Srijita Sadhukhan's Review On Symbiosis School Of Economics - [SSE], Pune

SSE has been ranked with 'A' grade by NAAC and it is one of the best colleges in India to do a Bachelor's in Economics. The course is rigorous which does not only focuses on doing good in academics, but also helps to develop software skills such as data analysis with excel, Python, R, etc. as well as professional skills. There are value-added courses every year excluding the compulsory subjects. Every semester, the students have 4-6 courses which help them to gain knowledge on related disciplines as well.

The course syllabus is updated very frequently. We have separate Open House sessions for the students from the three years, where we are allowed to speak about our concerns to the Director. Every year, we are given a value-added course to complete. There is a placement cell in SSE, which frequently informs the students about internships. Also, an NGO internship in SY and a Corporate internship in TY is mandatory for every student so that they can gain real-world experience in industries. SSE has also tie-ups with many international universities and many students apply for Student exchange programs. Also, each semester, students need to do one presentation for their Integrated Learning Component (ILC) for each subject (it can be a team presentation or solo) which enhances our presentation and public speaking skills. The marks are divided for each subject into the following criteria: Internal Evaluation (including CEs and ILCs)=40% and External Evaluation= 60%.There are seminars and webinars held for the students related to Economics and major issues often where students can learn more from experts in their fields.

CRY (Child Rights and You), NGO.

The Placement Cell conducts a number of activities to help students prepare for their careers after graduation. Each final year BSc and MSc student attend a career counseling session to help them understand and make choices from the various opportunities available. Students are encouraged to attend follow-up counseling sessions to help their decision-making process. The Placement Cell arranges workshops on other important aspects of preparing for placements like CV writing, Aptitude Tests, Mock interviews & Group discussions, Grooming and Etiquette, speaking skills & body language, an impact of current affairs on business & economy etc.

There are three types of fest that are held every year in SSE; The Sports Fest, the Social Fest and the Cultural Fest (Equilibria). The fests are organized by the students mainly. They reach out to sponsors, plan the finances, reach out to media and other colleges for more participants in fest events. This helps the students to gain experience in Event management and organization. The Social Fest, Ethnic Day (where students choose a theme and wear ethnic wear including a Dance competition between the three years), and the Prom are the pre-fest events for raising funds for the main fest. The Equilibria or the Cultural Fest is the main fest of SSE, which is held in the third or the fourth week of January. Events like drama competition, singing, underground hip-hop, treasure hunt, poetry, graffiti art, and many more are conducted. Stalls starting from snacks, desserts, to south Indian cuisines are set up for the three days of Equilibria.There are 'open mic' and 'un-mic' night events held three times a year, where people could come up on the stage on the spot and showcase their talents. There is a Movie club in SSE which often books classrooms for displaying award-winning and famous movies. There are poster-making competitions, essay-writing competitions, poetry competitions, creative workshops held throughout the year. Students also go and participate in various fests held by colleges in Mumbai. And, the most awaited event of SSE is the 'Economist of The Year' where people from different colleges can participate without even having a Economics background. There are 3-4 stages starting from Quiz competition of General Knowledge, debate, problem-solving situations of economic scenario, etc. before the finalists are faced with a Panel Discussion with the director and some invited experts. The winner and the runner-ups are awarded with a handsome amount and achieves an historical accomplishment in SSE history.

There is no particular sports ground in the SSE campus, but a Wellness and Recreation center is available which is like a Gym available for students. For Sports practice, the students usually go to the Symbiosis Law School for practice. The Sports Fest is held in the Symbiosis International University, Lavale Campus.The wi-fi is available throughout the campus, there is separate wi-fi connections for hostel and non-hostelers. There is a Computer lab for the students where statistical software like R, SPSS, Stata, etc. are available including stable internet connection and an interactive display board. Every classroom is equipped with a projector for more interactive modes of study and for presentation purposes. The library is relatively small but is equipped with numerous books related to Economics and its sub-disciplines. The online versions can be accessed after contacting the librarian. Research papers can be accessed easily as SSE library has already a subscription for most sites like Jstor, etc. Though the physical copies of books referred by the professors are in shortage compared to the number of students, but pdf versions are shared to everyone.