Published On: January 17, 2022
The word ‘Hacker’ was devised to showcase experts who used their skills to re-develop large systems, increasing their competence and allowing them to multi-task.

Ethical Hacking involves an authorized approach to acquire unauthorized access to a computer system, application, or data. Carrying out an ethical hack involves detailing strategies and actions of hostile attackers. In addition, this practice consists in identifying security vulnerabilities that can be later resolved before a malicious attacker has the opportunity to exploit them.

With the increased risk of cyber attacks prevalent globally, it is essential to protect the security of IT systems. To understand the loopholes being exploited by the hackers, the specialized knowledge of understanding hacking to mitigate the risk, ethical hacking has become an essential and legitimate profession.

Who was the first hacker in history?

Also known as Captain Crunch, John Draper is often named the first-ever hacker. Moreover, rather than having a lot of high-tech hacking tools in his hand, he managed to do it with a toy whistle from a cereal packet.

In the early 1970s, the telephone system was the most prominent computer network accessible to the general public. Moreover, at the time, to place calls, specific analogue frequencies were used, which used an automated system that managed telephones. A toy whistle came free in boxes of

Cap’n Crunch cereal (hence the nickname) through which Draper exploited the system. He made free long distance and international calls. This technique was known as “Phreaking”.

Ethical Hacking came into force to counter-attack hacking. Hacking, especially social media or bank accounts, affects millions of lives. Some of the global hacking incidents which significantly impacted the lives of the people are:-

Yahoo (2016): 3000 million users affected globally

This has been the biggest-ever hacking attack in internet history till now. In August 2013, the data breach at Yahoo affected every single customer account that existed at the time, Yahoo parent company Verizon announced. This makes it 3 billion and includes Tumblr, Fantasy and Flickr accounts (other than the email accounts).

SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis and Yes Banks debit cards compromised: 3.2 million users affected globally.

In what can be seen as one of the most significant breaches of financial data in India, debit cards of around 3.2 million users were compromised, enabling fraudsters to steal their money. The worst affected banks were Axis Bank, ICICI, HDFC, Yes Bank and SBI. The breach in the debit card took place after malware attacked the Hitachi Payment Services between May and July 2016. Later, the company acknowledged that a sophisticated malware injected into its network led to the breach.

LinkedIn (2016): 117 million users affected globally

LinkedIn was hacked in 2012, and some 6.5 million

accounts were affected. However, In May 2016, four years later, the company said many more users had been affected. In addition, the company had made a statement that an additional set of data has been released claiming to email and hashed passwords combinations of more than 100 million LinkedIn members and are taking immediate steps to invalidate the accounts’ passwords.

Zomato (2017): Therestaurant app suffered a major security breach in May 2017 when 17 million users were affected globally as their data were stolen.

Zomato had acknowledged the hacking attack claimed that no payment information or credit card data was stolen/leaked.

Facebook (2018): 87 million users affected globally

Facebook was facing one of the biggest scandals in its history. The company was under fire for improperly sharing users’ data with a UK-based company called Cambridge Analytica. The data had been used later to influence US election results. Earlier Facebook claimed that 87 million users had been affected by the data breach. As for India, the figures are around 562,120 people as per the social networking company.

The risk associated with hacking as evidenced in the past few years (phishing in the banking arena, hacking of government websites.) The role of ethical hacking has gained prominence by leaps and bounds. Given the wide usage of the internet and the growing importance of information technology across the world, the role of ethical hacking as a profession to protect from attacks on IT systems has become a specialized and critical function.

Published On: January 16, 2022
All of us are fascinated by robots at some point in our lives. But some individuals dream about developing robots that could make a big difference in everyone’s life. Thus, for the ambitious students who want to make effective use of machines and technology, there is B.Tech in Mechatronics Engineering. Mechatronics is the synergic amalgamation of mechanical, electronics, electrical, computer science and information technology, which involves control systems used to equip products with built-in intelligence. Mechatronics engineering fuses the aspects of mechatronics system modelling, sensors, controllers, actuators, and real-time computer interfacing.

