Tulsiramji Gaikwad-Patil College of Architecture B.Arch Review By Michelle Pascal Dsouza

TGPCA is an ISO 9001-2015 certified institution and is affiliated to RTM Nagpur University. It’s one of the most popular colleges in Nagpur for Bachelor in Architecture. The admission procedure is quite simple. Any candidate who has completed Higher Secondary School or equivalent and has scored with a minimum of 50% can apply. In case of SC/ST candidates, 45% scoring is mandatory. Admission starts with an entrance exam where the cut off percentage is 50%. Candidates who have scored 50% and above in the entrance exam, receives a call from the college to complete the admission procedure. One can either visit the college or can complete the admission procedure online.

The fee structure and the documents required are informed by the college administrative department. After paying the admission fee, the candidate will be asked to submit their documents. The documents are then verified which takes around a week for the verification. Post verification, the college provides the Identity card and the joining date is informed to the candidate.

I enrolled for B.Arch (Bachelor in Architecture) which is 5 years of Bachelor degree as I am interested in Arts and Drawing. I love creating designs, sketches and I wanted to be a designer. Candidates who have cleared Higher Secondary School (12th Std) from Science stream and a recognized board with a minimum of 50% are eligible for this course. NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) or AAT (Architecture Aptitude Test) are the two major entrance exams for B.Arch.

B.Arch has 8-10 subjects every year out of which 8 subjects were permanent throughout the five years. B.Arch provides a lot of career options. An Architect can work as an Interior Designer, Draftsmen, Product Designer, Set Designer, Landscape Designer, Town Planner etc. One can also start up their firm. In the modern era, designers are very much in demand. Initially, it’s a struggle but it eventually pays off.

B.Arch consists of 10 subjects in each semester. For every semester there are 2 faculties allotted. The overall faculties in the college could be around 130 faculties or more as many courses are offered by TGPCA. Each faculty has more than 3 to 5 years of working experience in teaching. Some are fresher’s and interns.

The faculties have completed Masters in their particular subjects and they are very professional. Their teaching skill and technique is brilliant. They are very knowledgeable and they have a very practical way of teaching. They are very supportive and friendly with all the students.

B.Arch doesn’t offer campus placement. Once we graduate, we have to create our portfolio and apply for jobs. The top recruiting companies in TGPCA are Tech Mahindra, WNS, Infosys and WIPRO. An architect can work as an Interior designer, Town planner, Product designer, Structural engineer, Building surveyor, Building architecture or Naval architecture. There are thousands of job options for an Architect in India and worldwide.

The average package for an Architect ranges from Rs. 240,000 CTC to Rs. 600,000 CTC or more, depending upon the job profile and the organization working with.

The college has a private hostel facility which is a 30 mins drive from the college campus. The college also provides a bus facility for students to travel from the college campus to the hostel and back. It is a 3 storied building, ground + 3 floors. Every floor has 6 rooms and the ground floor has 2 rooms. Each room is designed for a minimum of 2 students with a separate bed and bathroom. The girls and boys have different hostels.

The hostel campus is spacious. It also has a parking facility for students. The hostel fee is Rs. 60 thousand for a year which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also provide tiffin services for the students during college hours. Students have options to customize their food as per their requirements. Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian meals are provided. Any customization in food is charged additionally. The quality of the food is basic and they don’t serve any varieties.

The hostel gate closes at 9 PM. In case of any emergencies or personal work, a written application has to be given to the hostel warden.

TGPCA is the situation in the outskirts of Nagpur in Maharashtra. The total area is 5 acres which makes it incredibly vast. Each stream has its building. The B.Arch building is a 4 storied building. There is an Auditorium, Football ground, Cricket ground, Basketball court and a lawn. For indoor sports, a private room is built with all the indoor gaming equipment such as Play station, Carom Board, Table and Tennis Board.

The campus has 2 common libraries which have zillions of books. The libraries have a very beautiful interior and ambience which is perfect for book lovers. Each classroom has an area of 10m*10m which makes it spacious for activities and practical learning. The cafeteria is on the ground floor of the B.Arch building which serves from anything to everything and it’s delicious. For a medical emergency, there is an independent building which has a first-aid counter, dispensary, doctors and a medical store. There is also has an ATM for emergencies.

The campus life is very exciting. There are a lot of activities which happened every year such as Theme parties, Festive celebrations and various competitions. Every year in January, the college conducts a feast of 15 days which is outstanding. There are Educational tours, Site visits, Picnics, State tours, University events and Inter college competitions happening every year.

The teaching and the non-teaching staffs are emotionally connected to all the students. They make everyone feel at home. The 5 years were the most exciting and beautiful years of my life which I wished never ended. I would anytime want to go back and live those days again.

My experience with TGPCA has been wonderful. The college campus, the hostel days, and the friends I made, the most loving and talented teachers, the football matches, the college feast, the college picnics and tours. Everything was perfect.