 is a Btech graduate in Mechatronics from MIT Manipal. He graduated in 2022 and has since been actively involved in mentoring and guiding students and aspirants of MIT.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/neehal-sharrma/


As a private institution, Manipal is without a doubt
one of the greatest in the country — I'm not going to compare it to BITS, VIT,
SRM, or any other colleges — and the facilities, famous alumni (Satya Nadella
and Rajeev Suri spring to mind), teachers, and many other support structures
all work together to build up a fantastic name for the Manipal brand, be it in
the business, academia, or popular image. Personally, I'm not a fan of the
entire "college > branch" equivalency that students fall prey to —
if you don't enjoy EEE, for example, it won't matter if you get a prestigious
college since you'll hate every second of it — but when compared to other
engineering colleges, MIT undoubtedly holds its own as a part of MAHE, one of
the country's very few Institutes of Eminence.

Now that the question of reputation comes up, the
question of rumours of Manipal being a drug-filled place do pop up. I'd say
it's not true — you won't see people smoking bongs on the side of the road —
but I won't refute that students do engage in substance abuse and other
pursuits that would put them in trouble with the law, which most parents would
be concerned about. However, having had acquaintances from other institutions
(including premiere government institutes) tell me about the drugs and other student issues there, I can
assure you that this situation exists everywhere; it's just that because
Manipal has a number of relatively wealthy students, this label appears to have
perpetuated given the standard rich kid image.

Manipal, being a student town that built around the
MAHE campus, is a very open place to acclimatise to for those outside
Karnataka. I was pleasantly delighted to see all of the restaurants,
stores, and other attractions that you'd expect to find in any other city. The
weather is hot and humid, as is normal for Karnataka, although there is rain at
regular intervals, which helps to dilute the scorching heat — monsoons, on the
other hand, are a different bag of worms, and anyone who have experienced the
severe Manipal monsoons will understand what I mean. The residents speak Tulu, Kannada and other local languages but can also talk in Hindi very well,
and some locals can even have a conversation in fluent English; this is
undoubtedly due to the influx of foreign nationals and other English-speakers.
As a Maharashtrian born and raised in Pune, I was relieved not to be forced to
eat the Idli-Dosa-Vada trinity every day, and I didn't leave hungry; this place
will rapidly grow on you till it seems like a second home.



If you're coming to Manipal, congratulations on your
admission! You must be looking forward to a variety of enjoyable activities and
educational opportunities here! However, before you put on your rose-colored
movie-college-life glasses, let me remind you that this will be an experience
unlike any other, in more ways than one.

Once the initial wave of settling in has passed, many
students are plagued with homesickness and loneliness, having been abruptly
plucked out of their comfortable lives in their hometowns and placed in a
completely unknown environment, as well as a slew of other problems that come
with being away from home for the first time. This truly ruins your first few
days here since you may not have anybody to talk to, and for those who
survived the JEE race (which is virtually everyone), almost everyone except the
natural extroverts must be struggling to interact and build new acquaintances
and relationships with individuals from all over the nation. As a diehard
introvert (obviously, considering I frequent Reddit XD), I, too, found it
challenging to forge new relationships, especially after watching the more
socially competent weave their way through this tumultuous sea of people. But
don't be afraid: because this is your first time moving as a totally autonomous
individual, it may be difficult to adjust, but conquering hurdles like these
will be the first step toward your entire personal development.

As long as you stay active in class, make the effort
to talk to the person besides you (something as simple as asking their name and
where they're from can be a good way to start off), and most importantly give
some time for connections to form, I'm sure you'll be able to find a peer group
that appeals to you. Joining student clubs or projects is another excellent
approach to meet new people and find something to talk about beyond work hours.
Many of my closest buddies were created during my time in groups and student
projects.

You can have a tight circle of
pals with whom you would embark on road trips, visit each other's homes, and
engage in the usual 3 Idiots shenanigans. You can also have a different set of
professional connections and acquaintances with whom you can network and create
your own brand. Remember that your network is often your net worth. Definitely make the most of
your four years here by networking with as many prospective contacts as
possible who can aid you later in your professional life.

