest you guys to post any more items in comments which you feel should be taken care of before leaving.
Jul 31, 2008
Jul 17, 2008
CS / IS in BITS
B.E(Hons.) CS stands for Computer Science and IS for MSc(Tech.) Information Systems. These two disciplines are popular streams taken by students who have interests in computers, computer applications and software technologies. I am posting here a note written by one of the alums of BITS-Pilani. Some of the info might not be applicable to the coming batches as they (BITS administration) have given more flexibility to C-group courses. Also the course structure might have been be modified recently. Here are the views:
I completed my B.E. (in computer science) from BITS Pilani in 2000. Campus recruitment for the IS guys was almost the same as the B.E. Computer Science people. But there is a difference between B.E. C.S. and M.Sc IS. There was almost no "hardware" course in IS. e.g.:
- Digital electronics, microprocessors
- Computer Architecture/Organization.
The IS guys studied "software engineering", while the CS guys did not. Plus, during the first two years, the emphasis on "basic engineering" was not that strong in I.S. As far as elective courses go, (apart from the hardware related courses) the IS guys can take all the courses that the CS guys can take. Few years back IS was not considered to be a good option to choose but, as I mentioned at the start, it has now become one of the most popular streams and most companies coming for recruitment did not treat them on par with other disciplines.(Especially when they were looking for software knowledge.)The I.S. guys also went to very good universities for their M.S.
Finally, it's not easy to get I.S. in Pilani. (Since the recruitment is almost identical to C.S., this branch was highly desirable. It was almost, C.S./ EEE, then I.S.).
Jul 15, 2008
Target BITS !!
Here I go with another post, which will let you know about the preparation few of the BITS students took to get admission into BITS. I request all the students who got admission confirmation for BITS to posts their strategies so that the high school students will benefit from them. You can post u r strats as comments or mail it to careeradvocate@gmail.com. I shall add it to this post. The following writeup was sent to me by one of the bitsians:
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Name: Yogesh Mantri
Discipline: B.E(Hons.) Chemical Engineering, Pilani
Batch: 2007
It is every engineer’s dream to study at prestigious colleges like BITS, IIT’s in India. So for me the inspiration of going to these institutes came from my cousin who went through all the competitive exams and is very successful person today. Today I am proud to be a BITSIAN.
The second thing was constant motivation from my father who always helped me in difficult situations and I got across all the hurdles between me and BITS.
The third thing was my consistent preparation to realize my dream which started right from 9th standard onwards with a foundation course in science and maths and then getting into the top coaching institute in Hyderabad to start preparing for the competitive exams like BITSAT, IITJEE etc.
The main principle which was taught to me was giving importance to concepts rather than running after shortcut methods and techniques which really helped me a lot in preparing for these competitive exams as I have seen many of friends who went after these shortcuts didn’t fare well.
Apart from all these was my consistent study and regular practice that made my path to these exams easier. Also important was following standard textbooks and notes on the advice of seniors. It also helped to be in constant touch with seniors and sharing there experiences in these exams. Also important was solving of previous year question papers and other model papers to get tuned to the examination style.
And that’s a brief account of my preparation for BITSAT and other competitive exams.
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Name: Yogesh Mantri
Discipline: B.E(Hons.) Chemical Engineering, Pilani
Batch: 2007
It is every engineer’s dream to study at prestigious colleges like BITS, IIT’s in India. So for me the inspiration of going to these institutes came from my cousin who went through all the competitive exams and is very successful person today. Today I am proud to be a BITSIAN.
The second thing was constant motivation from my father who always helped me in difficult situations and I got across all the hurdles between me and BITS.
The third thing was my consistent preparation to realize my dream which started right from 9th standard onwards with a foundation course in science and maths and then getting into the top coaching institute in Hyderabad to start preparing for the competitive exams like BITSAT, IITJEE etc.
The main principle which was taught to me was giving importance to concepts rather than running after shortcut methods and techniques which really helped me a lot in preparing for these competitive exams as I have seen many of friends who went after these shortcuts didn’t fare well.
Apart from all these was my consistent study and regular practice that made my path to these exams easier. Also important was following standard textbooks and notes on the advice of seniors. It also helped to be in constant touch with seniors and sharing there experiences in these exams. Also important was solving of previous year question papers and other model papers to get tuned to the examination style.
And that’s a brief account of my preparation for BITSAT and other competitive exams.
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Jul 8, 2008
Blog poll results !
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Date - 08-07-2008
Question - Should there be reservations for admission in BITS?
Voters - 51
Results - A whopping 94% said "NO", 2% said "YES" and 4% said "Can't say"
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Date - 21-07-2008
Question – What should be the criteria to choose the college?
Voters - 40
Results – Almost all the options got equal share of votes. So I guess people a need a
right mix of all the attributes. 32% said “Placements”, 18% said “Higher Studies”, 29%
said “Brand name”, 21% said “Education quality”
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BITS - GOA !!!
Many students requested me to give some feedback/review on BITS-GOA. But I could not help them much as I was from Pilani campus. Thanks to one of my friends at GOA campus; he wrote a nice write-up on life at BITS - GOA. So people, here is the review of the GOA campus from the alumnus itself.
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Discipline: Computer Science
Company: Cisco Systems
The first impression as you walk through the gate of BITS-Pilani Goa campus is of sheer amazement at the beauty infront of you. The campus buildings, the faculty quarters, the greenery and the beautiful zuari river house some of the best talent India has to offer. The campus is around 180 acres, not too big but has most of the things a college student would want. Since the campus is very new, the hostel facilities are very good. Each student has an independent room, unlike most of the colleges where in your junior years you would have to share rooms with many of your batchmates. The entire campus is networked and DC++ hubs are the lifeline of most of the students. Tremendous amount of data(highest share being 32.xx TB) is available for entertainment, education, gaming,etc. The shopping complex caters to all the things on-capmus students require while the Monginis bakery, Nescafe and Juice stalls provide all the junkfood and beverages one would want.