In India, B.Tech in Mechatronics Engineering College expands into a three-year undergraduate programme that will provide aspirants with the skills to design, develop, and run factory production lines and automated processes. A B.Tech in Mechatronics Engineering program equips the aspirants with special designing software to ease the process and have a static and dynamic understanding of machines as a Mechanical Engineer would, emphasising using that knowledge to develop the robots. Apart from the massive research required, aspirants will also spend ample time doing trial and error, designing and building robots. The fundamental skill-set in this area is research and developing modern creative ideas to make robots more efficient and human friendly.

B.Tech Mechatronics program incorporates engineers with multi-disciplinary skills. Graduates from the Mechatronics program are well equipped with the fundamental skills they can utilise in computers, micro-controllers, programable logical controllers, industrial sensors, programing, hydraulic, pneumatic and electric drives, and mechanical structure design and mechanism and manufacturing process. Additionally, the B.Tech in Mechatronics Engineering fees vary from institution to institution depending upon its performance, faculty, placements and achievements.

Moreover, the programme is high in demand among the aspirants. Despite being a new area, the career prospects for the aspirants in the area are vast as this area holds extreme importance for the world in future.

What are the primary roles of a Mechatronics Engineer?

A mechatronics engineer combines the study of multiple engineering disciplines, like mechanical, computing, electronic, etc., to generate more straightforward, reliable, cost-effective, and long-lasting solutions. Mechatronics engineers are trained to function as mechanical engineers who integrate practical software engineering skills and electronics. Therefore, the core of their mechanical engineering expertise also combines with the other areas.

The B.Tech Mechatronics Engineering Colleges in India nurtures mechatronics engineers who develop mechanical, electrical and electronics engineering systems. In addition, mechatronics engineers are responsible for designing machines that encompass the control systems and software, apart from the mechanical system. For instance, their work in the industry involves creating an industrial robot that performs day-to-day tasks.

B.Tech Mechatronics Engineering graduates work on complex technologies to manufacture vehicles. These vehicles combine mechanical parts that turn other parts, an electrical system that carries out energy for the other components, such as headlights to function, and the sensors and computers signal the movements. Additionally, From the consumer goods and medical industry, laundry machines, smartphones, x-ray machines, espresso machines, MRI machines, mechatronics engineering is involved in various areas. Professionals from mechatronics are involved from designing to testing to the manufacturing phase of product development. Industry-specific jobs may also include testing codes creating projects and electrical systems.

The areas of B.Tech in Mechatronics engineering include power systems, transportation, optical telecommunications and biomedical engineering. Therefore, the demand for mechatronics engineers in India is enormous. The industries that hire qualified professionals in the mechatronics area include oil, transport, mining, robotics, aerospace, defence, aviation, manufacturing, etc. These professionals also have an excellent opportunity to work in the Navy, Army, Air Force and leading organisations like DRDO and ISRO. An estimated report shows that the demand for Mechatronics Engineers in India has revealed a 5% comparative increase. In addition, these engineers manage automated equipment and work in offices, laboratories and sites.

Furthermore, if you want to pursue the course from one of the renowned universities of India, then consider Mahindra University Hyderabad as the best choice for you. This interdisciplinary programme is extended by the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Ecole Centrale School of Engineering at Mahindra University in alliance with the Electronic and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Engineering departments. The four-year degree programme offers broad engineering-related knowledge through introductory courses in mechanics, computer programming, electronics, mathematics and physics. In addition, B.Tech Mechatronics Engineering at Mahindra Ecole Centrale enables you to gain additional knowledge in management, design, health care, Intelligent machines, and automated manufacturing.

Published On: January 16, 2022
The emergence of the COVID -19 virus has turned the world the social world upside down. The worldwide colossal health crisis has created a new paradigm in social interactions. The government in various countries, supported by health agencies like WHO, have implemented protocols to curb the virus. However, given that the virus mutates into several new variants and spreads worldwide, the fear of the unknown has created anxiety, suspicion, and social disturbance across age groups & social strata. Furthermore, with the closing down of educational institutions, the urgent need to transition from the typical conventional learning to the digital age has emerged.

