Student life at Manipal Academy of Higher Education

The course I studied offers a variety of subjects relevant in the media industry, with a range of core areas from which students can choose their electives for the semester. The curriculum consists of several projects and practical activities that help to gain an insight into the respective industry or field, while also adding to the student's portfolio of academic projects. Through these, they may get clarity regarding their further academic pursuits. The difficulty level of the exams for these subjects depend on certain factors, such as the number of credits the subject holds, or whether it is a satisfactory subject or whether it's a core/elective subject.

Students from the second and third year are eligible for campus placements. Several companies offer placements including a package average of 3-4LPA as starting salary. Companies consist of marketing and advertising agencies along with startups and other established businesses. I did not appear for campus placements, as I an pursuing jobs on my own while carrying out research for my post-graduation plans.

The yearly fees for my course were Rs. 2,18,000, for a three year degree. The caution deposit that every student had to pay at the start of the course, amounted to Rs. 10,000. With a Konkani scholarship quota, I received Rs. 21,800 (10% of yearly fees).

The university itself has a wide range of clubs and student-run groups in different specialisations. Students from various colleges across Manipal are often part of these clubs based on their interests. TedX, Under25, Rotaract Club, and Manipal The Talk Network are examples of these clubs that are established across the student town. Some students also collaborate to form small businesses or seasonal initiatives. They also form groups for recreational activities like music, dance, art and filmmaking. Aside from that, students create a lively environment since they work together for multiple events and initiatives for the college. This contributes to a good college life overall for the students, impacting their personal productivity and image around the campus.

The hostel rooms are clean and simple. Different hostel blocks vary in size, layout, and amenities, but overall they are decent and comfortable. One can choose between sharing a room or booking a single occupancy room, and the booking is done on first come first serve basis. Hostel registration comes with a mess package, which can be accessed for 4 meals throughout the day (breakfast, lunch, evening tea & snacks, and dinner) by scanning a mess card. The food is decent. The general location of the hostel varies, since girls hostel blocks are grouped together in one locality while the boys hostel rooms are a bit further away from main campus.

The other colleges I applied to had a completely different curriculum structure, which I was not looking forward to. Instead, my college offered industry-specific subjects and was regarded as one of the top media and communication colleges in the country. I did not go through with the application process of other colleges, since I already got into Manipal which was my first priority among all the other colleges. The admission process consisted of in depth interview rounds, and submission of statement of purpose.

The faculty of the college mostly specialise in one core subject, but many of them take up the task of teaching a wide variety of subjects to students from different years/batches. I have had a good experience with almost all of the faculty members, especially in the 'advertising campaign- planning and execution' subjects. There are two exams per semester, a 25 marks sessional exam and a 50 marks end semester exam, which are answered by students digitally using E-pads provided by the university. Most of the students clear the practical exams and 100 mark project subjects, but a significant amount fail to clear written exams.