The Mess is a hugely debatable topic, but really it isnt a mess as such. There are two caterers, and they do a decent job in preventing you from starving to death. Any college student will tell you that you should forget home food and not compare the mess food to the former. You learn to adjust, skip a meal or two from time to time and get on with better things that a college like BITS has to offer.
The best part of being a BITSian apart from the huge 'tag name' is that attendance is not compulsary unlike almost all colleges in India. This allows for a very carefree and nocturnal life for those who bunk most of the classes. Gaming is one of the biggest hobbies of the students in Goa. Being a gaming addict myself, I can assert that the level of gaming at bits-goa is amazing and the passion shown by the gamers is mind-blowing. Around 8-12 hours in a day fly away by playing Counter strike, DotA, WoW, FIFA, etc. For those who don't game, there is always something new in DC++ that you can watch. Sitcoms and movies form a major time-pass for many students.
We have a very talented rock band which performs in most of the cultural festivals and rock nights. The Dance club is also very active through out the semester. Those with a passion for art will find the Arts n Decoration Club a huge opportunity to further hone their skills. Many other clubs exist to keep students with a liking for various things busy. Thus, as far as extra-curricular activities go, there is just too much to keep the students busy.
Coming to the education, the library is one of the biggest housing a huge number of books, magazines and papers. The number of professors/lecturers is increasing every year, but there is still a huge requirement of skilled professors. Barring a few profs in every discipline (don't want to take names here), the standard of teaching isn't what one would call superb. But the profs who have come from the Pilani campus are fantastic and a great source of knowledge and inspiration for the students. The entire campus building( the classrooms and labs) is air-conditioned which gives students one more reason to attend classes during the Goan Summer. Many labs are still coming up, with a Cypress sponsored lab for EEE/EnI students the latest addition. The computer lab is huge by any standard, and caters to the needs of various courses with practical knowledge requirements. Since every hostel room has the LAN and Net facility, the labs are used for browsing by the newest batch in the campus(until they bring their comps/lappys).
After BITSAT, the quality of the students coming to BITS has only become better. The young campus has achieved a lot in 4 years, with lots more to come in the future. The first placement year got over last year with Nvidia, CISCO, Oracle, yahoo, Microsoft, etc taking the cream of the crop. Though there is a lot of difference between the Pilani and Goa Campuses, given that it was Goa's first year of placements, it wasn't bad. But with Schlumberger and possibly Google to come for this years placements, its only getting better for those at Goa. The first batch of BITS-Goa also saw almost 50 MS applicants, with 3 getting into Stanford. Only one student has got into IIM-A but its a good start nevertheless.
Apart from on-campus actvities, the beautiful state of Goa has lots of scenic spots to offer. A lot of the Saturday/Sunday of the first and second years of a student goes in visiting the beaches in Goa. The nearest place from ZuariNagar(where BITS-Goa is situated) is vasco where you can always find a lot of BITSians shopping/dining.
College life is always the best four/five years of a students life. BITS-Pilani Goa gives all you need to have fun and build your future. Its how you use it that matters in the end.
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Discipline: Computer Science
Company: Cisco Systems
The first impression as you walk through the gate of BITS-Pilani Goa campus is of sheer amazement at the beauty infront of you. The campus buildings, the faculty quarters, the greenery and the beautiful zuari river house some of the best talent India has to offer. The campus is around 180 acres, not too big but has most of the things a college student would want. Since the campus is very new, the hostel facilities are very good. Each student has an independent room, unlike most of the colleges where in your junior years you would have to share rooms with many of your batchmates. The entire campus is networked and DC++ hubs are the lifeline of most of the students. Tremendous amount of data(highest share being 32.xx TB) is available for entertainment, education, gaming,etc. The shopping complex caters to all the things on-capmus students require while the Monginis bakery, Nescafe and Juice stalls provide all the junkfood and beverages one would want.
The Mess is a hugely debatable topic, but really it isnt a mess as such. There are two caterers, and they do a decent job in preventing you from starving to death. Any college student will tell you that you should forget home food and not compare the mess food to the former. You learn to adjust, skip a meal or two from time to time and get on with better things that a college like BITS has to offer.
The best part of being a BITSian apart from the huge 'tag name' is that attendance is not compulsary unlike almost all colleges in India. This allows for a very carefree and nocturnal life for those who bunk most of the classes. Gaming is one of the biggest hobbies of the students in Goa. Being a gaming addict myself, I can assert that the level of gaming at bits-goa is amazing and the passion shown by the gamers is mind-blowing. Around 8-12 hours in a day fly away by playing Counter strike, DotA, WoW, FIFA, etc. For those who don't game, there is always something new in DC++ that you can watch. Sitcoms and movies form a major time-pass for many students.
We have a very talented rock band which performs in most of the cultural festivals and rock nights. The Dance club is also very active through out the semester. Those with a passion for art will find the Arts n Decoration Club a huge opportunity to further hone their skills. Many other clubs exist to keep students with a liking for various things busy. Thus, as far as extra-curricular activities go, there is just too much to keep the students busy.
Coming to the education, the library is one of the biggest housing a huge number of books, magazines and papers. The number of professors/lecturers is increasing every year, but there is still a huge requirement of skilled professors. Barring a few profs in every discipline (don't want to take names here), the standard of teaching isn't what one would call superb. But the profs who have come from the Pilani campus are fantastic and a great source of knowledge and inspiration for the students. The entire campus building( the classrooms and labs) is air-conditioned which gives students one more reason to attend classes during the Goan Summer. Many labs are still coming up, with a Cypress sponsored lab for EEE/EnI students the latest addition. The computer lab is huge by any standard, and caters to the needs of various courses with practical knowledge requirements. Since every hostel room has the LAN and Net facility, the labs are used for browsing by the newest batch in the campus(until they bring their comps/lappys).
