http://www.goiit.com/posts/list/community-shelf-must-read-msc-at-bits-complete-info-939529.htm

This post is meant for all the aspirants who’d like to know more about the MSc. Courses at BITS Pilani(Pilani , Goa , Hyderabad Campuses) and the Dual Degree Scheme .

Q.1)What are these MSc. Courses?

A.1)MSc. Courses are Science-based courses , similar to that offerred in other Institutions.

In BITS they are of 2 types :

1)MSc.(Hons) in P , C , M ,Eco ,Bio
2)MSc.(Tech) in Information Systems , Finance , Gen. Stu , Engg Tech

Q.2)What is this Dual Degree Scheme?

A.2) All MSc. (Hons) (and not Tech) will get an assured BE Degree , alloted to them at the end of the 1st year , based on their CGPA for 1st year.

Q.3)Is it tough to get a good dual?

A.3) Not at all.For a CS or EEE , you need an above average CGPA , while Mech./Chem/Civil can be got at lower CGPAs too.But you will get some BE Dual assured .

Q.4)So what Degrees do I pass out with?

A.4)You get a BE and an Integrated Msc and you spend 5 years.Integ MSc. basically is BSc + MSc combined ,and it can be done by a 12th pass student.Time duration for it is 4 yrs(without a Dual).

Q.5)So , you basically waste another year?

A.5)Thats a bad way of saying it.

You get another degree from BITS , and you get 2 Practice Schools(i.e. 1 year).So basically you spend that extra year working.This is imp for PS2 Placements(Check my Practice School Post http://www.bits360.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1232 )

And that MSc. does help when applying abroad.

Q.6)Then why are the cutoffs low?

A.6)Because most people are uninformed and don’t have a clue about the Dual Degree Scheme.But then again , no other insti in India offers this , so such flexibilities are rare in India.

I think aspirants and their advisors(parents , friends etc.) are to be blamed for this.THERE IS NO “SHAME” INVOLVED IN TAKING AN MSc. AND A B.E. DUAL .THOSE WHO THINK THIS WAY ARE FOOLS.

Q.7)Do you get separate Degrees?

A.7)Yes , they are absolutely separate.

Q.8)What other such schemes are there at BITS?

A.8)Based on your 1st Year CGPA ,

1)Vertical Transfers:If you are in the Top 30 students in any of the Campuses , you can leave your old course(MSc. or BE) and take a new course(MSc. or BE).Time taken = 4 years

2)BE + BE: Offerred to only Top 10 students in each campus.Pref choices incl. Mech + EnI , CS + EEE.Time = 5yrs , 2PS2s

3)MSc. + MSc.:Offerred at lower CGPAs.Very rare.Preferred incl. MSc.Phy + MSc.Maths(5yrs)

4)MSc.(Tech) + BE Dual :rare , offerred to only very high CGPA people.(5yrs)

Based on BITSAT Marks and vacancies

1)Campus Transfers:Very rare , not advisable to join a campus thinking you can get out later.Basically it happens at the end of 1st sem.Your BITSAT marks only matter. Along with 2nd sem admission ppl , all BITSAT Marks are arranged in descending order and seats(based on vacancies , usually in Chemical and Bio Sci , Pharma) are alloted.

Q.9)Isn’t this tough?

A.9) NOT AT ALL.

Remember that for 1st year ALL students in BITS do exactly the same courses , so getting a Dual through MSc. Chem is same as for MSc. Phy .

2nd year , most courses are the same .

3rd year , BE students will do their Core Courses for their BE Degree.MSc ppl will do for their MSc.

4th yr , BE Students will go for PS2(1 sem) and will do a few extra courses in the other sem(Very light sem).MSc. ppl will do their Dual Degree Core Courses.

5th yr BE students will have passed out.MSc. students will now go for PS2 for 2 sems.

Q.10)Which MSc + BE Combos are the best?(Like MSc. Phy + EEE , MSc Chem + Chemical ... )

A.10) NONE OF THEM!

Choose your MSc. depending on the subject you like the most and/or you are good at.In my Myths abt Engg post I have discussed why.

And there is a trend for ppl to choose MSc. Phy much above Msc. Bio Sci.Frankly this is silly.MSc. Bio Sci is basically Bio Engg and is quite interesting.Many students from other MScs tried for an MSc Bio(at the end of their 1st yr) , out of which very few were given.So , don’t fall into the trap of choosing Phy because it sounds glamourous. In reality it is very tough and only those genuinely excellent at it will enjoy it.

And don’t bother about Placements.Your BE degree will ensure this.Choose your MSc. out of ineterest.MSc. will help you greatly in applying abroad(assuming you have actually done something worthwhile in your MSc. field).

Q.11)How is MSc. at BITS differrent from that in the IITs?

