A student's review of VIT Chennai

I applied to VIT using my VITEEE rank and got category 1 CSE. I chose VIT over Amrita because of the better placement opportunities and facilities. The counselling was fully online this year, so I didn't have a report anywhere physically. The admission is done solely on the basis of VITEEE rank, there is no management quota.

I chose this course to pursue a career in software development. This course's curriculum aligned with my goals, as it was industry-relevant. The faculty-student ratio was around 1:50 last year. All the faculty are PhD holders from reputed colleges around India and abroad. The teaching is mainly done through slides but enough attention is given to apply the concept taught. VIT focuses on both final assessments as well as continuous assessments. The 2 mid semester exams were held with a gap of 2 months after which the term end exam was held. As long as one covers the syllabus fully a few days before the exam they can easily score good marks. The marking done is relative so the level of the paper is good.

The internship opportunities provided are for software development engineers and technical analysts. The stipend varies from role to role but the average is around 10-15k. The strong alumni showcase its power here, as any company you choose would have a vitian there, so you can connect with them to get a referral. The college provides on-campus internships for students who don't get any internships based on real industry projects.

Students become eligible for internships from the 2nd year only, however, most companies prefer 3rd years for internships. Microsoft, Amazon, Goldmann Sachs etc. are the companies that recruit students with a high stipend. This year around 10000 offers have been made till November, with over 4000 offers being super dream (10 lpa+). Around 800 companies visit the college every year, most of which are tech companies and banks. The highest package offered was by Atlassian, which was around 70 LPA and the Average package is 7.5 LPA. All the eligible students from my course get placed, with half of them getting more than 1 offer. My plan is to get placed in a good product based company after passing put from the college.

The tuition fees remain constant however the hostel and mess fees increase every subsequent year. The tuition fees vary based on the category allotted during the counselling. For category 1, the tuition fees are around 2 lakh per annum. Scholarships are provided on a need basis to a few students, who are a financially weak background. As I am a first-year I haven't sat for placements yet, however from what I have heard from seniors, all the students who pass the course leave VIT with at least 1 job offer.

'Riveria' is the annual fest of VIT, it is one of the largest fests conducted in India during the month of February in a span of 4 days. 'GraVITas' is the annual tech fest, usually held in the month of October. However, owing to the pandemic both the fests haven't been held for the past year. The library has all the necessary books required by the students. The classrooms have a seating capacity of 50 students and are equipped with projectors. The classrooms are well ventilated and spacious. The campus has a lot of sports facilities, the latest addition being an Olympic size pool. In VIT extracurricular activities are encouraged a lot, are many students are engaged in some activity or other every day. There are hundreds of clubs in VIT, you name it and we have it, from photography to the android club, from hill climbing to drama club, we have it all.

The hostel rooms depend on what the student has chosen, but generally, all the rooms are equipped with an all in one almirah desk and bed for each student. The washrooms and water coolers are common for each floor. The toilets are cleaned at least 2 times each day and the rooms are cleaned once every day by the staff. TVs are provided for every 2-3 floors. The meal quality is okay, it can't be compared to home food but it isn't too bad. The menu is decided together by the student mess representatives and the caterers. The hostels are allotted on a first come first serve basis for the first year, but from the second year onwards it depends on your CGPA. The hostels are a bit costly compared to other colleges. There are PG rooms around the campus for students who don't get a hostel room.