With new variants of the virus coming up every year, the interactions among students are changing in a significant manner. The pandemic has dramatically changed how we interact and communicate with each other. As given the protocol wearing a mask is compulsory. Consequently, a student wearing masks finds it challenging to gauge each other’s expression, and speech clarity is also affected. In addition, some of the students find it challenging to wear masks due to breathing issues and ear pain. With masks being made compulsory, it is not easy to comprehend the facial or mood expressions, and with college being closed predominately, the interactions are further narrowed down.

Classroom interactions: Adhering to government regulations, the college conducts classes most of the time in a virtual mode. This online methodology does not allow for extempore questions and answers, which creates a highly involved interaction both amongst students as well as with the teaching faculty. The intensity and depth of discussions in a physical classroom session are of far superior quality than virtual classes. Small group assignments that are possible in physical settings provide excellent knowledge sharing and quick learning among the students. Virtual teaching does not provide for such an opportunity.

 Social Interactions: Most of the time, the interaction among students has dramatically reduced. There are no college fests, campus events, gatherings for exploring what Mahindra University has to offer. Social interaction helps exchange ideas and clarify the norms and culture of the university. Medical science has observed that long-term isolation may impact mental health. Limited class interaction and the lack of a structured timetable setting are likely to dilute the seriousness required for superior academic performance.

Some of the technology-related bottlenecks like poor connectivity can create challenges for continuity of interactions.

Stress Reliever: Physical interaction amongst students provides an opportunity for stress relief. This could be in games, sports, group activity etc. However, with the onset of the pandemic, the scope for such stress reliving interactions is much reduced. Consequently, some boredom and monotony sets into the student’s mind. This affects the motivation and performance of students. They cannot concentrate on their studies due to excessive stress, and there is no outlet to relieve their stress leading to problems.

Thus it is clear that the social interactions among the students and the teaching community has impacted severely during the COVID 19 situation and created new norms of online interactions.

Published On: January 16, 2022
The choice of college is an important decision in a student’s life. The student looks forward to college life with excitement and challenges. Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions a student makes in their life. A sense of freedom emerges to a student in a college ambience. While this freedom gives choices, the student must focus on his goals to derive maximum benefit from the college education. The following are some of the key factors before selecting a university.

Academic courses available: Always check for the list of courses available at the concerned university. Do you know what kind, of course, you want to study? If yes, check the list of courses in detail, whether it contains the course of your interest. Even if you are unsure about what you want to study, research the college well, keep options, and make sure all your options are there in the chosen college so that you don’t have to change colleges often.

Reputation of the institution: It is crucial to validate the quality of the university in terms of faculty, infrastructure, reputation in the education sector. The validation process can be through checking the rank, usually done by newspapers, magazines and websites. The second level of check can be by contacting alumni, previous employers or through social media. E.g. Glassdoor, Quora. If the college collaborates with institutes of repute, it helps select such a university.

Placements: Look out for the placements made by the university in the past. The names of the employers and the size and scale of the employers will facilitate arriving at the choice, of course, to be pursued. Moreover, if the university has a backing of a reputed industry like Mahindra’s, it further adds strength to the selection of the course and the college.

Infrastructure in the university: It is important for the student to look out for not only academic knowledge but facilities to apply practical knowledge. Therefore infrastructure like computer labs, tool rooms, labs is some of the key aspects a student has to look through before selecting a college.

Amenities and facilities available on campus: The different kinds of facilities available at the campus plays a vital role in determining whether a student would choose the particular university or not. Hostels, dining areas, medical facilities, recreation opportunities are some of the essentials that play a crucial role while searching for a university. If the student is an outstation candidate, he may like to look out hostel and canteen facilities and ambience to suit his studies.

Cost of education: After having gone through the above factors, another essential factor to consider would be the cost of education. The student might not only want to list out boarding and lodging, fees for infrastructure, WIFi charges, travel charges, among other expenses. This will give a total cost of the cost during the entire stay. Depending on the student’s financial status, they have to evaluate avenues for funding, including financial aid, loan, and other factors.

Mahindra University is backed by the house of Mahindra and has got excellent world-class collaborations. It has world-class facilities in the form of connected classrooms and well-equipped labs. The campus is filled with lush greenery and sports a cool and moderate temperature throughout the year. Even during Summer, it is not too hot. It is located within the city of Hyderabad and has options of students being a resident of the campus or travelling from their homes.

