Chandigarh University MCA Review By Abhishek Mishra

A decent private university to join if you reside nearby and didn't manage to score an admission elsewhere. A little harsh but sadly it's the truth. There is an insane amount of population studying in the university that makes you question the quality of the place. An insane amount of batch mates means intense competition for entry-level jobs after graduation, during placement drives. A little effort before can help you join an institution that is better equipped at the education thing. I did not like the behavior of the guards and staff in the manner in which they stopped students for ID cards. It's a useless protocol, and if you want an efficient one just put the scanners at the entry point that logs the attendance as well as identifies the student.

The ranking is top notch according to their website, and the students do get placed, but say out of a chunk of something only a handful are selected, where does it leave the not selected individuals. Students drain their savings and are helpless if their goal is not met. The admission process in confessing with unclarity among the departments itself causing students a lot of round trips in painful heat. The management is average at best with only a few good staff members. If they would improve their hospitality more and focus on studying actual subjects that maintain their relevance and help students land jobs, I would think of recommending this institute.

I enrolled in the Masters of Computer Science course in 2017 via their online registration portal. There was no vetting system in place to check if the students are actually capable of obtaining a master's degree like an entrance exam or a personal interview. The course is lucrative in it for the students that want to mark their presence in the software industry and is the most sought out course after B.Tech CSE. It opens doors to the best computer industry giants across the country and the globe. While the prospects are enticing, sadly there isn't a robust curriculum to help you reach that level.

I had joined the course with expectations of learning the nuanced technologies that are increasingly becoming the must-haves in the industry. What I found were the same subjects I had in BCA with the word advanced added to it. For the two semesters, it was just different programming languages that are not sufficient to enter into a company. We were backed into the academics corner and had exams that focused on theory more than the practical. The internal exams were just done to further complexity, the grading system so that no one scores above a set benchmark. The speech that we hear when we are first invited to the introduction clearly states it's excruciating to score a perfect 10 CGPA, and now you know why it is like that. This course will surely garner jobs provided you have enough practical experience to back the statements you put in the resume, but you have to bear the burden of that possibility and not the college.

Faculty is not a matter of concern at Chandigarh University. If you are asking if there are enough teachers to teach a subject? Yes. If all of the teachers are able to provide quality teaching and pour out their experience in their students? Then no. I will be honest, few teachers were as earnest as they could be, helped me throughout my degree, were completely complacent with student queries, and there for you. But most of the environment is focused on controlling the students, maintaining the silence, rather than teaching them. Fifty minutes of a single lecture that get students drooling with meaningless use of pre-drafted PowerPoint presentations and needless explanations.

I am nobody to question the qualification of a teacher but I can surely see the difference between the experienced ones and fresh recruits. Not all qualified and experienced IT professionals are qualified to be teachers. The average year of teaching experience varies among the faculty but most of them have minor experience in teaching. Most faculties hold a master's degree and a few hold Ph.D. titles as well. I came across four-five proficient teachers in more than 20 subjects that I studied in the university. I hope that there were more of them with subjects actually relevant to the field rather than redundant curriculum.

There is a massive placement cell in the college with an entire department focused on the placement scouting and bringing them to the college. The department is flooded with aptitude teachers, soft-skills trainers, and other employees that do paper-pushing throughout the system for the high-level managers. Major companies like Amazon, Flipkart, TCS, Mindtree, etc. visit a few times but mostly there are brands that are indigenous to Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, and the IT industry-focused cities down the south of the country. But when it comes down to actually available vacancies and the number of students that are allowed to sit for them, the number shrinks.

The highest package in our batch remained unpublished and vague but it wouldn't be more than Rs. 5-6 LPA. Most vacancies are for menial tech jobs with stringent contacts and bonds that acquire you for at least two years making the transition more difficult, even if you score the job. The average package still remains at Rs. 2.4 -3 LPA, similar to what it was a decade ago that compels you to question your chances in the industry. I don't have access to the data of students that got placed and actually joined the organizations.

I was a day scholar and visited the hostel less frequently. Yes, there is a robust hostel mechanism in place that is classified according to the budget of the students. You can find precise details on their website, but the air-conditioned hostel rooms went as high as Rs. 1.3 lakhs, while the base remained at 70-80 thousand. Yes, there is absolute segregation of girls and boys hostels with strict instructions of entry and exit timings, and prompt notifications to guardians about out pass requested by the students.

Alcohol and substance abuse is a strict no in the hostel and college premises with reminding banners and awareness programs about persistent problems. Veg and Non-Veg both categories are available and I have tasted the afternoon meals for a year using their pay per lunch program. The quality of the food deteriorated over time with more restrictions imposed on salads and raita. The mess ambiance was okay but the overwhelming rush leaves the students late for classes during the lunch hours. The management slightly differs from hostels to hostels with some being more secure and stringent than the others.

The campus is set in a vast area and is still under construction for extending branches and providing more diversification to the courses. It is situated along the countryside region of Punjab so you can expect a lot of locals but no interference inside the campus. It is not finished yet and may add some more departments in the process. Buildings are huge with 4-5 floors and huge classrooms equipped with projectors.

There are well-maintained greenery and parks with seating spaces that give it a more lively look than the usual. The road to our department was still under construction and a lot of dirt flew in the air and we had to endure that for a few months before a road was built. The vastness makes it difficult to traverse especially if you arrive after 9:15 am to reach to far departments. The college has basic libraries, computer labs, impressive auditoriums, and a few special ones for last year's students. The two playgrounds are located inside the campus along with costly cafeterias, and stores that surely are out of the reach of an average student budget. Every department has a medical practitioner with an ambulance to reach for transferring to the nearest hospital.

The campus life is vibrant with plenty of spots to socialize and enjoy with your friends. There are well-decorated spaces where students can hang out and discuss their day. The massive campus holds a few programs of different genres and competitions all throughout the year. The interaction is limited due to the language barrier as the college draws in most students from the northern region and outskirts of the city including states like Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, etc. The language surely makes it difficult for non-native speakers to communicate frequently with faculty and others who students speak Punjabi.

A lot of musicians, actors, and celebrities visit the campus for shots, the promotions that give a motive for hosting an unnecessary number of fests that last for days and some even require mandatory attendance. While celebrating festivals insides the campus is a strict no-no for everyone, there are a few instances of color splashes and bursting firecrackers that are normal. Most of the college is deserted during national festivals so no idea about the on-campus celebration on the festival day. There are a lot of clubs that you can sign-up for if you have the extra time but most of them are to fill the quota with little to no meaning to them.