One of my friends was interested in this field and decided to take Biotech at NIT Rourkela. She claims it to be the best decision of her life. The program was more inclined toward biomed than biotech. Here are a few highlights of the course

• The program is delivered by some well-experienced and qualified faculty. They are beneficial and adopt modern pedagogy to ensure a better understanding of concepts.
• NIT Rourkela has a great culture, reputation, and alumni network.
• Most alumni of the Biotechnology branch of NIT Rourkela are pursuing careers abroad while a few have opted for CS careers. 

Overall, Biotechnology is a multifaceted branch that has a great research scope outside India. However, The Indian market has yet to increase its demand for bioengineers. It’s advisable to choose the right sub-field and have the right skill set.

Prioritize your future aspects followed by your interests while making the decision.

My brother scored a 9+ CGPA in most of his semesters during his B.Tech CSE at NIT Rourkela. He even ended up with a 9+ CGPA as his final B.Tech grade. Here are a few tips to help you achieve this high in your exams-

1. Work hard throughout the semesters. It is very rare that someone gets a 9+ CGPA at NIT Rourkela by studying the night before an exam.
2. Be attentive in the class and take your assignments seriously.
3. Even if you copy your assignments sometimes, make sure to understand those answers afterwards.
4. Writing things down is the best way to remember them.
5. The TA that you get for 20 marks actually decides your grades. Performing well in that TA will allow you to score a 9+ CGPA in your semesters.
6. Keep a track of your midterm marks. Calculate the worst case estimate of your semester grades beforehand. 
7. Remember to polish your strengths before working on your weaknesses.
8. Persistence and dedication is the key.

Every stream is equally difficult.If you work hard and follow these tips, you will surely get a 9+ CGPA in your B.Tech CSE from NIT Rourkela.

NIT Rourkela started branch change facility from academic year 2017-2018. For a branch change, your first year CGPA and seat availability in the desired course will be considered. However, to answer you precisely, it is not easy to get a branch change, that too into CSE. Top scorers at NIT Rourkela are able to achieve this feat. 

The main obstacle is that students acquire a laid back attitude after getting an admission into an NIT or IIT. Even if you work 1/10th as hard as you did during your JEE preparation, you will get a good CGPA and your chances for a branch change will be high. For this, you will have to work hard instead of blaming the faculty, syllabus or hectic schedule.

It is quite difficult to upgrade to CSE at NIT Rourkela. However, if you work really hard and get lucky enough that the department has vacant seats, you might get into CSE after your first year.

There are several reasons for the exponential rise of NIT Rourkela. Some of these are mentioned below-

• Infrastructure- NIT Rourkela has a great infrastructure. It recently inaugurated its Golden Jubilee Building in 2020 which contains multiple meeting rooms, exhibition rooms, parking facility, a cafeteria, a world-class conference hall, a technology-enabled library and reading space, administrative offices, senate hall, Department of Physics & Astronomy, skill development and training laboratories and a telescope on top. There is also a world-class sports complex which contains an olympic size swimming pool and huge courts for basketball, tennis, football, hockey and many other sports.

• Faculty- The faculty of NIT Rourkela is top-notch and many of its professors are listed among the top 2-3% scientists across multiple streams, in various international rankings.

• Alumni- NIT Rourkela has a great alumni network. Some of its notable alumni are- Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Soma Mondal, C. Lalremsiama, Pranav Khaitan and Rahul Shrivastava.

• Placements- NIT Rourkela students get offers from top MNCs like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, ExxonMobil, Capgemini, etc. Many others go for higher education in top Indian and foreign universities including Ivy Leagues. Many NIT Rourkela students receive offers from PSUs and other highly renowned government organizations like DRDO, ISRO, IOCL, BHEL, Tata, Aditya Birla, Jio, Qualcomm, etc. 

• Other professions - NIT Rourkela students excel in other fields as video editors, dancers, etc. Students also get selected in the Indian Military.

• Extra curriculars- NIT Rourkela students win various competitions like CNLU PD, NLUO, dance competitions, technology based championships like Robosub, etc. NIT Rourkela holds two major fests annually- Innovision, a techno-management fest and NITRutsav, a cultural fest. Both these fests attract students from across the country and bring into the campus celebrities like Sunidhi Chauhan, Gajendra Verma, Olly Esse and Anubhav Bassi.

Thus, NIT Rourkela is a great institution which offers all the facilities and opportunities to its students.

Hostel life at NIT Rourkela is very happening and vibrant. You will make a lot of new friends here and create memories. The students are instilled with a sense of freedom and this makes the experience more thrilling. You start enjoying the company of your newly found family.

• The hostels are decked with modern facilities such as LAN ports.
• The mess is also well-maintained with enough cooling systems.
• Students are involved in sports activities such as badminton with their friends in the evening.
• Group study at night is a common sight here. You can approach your friend even in the middle of the night to clarify any doubts.
• The midnight cravings are taken care of by the delicious snacks served in the night canteen at subsidiary rates.
• There are around 4 huge festivities within the hostels throughout the year that contribute to the dynamic hostel life.

Overall being a hosteller at NIT Rourkela is fun and you should look forward to it.