VIT as a fresher

My reasons for choosing this course we're that it was biology related, did not have maths in 12th as a requirement, and is a five-year course so I can pursue a Ph.D. immediately upon graduation. I was also pretty tired of entrance and competitive exams after 12th so I did not want to go through that again after 3 years if I'd chosen to do a BSc. The faculty: student ratio is not very desirable as there are over 50 students in each class crammed into tiny classrooms. There are over 160 students in the 2022 batch and only three groups so it does get pretty cramped. The quality of the faculty I feel is quite average. Some teachers are amazing and always know how to engage the class and keep it interesting, while some only read out slides and leave them at that. There are strict teachers and easy-going ones like every other University and school. You'll have an exam almost every month and a half and it's an endless cycle. CAT1, CAT2, and FAT with assignments and quizzes which is pretty frustrating.

I don't know the exact companies that come for placements but according to seniors, there are several. Many internship offers are given, students can start interning in the first year but usually prefer to do it after the second year.

Since I'm a first year my knowledge of placements and such is limited and not very accurate, I've tried my best. Students are eligible for placement in their final year. The opportunities for biotech in India are not very appealing so most pursue a Ph.D. after the course either in India or abroad. The average package afaik is 4L p/a and the highest package to date is 12L p/a for this course. My plan is to do a semester or project abroad after meeting my credits requirement by the 4th year and then moving on to a Ph.D.

Tuition fees: 75k p/a. Hostel fees: 80k-1.3L p/a. Mess fees: 56k-70k. options are Veg, non-veg, and Special mess (special mess has pretty bad reviews from my friends). There are no scholarships or financial assistance that I was made aware of during the admission process.

The cultural fest in Riviera has lots of fun stalls and a lot of celebrities make an appearance, conduct concerts, give speeches, etc. It happens in February. The tech fest, Gravitas is conducted in October and has several fun activities and interesting seminars on various topics. Last year we even had a stargazing event. Both events are quite expensive even for VIT students. Classrooms and labs are well equipped and have everything a student will need during their time here. The library is honestly amazing, it sprawls on three floors and has AC. It's open throughout the year and hostellers are allowed to use it till midnight. The only improvement I'd like to see is more novels and a better literature collection. There are many sports students can join and they have selections conducted every year. There are also inter-hostel competitions annually. There are over 150 clubs and chapters for any domain you could think. Something's always happening here and they conduct the fest events.

My room type is an apartment i.e. 2-3 4 bedded rooms with a hall and private bathroom. Other options range from 1-6 beds with AC or non-AC. Each student gets their own cupboard, bedside light and dresser, desk, lamp, chair, bookshelves, and adequate electric sockets though extension boxes are helpful. Breakfast: Bread, jam, butter, milk, tea/coffee, variety dish (parathas, idly, etc) Lunch: white rice, roti, dal, sambhar, rasam, curd, veggies, chips, variety dish (the Sunday biryani is feared) Snacks provided. Dinner: same as lunch, milk/coffee/tea, fruits. The food quality is average, the variety makes it bearable. The registration process can be done online on the website or offline on the day of admission (not preferred as you'll mostly get non-AC rooms).

The course eligibility is to complete 12th STD from any board with a minimum of 75% in physics, chemistry, and maths/biology. The application form can be found on the VIT website under the academics section. Application fees cost around 650 for me when I applied last year. There is no entrance exam, and the admission is purely merit based on 12th scores as far as I know. Since I belong to the general category I did not receive any reservation benefits so I don't really know much about the topic. The admission process was pretty smooth and I found it easy and hassle-free, so there's not much room for improvement in my opinion.