Law students are expected to get the best education and experience. Internships are essential in getting a better understanding of the law field, and they give you invaluable hands-on experience. Whether you’re a law student or someone who wants to be one, an internship is a great way to gain experience while working in the legal system. Internships also provide opportunities for networking and developing relationships with other professionals, which can lead to future job opportunities. As a law student, you must understand what an internship entails to decide where to spend the summer between semesters—and beyond!

Help gain practical knowledge: There is no way to become a good lawyer without first interning under a firm or an advocate. Internships give practical knowledge to the students to gain such understanding, which is very much required to practice law. This helps them to become worthy lawyers as they graduate from law colleges.

Smooth transition from college to work: The legal environment differs from the academic environment vastly. Early experience helps them in a seamless transition from college to their job. Since they already have an idea about the work, it is easier for them to work at their actual workplace.

Gain work experience: Apart from learning how to do your job, internships are great opportunities for law students to gain work experience. Work experience is an important factor when getting a job. Prior experience will give you an edge over students who don’t have it. In addition, relevant experience in a particular field will make it easier for you to get a job later. Further, internships also help you understand whether your chosen path is the right fit for you.

Networking: Networking is necessary for career success. It is the most effective way to find jobs in your field, even if you don’t have much experience or connections. In addition, networking can help you get a job as they would remember you through your connections.

Research Skills: Lawyers spend much time reading up on cases and old cases. A lot of research material is read up by the lawyers, understanding facts, charts and figures so that it can be used later when needed. Research skills should be honed early in a lawyer’s career so that they can summarise the essential points from large articles. This comes in handy when drafting needs to be done and preparing advice for clients. So as students, research skills are essential to find out the case laws while interning or at work.

Stress Management: Advocates spend a lot of time listening to people’s problems. Sometimes there will be clients who have experienced a difficult situation, so empathizing and finding the correct full story requires a lot of patience. Advocates occasionally take the stress of their clients, too, so managing the stress of both the client and themselves is an invaluable asset. So as students, it is important to understand how to manage stress while studying at a law school so that it can be smoothly handled while at work.

Published On: December 28, 2021
“One man’s “magic” is another man’s engineering. “Supernatural” is a null word.” ― Robert Heinlein

It’s impossible to even imagine our lives without technology and machines around us. Since human beings have existed, engineering has co-existed along with us. Human beings have created many machines and tools to ease their living in ancient times. Hardly, they know that these innovations would lead to more advancement. With each passing day, human beings kept developing various technologies and machines, making our lives easier. Engineering will always be a relevant profession, so the demand for engineering courses has thus increased.

Having said that, as a student, you might get confused about the choice of stream you should choose. Numerous engineering courses include B.Tech in CSE, B.Tech in ME, and B.Tech in EEE. All these courses offer a promising career to the aspirants, but you should choose a stream according to your interest and strength.

The IT’s core capabilities attract enormous significant investments from major countries. The investment helps the industry expand and provide a stable career path for the professionals in this field.

According to India Brand Equity Foundation, “IT’s core competencies and strengths have attracted significant investment from major countries. “The computer software and hardware sector in India attracted cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows worth US$ 74.12 billion between April 2000 and June 2021”.

As per the data released by the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade, computer science engineering ranks 2nd in FDI inflows, the computer science engineering graduates can have numerous career options as the leading IT firms like Infosys, Wipro, TCS, and Tech Mahindra are diversifying their this field. They showcase top ideas for artificial intelligence to their clients by using innovative research to develop better opportunities for computer engineer professionals.

Let’s look at the various opportunities a B.Tech course offers to the aspirants:

Placement opportunities right after college: Anengineering college offers placement opportunities to its students right after they complete their B.Tech specialization course. The engineering colleges in India provide placements to the candidates, which takes them directly to recruiters without much effort from the candidate’s side.

Higher Studies – Courses after B.Tech: A bachelor in engineering degree opens up opportunities for students to pursue higher studies. The engineering candidates can take admission in a master’s course to enhance their knowledge on a specialized course. The B.Tech candidates can appear for entrance exams for entering into NITs and IITs. They can also prepare for the JAM exam to take a master’s course in India’s top colleges.