After BITSAT, the quality of the students coming to BITS has only become better. The young campus has achieved a lot in 4 years, with lots more to come in the future. The first placement year got over last year with Nvidia, CISCO, Oracle, yahoo, Microsoft, etc taking the cream of the crop. Though there is a lot of difference between the Pilani and Goa Campuses, given that it was Goa's first year of placements, it wasn't bad. But with Schlumberger and possibly Google to come for this years placements, its only getting better for those at Goa. The first batch of BITS-Goa also saw almost 50 MS applicants, with 3 getting into Stanford. Only one student has got into IIM-A but its a good start nevertheless.
Apart from on-campus actvities, the beautiful state of Goa has lots of scenic spots to offer. A lot of the Saturday/Sunday of the first and second years of a student goes in visiting the beaches in Goa. The nearest place from ZuariNagar(where BITS-Goa is situated) is vasco where you can always find a lot of BITSians shopping/dining.
College life is always the best four/five years of a students life. BITS-Pilani Goa gives all you need to have fun and build your future. Its how you use it that matters in the end.
Jul 6, 2008
ME @ BITS !
ME programs in BITS --
Positive points --
1. Good course structure and excellent placements.
2. Most PG courses are project-based. Gives good hands-on knowledge of the subject, better than just reading theory.
3. One can attend any course, outside prescribed course also. A mechanical student can go and attend computer Science courses informally.
4. Many cultural activities go through out the year on campus. Generally PG students do not go and join clubs and societies, mostly because of heavy study pressure.Still, if one is interested and manages his/her time well there are numerous activities to take part in.
5. Large Library containing technical books, novels, non-fiction, classics, rare books etc.
6. Nice and peaceful surroundings with open roads and lots of trees around. I fell in love with that place.
Negative points --
1. For people who want to study higher education as a stepping stone to PhD, BITS does not really offer good research options. Though there are some good professors under whom you can carry out your research and papers do get published in good numbers round the year. Still, in general, there is a lack of initiative among all. This,in my opinion, is mostly because students joining ME in BITS are more inclined towards getting placements than researching.
2. The food you get in mess is not of very good quality. Every item tastes the same with lot of potatoes in everything. Mess is though managed by students and once in a while some messes provide with good meals too.
3. Pilani being away from a major city, sometimes lack in providing commodities. People either travel to delhi or jaipur to fetch things, for projects, for cultural activities etc.
Plan of Action -
Well, you dont really need any plan of action to get into BITS. All you have to do is have a decent knowledge of your stream of interest.
BITS conduct its entrance test near end of july and end of december, advertisements for which come in all major newspaper dailies. Your final semester result of bachelor's degree should have been declared before this test.
The test comprise of a written test, again testing the candidate in basic discipline courses. Then there is an online test, where in you have to take up four basic subjects from a list.. Maths & physics being compulsory subjects. You can take other two subjects from the list of subjects available that year.
Lastly there is an interview, which like any interview is little unpredictable. Most of the times, the questions asked are relatively basic as per your discipline.
Candidate have to go through all of the above, there are no stages in between, the result comprise of overall score of the candidate over all the round. There is no absolute cut-off, students are taken in on the basis of relative score. Also, because of relative scoring, the number of students-taken varies.
Positive points --
1. Good course structure and excellent placements.
2. Most PG courses are project-based. Gives good hands-on knowledge of the subject, better than just reading theory.
3. One can attend any course, outside prescribed course also. A mechanical student can go and attend computer Science courses informally.
4. Many cultural activities go through out the year on campus. Generally PG students do not go and join clubs and societies, mostly because of heavy study pressure.Still, if one is interested and manages his/her time well there are numerous activities to take part in.
5. Large Library containing technical books, novels, non-fiction, classics, rare books etc.
6. Nice and peaceful surroundings with open roads and lots of trees around. I fell in love with that place.
Negative points --
1. For people who want to study higher education as a stepping stone to PhD, BITS does not really offer good research options. Though there are some good professors under whom you can carry out your research and papers do get published in good numbers round the year. Still, in general, there is a lack of initiative among all. This,in my opinion, is mostly because students joining ME in BITS are more inclined towards getting placements than researching.
2. The food you get in mess is not of very good quality. Every item tastes the same with lot of potatoes in everything. Mess is though managed by students and once in a while some messes provide with good meals too.
3. Pilani being away from a major city, sometimes lack in providing commodities. People either travel to delhi or jaipur to fetch things, for projects, for cultural activities etc.
Plan of Action -
Well, you dont really need any plan of action to get into BITS. All you have to do is have a decent knowledge of your stream of interest.
BITS conduct its entrance test near end of july and end of december, advertisements for which come in all major newspaper dailies. Your final semester result of bachelor's degree should have been declared before this test.
The test comprise of a written test, again testing the candidate in basic discipline courses. Then there is an online test, where in you have to take up four basic subjects from a list.. Maths & physics being compulsory subjects. You can take other two subjects from the list of subjects available that year.
Lastly there is an interview, which like any interview is little unpredictable. Most of the times, the questions asked are relatively basic as per your discipline.
Candidate have to go through all of the above, there are no stages in between, the result comprise of overall score of the candidate over all the round. There is no absolute cut-off, students are taken in on the basis of relative score. Also, because of relative scoring, the number of students-taken varies.
Jul 4, 2008
Headstart Masters / PhD !!
Discipline: B.E (Hons.) Mechanical
Engineering and Sciences students these days have lot of options to choose from, after their graduation, be it jobs in specific companies or Masters/PhD or MBA.
The Masters/PhD option which a lot of graduates these days are looking for, requires planning from the start of a student’s third year, if not earlier.
The student who considers Masters/PhD as an important option must start planning based on quite a few influential factors, to name some:
1. Financial status of the student, whether his family can afford his education abroad, if in case he isn’t funded.
2. Which field he wants to pursue his education in. By field, I don’t really mean specialization but one should at least finalize the discipline. For example, quite a few number of students shift to Computer Science major.
3. Motivation. Before committing oneself to Masters/PhD, one should really think about what he wants from life. Is it money or fame or a comfortable life? Is it a technical job or a managerial oriented one?
