School of Planning and Architecture B.Arch Review By Megha V Madhu

School of Planning and Architecture is a prestigious college for pursuing Architecture in India. One of the many advantages of SPAV is that it is located in the centre of the city of Vijayawada, unlike many central universities. The city is developed and the basic necessities can be easily accessed. Main nodes like railway stations and bus stations are nearby and can be reached easily. The infrastructure is excellent and is surrounded by vegetation. The faculties are experienced and very easy to approach. Students maintain a good relationship with seniors and the Alumni network is strong. The mess provides decent food and the school also has a cafeteria.

Regarding academics, for getting admission in SPAV one has to clear JEE paper 2A which is the entrance examination for B.Arch and paper 2B for B.Plan. Then they have to undergo JOSAA counselling to get seats in the college. B Arch is a good course for people who are artistic and can also manage technical aspects of building construction. SPAV provides an environment to boost student's creativity as well as provides professional training in technical aspects of Architecture. Workshops related to art and architecture are often conducted in the college.

About the faculties, they are professionals and the classes are very good. They are very easy to approach. It is easy to communicate and will clear all the doubts. SPAV often has visiting faculties who take lectures on specific topics. These professors are really qualified and provide amazing classes. The assignments or tasks in the first 2 years of the course are more art oriented so various workshops are conducted in the college.

Placement cell are not really active in SPAV as most of the UG graduates tend to opt for higher studies or go for self-practicing.

Hostel facilities are very good, for the first 2 years of undergraduate students are given two sharing rooms which are spacious and comfortable enough for two people to reside. The room also has 2 drafting tables, 2 chairs, and 2 cupboards. The room has 2 tube lights, a fan, and a dim light. No electrical appliances are allowed in hostel rooms. Currently there are 3 hostels, 2 for boys, and one for girls. Each floor of the hostels has bathrooms which have 2 toilets and 2 bathrooms. Bathrooms also have a mirror. Dustbins are provided on each floor and cleaning ladies come every 3 days a week. There are water dispensers as well as water coolers on every single floor.

Regarding the infrastructure, SPAV stands in nearly 10 acres of space. It has a spacious central library. There are studios for both undergraduates and postgraduates. The studios are big and comfortable. SPAV has one mess and one cafeteria. The food in the mess is decent and as for the cafeteria the prices are reasonable. There are 3 hostels, one for girls and 2 for boys. The hostels are very clean and comfortable. The hostels have common spaces or rooms which have televisions. The guest house is also available.

Campus life is good, but it's not that enjoyable as B.Arch is a very hectic and time-consuming course. Nevertheless, students conduct different cultural celebrations as it is a central college and people from different states are in the college. Although college funds for the fests, the student body takes up more responsibility. There are cultural fests as well as college fests which are celebrated on a big scale. Clubs are also very active, and there are numerous options to choose from. Club activities are optional and nobody is forced into joining specific clubs.