Opportunity to work at PSU (Public Sector Undertaking): The PSU sector includes companies that the state or central government partially owns.The engineering candidates can work in some top companies under PSU, such as BHEL, LIC, Hindustan Copper Limited and NALCO. These jobs are primarily permanent jobs with lucrative salaries.

Appear for Civil Services Entrance Exam: The engineering graduates can appear for civil service exams to serve the nation. The candidates must clear the UPSC civil service exam to join any civil services. The UPSC offers three branches of engineering subjects: civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering.

Entrepreneurship: Engineering students can choose to get into entrepreneurship where these candidates can fully execute their knowledge and skills. After years of training in engineering, these graduates can be more involved in creativity. Since a business path is full of challenges, these candidates are more suitable for starting their businesses.

A Job in the Private Sector: Candidates with engineering courses can opt for a career in private jobs; the B.Tech degree can earn the candidates various roles in numerous industries. These candidates can get hired as engineers, researchers, consultants, and subject matter experts.

The scope of the engineering profession is pretty promising as these candidates get exposure to both technical and theoretical knowledge. Thus, aspiring students who want to get into engineering can get into numerous engineering courses depending on their interest in subjects—candidates who want to get into B. Tech courses can look for admission in MU-MU.

At MU, their curriculum is designed with a futuristic perspective so that the students in all engineering streams can acquire advanced knowledge in technology. Mahindra University offers eighteen departmental courses covering basic and advanced levels of all the engineering branches.

Published On: December 28, 2021
“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.”- Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft

Let us briefly think about the incremental technological advancements in civil engineering construction over the last century. The lime reinforcement to bricks was replaced with the introduction of cement. Wooden pillar supports were replaced with the invention of steel structures. As a result, limitations of the vertical growth of buildings have been overcome. Today, it is possible to build 100+ storey buildings that can withstand wind or cyclone turbulence, sun radiations. Simulation of nature’s forces like the wind the monsoon water can be simulated on a computer to understand the strength of the structures required to withstand and build safer civil constructions.

Thus we have wonders like Lotus Temple in Delhi, Tehri Dam in Uttrakhand and Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Civil engineers have made all these wonderful structures due to the increased development and usage of computer-aided designs, simulation of such structures, and understanding of impact. As a result, what would have taken a long time and higher costs to learn by making physical structures has been avoided. Instead, learnings quickly compounded due to computer-aided programming and simultaneous developments in steel, cement, and the science of structures.

Innovation and the evolution of technology have resulted in more significant results than one can ever imagine. The various essential developments in the past have occurred due to the collaboration of technology with structural engineering. Civil engineering is one such branch that has gained extensively owing to technological advancements. The planning and designing part of the job during the pre-construction phase can now be achieved through various digital software rather than on paper. The use of the paper and pen method has been reduced due to this software, as they make the entire process less complicated and help store and easily share the plans.

Crucial developments occurred in civil engineering during the 20th century. The advanced technologies have helped the civil industry increase its productivity with more efficiency. In addition, their cutting-edge techniques have helped civil engineers to construct many spectacular skyscrapers, bridges, and dams. Furthermore, the rise in demand for the amalgamation of computer science with engineering has provided computer-aided structural engineering courses. As a result, more aspiring students are willing to opt for these courses.

What is computer-aided structural engineering?

Computer-aided structural engineering is an innovative program that combines recent technological advances with structural engineering. The combination allows freedom and flexibility to the engineers to understand the structural behaviour in a better way. The students who have completed their civil engineering can choose to opt for this course as it gives them an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of structural engineering.

The scope of computer-aided structural engineering has increased over the years. This has created a massive demand for this course among the students. Numerous facts stand to reason for choosing a computer-aided structural engineering course. Here are a few of the primary reasons:

Most preferred course: Among all the courses, a course in computer-aided structural engineering is the most preferred one. This course offers them the knowledge of both civil engineering and advanced technology. Since the branch of civil engineering will always be in demand, the scope for engineers with a combination of civil engineering and computer science will be very beneficial for them.

