Which college is best for mechanical engineering?

Which college is best for mechanical engineering?

They say college years are the golden years of every student�s life in all aspects may it be studies, friends, projects and so on but to top it all up, these are the moulding years of one�s life so you need to choose the right college because that will solely decide how you will turn out as an individual.

So here, I will lay out several points you need to keep in mind while selecting a college and will further provide top mechanical engineering colleges to choose from.
First things first, mechanical engineering is the oldest and broadest field. It is a fully technical and industrial based field. It deals with machines, machine design, construction and stress-strain constraints. It endows students with a basic understanding and knowledge of how heavy tools and machinery works.
Mechanical engineering combines engineering physics and mathematics science so before choosing this field of engineering, you need to make sure you have a better and clear understanding of physics and your mathematical base is quite solid.
After evaluating all the points mentioned above, you can move to the next step that is �College hunting�.
There is no such thing as �right� college, but there may be colleges that are �right� for you.
There are several factors that you need to take into consideration while selecting the one appropriate college which I will mention below and will explain one by one.

1. Research, research & research:

We live in the 21st century where we have everything at the flick of a finger so start using your internet resources and research colleges. Start by making a list of all the colleges and universities offering the course. This is the first step to add as many colleges you can as that will provide and keep your options open while categorising the best from the list. Select college based on your branch. Some colleges might have an overall rating less than other colleges, but its branch wise rating may be higher. Some college is on top for IT or CS while some are on top for Mechanical, Civil, etc.� This is going to be huge but doesn't worry it will help you in the end.

2. Categorise:

Now that you have a list consisting of all the colleges offering this course, start categorising your list. You can do this based on let�s say: location, cut-off grades, etc. The fee structure is also a matter you want to consider during this process. This is the reason why we made the previous list pretty huge so we can easily differentiate our preferences. Now before categorising, make sure you research the college thoroughly. You can categorise this list into three categories:
� � Top-notch colleges
� � Above average colleges
� � Average colleges
�Top notch colleges are generally the one�s which are in top rankings and it can be difficult to get into them depending upon your scores. These colleges are known for great studies, campus, better placement opportunities, etc. They might have their entrance exams or interview round so if you are desired to go to any of these top colleges, research and start preparing in advance.
�� Above average colleges can be somewhat difficult to get in but are comparatively better than the average ones. They can be established universities with great opportunities and not that higher cut-offs. So if you are a student with decent grades, you can aim to get into one of these colleges
� Average colleges are generally back-up colleges. If things go south then you know you are prepared with back-ups. It�s generally easy to get into these colleges with average grades and they don�t usually require extra competitive exams or entrance tests.

3. Consider your selected options:

Now that you have made the list and categorised colleges according to your preferences, you need to consider your options and research the same. While considering the colleges there are some important factors you need to look for: Placement opportunities, teaching faculties, campus, lab facilities and the overall studying experience.

Residence Halls: What sorts of halls are available � singles, doubles, suite-style, apartment-style? what proportion do they cost? Who is eligible? Are there communities for like-minded students (same major, special interests, etc.)?
Dining Halls & Restaurants: What quite a meal plans are available? Where are you able to eat with the meal plan? Are there restaurants on campus or only dining halls? Do they accommodate special diets like vegan or gluten-free?
On-Site Services: Are you ready to get medical aid right on campus? Does the school offer an on-campus pharmacy, counselling Centre, bank, grocery or other needed services?
Recreation Opportunities: Does the school have a rec Centre? What sort of equipment do they have? Are fitness classes offered? Is there a pool, court, track or other amenities that interest you? Are there other recreation opportunities on campus?

Are you in football? Theatre? Underwater basket weaving? Whatever your interests, find a university that permits you to pursue them! See what sports are offered and inspect the scholar organisations on campus.

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4.Try to connect:

Look for online reviews of your selected college also try to connect to those who are either studying there or passed out. The amount of information you will get from the students studying or passed out from there would be unbiased and unfiltered. Also, it�s worth knowing the experience of these students. Connect with professors if you can, they can give you a clear idea and show you an honest picture. You can connect to these people with the help of social media applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
You can also call the college for further inquiry. The inquiry number is also mentioned on the college website. If not calling, e-mail is also a professional way of communication.
Ask for a college brochure, they generally have all the highlighted events, seminars, technical fests, etc.

Knowing about the picture is necessary before giving your life�s four most crucial years.

5. Campus visit:

No research can show you what you can see with your own eyes so try to visit the campuses of your shortlisted choices. Every campus is open for student visits so you can contact the college administration about your visit and it can be easily arranged.
As mechanical is a technical, fully industrial-based field it is really important to know how will they provide you with practical experience because engineering is a perfect balance of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. A campus visit can assure you of lab facilities they have, what machineries do they make you learn on, what hands-on activities they encourage and what are projects final year students have worked on. Sometimes that one campus visit can be enough to clear the confusion. That moment when you feel that you can see yourself studying and growing there, that feeling of this is exactly where you belong, tells you that you are at the right place and this is the college for you.

