Every cloud has a silver lining, they say. But, sometimes, even sunshine seems tinged by clouds. Clearing the JEE is a 'dream come true' for any engineering aspirant in India. But, once the initial euphoria fades, reality bites. Clearing is good, but topping is better. Without a good rank, you will never get the branch of your 'choice.'
And what are the branches the heart most desires? Computer Science, Electronics, Telecom, Electrical Engineering. The ones with the most 'scope'.
The mind says it's the branch of study that matters -- so, if you're getting admission into another excellent college, take it. But the heart desires the IIT chhaap.
Here is a query I received from one such student's father:
My son's rank in IIT --- JEE is 2288 and therefore he can opt for branches like Civil, Metallurgy, etc. Under such situation will it be a better choice to go in for Computer Sc from some other college?
He goes on to mention that the boy is likely to get Computer Science in IT-BHU, the NITs, IIIT-Hyderabad and even BITS-Pilani.
Individually, these are amazing institutions. Chakkar yehi hai ki, in the layman's perception, they lack the 'mystique' of an IIT.
What's in a name, eh? Everything, and then some it seems!
Student, know thyself
Getting back to the original question -- is it IIT or bust? While the decision is deeply individual, it needs to be arrived at after exploring various fundas.
The first and foremost thing is to ask yourself -- are you attracted to engineering as a subject or were you attracted to the brand name, IIT?
If computer science is what gets your nervous system tingling, you would obviously go to the best possible college where you could study that subject. But if it's the 'experience of a lifetime' you are after, you go for the college regardless of the subject you end up studying.
Now, this might sound sadistic, but we in India are quite flexible. We may desire a 'love marriage' but are always open to an arranged match. We believe one can fall in love with the girl or guy our parents choose for us... so why not a mere subject?
Khandaan accha hai, to sab kuch accha hai.
The trouble arises when you are in love with X and agree to marry Y. Maybe you never get over that love and live to regret it. The same can happen with studying a subject you embraced for the sake of a khandaani college. Especially when it becomes obvious that your interest and passion lie elsewhere.
But, like I said, it's deeply individual. Few of us know our interests and passions to begin with. So, we go with the flow. The IIT current is the strongest and we do not resist being swept away.
Practical considerations
Accha, yeh sab theek hai, but what about the job scene, you ask. What makes more sense from a placement point of view?
Well, here's the deal. Practically every engineer -- and not just from IIT but the top 200 colleges in India -- can become a software engineer in a TCS [Get Quote], Wipro [Get Quote] or Infosys [Get Quote]. This is regardless of what branch of engineering they study.
But there is an elite corps that is recruited by global corporations for R & D jobs. And these are the jobs even IITians die for. To work for a Google, Adobe or Yahoo! on new and emerging technologies. To be part of a team creating new products and not merely fixing, maintaining or coding.
There is keen competition for these jobs -- there are only a handful and they pay handsomely. Top ranked IITians from 'most wanted' branches like Computer Science are preferred. But companies also look favourably on toppers from other institutes.
Sumit Sharan, an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus now working at Intel, points out, "If you study Computer Science from BITS-Pilani, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University or an NIT like Trichy or Suratkal and you really excel there (say, you are among the top two-three% of the batch), then you have a good chance of catching up with the top ranked IITians in the companies where they work for or even in getting admissions to universities abroad.
"There is simply NO other way you can work for one of these top-notch companies by studying Civil/ Metallurgy from the IITs. You will end up working in one of the more normal companies where graduates from almost every college can work."
A top-notch company could offer anywhere between Rs 6-12 lakhs as a starting salary, while the 'normal' ones offer a more modest Rs 2-3 lakhs. But the catch is, you have to be a person who really knows and loves the subject. Google, for example, holds six rounds of interviews in which they really test the candidate's fundas and ability to think out of the box.
If you're the square peg who fits their round hole, more power to you!
Vriti Edustore
