Bachelor of Technology, or B.Tech, is one of the most common undergraduate programs in India. With engineering being so popular, engineers are being churned out at an astounding rate every year. With so many B.Tech graduates floating around, the value of the B.Tech degree comes into question. With so many engineering graduates around, what makes you special? How does your degree differ from others? How can you add more value to your degree? And finally, how can you enrich your college life? All these questions will be answered and by the time you are done reading this article, you will have a pretty good idea on adding value to your degree.
This article is divided into two sections; The first section talks about how you can add value to your degree so that it stands out. The second section talks about enriching your college life.
As mentioned earlier, with so many graduates around, the value of a B.Tech degree has reduced. If you are not from a top tier college (IITs, NITs, BITS etc.), then you are in an even worse condition. Therefore, you need to put in some effort and add value to your degree. Below mentioned are 2 major ways that can add a lot of value to your degree.
We’ve all heard about internships. An intern works in a company for a short period of time and may or may not be paid for it. Doing an internship is a great way to make your resume stand out. Internships can be availed from the second year itself (some companies even accept first year students). They are an excellent learning platform for students. As an intern, you can see the stuff that you learnt in action. You can get knowledge about how the industry works. Your basics and fundamentals will improve. Most importantly, you will gain practical knowledge (also known as working knowledge) that is very different from the knowledge that you gain in the college. Practical knowledge is valued by recruiters because they know that a guy with practical knowledge can actually start working as soon as he is recruited. Also, make sure you try to intern in a reputed company. Do not simply choose any company just for the sake of it. The best way to keep track of what companies are offering which internships, keep visiting www.internshala.com.
Research Work is crucial in adding value to your degree. Research work shows that you know your concepts well and that you have the capability to think and analyze properly. Research work primarily involves publishing research papers in conferences. The way this works is; you choose a topic that you are interested in. Update yourself with the current trends in the topic (use google for this, there is a ton of information about every topic out there). For example, if you are an electronics engineer, you might want to pick VLSI as your research topic. There are numerous sub topics in this so you can select any one. A simple google search like “VLSI research topics” will provide you with an extensive list of topics. Choose anyone that interests you and research away. The fun part is, you can collaborate with your friends and even you professors and research the topic together. After researching thoroughly, you publish your findings in a reputed scientific journal. (These journals have annual or semi-annual conferences that you can attend and present your paper there). A helpful resource in this regard is www.researchgate.net. This website allows you to interact with other researchers and collaborate on papers. You might even find a few professors of your university on this website. So, make sure you have a few research papers under your belt to make yourself stand out.
College life is one of the best periods in a person’s life. A lot of new friends are made and you learn a lot about life. However, most people do not make the fullest use of their college life. They tend to stay in their comfort zone and miss out on a lot of opportunities that the college has to offer. Here are a few ways you can enrich your experience at a college:
Every college hosts a number of events throughout the year. It can be fests, science exhibitions, sports meet etc. A lot of students see these events as holidays and spend their time snuggled up in their hostel rooms (or play counter strike all the time). However, these events are a great way to channel your potential. Therefore, participate. Step out of your comfort zone. If you like football, take part in the sports meet and play to your hearts content. Try hosting your own events in the college fests. Submit a project for a science exhibition. There is literally no limit to what you can do. This does not mean that you should ignore your studies and keep participating. There has to be a balance. Study when you need to, and spend the rest of your time constructively. These events are a great way to meet new people, make new friends and learn a lot. So, make full use of them. Later, when you graduate, some of the best memories will be of these events.
The major problem a lot of students (especially boys) face is that of money. It’s the end of the month. All your friends are going out for dinner. You, however, stay back in the hostel because you do not have enough money and you are afraid to ask your dad for more. Sounds familiar? Well, if you got a problem, you need to solve it. Solve your money problems by freelancing. And believe me, this will help you a lot. Not only in college, but in life. Let’s say you have a passion for writing. Well, turn that passion into money. Go to a good freelancing website like www.upwork.com or www.freelancer.com and start earning. And it doesn’t stop here. If you have a great idea, then you can collaborate with a group of friends and start your own company. All of this, you can do in college. Imagine the possibilities!
There is no greater deed than helping people in need. You can contact NGO’s nearby your college and volunteer for them. For example, you can volunteer for an NGO that goes to old age home. You will get a chance to go to the old age home and spend time with the elderly people there. Or you can help blind kids. You can help the poor kids by teaching them. There are tons of ways to help people. And the feeling that you get after seeing the smiles on the faces of people is something unique. Try spending your weekends helping people and see how you transform into a better person.
These were some of the guidelines that you can follow. There are thousands of other ways to add value to your degree (and enrich your college life). This article is aimed to give you some motivation. Use the time you have judiciously. B.Tech is not just a degree. It’s a complete experience. Make sure that you experience it to the fullest. Keep exploring and keep learning. All the best!
help@edutrics.com
LOGIN
SIGNUP
