NITR: A Holistic Experience

NITR has a strict NO-ragging policy which i have seen improve tremendously in the past years that i have been here. the students can anonymously send mail to the disciplinary committee if they face a trouble/ inconvenience.

I had qualified the cut-off for NIT Rourkela along with two other colleges, and that put me into great dilemma. For me the following were the deciding factors for chosing NIT Rourkela, and god! I haven't regretted a single day. 1. NIRF Rankings: Each year NIRF releases a list of the top colleges based on their performance. I had looked up 'top ten NITs in India' and NITR was ranked 5th back then. Currently it is ranked 2nd! 2. The campus life: NITR has the second largest campus in the country after IITK and it really just feels like a small town in itself! 3. Campus placements: Although NITR doesn't have the strongest front when it comes to placements in Architecture (which i did not know at the time of admission), but has a good placement scene otherwise (for fellow engineering students) 4. Lastly, it was an NIT, an institute of national importance, second tiered only by the IIT's. it's kind o like a brand name, take it or leave it!

in Architectuure, the course curriculum is pretty extensive. Right before our assignment submissions, we stay up most nights in our department, working. One might say this is a culture in architecture anywhere in the world. We have our own department theory subjects and studio sessions and we share a few subjects with fellow Civil Engineering students as well. Besides that, we go on a few field trips accompanied by our faculty to bridge the gap between the bookish knowledge and the real-world practical skill required. A choice is given to opt for an elective of your interest

It varies for Engineering and Architecture students actually. More internship options are provided by the college to engineering students than to Architecture students. From my experience and group discussions with friend, in general, the stipend varies from 5-12k.But then again, your experience and stipend are hugely geared by your personality and skills you posses.

there are various fests and events that happen throughout the year. The tech fest, INNOVISION, and the multi-ethnic fest COSMOPOLITAN being the most established. students from different colleges come to take part in events, workshops are conducted and the campus is twice as lively as it is on most days. another fest, ROOTS was started by students two years ago with the initiative to bring the creative & artist communinty together . throughout the year, smaller events like garden fest, hostel foundation days and other festivals are celebrated

i am a an architecture student, a girl belonging to general category and my fee is almost around 66-68k each semester. compared to other government institutes and colleges NITR has a more expensive fee structure. however the loan facility can be availed for students' assistance.

Calling NITR a safe haven would be an understatement. i could be walking back from my department at 3am to my hostel after working long hours and wouldn't feel a tiny speck of insecurity (yes we need special work permission for that, the hostel gate closes at 11pm for girls). the campus life is pretty rich, in the evening after the classes one can find students running club activities, music blaring from the Student Activity Center with dance and music clubs in full swing, the literary club debating in the amphitheater and some students going to/returning from the tea stall in the lawns in front of the library. For me, i go swimming. the gym is another place where students swarm around this of the day. It's hard to find an empty sports arena at this time, students prep for inter-NIT sports meet and other competitions.

I'm from the northern part of the country, NCR to be specific. for me adjusting to the food and culture here in Odisha was a task. Lets be honest, nothing tastes as good as homemade food, and initially i did not like the food here, bujt now that i have been to other colleges i have a firm belief that NITR clearly offers much better food. as far as hostel facilities go, i had two roommates in my first year, and shared the room with one room mate in my second and third year. from fourth year onwards students get a single room. there are communal showers and the toilets are not attached.

NITR has it's official Alumni meet called NITRAA, where the alumni are invited to share their experience and wisdom with current students about internships, job opportunities, work culture in different companies, and life after college in general. i have been to one, and god! these meets are inspiring

The marking for each subject is done out of 100marks. The structure is 20+30+50 for all theory subjects ie. 20 marks for internal evaluation (Teacher's Assesment), 30 marks for mid-semester exam and 50 marks for end-semester exam. For the practical subjects the structure is 8+20 ie. 20 marks for internal evaluation (Teacher's Assesment) and 80 as per lab studio curriculum.

1. Right after my Board exams, i wrote JEE Mains paper 1 and paper 2. Admission to any NIT happens through this exam. However students seeking admission in Architecture particularly, need to appear for JEE Mains paper 2. 2. the first cut off for various NIT's was declared a few weeks later and those who had qualified were to submit our college preferences along with selected Branches as per the cut off on their website. 3. A few days later, the results were announced for the first cut off and i had got NIT Rourkela. i was happy with what i got so i went ahead and locked my seat and didn't wait for successive cut offs. 4. after that, i had to go to NIT Delhi for Document verification. 5. the following month i came to NIT Rourkela where the rest of the verification happened and i have been a student here ever since.

Unlike most professors in other departments, our professors are comparatively young and energetic. Since the batch count is about 20-30 students,the professors know most students not just by their faces but also by their work ethics and characteristic qualities. They encourage us to partake architectural competitions and are happy to stay a little overtime to clear our doubts post office hours. Our department has a good student to teacher ratio (11:1) and a healthy teacher- student relationship.