Masters/PhD is simply the continuation of the student life, may be with a focused direction. It’s seriously not tough, just that you need to be a little motivated. You still have friends around you to help you out. Believe me, it’s not strenuous but its fun!
Moving onto the plan of action, from the start of third year, you need to start taking electives in your field of interest. Start talking to professors, discuss their projects and decide under which professors you want to work. Projects are considered to be cake walk (although walking on cake is not easy :P) at BITS, but put in a bit of extra effort and come up with something useful which you can boast upon when you apply to universities abroad.
It’s better if all your electives and projects are related, just to give you an added advantage while you apply. Participate in the APOGEE and other tech fests, work on good projects.
By the end of third year, you would be planning for GRE, TOEFL, IELTS etc. Get them out of your way as soon as possible. Start deciding on what all universities you want to apply to. Talk to seniors, professors and batch mates before you do this.
Then start writing SOP and build your Resume (both are very important in judging you, hence spare good amount of time on them). Go through the university websites thoroughly and try filling out the applications long before the deadline, it certainly helps.
Decide whether you want to go for PhD or not (increases chance of getting admits and funding). Please DO NOT apply for PhD just for the sake of getting admit or funding, it leaves a bad impression not only on you but also on BITS if you discontinue the PhD program once you are done with Masters.
Publishing papers and presenting them at national/international conferences certainly helps. It’s not a requirement though. You can get into top Grad Schools without having papers on your name.
Fresh grads are mostly preferred for Masters/PhD in Engineering and Sciences as they are the ones who will have a better course knowledge.
Coming to the BITSian factor,
1. BITS certainly is known to people abroad (not as much as IIT’s though) thanks to our alumni. It’s certainly a brand name and improves your chances of getting admits and funding.
2. At BITS, one can work on lot of projects, unlike just the B-Tech project which other university students do. Use this benefit accordingly, as projects certainly add to your resume.
3. PS-1, PS-2 and Internships add to one’s experience and again a resume building factor. Other universities don’t have Practice School funda.
4. All round development and exposure.
Keep doing your best wherever you are and it doesn’t really matter what option you choose and which direction you go. But Masters/PhD is a good option to consider as one can go places (USA/Europe/Australia), have an additional degree, better job opportunities and most importantly added student life!
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Engineering and Sciences students these days have lot of options to choose from, after their graduation, be it jobs in specific companies or Masters/PhD or MBA.
The Masters/PhD option which a lot of graduates these days are looking for, requires planning from the start of a student’s third year, if not earlier.
The student who considers Masters/PhD as an important option must start planning based on quite a few influential factors, to name some:
1. Financial status of the student, whether his family can afford his education abroad, if in case he isn’t funded.
2. Which field he wants to pursue his education in. By field, I don’t really mean specialization but one should at least finalize the discipline. For example, quite a few number of students shift to Computer Science major.
3. Motivation. Before committing oneself to Masters/PhD, one should really think about what he wants from life. Is it money or fame or a comfortable life? Is it a technical job or a managerial oriented one?
Masters/PhD is simply the continuation of the student life, may be with a focused direction. It’s seriously not tough, just that you need to be a little motivated. You still have friends around you to help you out. Believe me, it’s not strenuous but its fun!
Moving onto the plan of action, from the start of third year, you need to start taking electives in your field of interest. Start talking to professors, discuss their projects and decide under which professors you want to work. Projects are considered to be cake walk (although walking on cake is not easy :P) at BITS, but put in a bit of extra effort and come up with something useful which you can boast upon when you apply to universities abroad.
It’s better if all your electives and projects are related, just to give you an added advantage while you apply. Participate in the APOGEE and other tech fests, work on good projects.
By the end of third year, you would be planning for GRE, TOEFL, IELTS etc. Get them out of your way as soon as possible. Start deciding on what all universities you want to apply to. Talk to seniors, professors and batch mates before you do this.
Then start writing SOP and build your Resume (both are very important in judging you, hence spare good amount of time on them). Go through the university websites thoroughly and try filling out the applications long before the deadline, it certainly helps.
Decide whether you want to go for PhD or not (increases chance of getting admits and funding). Please DO NOT apply for PhD just for the sake of getting admit or funding, it leaves a bad impression not only on you but also on BITS if you discontinue the PhD program once you are done with Masters.
Publishing papers and presenting them at national/international conferences certainly helps. It’s not a requirement though. You can get into top Grad Schools without having papers on your name.
Fresh grads are mostly preferred for Masters/PhD in Engineering and Sciences as they are the ones who will have a better course knowledge.
Coming to the BITSian factor,
1. BITS certainly is known to people abroad (not as much as IIT’s though) thanks to our alumni. It’s certainly a brand name and improves your chances of getting admits and funding.
2. At BITS, one can work on lot of projects, unlike just the B-Tech project which other university students do. Use this benefit accordingly, as projects certainly add to your resume.
3. PS-1, PS-2 and Internships add to one’s experience and again a resume building factor. Other universities don’t have Practice School funda.
4. All round development and exposure.
Keep doing your best wherever you are and it doesn’t really matter what option you choose and which direction you go. But Masters/PhD is a good option to consider as one can go places (USA/Europe/Australia), have an additional degree, better job opportunities and most importantly added student life!
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Jul 1, 2008
Electives
During my 4 years of engineering I chose electives based on interest, seniors' opinion and course content. But one more criteria which I missed was alumni opinion on the existing pool of electives. So here is the post which will give you the inputs from alumni regd. various electives.
Electronics and Instrumentation:
Image processing, Operating Systems, Object Oriented Programming, ADVD, Telecom, Digital Signal Processing
I am not sure if Operating Systems is allowed as an elective but in almost all the technical domains like networking, embedded systems, VLSI etc., OS has its own use and applications. Telecom is for communication interests. DSP is good for communications and embedded systems. Image processing has received good interest from companies various companies. Apart from the technical courses, I suggest you to take few management electives like SAPM and do atleast 1 formal project (with hardwork and interest).