A.11)

-No Dual Degree is given in the IITs
-In IITs it is for 5 years

Hey guys n gals(if any! )!
Here are some common myths about engineering, courses, institutes etc. Basically meant for telling 12th std students what engineering really is and debunking various myths associated with it.Feel free to add to this topic.

Disclaimer: The following are my views but are quite unbiased .Feel free to give constructive criticism and intelligent views .I might have made some factual errors. Do correct them.

A) The People

MYTH 1
Those studying in top engg. colleges are absolute nerds and geeks who just can't do anything but study. They are arrogant, self-centered and introverts . They are complete wimps who can't talk to a girl (or a boy if we are talking about a female engg. student) .They lack communication skills and other soft skills.

TRUTH
Those who are making these allegations have probably seen the future engineers while they were preparing for their competitive exams. Such sacrifices are necessary and none of us in BITS(and also the IITians) regret it.
We enjoy ourselves a lot becuz we in such reputed instis. It isn't just the facilities that are available to us, but also the BRAND status we enjoy. We pursue various hobbies ,from painting to sports and often are good at it.
Personality Development and soft skills?Sure we develop them too.
In the IIMs, the last 2 batches had 3/4 of the students from engg background whereas just 10% from the arts background. Going by the detractors, shouldn?t arts ppl be crowding the top management instis?


MYTH 2
College means GIRLS!(This is basically 4 guys)

TRUTH
Well NO! Engg colleges have very few girls Sad , usually BITS(last 2 batches) 12 to15% and the IITs 8-10%.And usually these elite instis are located far away from the city, so no girls just outside the campus either(Major exception to this is IIT Delhi Wink
But you've got to have priorities in life.If your aim is to simply party and date, you shld be in DU(Delhi University) or in 1 of the arts coll. of Mumbai. But if u really want to build yourself a career, then u'd have to give up these things.
But after you passout, money and status is guaranteed. Its up to you then to woo ur girl. Your father-in-law won't mind his daughter marrying you, after he sees your business card!


MYTH 3
"Vinod Khosla ,the Co-Founder of SUN Microsystems , did Agri Engg from IIT-Kgp!" and "A Textile Engg. from IIT-D joining TCS" or "Sarath Babu, a Chemical Engg from BITS-P starting a food catering service" or "Engg. Grads being lapped up by McKinsey/Lehman Bros etc"

TRUTH
Engineers are very versitile,creative and analytical. They can fit into just about any field because of these characteristics. Thats y engg grads start more new companies than say arts or medical or humanities students and also are absorbed into such diverse sectors.

Keep this in mind when you read the MYTH about what branch you should choose.


B)The Institutes

MYTH 1
"The India Today Survey is the gospel of God" or "My uncle thinks that college is good" or "Wow! Infosys and TCS and Microsoft visited Champulal College of Engg Laughing !Must be a gr8 place to study!"

TRUTH
The only ppl who can give you reliable info about any coll are the ppl studying in it and teaching in it .AND NO ONE ELSE Exclamation .
Don't only go by which company went where and what was the highest salary or 150% placement.
Instead ask "How many from ur coll. went to IIMs and XLRI" and "How many went abroad for MS on Scholarship" and ?Name some imp Alumni? .These are very imp things .Also remember "Empty vessels make the most noise?. You see Amity taking out a lot of ads but BITS and IITs don?t. Cool

MYTH 2
BITS<<<IIT

TRUTH
Very untrue Evil or Very Mad . BITS was among the TOP 3 or TOP 5 in yrs 2001to2003 acc to India Today Survey ahead of most IITs.If you want to check go to India Today's website and search the archives. Use my code " 4441 " for subscription no. There?s no username.
Even today BITS is ahead of IIT-G and IIT-R.
But why the perception that BITS<<<IIT . The JEE.
Oh!The ppl clearing the JEE are superhumans! !So IITs are really great! What about BITS? They used to take thru board marks and now some easy(compared to IIT JEE) exam called BITSAT .
We'll discuss about the Competitive exams in some other post. But remember :JEE 2007 was damn easy, as easy as BITSAT and AIEEE.

MYTH 3
BITS and NITs

TRUTH
I wont comment much here but BITS is a brand while NONE of the NITs are,inspite of their rankings.They are not as heavily funded as the IITs .Their infra stru isnt that good as compared to BITS and IITs.However NIT-Surathkal and NIT-Trichy are great instis.

MYTH 4
BITS and DCE/NSIT

TRUTH
DCE is a great place as far as placements is concerned. They get good media coverage too. Though its infra stru is poor(yes it is, I have seen it first-hand) but the extra co-curricular activities are great. Their fests get a lot of funding(being in Delhi).It isn't a brand either.Their hostels are pathetic and have no LAN(till last year at least).+ u share a room even in the 3rd yr with 2 more ppl. But that?s not a prob for those living in Delhi. But BITS(Pilani and Goa) is better anyday.


