ICFAI University B.Tech Review By Taniya Pawar

ICFAI Dehradun is nearly a two-decade-old University and more than anything it's a great University to learn and excel at the highest level. Things can go down with placements, but certainly not with education. The management here is wonderful as admissions were mostly open to all, and I know this is not great, but for average students like us, this was indeed a boon. At ICFAI, we made a lot of pacts and some of them with our professors too. So ICFAI was about being surrounded by chill people because everything was chilled out here. I have been caught wanting at times at ICFAI because the girl's ratio was indeed less in the tech school of the University. It was exactly the opposite at the Law School of the University, as it had more girls ratio. So, all in all, the University was great, but could have been the greatest in Dehradun, if the placements were good.

The University provides some of the greatest platforms to get in-depth knowledge because, at ICFAI, it wasn't just about the classes but more about the classrooms. Workshops, and labs which were highly maintained formed a large part of our course. Every month, there used to be a skill development seminar. Exams were conducted twice in each semester and if that's not all, the final semester was conducted without any breaks in between. So, exam times were the toughest time academically because we used to chill the entire semester but had no choice but to spend a fair bit of time in the library to make sure that we were prepared for the exams.

Faculties here didn't just help us academically, but personally and professionally too. Their teaching methods were great because they didn't make things complicated. There were things which were hard to understand, but they had ways to make things simpler for us. So, if one has to know how to make complex things simpler, then there's no one better than the faculties of ICFAI. One thing with which the faculty was absolutely clear was that of honing student talent and skills. They backed us in one way or the other, and if I have to be bluntly honest, we had their backs. So, with faculties, there was no whammy as they were just outstanding.

Some skilled students got placed as company visits were indeed quite regular, but that is just for some. For the majority of the crowd, there were no placements as some students were offered 20-25k jobs, but as an engineer, I would never take that and so did the ones who were offered such jobs. So, while the University has done well in the above two departments, this department needs a major look. Unless you get consistent placements, attracting students can be tough, and that's the reason Colleges like Graphic Era and DIT have been looked upon as better options. Once the placements start firing, the University will be ranked top in Dehradun because, in all the departments, it is better than the others.

In our time there was no campus hostel and students used to stay in PG nearby. There are several PGs and some private hostels with whom the College has tie-ups. The private hostels were good enough and even the University has arranged buses for students staying in those hostels. There were over 50 buses and with a bare minimum bus fees students can use the service as I used to stay some 20kms from the College but luckily the University bus never made me look poor for transportation.

Moderately small, or if I put it up bluntly, it's a very small campus. No major sporting facilities as one small ground and guys always used to make their way up and girls are seen watching them from the bleachers. The open auditorium would always see students practicing dance as farewells, inductions, festivals, or whatever was there; there was no shortage of dance at the campus. The canteen too was relatively small, but here comes the best part. The University is located far off from the hustle and bustle of the city. Thus, one can study in one of the purest and most peaceful environments that they can find.

For Tech school students, there was a tech-fest called 'ICARIA' and an annual cultural event called 'UTSAV' which used to last till 11 pm during our time. The timings have been cut short now as many restrictions have been laid down by the local authorities in Dehradun. The campus had no junior-senior policy as one could be friends with anyone. Everyone is chilled out, but the only problem was, the chilled-out zones at the University. The basketball court was the only option or the 'Fresh N Fusion Café' which was exactly opposite the University gate.