Adds value to the profile: This course adds value to the candidate’s CV as this course is comparatively new and advanced. Candidates passing out with a specialisation in this course are ideal candidates for the modern world industry.

Important and efficient job: The prominence of this profession will always be there as these engineers are required in all kinds of big construction projects. The importance has shifted from tedious planning methods to more intensive and robust mode planning processes.

Candidates who opt for a computer-aided structural engineering course can take admissions at Mahindra University. Their computer-aided structural engineering syllabus consists of the semester wise curriculum of the M.Tech structural engineering program. Their course is designed so that the students get to develop their technical skills and theoretical knowledge while pursuing this course. The candidates passing out from this course receive a decent salary package as this course amplifies the opportunities for the candidates. These professionals can successfully establish their careers.

At Mahindra University, this course integrates analytical and programming skills for understanding complex designs. This helps them in analysing the problems posed by complex structures. Their course gives numerous benefits to the students such as :

• It helps them develop analytical, computational and programming skills required to analyse and design. It also provides sustainable solutions for infrastructure issues encountered in the new age of civil engineering.
• Their course helps the students equip themselves with the required skills, which opens their doors to become design consultants, entrepreneurs, or pursue research in the relevant field.
• Their course helps them get exposed to state-of-the-art technological and sustainable solutions using AI and BIM for monitoring.

Conclusion: The availability of numerous computer-aided design tools has made designing and analysing various structures easier. These tools have become essential in the present times as they are required in technological advancement and engineering. Therefore, the structural engineers need to have expertise about these tools as these tools can speed up the design and optimisation process.

Published On: December 20, 2021
The transition from school to college is an exciting milestone in a student’s journey. However, the university environment is very different from a high school experience. It is like a bird flying out of a cage to the open sky. The below points can help a student to adapt better.

• Take time out to Explore: It is essential tounderstand the ambience of the college. Get familiarised with the list of subjects and their corresponding lecturers and professors. Make a schedule based on the timings of the classes. Make a mind- map of the location and map between lecture hall, library, facilities like Gym, cafeteria, sports complex etc. This will help you in understanding areas for your personal development.
• Research Well About the Course: Given the importance of a career,it is imperative that the student does a detailed read on the chosen subjects. Since the pedagogy in a college will be less personal than in a school, substantive efforts have to come from the students. Therefore, it is the student’s primary responsibility to manage his academic performance. There are several avenues for exploring each subject, like senior students, library, internet etc.
• Get Involved With Student Communities: The college environment provides new opportunities to make new friends from various streams. Given the immense diversity in the courses offered in a university, several student communities usually provide an avenue to enhance a student’s ability to create new bonds that go beyond the college. Since learning comes from multiple interactions, it is essential to be active in relevant student activities. This will facilitate exploring innate talent and developing talents like communication, leadership, persuasion skills, etc.
• Ask for Help: Since the new environment has ambiguities, the student has to take the initiative to seek help whenever required. Self-initiative is the key driver for self-development and improvement. Usually, the university conducts induction for students to get accustomed to their college life.
• Reading/Studying Strategy: Start by deciding what you want to study for a few minutes and setting a goal by what you want to accomplish during the following hour’s study session. Then take a ten to fifteen-minute break and review your study strategy. Next, survey the chapter by reading the beginning to end. Note down for each its heading and sub-heading and read it aloud. This is one method of learning. Each may have their way of learning and may follow that.
• Make a Study Calendar: It is vital to get into a rhythm of well-planned activities. It is recommended to chart a weekly planner, affix it in a prominent place and make a regular “todos” marked out on the planner. If a student lives in a hostel, it is essential to chart out a routine and adhere to a habit. It is crucial to think holistically to develop oneself in extracurricular activities.The effects of stress affect us physically, mentally and emotionally. There is at times so much going on in college that it affects you deeply. Step back and take out time for yourself, and practice self-care. Identify the activities that make you feel the best, put time aside to rest and surround yourself with great people.
• Identify Mentors:Mentors serve as a robust support system and help the students with advice and suggestions. Try to identify professors, peers, counsellors, and academic advisors and talk to them about the areas you require help and are passionate about developing a career. Mentors can motivate you, provide you with valuable advice, encourage you and guide you to the right path of your career.

