JOIN USStudying isn’t just about sticking to the course books; it is also about experimenting and exploring various possibilities. Students today do not want to limit their learning to just books.
Rather, they learn from whatever source available, including their peers and seniors.
Keeping up with the latest technology is one of the main dictums for engineering students today. They don’t mind spending some extra hours at college to learn the tricks of the trade — even if it requires them to cut down on partying.
Archit, an engineering student, says that it is a challenge for him. “These kinds of things are not taught in college and it’s fun to experiment and learn them on our own. I saw my seniors very involved in learning how to make various applications and other technology-related stuff. I was interested and started learning tricks from them. I don’t mind spending some time after college to do so,” he explains.
Some students are so passionate about mastering these skills that they spend hours gaining more knowledge about them.
Aquilla, who belongs to this group, says that doing so also gives them a benefit when it comes to placement. “Course books are meant for all — everyone studies them. But companies want to see what we have gained from our stint in college. The learning process never ends for us, since we have to keep ourselves updated on technological advances. As students of technology, we need to know what is new — this helps us when we are in the field as well,” she says.
Most students pick up such skills from their seniors or peers. “My seniors were instrumental in teaching me how to develop software or what kind of tools I would require to make a particular application work. I spend a lot of time after college learning more about the latest technology from them.
Often, when we are participating in a competition which goes beyond the syllabus, seniors who have taken part in it previously, help us prepare,” adds Sandesh, a computer science student.
Students also say that professors are very helpful. They have regular discussions about the latest technology, both during and after classes.
“Teachers are very helpful in this regard — they never hesitate to help us when we are stuck while developing something new. We have regular discussions in the class with our professors; approaching them is never a problem. Some even tell us what books to refer to or which website to go to,” adds Sandesh.
The tech-friendly students of the City don’t mind burning the midnight oil and spending their weekends learning something new — whether it is in their syllabus or not.