Sunday 7 January 2018

What is the daily routine of a student in IITB CSE students?

The daily routine varied a great deal. I will give you a general idea:
  • First year: There were some 8 - 9 courses per semester (including labs/workshops). The competition was with the entire batch and so, it was relatively easier. Generally speaking, there used to be 4 proper working days in a week. On a working day, we used to have lectures from 2.00 PM - 5.00 PM. On 2 of these working days, there used to be labs/workshops from 9.30 AM - 12.30 PM. So, a total of about 18 hours of lectures/labs. Besides, there used to be tutorial sessions from 2.00 PM - 5.00 PM on Wednesday (it was a non-working day). Overall, the first year was quite chill. You have time to do all of the stuff that you missed out during JEE preparation.
  • Second year: This is probably the toughest year, particularly the third semester. You have some super tough courses and the competition becomes extremely difficult because now you are competing with only CS folks. Moreover, there is a lot of learning because you actually start to become a software engineer. I remember on Thursdays, I used to have classes/labs from 8.30 AM - 12.30 PM, then data structures lab from 1.00 PM - 6.00 PM and then discrete maths tutorial session from 6.30 PM - 8.00 PM. Generally speaking, data structures lab is supposed to start at 2.00 PM and end at 5.00 PM, but it used to be so tough that we went earlier and came back late. There is hardly any time to do anything else in this year.
  • Third year: By third year, you get used to so much of load and pressure and also competition. Third year is less loaded as compared to second year. IITB offers a lot of customizations when it comes to courses and curriculum so, your load depends on how many additional courses you take. Some folks take up extra courses to complete an honors degree. Others take up extra courses in other department to get a minor degree. Many do both! Some (like me) do none of the above ;)
  • Fourth year: 7th semester is the placement semester and so, it is known to be extremely hectic, especially for those who want to sit for placements as well as apply for Masters/PhD. At the same time, 7th semester is like the least loaded semester for those who want to opt for a job and already have a pre-placement offer. I had already got a pre-placement offer and I did not want to apply for higher studies and so, I took up courses in entrepreneurship department. I literally had just 3 courses with a total of 9 hours of weekly lectures. But, the semester was pretty hectic for me because I took these courses very seriously and was working on my own startup. Similar was the scene during the final semester.
To conclude, by and large, the 1st year is chill, the 2nd year is hectic and from the 3rd year onwards, the daily routine completely depends on what you want to do ahead in life.

No comments:

Post a Comment