Keep in mind the above points to have a smooth transition from School to College and not worry much about the various issues that might prop up as all are part and parcel of life.

Published On: December 20, 2021

There are several factors to be kept in mind when choosing a course. The choice, of course, will ultimately determine your career path. As you Sow you Reap is the famous adage. Given the importance of your future, never decide your course in a hurry or due to external pressure. It will lay the foundation for your further studies. With the broad range of subjects available, it may be unclear to a student to decide the course choice. The below-mentioned pointers can help in determining the appropriate course.

• What Made You Choose the Course:It is essential to keep in mind the factors that made you choose the particular course in the first place. For example, it is best to select journalism or English literature if you like writing. One of the tested methods suggested by career counsellors is to do an introspection and recap what event or subject gave a great amount of appreciation in the past or have consistently scored high marks in school. Your parents can be good guides to help you identify since they know you better. Take time to think, seek inputs from well-wishers but choose wisely.\
• Filter and Research: One may have more than one area of liking. Research and keep a list of courses you are interested in. Write down the career opportunities for each of them. It could be a corporate job, freelancing, teaching, etc. Map your strengths with each career option and check compatibility. Also, one must do due diligence on the estimates of current remuneration levels for each career option. Finally, take note of the job opportunities provided in your course.
• Resourcing: Estimate the program costs, including hostel, paying guests, rent, food, transportation, etc. Budget for outstation costs; if there are any exchange programs or home town travel. Suppose there is a need to take an education loan. In that case, one must thoroughly calculate the total loan, including interest and the payback period, considering the possible salaries post the professional course.
• How Much You Know About the Course:Some courses might sound exciting, but you don’t know what it contains or their details. This could be because you have not studied it before. Thus realising that is tough later. Or doing the subject well in school but not anticipating that the difficulty level increases once in college. So one must thoroughly go through the subject details and get clarity from seniors and well-wishers or professionals working in the area who have gone through the course and understand it well and can now reflect well with hindsight and help you go about it.
• Improve Your Strengths and Skills:Play to your strengths and innate talent. If one is good at natural Science, then dive deep to find where the liking is in Physics or chemistry, biology, or if you have a genuine preference for numbers, maybe mathematics is the way to go. On the other hand, one may be good at social sciences. There are many different opportunities like Psychology, human resources, management, arts, sports, etc. Analyse and focus on your skills and take up a suitable subject based on your talent. You will surely thrive in it. Having self-confidence and developing skills will result in appropriate higher education and a satisfying career.
• Check With People Who Have Done This Course: Before taking up a course, it is better to have conversations with people who have done it before. You will get invaluable insights regarding the course; how many hours do you require to put in? Also, go further and talk to professors and lecturers to get a better and clearer perspective about the course. Finally, go through pamphlets and brochures to get additional important information.
• Earning and Career opportunities from the course: It is essential to match one’s interest with the market needs. For example, Bookkeeping & accountancy as a profession is getting replaced with automated software, and hence the need for accountants will be less. Whereas prospects for Robotics and Digitalisation is likely to be better. Therefore studying computer science languages involving Machine language, Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality etc., should be the preferred courses on the growth stage of market demand. Similarly, there are growing opportunities in data analytics, data visualisation, web designing, Computer-aided design (CAD) & Manufacturing (CAM) and such skills. Moreover, with the increasing usage of computers in schools and colleges, it is natural to graduate in such aligned courses that remunerate higher and offer better career prospects.
• Courses Offered By Colleges: Research needs to be done regarding what kind of courses the university gives. Whether there is any that interests you, where are these universities located? Whether the student would incur additional costs. Whether an uncommon course is chosen by you, whether that particular college is a strong focus in that course and is taught well, and what career opportunities are there.
• College offering other courses:Check whether your college offers other alternative courses. If you don’t find interest in your current course, other alternatives should be. However, you might be left in the lurch in between, so checking whether your college has other courses of your liking at the beginning is of importance.
• Cost of Doing the Course: All the expenses involved in the course should be accounted for example, course free, fee for books, cost of relocation (if any). If the course requires higher studies, even that cost needs to be accounted for. However, due to the availability of loans, the high price should not be a hurdle.
• Reflect: At the end of the day, you are going to study at the university. So think carefully, make the decision and choose well. For this, you must be practical and assess and reflect.