C)Choosing the Branch

MYTH 1
"CS is the best stream"

TRUTH
What do you know about CS? Question CS isn't just about playing games/surfing the net.
If you had taken Comp Sci in 11th and 12th only then would you have a good idea what you'll be doing in CS . Otherwise don?t jump to conclusions.
CS is good 4 u if u r good at logical ability and Boolean and developing algorithms .Otherwise you might want to choose something else.

MYTH 2
?I want to take up CS cuz I love Coding for Google Code Jam? or ?I really love robotics (though I don?t know much about it) and saw college kids making robots. I think I?ll take up Mech/Electronics?

TRUTH
No! These are hobbies and though they are related to to CS/Mech/EEE you need not take up those branches.
The only time you have to take part (in a relaxed state of mind) in Inter-coll techfests is in the 1st and 2nd years. You?ll be very busy in your 3rd and 4th.BUT YOU?LL BE DOING THE COURSES RELATED TO YOUR BRANCH MAINLY IN YOUR 3RD AND 4TH YEARS. (First 2 yrs usually basic sciences and basic engg. So , basically by the time you have the complete knowledge, it?ll be too late. )
Don?t depend on your college to train you so that you may pursue your hobbies. You?ll have to start learning on your own. If you love coding but didn?t take Comp Sci in +2, pick up Sumita Arora for CBSE and start studying C++ ON YOUR OWN. Same for other Tech related hobbies.

In BITS especially, you are in the middle of your 2nd yr by the time you finish with computer programming 2 and thus are well equipped enough to do some serious coding(assuming you have no prior knowledge of coding).Also Electrical sciences 1 and 2 courses are in your 2nd yr.


MYTH 3
Chemical has no scope/I don?t like it cuz I don?t like chemistry

TRUTH
Chemical has huge scope especially in the Oil Industry which is making huge profits. Chemical Engg is NOT completely really related to Chemistry, rather it is about how to develop the industry which manufactures chemicals. Your job would be to build and operate refineries and chemical plants. You?d need to know about materials, their strengths. Also u?d need to know about Reactor Designs , about various mass and heat transfer operations(Eg. your bathroom geyser).
Chemical engg is infact quite related to mechanical engg cuz they share some courses.
It is no doubt related to Chemistry but it has a lot of other stuff too.
The salaries are good with companies like Schlumberger paying huge sums.


MYTH 4
Civil is not worth it.It has no scope.

TRUTH
Civil has huge scope, if not in India but outside. Civil isn?t just about building houses and drains; Civil engineers also build Oil Rigs , Space Stations, really long Tunnels ,Huge Warships etc. Watch Discovery/NGC/History channel, especially Modern Marvels to get a really good idea.


MYTH 5
Best combos for duals are Msc Phy+EEE/Msc Maths+Comp Sci/Msc Chem +Chemical

TRUTH
Not really.
With due respect to Govinda Upadhyay, I?d like to point out that Electronics is very much related to Chemistry ,Biology as well as Physics.

There is a lot of talk about what to use to build logic circuits. There are really good ideas:

1) Using a molecule with an active site, whose ?A? conformer is binary digit 1(state 1)
And when a tiny electronic current passes at another site, the molecule changes into conformer ?B? which represents bit 0(state 0)

2) Using the optical rotation property of an anomer to assign bits 1 and 0.

3) Developing a protein to store 1 and 0.

4)Using a molecule which has into its quininoid form( =O ) and its alcoholic form (-OH) to represent bits 1 and 0.If you guys remember , you?d have come across the reaction

Para (O=Ph=O) on reduction with Sn/HCl to para (HO-Ph-OH).
Here the electric current is used to do the reduction instead.

5)?Growing? a circuit out of macro molecules/even biological cells ,to develop entire circuits.


My basic point is that Electronics is more about using the various components in ckts rather than bothering how exactly a diode works. But there is no harm in knowing how exactly it does especially if you want to do research in that field. Govinda has a huge interest in Physics , whereas I am really interested in Chem.
Only if you are interested in nano-electronics etc should you specifically choose MSc. Phy. Otherwise keep an open mind about what MSc to choose.

MSc Maths+Comp Sci
Again being good at logic and Boolean helps but there is absolutely no need of learning how to solve super-complex differential equations or prove advanced algebraic theorems in order to to understand computers better .See the MSc maths courses carefully and u?ll understand.

Msc Chem+Chemical
Don?t confuse your interest of Chemistry with Chemical Engg.

You need not have your MSc and BE to be related in any way at all. Rather choose your MSc based on your liking to a particular subject.

