ICFAI University B.Tech Review By Sumit Sourabh

I had always wanted to venture into a technical course, and when I stumbled upon choosing a College, I found ICFAI Dehradun. I had no inkling of the University, and my ambition to pursue B. Tech in a hill station was all the more aroused. Meanwhile, I checked up on the courses they offered, and sure enough, there was a B. Tech course that I preferred. When I arrived at the University, I understood that technical courses had a higher ratio of boy’s, but all the same, learning here was the most memorable time. As I recollect, the chill in the air and beautiful sights always calmed me down, when I was stressed about my studies. ICFAI Dehradun is one place where I am not sure whether you will find the best placements or education, but solace for sure. It was that beautiful as quaint town has never been so graceful with Colleges because I have seen GEU, and DIT before enrolling here, will say that ICFAI might be lesser to them in terms of students’ strength but certainly not in any other aspects.

Dehradun hosts some of the best schools in the country, and being a prominent seat of education, ICFAI is no different. The curriculum was vast but diligently scheduled, which was inclusive of a skill development seminar. There were some interesting workshops and labs that were part of the course. Each semester had two examinations, and by the time we reached our final semester, there were no scheduled vacations. The exams were tough, and one had to prepare beforehand, for which the library proved helpful. The library was open for hostellers, for as long as they wanted.

You will get to learn from some of the best mentors, who impart learning with much dedication and inspiration. The teachers were indulgent when we had issues, either academically or personally. The professors did their bit to make the syllabus easier for students, so as we could understand and assimilate. As the course itself was tough, we felt that our professors’ teachings were the redeeming quality for getting through the exam. The faculty believed they could help hone young talent well for better career prospects.

Since I belonged to the engineering stream, most job opportunities sought engineers, and many were offered jobs. It wasn’t just me, but many of us seemed least interested in taking up the offer. The one thing that the University lacked was some great good placement options, and there weren’t any dedicated placement officers that worked on getting good placements for our course. Hence, we were left to fend for ourselves, after the course completion to find jobs and settle down or to study further. I hope over the years the placement issue will have found some kind of solution for students from the B. Tech stream.

The student’s hostels outside the campus had a tie-up with the University. Those hostels used the University bus facility, which was made available for them to reach on time for the classes. These hostels seemed a little far as the University was located a little far from the city center. However, the bus facility averted this inaccessibility issue, and we could easily make the commute to the College on time. A nominal fee was collected for the commute. The students could also check into PG accommodation and some good places to stay around the University area, making it easier for the students to commute daily to attend classes. I was at the hostel for the first year but shifted to a nearby PG in the second year.

It is a two-decade-old University and has retained the old-world charm of aged buildings within the small campus that we shared with all the other courses. Having no sporting facilities was a major bummer, but we took long walks on the winding paths outside the campus to get some fresh air. The campus also had an open-air auditorium, allowing us to check out the rehearsals and practices that took place when passing by. The canteen was also small, yet I still love the campus because it was far from the city center so that you could study and enjoy your time at the University in peace.

The campus is pretty old-fashioned, and when fests and other events were conducted, one had to adhere to the timings set by the local authorities. Not many students stayed on after-class timings, only those who would want to stay and study in the library. Others would have to take the buses to reach their places of accommodation. You could mingle with other students on the campus. Apart from that, no real recreational facilities were on campus. However, we spent most of our time hanging out with others in one specific place on the University grounds.