Through my Eyes

The course material is pretty relevant. The lab classes provide a practical insight to microbiology. Well furnished lab allows us to get familiar with many equipments enhancing practical skills. Although classes become conjusted and slow down due to the number of students that need attention.

Internships are provided by both the department faculty as well as the college's placement cell. The batch prior to us had been given the opportunity to intern at Merck and Co. in Bangalore. Students are choosen for internships based on overall performance.

College does provide internship opportunities both through the placement cell as well as department faculty. Semester 5 and Semester 7 students are eligible for placements. Average package is about 5.5 lakh per annum for microbiology course. Although placement percentage is on the lower side majority of students go for higher studies. Many prepare for exams like GATE, IIT JAM, etc.

The fees per semester needs to be paid in 2 installments. The first installment of first semester is to be paid at the time of admission and is about 66800 rupees and the second installment is 35100 rupees. Every month exceeding the last date of fee payment induces a 300 rupee fine. This payment includes everything like admission, library, exams, etc. Certain scolarships are also available. There will probably not be a significant increment of fees in recent years.

There are numerous societies to indulge in and find your right fit but at the same time the initial few days become overwhelming due to simultaneous registrations of every society causing slip ups in some opportunities. Moreover numerous events conducted both within the campus and invited to by regional institutions broaden one’s scope. Mordern trends in Microbiology is the esteemed event of this department which encompasses both academic and cultural elementsto suit everyons needs. Most of the classes have ACs, so summers are not very harsh. The main canteen is pretty good with both veg and non-veg options. There are other smaller canteens present at the terrace and near the library. There is free Wi-Fi available over campus and the library is the perfect place to prep for any exam. I practically live in there during exam  weeks.

Admission process went pretty smoothly. I did not apply for any other colleges per say although i did prepare for many other competitive examinations. I scored a decent rank in comedk which could have fetched me a good college in Bangalore but i chose St. Xavier's college to stay in my own city.

The professors are extremely helpful. They hold great office hours and genuinely want to see you succeed. There are significant challenges faced by students like me who are not well versed in the local language Bengali. Majority of the student population converses in Bengali which can pose significant problems in starting conversations. Moreover, the teachers also choose to switch from English to Bengali on multiple occasions resulting in difficulty in understanding the course. The teachers are very understanding and approachable and hence if requested would definitely accommodate if asked. Frequent lab classes are conducted for maximum practical exposure but only limited equipment is provided which is required to be shared amongst everyone.

The college is located in Park Street area, a commercial and entertainment district in central Kolkata. It has many cafes and restaurants at walking distance to go out for a small break. There are many shopping centers as well in the aera. The college is right adjacent to Vardaan Market where students can go for both shopping as well as to get some of Kolkata's best street food.