Once you have decided to pursue engineering after 12th, it is time to select the right engineering college. As it is indeed a crucial step for your future, making a choice is not a last-minute decision, which means you have to take a decision on which engineering college to join, or at least narrow down your choices to a few options right from the senior school. Remember, there are no ‘correct’ or ‘perfect’ engineering colleges, but there will be a few that are just right for you depending on various parameters. Let us take a look at some guidelines and insightful tips that can help you rationalise your choices and finally help you settle upon your ideal choice.
If you have made the decision to study engineering, then the next logical thing to do is to choose the engineering stream or the branch of engineering you want to pursue, before choosing the college itself. There are numerous options open to you, some of the popular ones being Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, and many more. If you aren’t completely certain about which stream you want to specialise in, proceeding further with choosing an engineering college may not be the best idea. Do proper research on various branches and their details. If you decide on a stream, make sure you are interested and motivated enough to successfully complete it; randomly choosing a branch just for the sake of pursuing engineering will most certainly result in failure and frustration over time.
Once you have arrived at a conclusion on the branch of engineering, also remember to make a list of alternate streams that can work for you; this is in case you do not meet eligibility requirements or if you are not able to get the stream of your choice.
The next big planning comes when you have to consider the colleges themselves, like choosing between Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre, Thrissur or Jawaharlal College of Engineering and Technology, Palakkad for instance. The process should be a little easier as you have already made a list of engineering streams. What you can do is categorize potential options into different groups so that choosing one or considering an alternative becomes easier later down the line. For instance, make a list of the best engineering colleges that are difficult to get admission into, but potentially possible for you to achieve. Then create a list of colleges that are reasonably easier to get into, and a final list of institutions you are sure to get into in case you haven’t gotten admission into any of the others.
While making this list, there are again numerous factors you should consider, including their reputation, affordability, facilities, location, and many more, which will help you discover the colleges that are right for you.
As you will be spending four valuable years for engineering, check if the colleges you’re looking at have the facilities and amenities you’re looking for. There are thousands of engineering colleges across the country and almost all of them claim to give you the best education. Today, with the help of the internet, it is pretty easy to do some online research and figure out if it is actually so; you can also talk to students and alumni of the college where possible. A few of the facilities and infrastructure can include smart classrooms, good labs, well-equipped library, experienced faculty, loans and scholarships, hostel accommodation and such.
For instance, if you take into consideration the best private engineering college in Thrissur or Palakkad, the teachers are not just well trained, but they are also vastly experienced, insightful, and highly qualified, usually with a Ph.D.
The majority of colleges lay claim to offer superior educational services and boast about various various accreditations, which means it is on you to find out what those accreditations really mean, and whether it holds any value for you. If the certifications are highly prized, then it will play a significant role when it comes to the quality of education, campus placements, and even scholarships and financial aid opportunities. Keep in mind that, in India, the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) are the accreditation bodies that assess and evaluate technical institutions and courses.
Job placements and effective internships are one of the major value-adds of a top college, and reputed companies look to hire fresh talent from the best colleges across India. Do a thorough check and see if the colleges you shortlist have a proven record of offering campus selection for its engineering students, and that too in good companies.
Do you want to get admitted into the top engineering colleges in Thrissur or Palakkad? Location also plays a huge role when it comes to selecting colleges. While many students prefer staying close to home, many prefer studying elsewhere, even in a different state, as it gives them exposure to a new location. Again, do not make the location of a college a hard-and-fast rule; for instance, if you’re in Karnataka, and get admitted into a prestigious institution like Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre in Thrissur, it would be an ill-advised decision not to move.
As the cost of tuition can be a deterrent for many students, try to get into colleges in the merit quota as the financial burden will usually be reduced. Of course, to ensure that you are able to select from top colleges like Nehru College of Engineering or Jawaharlal College of Engineering and Technology, you must have high scores in the corresponding entrance examinations and for that, determination and hard work are essential.
