What Students Say
Likes
- The campus infrastructure is definitely the college's strong suit. We have fully air-conditioned classrooms, smart labs, and high-speed Wi-Fi across the campus. The central library is massive, well-stocked, and a great place to study during exams. Th
- This is the main reason I joined. The placement cell is very active. Top companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Deloitte visit, along with mass recruiters like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro. If you maintain a CGPA above 7.5 and have decent coding skills, wa
- Social life is vibrant if you get involved. We have annual fests like 'Horizon' which are huge. There are plenty of technical and cultural clubs (coding, dance, music) where you can interact with seniors and batchmates. It’s a great way to build a ne
Dislikes
- The college is extremely strict about attendance. You need 75% attendance strictly to sit for exams, and they debar students who don't meet it. We also have a dress code (uniform) for classes, and the security guards are strict about students leaving
- While placements are good, the fees are very high (4 Lakhs/year). If you end up with a mass recruiter job paying 3.5 LPA or 4 LPA after spending 16 Lakhs on tuition, the ROI doesn't make sense. You really have to work hard to crack the "Dream Compani
Course Curriculum Overview
1. Relevance & Comprehensiveness (Rating: 7/10) The course curriculum at SOA is updated frequently compared to state government colleges. Why I chose this: I was attracted to the fact that the syllabus includes modern electives like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, and Data Analytics starting from the 3rd year itself, rather than waiting for the final semester. Real-world Prep: The curriculum is designed largely to crack placement interviews. There is a heavy focus on Aptitude and Core Coding subjects (DS/Algo) which helps in getting a job. However, for deep research or R&D roles, the theoretical depth is sometimes lacking. 2. Areas for Improvement Teaching Methods: A major issue is the reliance on PowerPoint Presentations (PPTs). Many faculty members just read off the slides. I would prefer more "Whiteboard Teaching" for mathematical and logic-based subjects. Lab Records: We spend hours handwriting practical records/files which are just copied from the manual. This is a waste of time. This time should be used for live coding projects or hackathons. Outdated Subjects: First-year students (even in CS/IT) are forced to learn heavy mechanical/civil concepts. While basics are good, the depth of these non-core subjects should be reduced. 3. Exam System & Difficulty Frequency: It is quite hectic. We have 2 semesters a year. Each semester has 2 Internal Assessments (Quizzes/Mid-sems) and 1 End-Semester Exam. Basically, you have an exam every 1.5 to 2 months. Difficulty: The exams are Easy to Moderate. It is not very difficult to pass. If you study the "Class Notes" and "Previous Year Questions" for 3-4 days before the exam, you can easily score an 8.0 SGPA. The checking is lenient for passing, but strict if you are aiming for a 9.5+ SGPA.
Fees and Financial Aid
1. The Numbers (General Category) The total course fee is ?16 Lakhs (fixed). It does not increase year-on-year for your batch. Year 1: ?4,15,000 (Includes one-time charges). Years 2, 3, & 4: ?4,00,000 per year. 2. Where does the money go? Out of the ?4L yearly: Tuition: ?3,50,000 (?1.75L per sem). Development, Lab & Exam Fees: ?50,000/year. One-time charges (1st Year only): ?10,000 (Caution money, refundable) + ?5,000 (Admission/Counselling). 3. Other Categories (Batchmates) Management Quota: They pay significantly higher, around ?5.5L to ?6L per year depending on the branch demand. SC/ST: The college charges the same standard fee upfront, but they usually get ?50k-60k/year back via the State Govt. "Prerana" scholarship. 4. Scholarships (Don't miss these!) SAAT Merit: Based on your entrance rank. Top rankers get 100% tuition waiver, others get 25-50% off. Merit-Cum-Need: If your family income is < ?3 LPA and you have a CGPA > 7.5, you can apply for financial aid. Note: Hostel/Mess is separate (approx. ?90k/year).
Campus Life
Campus life is vibrant, especially duri ng Horizon (Feb). We have AC classroo ms and a massiv e library. Active clubs like Srishti (Arts) and Danza (Dance) keep us busy, though sports are average.
Admission
Why did you choose this college over others? I chose SOA over KIIT and VIT due to better ROI (Total 16L vs 25L at others) and its high NIRF ranking. My JEE rank (1.5L) wasn't enough for NITs, and VIT Category-5 was too expensive for me. Admission Process Admission is via SAAT (Free) or JEE Main. I preferred SAAT as it's easier. Eligibility is 12th pass (45%). CSE cutoff is usually SAAT Rank <3500. The online counseling was smooth; no donation.
Faculty
Faculties I Liked: Dr. Minaketan Sarangi (Mathematics): He is brilliant. Most students hate Math, but he solves problems on the board step-by-step rather than just reading from a PDF. He is very chill if you are late by 5 minutes. Prof. Anjali Das (Computer Science): She actually has industry experience. Instead of just teaching textbook theory, she helps us with competitive coding and Hackerrank problems. She pushes us to learn technologies that are actually used in jobs. Faculties I Didn't Like: Mr. Sumit Swain (Engineering Mechanics/Physics): I didn't enjoy his classes because he relies entirely on PPTs. He comes to class, reads the slides word-for-word, and leaves. If you ask a doubt, he often says, "Check the book." Lab Assistants in physics: Some of them are very rude and deduct marks for tiny reasons like not wearing shoes or forgetting the lab manual, rather than focusing on whether we performed the experiment correctly.
Night Life
Nightlife is limited by strict hostel curfews (Boys 9:30 PM, Girls 7 PM). We chill at Jagamara Food Court or campus cafes before closing at 9 PM. The area is safe, but late-night roaming isn't allowed.
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