Colorful 2 years

The university is like a small city inside the four walls. It has everything one needs from banks to shops, to restaurants, library, park to keep you happy. the hostels are really good, the city Vellore is clean and is also managed by the university. the bus and communion are the best. The train station is right outside the college.

I finished my bachelor's in Pharmacy from Chennai and was ready to give my IIT-GATE exam in 2002 and got through a 96.34 percentile and applied to various colleges offering a master's degree in pharmacy using IIT-GATE exams. Vellore Institute of Technology was offering a stipend for a MAster of technology in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. I got through there with a stipend after an interview process with the chancellor and Controller of examinations. I opted for this particular university because it had a good environment to learn more.

Major companies like Pfizer, Ranbaxy. XL health care, Indigene, TCS, Wipro, Cipla, Sun pharma came for campus interviews and internships. even small and local pharmaceutical companies and chemists came in to offer stipend programs which was an additional learning experience.

Placements and job opportunities were pretty much good. There were a Job and placement center in the university which solely catered to this. We had to fill out a form and give it after our first year was done and they would call us for interviews when companies that matched our profile visited. The packages for companies varied from place to place. It ranged from 3 lac per annum to 6 lac per annum.

The college celebrated all festivals on the campus for hostel students and the university had a yearly cultural fest called the Rivera which was organized by the student's committee which I was a part of. I was a volunteer there for the Rivera in 2001. It is a fun-filled three days of culture, sports, and music.

The fee structure is feasible and affordable. It is based on the UGC and AICTE standards of Private colleges and universities. It was not too high and I had students friends from below the poverty line also study with me.

The scholarship was offered if there was a scholarship associated with the degree. Otherwise, loan facilities were readily available. there is an Indian bank within the college premises. The bank readily gives loans to students who are in need of them. My degree was associated with a stipend from IIT -GATE committee so I had a partial scholarship to take care of.

Campus life as hostility was one of the best two years of my life. The university has a basketball, volleyball court, tennis court, Badminton court, swimming pool, library. They organize various symposiums in departments and even send students to symposiums and seminars around the country when needed.

Hostel facilities are one of the best the country has to offer. It had twin-share, single rooms, or three share rooms according to your taste or budget. There was a roll call every night by the hostel president at 9 Pm. the canteen or mess was attached to the hostel and they supplied sumptuous delicious food every day (breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner) and it is a wonderful experience there too living and eating in a hostel. I lived in a three shared room, and it had cupboards, bed, tables, and chairs provided. All I had to bring was my stuff and mattress. The Toilets and showers were shared on each floor unless you lived in an ensuite single room. The rent was around 3000 Rs a semester for rooms and 2000 Rs per semester for the canteen.

The Alumni network is one of the few active networks in the country. We keep getting updates of meetings and get-togethers in the country or even abroad on a Fb page created by some VIT alumni.

Exam structure consisted of CAMs Continuous Assessment Marks which was done every month out of which best of 3 were included from 5 for the final marks of 50. The total final paper was over 250 out of which 200 were final exams of theory and practicals.

The Faulty of the college was good. They imparted strict standards in education. the University had strict rules and regulations and they were very serious about their educational system. the lecturers were friendly and strict when needed. they helped through with extra classes when needed.