Indian Institute of Technology Madras M.Tech Review By Saurav Kumar

For nature lovers like me, IIT Madras offered the best of its kind. The college is close to nature earth as there is a forest reserve and still on every environment day, the college plants hundreds of new trees. It took me a lion of an effort to get here. I had to take a year's break because cracking GATE is like cracking the most formidable entrance. Those who appear for CAT can say that CAT is the toughest, but CAT and GATE are different. CAT becomes challenging because the quantity of students appearing for CAT is high while GATE is only for quality, not quantity. There are criteria set by the colleges that accept GATE score. If you have a lesser number than required, you will not get the admissions even if the seats are empty. The program is a residential one but let me clarify that IIT Madras has one of the best night lives in Chennai.

Suppose one can figure nooks in IIT, which many where then better find solace elsewhere. IIT is IIT because they are updated on all fronts. They will add or deduct topics from the syllabus if any new development has been made. The academic structure was designed so well that one can pass without putting too much pressure on themselves. The first three semesters were hardworking as the final semester was just a recollection of all that we learned in the first three semesters. The projects given have to be completed on time, or you will be pushed behind. So, stay firm during the classes and enjoy equally during the night because such a scintillating time will never come back.

The faculty again was top class. Little old faces than you would generally imagine for IT studies. However, they can put a youngster to shame with their worldly knowledge. Impressing them is beyond anybody's reach, and those who try to butter them get a befitting reply. So, don't even try. Their help was immense, and during the practicals, they would designate a time for each class student.

Unreal turned into surreal because the placements were such. All the top tech giants of the world that have offices in India have come to IIT Madras as they knew this was where they would get the right talent. The best part was that they were ready to pay a premium for that because no one was offered a salary of less than 10LPA. Wipro was the kindest as they took maximum students, and if I take their average, it was 14 LPA. The overall average was 10, but Wipro paid the most. The highest is an unbelievable amount, so even if I bar that, some of the students' placements were much above their expectations.

There were 11 blocks of boys' hostels and all at different locations. The hostel was great, and the best part was that the mess wasn't compulsory. Ramu Tea Stall was close by, and that was the place for our breakfast. Cafeteria for lunches and so many restaurants to choose from for dinner. Unlike UG students, who used to have a curfew time of 9.30 pm, the PG students were free to roam around as long as they wanted. IRCTC canteen at the campus was operational till 1 am. From one hostel to another, we used to keep wandering at night. Hostel life, therefore, was like a free bird as there were no restrictions apart from going to the girls' hostel area which was in the den. After taking a single room in the first year, I shifted to a doubles room the following year. Girls were allowed at the boys' hostel but during the day. The hostel life was amazing as I hardly went home other than holidays, even though it was just 5 miles from the campus.

I have to turn the wheels on my head because describing the IIT Madras campus can take ages. The campus is a colony with gardens, an IT center, Incubation center, restaurant, coffee shops, book shops, medical shops, and a dairy. Classes were outstanding as one may have seen smart classes, but one needs to check out IIT Madras classrooms to know the definition of smart classrooms. For sports lovers, the college was a paradise as a cricket stadium, four tennis courts, twelve badminton courts, an Olympic size swimming pool, and the mother of all the sporting facilities was Manohar Watsa Athletics ground or track.

If I only mention Saarang (Annual Fest), then it will also take ages. Students performing are normal, but celebrities were invited every year and 10k students watching and hooting them from the crowd was an absolute peach of a site. IIT Madras campus will give you everything as it has to me, but one has to obey the rules laid by the institute. I was regular at my classes, and other things automatically fell into my lap.