All the above points are just a guide to help you choose better and make a wise decision. The ultimate choosing power lies within you. Ask yourself a series of questions such as why you want to study? What kind of career do you want? What mode of career do you prefer? Then narrow down your options and apply.

Published On: December 20, 2021
College fests and festivals are joyous occasions of celebration and opportunities for exposure to the outside world to build and maintain an extensive network in a student’s life. These events can help social skill development and help to explore innate talents, and create creativity. The diversity of talent, socio-cultural variety amongst the student’s community representing the length and breadth of the country is a showcase of the nation’s cultural melting pot.

The celebration of the important festivals, national days and fests on campus brings about a burst of energy in the student’s life. The entire campus comes alive at Mahindra University (MU) with a riot of colours and cheerful demeanour amongst the students. There are colourful props, decorations, and lighting around the campus, which provides opportunities to create pictures memorabilia. Apart from academic learning, MU encourages students to celebrate every day with enthusiasm and positivity to develop into well-rounded, multi-faceted persons.

There are many clubs at MU, such as The Media Club, The Erudite Club, The Outreach Club, The Music Club, The Inquisitive Club, and others that provide multiple avenues like events, fests, and self-development social interactions for a vibrant community living.

• Team Building: Fests provide students with team building, cooperation towards holistic development of oneself and their talents, whether literary, GK, sports, singing, dancing, crafts, fashion, and others, and a welcome change from their usual routine. These days fests and celebrations are well-made use by students to create a brand image for the institution they represent and consequently for themselves too, thus carving out a niche in the more extensive Educational ecosystem.
• Helps in Learning: College fests help expand the horizons in learning in a student’s life. Many of them actively participate by joining and becoming a member of the internal teams, managing finances, vendors, sharpening networking skills, and enhancing their college’s reputation on the whole.
• Separating Education and Creativity:Many students are creative in selecting niches that curriculum exams or aptitude tests cannot determine. During these celebrations, the creativity and skills of such students are exposed.
• Develops Critical Thinking: Handling a fest or a festival involves a mini project execution involving planning, scheduling, resourcing, time management and delegation of various tasks. This helps in the development of critical thinking. In addition, one has to handle the finances, making pitches to the vendors, case studies which help in improving the analytical aspects in a student.
• Helps in Improving Networking Skills: Volunteering and organising fests showcases a collectively responsible attitude and puts to test one’s organising skills and the ability to handle various tasks. Skills which develop by organising festivals and celebrations are planning, leadership, teamwork and multi-tasking. When displayed practically, these skills can help students boost their careers and help them interact with their peers and make new connections.
• Developing Emotional Intelligence:Participating in social events will build your social skills and empathy and grow your emotional intelligence, using your emotions to create positivity and compassion towards others and things around you. In addition, the interactions developed due to events and celebrations help build different perspectives and understand others better. It also provides an opportunity to develop and expand your peer group.
• Provides a Refreshing Break from Academics:It is always good to take a refreshing break to move away from the monotony of work. It can be a stress buster that lets you move away from the troubles of exams or studies for a brief period. Whether it is through fests or celebrations of certain days or festivals, in many cases, it is a rejuvenating experience for the students.
• Helps in Strengthening Relationships:Participating in on-campus social events lets students meet various people, including the teaching community, in a social setting and thus create bonds. It helps them forge better friendships and maintain better relationships, which can help them personally and professionally. In addition, students get to learn better negotiation skills, communication, and enterprising skills.

Such festivals and celebrations offer students to bloom, develop and thrive together and bring about a sense of togetherness with cultures from various parts of the country. It imbibes qualities like sensitivity, creativity, critical thinking, analytical thinking and discipline. Celebrations of festivals and days make the students more aware of their culture and surrounding, and it has become an integral part of imbibing other’s cultural beliefs too. Last but not least, it brings about cheer and happiness to the students’ faces.