BITS Pilani, Pilani campus- an experience unparelled

I had applied to the various IITs and old NITs, besides BITS Pilani. I opted BITS Pilani-Pilani campus over new IITs and some old NITs due to the academic flexibility and overall development opportunities in BITS Pilani. No, I didn't avail any quota and got admitted purely on merit. In fact, there is no reservation quota in BITS Pilani. The cutoff for my course program was 356/450 marks in BITSAT 2017. The admission process was very smooth and the institute was very supportive.

I chose Electrical & Electronics Engineering due to this department of BITS Pilani-Pilani campus being one of the best in Asia ion this field. The faculty-student ratio was approx 1:8. More than 90% of faculty had a PhD in their field of research. All of them were very good in explanig us concepts in our field and helped us get research exposure as well. There were mid-semester exams and end-semester exams each semester. The exams were difficult as the faculty expected us to have in-depth knowledge in each subject for us to pass the exams.

There are two internships provided to us by the college- one after the 4th semester for two months and the other in our 7th/8th semester for 5 months. The companies are allotted based on the CGPA of students and the skills of students. The companies belong to almost all possible fields and stipend ranges from 10,000 to 1,00,000 depending on company and roles.

Students are eligible for campus placements from the 7th semester. Several high-profile companies ranging from IT, consulting, analytics, electronics, mechanical, civil, and pharma come to the campus for placements. Approx 95% of students get placed with an average CTC approx 9LPA and the highest being 35LPA. I plan on working in the company I got placed in and think about my future plans later.

The fees was approx 2 lac per semester, inclusive of hostel, tuition, and mess charges. There is a fee hike each semester, which is perhaps the only issue with the institute. Scholarships ranging from 100% to 25% are provided to students on the basis of performance in each semester.

There are three campus fests- Cultural fest (Oasis) in October, Sports fest (BOSM) in September, and Tech fest (APOGEE) in March. The fests are regarded as the best in India and are completely student-organized. All books and journals are available in the BITS campus library, which is one of the largest university libraries in India. The classrooms are spacious and well-equipped with all amenities necessary for a good learning experience. The new academic building is air-conditioned and the old academic blocks have coolers. The range of sports and extra-curricular activities is unparalleled to any institute. There is ample opportunity for every kind of sport and performing art and there is a club or sports team for each. There are playing arenas for every sport and the gym is well-equipped.

The hostel rooms have one fan, one study table and chair, one wardrobe and one bed. The other amenities are to be arranged by the student. There are breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner provided in the mess. The menu is vegetarian with non-vegetarian food provided on sunday. Hostel and mess registration is completed at the beginning of each semester. Hostel fees is 36000/semester and is included in the semester fees.