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Electrical and Electronics:
If given a chance to go back 3-4 years back in time and correct few things, I would say it would be Electives and Projects. Seniors had suggested a list of electives which would make or break one's career (Increase CGPA (easy to make A's) or Build a profile for MS (specialization)). Seniors on campus (including us) are tilted towards these notions. We could never interact with working bitsians to get their suggestions.
My take on this one :
Electives will NOT make or break one's career but performance in your CDCs might. Electives are for you to pursue your interests. Keeping this in mind I will say take 4 electives
Elective 1: Specialization in field of interest (advanced ADVD/ DSP/Microcontrollers /others) . Take this elective in psenti sem. Preferably only this one along with a project.
Elective 2: One general course in your discipline (DCN/Telecom/IP) or a tech course from compsci (comp arch etc ) or mech (robotics) etc
Elective 3: A Management / Finance elective (SAPM etc). Everybody will eventually have to manage money. A basic understanding of it in campus will help in the long run. Learning about them after joining work will need efforts.
Elective 4: Any other elective of individual's interest (Non techie). I should have seriously taken something in World war history or Origin and comparison of world religions :)
Keep categories Elective 1 and Elective 2 for 3-2 and Psenti sem . By then try doing the ones from other categories. By 3-2 you should be able to decide which field you will app, your interest in MS/MBA etc. You can use those 2 slots accordingly . Don't do any heavy tech electives until 3-2 .
Projects:
Do 1 or 2(max) GOOD PROJECTS. Look for a good mentor, who can spend dedicate time for you on the project you are working. General trend is to go for big names for RECOs . You will most likely end up wasting the project slots. Unless you are a born genius or very dedicated, you will end up dropping it or leaving it half way. These projects will later become a burden (Explaining these in interviews or MS applications is almost impossible! Think twice before you commit to a project!!!!). If you can squeeze in a publication, paper or international conference in your profile that would benefit you a lot for MS. CHOOSE A GOOD PROJECT GUIDE
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Electives to be taken (other than 1-2 of your core field/*depends on your interest, I am focusing on non-core jobs, here are the following): Security Analysis and portfolio management, Financial Management, e-business, PAVA etc.
Core ones: Data communication and networking, Image processing, Digital signal processing, Object Oriented Programming and many more
Projects: Do core project(s) under professors and some APOGEE ones also help. Projects done under management group faculty are more appreciated. The ones done in PS-1 and 2, are a major advantage. So give it your full.
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Automotive vehicles, Refrigeration and air conditioning, Object oriented programming.
Do as many as formal projects under any instructor in your discipline and most important thing is the knowledge you have in your CDCs. Maintain a decent CGPA but keep in touch with your CDC books even during 4th year. Also do CP and OOP seriously as a backup.
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Computer Science:
Object Oriented Programming, Data Mining, Artificial Intelligence, Network Programming, Fuzzy Logic and definitely projects. CS is very good for guys who are good at formulating problems and are eager to read books. At the end of two years, get ready to identify professors with whom you’d like to work, and talk to them.
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Chemical:
For s/w oriented – OOP and related courses, for core oriented – (i) for petro oriented – Petroleum, (ii) for process control oriented – Advanced process control, (iii) for nano oriented – Introduction to Nanotechnology offered by physics group, (iv) for algorithms oriented – Evolutionary Computation
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Jun 27, 2008
Updates !
Hi,
27-06-2008:
Updated the post - 'Bitsian slang !' with some corrections.
30-06-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
1-07-2008:
Added new post on electives to be taken.
03-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
Added more electives choices in Electives section.
04-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
Added a new post "Headstart MS!!" in MS section
07-07-2008:
Added more disciplines in Electives section.
Added a new post "ME @ BITS" in BITS section.
08-07-2008:
Added a new post "BITS-GOA !!!" in BITS section.
Added a new post "Blog poll results" in Blogpolls section
09-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
11-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
Added ShoutBox widget so that people can discuss queries on online chat.
15-07-2008:
Added a new post "Target BITS" for High school students.
17-07-2008:
Added a new post "CS / IS in BITS" for students aspiring for these streams.
18-07-2008:
Updated the post "CS / IS in BITS".
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
22-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
Added a new post "Blog poll results" in Blogpolls section.
Added more electives choices in Electives section.
31-07-2008:
Added a new post "Checklist for freshers !" in BITS section.
27-06-2008:
Updated the post - 'Bitsian slang !' with some corrections.
30-06-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
1-07-2008:
Added new post on electives to be taken.
03-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
Added more electives choices in Electives section.
04-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
Added a new post "Headstart MS!!" in MS section
07-07-2008:
Added more disciplines in Electives section.
Added a new post "ME @ BITS" in BITS section.
08-07-2008:
Added a new post "BITS-GOA !!!" in BITS section.
Added a new post "Blog poll results" in Blogpolls section
09-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
11-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
Added ShoutBox widget so that people can discuss queries on online chat.
15-07-2008:
Added a new post "Target BITS" for High school students.
17-07-2008:
Added a new post "CS / IS in BITS" for students aspiring for these streams.
18-07-2008:
Updated the post "CS / IS in BITS".
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
22-07-2008:
Added more companies/disciplines in placements section.
Added a new post "Blog poll results" in Blogpolls section.
Added more electives choices in Electives section.
31-07-2008:
Added a new post "Checklist for freshers !" in BITS section.
Placements
Come fourth year and the most discussed and talked about topics are:
1. What to prepare?
2. Which companies to attend placements for?
3. How should I impress the interviewer?
We shall answer few such questions in this post. I shall keep updating it with more information. I have asked many of my friends (ex-bitsians) to help me for this post and many have responded with quite good amount of info. I am awaiting responses from many more. Meanwhile I am posting some of the responses:
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1. What to prepare?
