Senior academicians from top engineering colleges in and around the the city on Saturday demystified the myths that often baffle parents and aspirants while choosing engineering branches and institutions for a successful career in engineering, at the 15th Edition of The Hindu Edge Career Counselling for engineering aspirants.
In the brainstorming session that saw participation of large number of students and their parents, experts spoke on a range of issues related to prospects of every engineering branch, job opportunities in the private and government sectors, selection of college and others.
V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College Dean (Student Affairs) B. Panduranga Rao said, “Every engineering branch is worth pursuing. All you need to do is work hard to succeed. If you do not work hard and take the branch you consider best, you can’t succeed.”
“More than the branch of engineering, institution plays a vital role in shaping a prospective career in engineering. Aspirants should interact with present and former students of the college they intend to join. Though many think CSE and ECE are the best many others branches have 100% campus placement records,” said Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research, Dean of Engineering and Management V. Madhusudhan Rao.
KL College of Engineering, Principal K. Subba Rao said, “Marks secured in Intermediate will have no impact on students’ performance in engineering. One with average Intermediate score can do well in engineering and vice-versa. Institution plays a vital role in the shaping up the student, irrespective of the branch he chooses. Not just classroom education, but practical knowledge, co-curricular activities raise confidence levels of students, creativity and innovation.. All these depend on the institution.”
V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College, principal A.V. Ratna Prasad emphasised the need for selection of a better institution rather branch. “At the end of the course, students should be industry ready. Colleges that have skilled faculty, laboratories and interaction with industry can only shape up the students well as well as connect them with the industry,” Mr. Prasad said.
Andhra Loyola Institute of Engineering and Technology principal O. Mahesh called upon students not to chose engineering or any branch of it if they do not have interest in it.
“There is no best branch and worst branch. The one in which you have an interest is the best branch for you.,” Mr. Mahesh said.
Swarnandhra Group of Colleges, Director-Training and Placements K. Balaji stressed that practical learning played a key role in any branch of engineering. “Learning is important in engineering education. Inertia must be broken and active pursuing of subjects is needed,” Mr. Balaji said.
Later, in an interactive session, students and parents had their doubts cleared over the availability of courses, prospects of branches like chemical engineering and aerospace engineering, a career in machine learning and artificial intelligence and others.
All the students were given the ‘Thenxt.step’ and ‘Your Window to the Future’ handbooks on various careers.
Upcoming sessions
The counselling programme will be held in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati on Sunday.
In Visakhapatnam, the programme will be held at Kalabharathi Auditorium at Pithapuram Colony and in Tirupati, it will be at Hotel Regalia at Ramanuja Circle on Renigunta Road, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entry is free.