Remember that MSc Phy and MSc Maths are quite difficult especially if you don?t have any interest in them. You might even want to take up MSc Bio, even if you aren?t from a bio background. MSc Bio isn?t boring like Biology and Medical Sciences.Rather it is more related to upcoming fields like genetic engg and stuff related to various engg branches.In short, it is Biology with a focus on Engg rather than Medicine.
MSc Economics is quite good too.


MYTH 6
Engg Branch vs. Top College

TRUTH
Remember what I said about ?Engineers are very versitile , creative and analytical?.

It depends on what kind of person you are:

a)?I know about the branch I really want it cuz I have researched a lot about it. I know a reliable person who knows in-depth about that branch. I know what I am supposed to be learning and I have seen some of the course material related to that branch. I am really interested in that branch and wish to make a career in that branch. I certainly wont join some financial company and work for them. Rather I?d love do further studies and do a job related to what I have studied?

Ans: Choose the best college you can BUT DON?T COMPROMISE ON YOUR BRANCH. You are bound to succeed even if you don?t do it from a top college.

b)?I am good at PCM and really don?t like arts. I?d love to do Engg but I really don?t mind the stream ; any will do for me/I really don't know much about a particular stream. As it is , I?d want to do an MBA after engg .Even if I dont, i'd probably get into a managerial job or start my own company.I am certainly not going into research .?
Ans: Choose the best college you can. Any outlandish course will do. Most likely , you?d get bugged of doing any course ,even if you?d have got CS there .But that?s OK cuz believe it or not , most ppl in Top colleges are like you!(I?ll talk about that in the next myth)


MYTH 7
?Studies in the Top colleges are huge? Shocked

TRUTH
Studies aren?t really a lot. Even if you put in ¼ the effort and sincerity you did in +2, you?ll top .In top colleges most ppl who cleared the competitive exams are quite fed up of studying .Though during your 1st sem u?ll put in a lot of effort and maintain the old momentum, but soon that will wane.
Studies aren?t much but the distractions are huge and also powerful.

Your parents are not there. You are with your friends all the time. You have your computer,LAN,Internet.You have your sports facilities which are open till late night. You can go to your café whenever you like, chat how much ever you like. No one to tell you when to sleep or wake up. No one to tell you to switch of your comps and stop playing games over the LAN .And in BITS, no attendance is taken.

Only those who are genuinely interested will study sincerely and attend classes on their own.

But what about the rest? How do they study?

Majority of the people will start to study just 2-3 days before the exam. How will they study? Simple, just run thru the theory and solve the qns at the back. The focus is just on solving the qns,rather than actually understanding the theory. Solving is often done in groups. Now in the paper, the same kind of qns come and ppl, because they have solved it once ,have no probs solving again.But lets say a conceptual qn or a totally different kind of qn comes?Ppl get bombed and only the ones with true interest survive .After the exam, mostly no one remembers anything.
IITians do that too, only thing is that they have to attend classes .But most of them are sleepy/not interested and would rather not be in the class. So it amounts to not attending at all.

The qn u?d be asking is ?Why the hell would companies want to pay huge salaries to such useless ppl who don?t even study their course properly? Question

Becuz the students in the top engg colleges are the best in the country in terms of how hard they are ready to work, in order to achieve their goals. They are hard-working and can handle a lot of stress ,BUT, only when they are working towards their goal.
But then why don?t they study well?
Becuz that goal doesn?t interest (most of)them until the last day. Come to our hostels and ppl will be studying till 3 in the morning and the exam wud be at 10 that morning. They?d probably have started the syllabus(worth 1.5 months of studies) less than 16hrs ago but strangely would have completed most of it .This exercise generates huge amounts of stress but ppl still push thru. By the way this is most undesirable. Mad
Also those interested in the course will have been working hard throughout the semester. So basically you?ve got a set of hard-working ppl who?ll work really hard only if they are interested. And fat pay packages interests each one of us. Most of companies are after our analytical skills which we possess (and also develop) coupled with the fact that we are extremely hardworking wrt. what interests us.

Also course stru in the top colleges and ?others? is pretty much the same. Profs are perceived to be equally bad and ineffective in both places. But what differentiates, is all the extra co curricular activities which go a long way in personality development .The kind of exposure you get in terms of Guest Lectures,workshops,Tech Fests ,Cul Fests, etc is a lot.The Alumni also contribute by holding the insti flag when they reach their summits of success.(Does BITS have its own Flag?I know we have our own Anthem!)

If anyone has any doubt regarding BITS pilani, (not BITSAT), feel free to nudge me or mail me @  nikhil.bafna.r@gmail.com

 think bitsat application out too.. do check bitsadmission.com