Don't slack off on your studies, and pay attention in
class from the start. You won't have to spend as much time and effort studying
if you make an attempt to engage in class. The longer you procrastinate, the
more this decision will come back to haunt you when you run all-night marathons
on the night of the exam. However, not everything is doom and gloom: as long as
you're consistent, manage your time properly, and don't slack off when the
situation calls for it, you'll be able to maintain academics, extracurriculars,
a nice social life, and some time for personal growth and just hanging out. The
timetable and course structure is built keeping in mind the amount of hours one
would need on a minimum keeping in mind non-academic activities as well, so don't
worry about having to study all the time.

When I was in college, I used to use my calendar app
to block specific times in the day for specific events, and by organising my
days/weeks in advance, I was able to be more productive while still setting
some time apart for the normal campus goofing around, all while managing to
keep a reasonable level of academics and my innumerable co-curriculars. Many of
my colleagues could easily retain a branch topper status while still
participating in extra-curricular activities. All of this would, of course, rely
on the individual's capabilities, since not everyone would choose to work that
way, but keep these broad guidelines in mind as you go about your college life.

It's easy to arrive to college and be swept up in the
flow of college life and enjoyment, only to be hit with a harsh reality check
the moment you step out into the world as a graduate. Explore as much as
possible to gain as much exposure as possible, and then settle on a clear
objective or personal vision for yourself that you can strive towards for the
remainder of your college life. I recommend spending your first year exploring
as much as possible, and by your second (or third) year, you should be able to
cement a vision for yourself that you want to follow beyond graduation. This
"timeline" may change for each person, but by the time your
convocation arrives, you ought to have a game plan in place. I've seen many
people stumble around until third year and then receive a rude awakening by
fourth year - it's not possible to turn yourself around without a lot of blood,
sweat, and tears. In my case, I stumbled around until the second year, but the
COVID-19 lockdown provided me the push I needed to get my stuff together and
figure out my plan for the following couple of years. During those years, I
spent as much time as I could upskilling myself and working on projects to
better myself, and it all paid off in the end.

Try to join a student project taskphase now, since it
becomes more difficult to enrol again in the second year. This is also because
most team tenures occur the year following taskphase, so if you apply in the
first year, your team tenure will occur in the second year, as opposed to if
you apply in the second year, which would have you serve tenure in the third
year (a very important year for personal development). Don't worry about your
skills; just show up eager to learn. Because taskphase requires a significant
amount of time and dedication, I do not advocate joining any other clubs during
your first year; instead, do it during your second year.

Spend your first few weeks touring campus, your
department, the neighbourhood around Manipal, and so on, a s it will
undoubtedly help you find your bearings if you decide to view particular
laboratories or travel to certain spots to see a staff member or someone else.

Use the summer after your first year to look for
non-technical internships. Most first-year students lack the technical skills
to pursue technical positions, however non-tech / management intern positions
will provide you with valuable work experience and insight into how businesses
operate, which you may use to your advantage next year when you pursue
technical positions next summer.

Clubs are typically more lenient with year-to-year
screening, so I recommend joining one now if you can. If you participated in a
student project during your first year, this will allow you to put your student
project abilities to the test in a more casual situation, as well as act as an
excellent networking opportunity.

The second year is when you begin to interact with
your department. Maintain solid relationships with your professors, since they
are your primary route to additional research activity in the department as
well as other chances that they may present.

Now that you've spent a year learning about courses
related to your field, take advantage of this time to work on projects and
improve skills that will help you land a technical internship. If you were able
to get an internship the previous summer, your prospects will improve even
further.

Because most clubs and student projects do not have
much work for third-year students, this is the greatest time to focus on
your growth. Use this opportunity to expand your network, and if you wish to
pursue research, approach professors and work as a research assistant under
them. You can also utilise the summer of this year to seek another technical
internship that counts toward your degree's industrial training criterion,
killing two birds with one stone.

Make a future plan for yourself after graduation if
you haven't already. Given your prior experience, it shouldn't be difficult.
This is what you would do for your fourth year and beyond.

By the time fourth year comes around, a lot of things
are set in stone. Companies coming for placement, universities, and other
entities will evaluate your profile and skills to deem you worthy of
acceptance. If you were able to effectively cultivate your resume this should
be smooth sailing for you. If you have your plan set, put that into motion and
start working towards your goal. This is the time to reap the fruits of your
labour.


 I hope this will help those who are a bit unsure about what to do when in college, as well as serve as a bit of a pep talk to help you find your way.

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