2. Which companies to attend placements for?
3. How should I impress the interviewer?
We shall answer few such questions in this post. I shall keep updating it with more information. I have asked many of my friends (ex-bitsians) to help me for this post and many have responded with quite good amount of info. I am awaiting responses from many more. Meanwhile I am posting some of the responses:
####################################################################
Discipline: Electronics and Instrumentation
Core companies(where core instru. is involved): NI, Honeywell, ABB, Agilent, Tektronics, Cement/ Oil& Gas related (control sys +IIC): L&T, ONGC, Schlumb etc.
Non-core -Technical companies (h/w): TI, Nvidia, Intel,
Non-core - Technical companies(s/w): Samsung, Cisco, Tejas Networks, Motorola, Sasken, Covansys, HCL, Robert Bosch, etc.,
Non-core - Non-technial companies: Investment Banks...GS, Merrill Lynch etc.
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): Digital Electronics, Analog Electronics, Microprocessors and Architect., Micro-electronics, TMS, Control Systems.
Other courses (subjects to read for placements): CAS, Verilog, C/C++
Company in which you are working: Tejas Networks Ltd.
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
s/w –
h/w – Programmable Logic devices (PLA/ PAL), Knowledge abt CPLD/ FPGA’s Verilog-Digital design, State Diagrams—Sequence detection, Synthesis
ADVD basics(inverter characteristics, Oscillators)
Idea abt Memories: DRAM/ SRAM etc.
RLC circuits
Various logics: TTL, ECL, RTL, LVCMOS etc
Microprocessor basic arch.
DCN/ Compnet-CRC, spanning tree, subnet, bridges/ switches/ routers, Encodings etc.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
Digi – State diagrams, Logic levels, PLAs
Verilog – ( Basic circuit codes), Latches and flops – (Setup time and hold time based questions),
Design Flow, CPLDs, Microprocessor basic arch.
RLC circuits—Filters, DCN/ Compnet based
Projects
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Discipline: Mechanical
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, Goldman sachs, PWC, Lehman Bros etc
Software companies: Oracle (Ebizz),Cerner,
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): Prime movers and fluid dymanics, Design of machine elements, Mechanics of solids, CAD/
Other courses (subjects to read for placements): Computer Programming, OOP
Questions you were asked in the interview:
Dr.Reddys
1) what happens to the pump parameters if the impeller’s size is changed?
2) why do powerplants give more efficiency in colder countries?
3) Stainless steel material properties
4) boiling point, vapour pressure
Schlumberger
1) Project related questions at college and Drreddys
2) Manufacturing Science
3) Work and achievements at Dr reddys
Any other comments?
Do as many as formal projects under any instructor in your discipline and most important thing is the knowledge you have in your CDCs. Maintain a decent CGPA but keep in touch with your CDC books even during 4th year. Also do CP and OOP seriously as a backup.
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Discipline: Computer Science
Technical companies: Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, MuSigma, PWC, Lehman Bros, TCS, Wipro, Infy, Satyam, De Shaw etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): Data structures and algorithms, Operating Systems, Computer Networks,
Other courses (subjects to read for placements): Object Oriented Programming, Network programming
Company in which you are working: Microsoft India R&D Pvt Ltd
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Data structures and algorithms, Awareness of important computer science concepts like Theory of Computation, Time and space complexity calculations etc
Algorithms questions: sorting, calculation of complexities, program efficiency
Take the first two years to read up lots of stuff and understand what interests you. Do not confine yourself to your discpline especially if it is CS or IS. CS and IS gel in brilliantly with any subject, and hence the more obscure and exotic your area of interest, the better. Identifying also implies learning and understanding atleast the very basics. At the end of two years, get ready to identify professors with whom you’d like to work, and talk to them. Plain coursework will not take a CS or IS student anywhere.
Very important note: For the uninitiated, *Computer Science is not out-and-out programming*. Learning C from NIIT is not learning Computer Science. Computer Science is the science (art?) of formalizing and modeling and problem using mathematics (which is most of the times as simple as sets and functions; no calculus and hifi stuff), and coming up with solutions. Next is using mathematics to compare multiple solutions under different conditions. The final part is the implementation part, which is programming. Even at this stage, simply learning C or C++ does not make you a perfect programmer. CS is very good for guys who are good at formulating problems and are eager to read books.
####################################################################Discipline: Electronics and Instrumentation
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, MuSigma, PWC, Lehman Bros etc
Software companies: Cisco, Samsung, Philips, Infy, Wipro, TCS, CTS, HCL etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): Digital Electronics, Microprocessors, Microelectronics, Control Systems
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Cisco Systems
- Good knowledge of C, Digital electronics and Microprocessors.
- Basic understanding of Computer networking required.
- Knowledge of Operating Systems is desirable.
- What is difference between switch and bridge?
- Explain the process when you execute a C-Program?
- Difference between synchronous and asynchronous systems?
- Involve in extracurricular activities
- Do atleast 2 formal projects
- Select few non-technical courses as electives
Discipline: Electrical and Electronics
Non-technical companies (Engineering): Schlumberger, Shell, L&T, IOCL and other Electrical companies GE, Philips
Software Engineering: Cisco, Samsung, Infosys, Satyam ,TCS, Oracle, IBM, Dell
Others: Evalueserve, MuSigma, PWC, Lehman Bros, Bain and Co., Mckinsey , others (last year)
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): ES1 (provides solid fundamentals), Digital Electronics, Micorelectronics , ADVD, MuP
Other courses (subjects to read for placements): Analog electronics , Communication Systems, Data Communication and Networking
Company in which you are working: Freescale Semiconductor India Pvt. Ltd.
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Started with fundamentals of electronics (class 11 &12), ES1 , DIGI , MUE ,ADVD
Solved questions from previous papers of various Hardware companies.
An understanding of the company I applied for. Freescale works on memories, Networking, DSPs etc . A basic understanding of these helps.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
Questions on timing, memories , diff amps and basic electronics
Electrical and Electronics Engineering at BITS is very challenging. The course work, assignments, tutorials and lab work make it the most hectic course in BITS. The competition is cut throat and the core companies visiting campus are limited to a small number. Having said that, it is one of the most interesting and well structured disciplines. The professors are good, fellow students even better and has one of the best labs for VLSI in
The only drawback being, VLSI taking all the limelight. Communications, Power electronics and robotics are other fields which don't enjoy the same benefits as VLSI (quality of professors and lab facilities) but things seem to be improving.
