COEP Technological University B.Tech Review By Pradumansinh Vaghela

Being a COPEian is awesome because COEP is definitely the best engineering college in Pune. VNIT Nagpur and IIT, Mumbai are the only colleges that ranks higher than COEP in Maharashtra and getting there is not everyone’s cup of tea. I may have missed the best colleges but studied at one of the best for sure. Maharashtra and the club culture of its colleges are unbelievable. COEP’s clubs like Zesta, Mind-Spark, and Boat Club were so amazing that one can’t escape ignoring these clubs. The reservation system has killed the education in Maharashtra as many students from such background became part of the college and did nothing. Couldn’t even pass a single semester in 2 years’ time before they were being suspended from the college. This story keeps repeating every year and because of it many good colleges have failed to better their placement and passing percentage. However, the college along will not do wonders for you as you have to study as hard and also get noticed to have nice placements from the college.

In Pune, one can easily get away with lesser attendance as there are ways for it. COEP was little stricter than the rest but still there were ways to take care of this aspect. My attendance never crossed 60% but I made sure that I participate in various activities of the college get engaged in club activities and that gave me a significant notice to get away with attendance. Now coming to the classes, they were poor as infrastructure of the college needs some attention. Benches are 20 years old for sure and wall paints have come out and still the college has not bothered to do anything about it. Unless these things are addressed making students attend classes regularly is not possible. Thankfully, labs are updated and missing practical may be a penalty so I made sure that I attend all the practicals.

More than teaching words of encouragement sometimes can go well and that is what the faculty members of the college did well. Not just in studies but faculty also helped us in finding a better placement or to pass on for better studies. Their advice more than their teaching was important for me as they were the ones who advised all their favorite students that B.Tech placements are more of temporary jobs as companies are more intended for getting masters students. Some of the faculties of COEP has become my favorite for life.

COEP is known for placements but as our professors pointed out the placements were more of a fresher’s role or temporary training jobs. TCS, Infosys all needs some workforce for their Pune offices saw COEP as a potential place to get some of the best students. Jobs offered were mediocre and I showed my unavailability from the start as I started preparing for GATE from the start of the final year.

Hostels of COEP are close to the college but the buildings were too old to even look inside. When I first saw the hostels from outside, I saw students drying their clothes in the lobby and it literally looked like a Mumbai’s chawl to me. It was then and there itself that I decided to stay independently and later came to know that hostel has nice facilities inside. Hostel rules are such that if you don’t apply for the hostels in the first year, then it becomes really tough to get in there from the 2nd year. I missed it stayed in FC road which was 4 kilometers from the college. Staying independent though is the trend in Pune and can know about the culture of the city and try all the fancy restaurants of the city which are one of the best in the country.

An old building with an old architect and students mostly from humble background is what you will see at the college. Just 2 buildings in the campus and a small little area which was not enough to play any sport because that was the only place where students can sit and engage a conversation. The college building has not one but 3 auditoriums. One of them was larger than anyone’s imagination as it could make way for over 1000 students. There’s a small canteen and trying thali at the canteen won’t be a bad ideas as that used to be my lunch for all four years.

Since classes attending were not a regular thing for me, I came to college at max thrice a week. The college has an election every year to make one person as the secretary and then the secretary assigns positions. Students themselves have to inform the college for budgeting and the events that they will be hosting. The college authorities more often than not had the green signal for it and as a student; life was quite enjoyable at a campus that has students of all communities and states from India.