St Xavier's Technical Institute Diploma in Engineering Review By Pranav Powar

When I came to Mumbai to pursue my diploma in EXTC, I did not know much about the college. But I was happy because it was Government aided college which meant the fees was quite affordable for a boy like me who had come to Mumbai for the first time. My college was autonomous. The admission process was quite simple and I got it on my merits i.e. on my SSC score. You need to have above 80 percent to secure a seat in this college.

I studied diploma in EXTC in this college. As I was always passionate about the subject, I got a great exposure and practical knowledge about my subjects. The course subjects were interesting and the syllabus was designed quite well by the highly qualified professors of the college. By doing this diploma course I bagged a seat in the direct second year of a well-known degree college. One can also get a job post doing this course. We had semester pattern and the courses taught were from basic to advance level. This helped in gradually knowing the subjects deeply.

My experience with almost all the faculties has been a beautiful journey. Though I was new to the city life and a fresher to this diploma course, my teachers did their best to make me fall for the studies. They made me comfortable and I built a great rapport with some of the teachers. All the lecturers there are highly approachable because of which I could clear all my doubts related to the subjects which helped me clear all my concepts. I still remember the things taught during the lectures and practicals in the college. We also had a friendly relationship with our teachers and discussed about our personal life too. I don’t think I’ll ever get a faculty like that of this college. We were blessed by many experienced faculties and a few Ph.D holders also. Our beloved principal was a Ph.D holder too and a very kind person who helped the ones in need, financially. Our faculty also was extremely helpful. I remember one of the teachers had helped one of my friends financially for paying the fees.

We did not have any placements coming in for recruiting Diploma students. But it is quite possible to get a job post this course as it makes one sound in the subjects. One can also get a government job after doing this course and pass with flying colours. I got into an excellent college for my degree after doing this course.

There was no hostel facility in our college. I was quite lucky to get admission in a government aided hostel in Bandra. I took a train from Mahim to Bandra for commuting to and fro. The distance from college to Mahim station is over 1 km which was walk able. My friends and I enjoyed walking to and fro to college. That was our play-time on the road.

I think this college building had a typical architecture that a college should have. I loved going to the college and it almost felt like my second home in Mumbai. The greenery in the college campus refreshed my mind every morning and the cool breeze helped me concentrate well during the lectures. The classrooms too had very good ventilation. The workshop rooms were small but could accommodate all the students in one batch. We were taught to mount our personal PCB which was quite fun. I played doubles tennis in the annual sports meet and bagged a gold medal for two consecutive years. The festivals in our college were well-planned and organised by the college management. These activities helped me build my overall personality.

The best part of our college campus was the green-house. Green-house was the part of the canteen area but as it was covered with a green roof top we named it likewise. My friends and I were found there chit-chatting and completing our assignments in the green-house. Our campus had huge trees which kept the climate cool even in the summers. As our course was from 9am to 5pm, we felt at home in quite less time. Another favourite place of mine in the college was the boys' common room. I’ve spent a lot of time playing carom there to refresh my mood in the lunch break. We were fortunate to have a 1 hour lunch break. I think the college campus was the heart of my college life. I can never forget the time spent in the campus. It’s like each and every corner of the campus has a special memory imprinted on my heart. Because of all the above said things, I feel an emotional connect with my diploma college, something which can never be wiped off.