While the number of companies visiting campus is less, the PS stations available are large in number (including foreign PS stations).A EEEite with above average coding skill s can compete with compscites for a non top tier software company job. The top tier software companies don't entertain EEE applicants. Overall, the immediate opportunities are broad and good.
On a general note, try to have a balanced profile. Involving in Departments, clubs, Assoc and sports activities helps. The tangible benefit being the resume factor and the intangibles being the good network you build. Believe me, it is one of the important things that you carry back from Pilani. Pilani offers wide range of opportunities for all .Make the best use of your Pilani life.
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Discipline: Computer Science
Technical companies: Cisco, Microsoft, Yahoo, Oracle, etc
IT companies: Infy, Wipro, TCS, CTS, etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements):Data Structures and Algorithms, Operating Systems , Computer Programming(C and C++/Java), Networks
Other courses (subjects to read for placements) : Digital Electronics and Computer Organization, Database Systems
Company in which you are working: Cisco Systems
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Cisco Systems
- Good knowledge of C, Digital electronics and Microprocessors.
- Basic understanding of Computer networking required.
- Knowledge of Operating Systems is desirable.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
- What is difference between switch and bridge?
- Difference between paging and segmentation
- How pointers are handled by the operating system (i.e. how does the OS know where the pointer starts and ends)
- String related programs
- How would you design a cricket shoe/rocket for me?
Any other comments?
- Involve in few extracurricular activities
- Do few formal projects
- Select few non-technical courses as electives
- Participate in inter-college competitions and online competitions for college students
Discipline: Electrical and Electronics
Technical companies: Nvidia, IOC, BPCL, BORL, Freescale, Motorola, Schlumberger etc.
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, MuSigma, PWC, Lehman Bros etc
Software companies: Cisco, Samsung, Philips, Infy, Wipro, TCS, CTS, HCL
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): Digital Electronics, Microprocessors, OOP.
Other courses (subjects to read for placements): Computer Programming.
Company in which you are working: Oracle (ST)
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Oracle India Pvt. Ltd
- Core Java is a must! Any knowledge of J2EE would be a plus.
- Basic understanding of J2EE architecture is required.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
N/A (Recruited after PS2)
Any other comments?
- Do few formal projects (PSD and ARCD projects would help, just to get an idea of how a Web Client/J2EE architecture works.)
- Select few non-technical courses as electives.
Discipline: Electronics & Electronics Engineering
** Focusing more on the non-core companies which might interest.
*Engineering companies: Schlumberger, L&T, Shell, Agilent Technologies
*Companies related to consultancy/Sales/finance/marketing/Business Development: Evalueserve, L&T, PWC, Ernt & Young, Siemens, ABB, Schneider Electric, Bain Consultancy, Lehmann Bros., Reliance Communications, HCL, HUL
*Media/Advertising: Euro RSCG, Adlabs
Courses (subjects to read for placements, be perfect in at least two): Digital Electronics, Microprocessors, Microelectronics, EMEC, ES-2, ES-1, VLSI and Communication Systems.
Company in which you are working presently: L&T, Strategic Marketing Dept.,
Electrical & Electronics Business Group.
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
If you are good at talking about what you have done and what you want to be; everything will be fit and fine. Major preparation includes developing your aptitude skills by practicing more of mathematics (quant) and improving verbal (paragraph reading and sentence correction). Other than that you have to be well versed with at least two core subjects. More than that since non-core job needs a ‘special-in-me’ focus, concentrate more on the electives you do. The extra/co-curricular activities play an important role here. You should prove how different where you or what difference you made being in that particular position in a club/dept. Any company sees the technical side of you. Let it be marketing or consultancy or the core job itself, the prime need is being technical and that’s the difference that you make being an engineer. And that’s where you prove all your technical skills with your projects and course understanding.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
- What is the KW rating of a water heater?
- Difference between 3phase and single phase, quote examples.
- Difference between a FPGA/IC/MuC
- How does a ceiling fan function? What kind of motor is present in it?
- What is the function of choke in a tubelight?
- More questions on your projects.
- And the questions by HR.
Other comments:
EEE in Pilani, is a challenging course and it offers more than it looks. How to use the advantage of getting the class education and how to place the learning’s from it, depends on your ambitions and future career plans. Just to get into peoples heads a point; that we have a tag called BITS and until that is with us we are respected to be in the topmost talent of the country. Exploit the advantage of being in Pilani, its not just being in academics, all round development including involvement in extra/co-curricular activities should be of importance. Problem arises when people are not sure what they want to do in life. If you are clear on your career path, then any job you take or for that matter anything you do doesn’t matter.
####################################################################Discipline: B.E.(Hons.) Chemical
Technical companies: Vedanta, Dr.Reddy’s, IOCL, BPCL, Schlumberger, Invensys, Shell, Flour, L&T,
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, etc
Software companies: Infosys, Wipro, TCS, CTS, Oracle, I-Flex, Accenture, etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements. min 3): HTO, MTO, SCEO and Process Systems
Other courses (subjects to read for placements) : Computer Programming
Company in which you are working: I-Flex
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Cisco Systems
- Good knowledge of C and Data Structures.
- The rest you will be trained.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
- Lots of Puzzles
- To find out errors in C Programs
- What is a Binary Tree?
Any other comments?
- Involve in few extracurricular activities
- Do few formal projects
- Select few non-technical courses as electives
Discipline: B.E (Hons) Mechanical
Technical companies: IOCL, BPCL, Schlumberger, L&T etc.
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, ANZIT, PWC, Dell etc
Software companies: Cerner Health, CSC, ADP, Accenture, Infy, Wipro, TCS, CTS etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): NA
Other courses (subjects to read for placements): Computer Programming, Object Oriented Programming, Projects or electives you have done.
