Bennett is what you make it

Being a new university it still had a lot to prove in terms of placements, faculty, and students. But on most of these fronts, Bennett does not disappoint. The biggest draw naturally is the name and affiliation of the times group. Especially for a course in Journalism and Mass communication one can naturally expect quality if the largest media conglomerate is working behind the scenes. It can bring better opportunities for not just placement but also the right kind of exposure through the ongoing duration of the degree.

The faculty is nothing short of amazing. Although not every professor will be to a student's liking, most of them are agreeable. And even when they are not, there is no arguing against the fact that they are experts at their relevant fields and are therefore the best suited to impart training about said field. For a practical-oriented course, the student to prof ratio is also good enough. Although classes can fill up halls with 100+ students in one batch. Smaller groups are rightfully made for practical sessions. Which is important for a course like Journalism, where most of the learning won't be happening during exam times. Unlike STEM, during some semesters exams will make up the time of the year when student workload is relatively less. The bulk of the learning (and grades) are earned via practical projects and simulations, carried out solo or in small to medium-sized groups. Passing is not a challenge at all, but achieving and maintaining a constantly high score can be a challenge

Being a part of the times group, Bennett can bring to its students working opportunities within the group's firms. Different students from a batch can be sent out to intern at several different firms such as Etimes, Mediawire, or Bennett Universities own internal marketing department. While other times external companies can be approached either individually or via professor references. Most of these companies are big names that have a lot of pull in the market and on a resume and therefore do not offer any stipend to undergrads.

Students are eligible for campus placements in the final semester of their degree. Placement support is only offered to students with no backlogs and a passing CGPA. Several agency companies approach the campus for placements for both journalism and mass communication-related profiles (advertising, public relations, etc.) The exact make-up of the type of companies can depend on the fluctuations within the job market as a whole. At the time of writing this a couple of my batchmates have been offered jobs by the Economic times, about a dozen have already begun working at News9 while many like myself are still in the process of clearing rounds of interviews and tests for placements, for firms like Publicis and Genesis BCW. The average package is about 3-4 Lakhs CTC. Although not guaranteed, I estimate that about 40% of my batch could be placed by just Bennett-aided placements alone.

Bennett isn't inexpensive. Although scholarships are available they are handed out to the top 10 or so students based on their GPAs. And even when they are, a conventional scholarship only cuts out 10% of the tuition fee. Due to the remote nature of the campus, the cost of living is also quite high. That is on top of the Mess and Dorm fee that is included in the fee. While students are free to do internships to generate income, they have to be limited to being online exclusively as any sort of daily commute from the campus is quite impractical. All things considered, the financial aid provided by Bennett university does leave a little to be desired considering the 5+ Lakhs a year students can be expected to pay for their education and stay. As of now, the scholarship can only bring it down to about 4.8 Lakhs.

Bennett has several student-led cultural clubs, 16 to be precise. This number has been on the rise for a while as more and more student communities continue to gain official status as clubs. Currently, almost all possible co-curricular avenues of interest are covered for students, including Folk Dance, Western Dance, Robotics, Astronomy, Music, Arts and Crafts, Gaming, Fashion, photography, travel, and many more. This abundance of student bodies makes it so there are always several things going on around campus in the downtime after classes end at 5:30 PM. And being a mostly residential complex helps too as hundreds of students can be seen all about the place till curfew arrives at midnight. The sports complex is also among the best available at any university, old or new. The gym is up to date and the indoor and outdoor courts are well maintained. Classrooms too, like all amenities, are quite modern and well fitted.

The hostel follows a 2 person per-room paradigm and each comes equipped with a pair of beds, mattresses, tables, cupboards, and chairs. Students are expected to bring their own amenities like bed sheets, blankets, and curtains as only a curtain rod is provided within each room. All rooms are air-conditioned and are temperature adjustable (only for the summer). Bathrooms are common across a floor and are fairly hygienic. Meals are served in multiple mess halls across campus at specific times for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an evening snack. The variety is fair across meals and within each meal is the best part about the mess food. Making it so there won't be any two meals in succession where absolutely nothing is to your liking. While the mess food will never be quite as good as what one would find at home it is decent for the scale and pace at which it is made.

Bennett has used a variety of testing methods it has used over the last few years. While some like my self had only a spoken interview with some members of faculty, others have had objective tests as well. This inconsistency makes it really hard to comment on what to expect as an applicant but overall the entrance procedure really isn't stringent at all. Considering especially that Bennett is still a new and rapidly growing university most applicants have a good chance of making it through.