Company in which you are working: Broadridge Financial Solutions (Spun off from ADP)
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Broadridge Financial Solutions.
- Good knowledge of C is essential.
- Knowledge in at least any one of the following is important: Java, .Net, Mainframes, UNIX.
- Basic understanding of SQL queries is desirable.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
- Asked to reduce the size of code of a simple Nested C program.
- Questions related to important concepts of OOP like polymorphism, Encapsulation and Inheritance.
- Difference between Abstract class and interface.
- Questions on Multi Threading.
- Basic .Net questions like purpose of IsPostback functionality etc.,
- Few questions on the projects you have done.
Any other comments?
- Involve in few extracurricular activities
- Do few formal projects
- Try to do any one CSD course like ASP.NET, Linux etc.,
- Select few non-technical courses as electives
Discipline: Electronics and Instrumentation
Technical companies: Nvidia, IOC, BPCL, BORL, Freescale, Motorola, Schlumberger etc.
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, MuSigma, PWC, Lehman Bros etc
Software companies: Cisco, Samsung, Philips, Infy, Wipro, TCS, CTS, HCL etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): Digital Electronics, Microprocessors, Microelectronics, Control Systems
Other courses (subjects to read for placements) : Electrical Sciences, Computer Programming
Company in which you are working: Qualcomm India Pvt Ltd
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Qualcomm
- Good knowledge of C, Data Structures, Digital electronics and Microprocessors.
- Basic understanding of Computer networking required.
- Knowledge of Operating Systems is required
- Familiarity with CDMA concepts and terminology
Questions you were asked in the interview (min 3):
- Explain pre-processing, compile and linking process of a C Program?
- Few questions related to linked lists, file handlers, various types of sorts
- Design a NAND gate out of NOR gates or NOR out of NAND gates..can’t remember exactly
- Operating Systems basic concepts
- Questions from Subject of your choice
Discipline: Civil
Technical companies: IOCL, BORL, Schlumberger, L&T, Gammon, Unitech etc.
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, MuSigma, PWC, Lehman Bros etc
Software companies: Infy, Wipro, TCS, CTS, HCL etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): Design of Steel & Concrete Structures, Transportation Engg, Construction planning, Control Systems
Other courses (subjects to read for placements) : Electrical Sciences, Computer Programming, Analysis of structures, mechsol
Company in which you are working: L&T
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
L&T
- Basic knowledge related to your discipline.
- Worldly knowledge like current issues to be kept track off.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
- What is CPM & PERT
- Basic questions related to design of structures
- Questions from analysis of structures
Discipline: B.E.(Hons.) Chemical
Technical companies: Vedanta, Dr.Reddy’s, IOCL, BPCL, Schlumberger, Invensys, Shell, Flour, L&T,
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, etc
Software companies: Infosys, Wipro, TCS, CTS, Oracle, I-Flex, Accenture, etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): HTO, MTO, SCEO and Process Systems
Other courses (subjects to read for placements) : Computer Programming
Company in which you are working: I-Flex
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
- Good knowledge of C and Data Structures.
- The rest you will be trained.
Questions you were asked in the interview:
- Lots of Puzzles
- To find out errors in C Programs
- What is a Binary Tree?
Discipline: Electronics & Instrumentation
Technical companies: National Instruments, Honey Well, Agilent Technologies, BORL, Tejas Networks, Texas Instruments, BPCL, Micro Chip, and Nvidia.
Non-technical companies: PWC, Boston Analytics, Evalue-serve, and Bain & Co.
Software companies: Cisco, CA, Samsung, CSC, HCL Tech, and RelianceComm.
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): ES1, Digital Electronics, and Microprocessors.
Other courses (subjects to read for placements): Computer Programming I & II
Company in which you are working: HCL Technologies
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
HCL Technologies
- Good knowledge of C and Data Structures.
- Knowledge in C++, Java or Computer Networks can be an added advantage.
Questions you were asked in the interview (min 3):
I don’t remember any of the technical questions J. Tech Qs were of medium level of difficulty. HR related Qs were a bit tougher than usual for a final year student.
HR related Qs:
- SWOT Analysis for BITS Pilani.
- How an IT firm works? Sources of revenue, verticals & horizontals, and many more fundas.
- Explain the concepts covered in SAPM. Detailed explanation for few concepts.
- All the points in the resume have been well-scrutinized and demanded explanation in some form or other. (ex: If you include ‘reading magazines’ (the most common one) as one of your hobby, you should be aware of the editors of famous mags, recent cover stories, etc.,)
Any comments?
- Good communication skills can be helpful but that alone can’t fetch you anything.
- Involve in few extracurricular activities.
- Realize your core competencies and focus on that.
Discipline: Chemical
Technical companies: IOCL, BPCL, BORL, Schlumberger, L&T, UOP, Vedanta group (HZL), Grasim, etc.
Non-technical companies: Evalueserve, MuSigma, PwC, Lehman Bros etc
Software companies: Infy, Wipro, TCS, CTS, Satyam, etc
Core courses (subjects to read for placements): Fluid Flow Operations, Heat Transfer Operations, Mass Transfer Operations, Process Design Decisions
Other courses (subjects to read for placements): Computer Programming
Company in which you are working: Ernst & Young
Preparation for company placements (in which you are working presently):
Ernst & Young
- Good analytical and reasoning ability.
- Basic understanding of the world environmental problems and related business.
- Knowledge on United Nations – Clean Development Mechanism and Carbon business knowledge (carbon credits, etc).
Questions you were asked in the interview (min 3):
- What do you know about Clean Development Mechanism?
- What do you think are the key elements for a successful team?
- What difference can you make in the team environment that you work with?
- What was the most influential subject/course that you’ve come across and why?
- I was given few instances that one would face as a part of consulting and asked to tell what I would do then.
Any other comments?
- Involve in extracurricular activities not for the sake of certificates but for the spirit of taking the responsibility of the role you’re given.
- Do formal projects if you’ve decided for an MS
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