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6. Know about Scholarship schemes:

Colleges can be really expensive compared to school. They understand that and that�s the reason why so many colleges offer a scholarship to students. There are certain criteria for that too. It can be either for those how to have excellent grades in high school or for those whose family income is below the margin. Every college has its way of providing scholarships. There are certain government schemes as well for supporting student education. Scholarships can be a full scholarship or partial scholarship. You can find all this information on the college website itself.
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7. SAE team:

Society of automotive engineers. Several colleges have a FORMULA SAE team that build a car for the student competitions like SUPRA, BAJA and Go-Kart. This is a great opportunity for one to learn mechanical engineering in the true sense. SUPRA is a national-level engineering student competition where teams from colleges all over the country design and fabricate a Formula- style vehicle as per the design standards of SAE International. BAJA is a student-level competition that actually has its roots outside India. BAJA primarily focuses on an out-of-classroom-education system, in which engineering students from all over India participate as a team. Here you will learn the practical application of all the basics you will learn in college. You get a chance to build a formula-1 car from the scratch. your research, study, calculate, run some analysis and tests, then design, stimulate, and fabricate a car.

This experience can have a great effect on your career. You will learn Vehicle dynamics and various interesting software. Other benefits of this competition are that you will be improving your: - Problem-solving skills which are essential to solving all the complex puzzles that stand between you and the perfect mechanical system.
Creativity: is the key to come up with innovative solutions, see what others do not, and create something from nothing. You will bring development through innovation.
Teamwork: helps them brainstorm ideas, compare suggestions and find the right answer to a given challenge or task
Math skills: solving mechanical engineering problems most often requires the use of mathematical principles, like Calculus or Statistics or vectors.

8. Perfect score:

After all these steps once you have selected your dream college, aim for the perfect score to get in. In the previous points, I mentioned being familiar with the cut-offs and all necessary exams/tests to get in. Now is the time to focus on what matters to you. If you are aiming for competitive exams, download previous year question papers and practice them.
If you are preparing for high school�s final exam, keep the cut-off score in mind.
If preparing for an interview, watch YouTube videos.
Also, while appearing for the high school exam, aim for more grades than the cut-off one because you never know how competitive it can get.

Now let�s talk about the top institutes in India for pursuing mechanical engineering:

1. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT):

IIT is considered to be the top college in India and there are 23 IITs across the nation.
Here are the top three IITs in India:
� IIT Madras, Tamil Nadu
IIT Madras is Chennai, Tamil Nadu is considered to be the best IIT and even ranks #1 in India.
� IIT Bombay, Maharashtra
� IIT Delhi, Delhi
To get into any of these IITs you need to clear JEE Advance. It is the only exam accepted to get you into these top-notch colleges.
Pros of IIT:

• You will be studying among some of the best brains in the country not to mention how much you will learn from them.
• �IIT is not only about doing well in engineering but also about learning about management, finance, social skills, etc.
• �Highly experienced teaching faculties. It a great opportunity to learn under these expert professors.
• Top class placements. Best companies across the globe approach the best institutes to recruit engineers.
• National level tech fests and non-technical fests are organized by IITs every year.
• �Modern infrastructure with high tech labs.
• �Not to mention high salaries after passing out from any of these IITs.

2. National Institute of Technology (NIT):

NIT is the second largest institute after IIT to pursue Mechanical Engineering from. There is a total of 31 NITs in India.
NIT Trichy is the top among the NITs.
Pros of NIT:

• Best resources and opportunities.
• Scholarshiprograms to get financial aid.
• �Chance to be taught by the best professors in the country.

3. Vellore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu (VIT):

It is ranked the #1 private university in India.
Pros of VIT are:

• Best infrastructure with high-quality classrooms and labs.
• �Research programs with international collaborations.
• �Exposure to better placement opportunities.
• �Diverse campus.

4. Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka:

It is a private university popularly known for mechanical engineering.
Pros:

• Career centric courses.
• �100+ MNC�s for recruitments.
• 250+ collaborations with international entities.

5. Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, Rajasthan (BITS):

Pros:

• The flexible and modular academic curriculum
• �University-Industry linkages
• �Experienced faculties

6. Chandigarh University, Chandigarh:

Pros:

• Quality education
• �Modern campus
• �High tech labs

7. Delhi Technological University, Delhi:

Pros:

• Known for tech fests
• �Opportunities for placements and internships
• �Diverse campus

8. Amity University, Uttar Pradesh:

Pros:

• Modern infrastructure
• Technological facilities for education
• �Equipped labs for practical training

9. Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat:

Pros:

• �Students from all over the world studies there
• �Experienced faculties
• Placement opportunities
• Can be great for practical training of students

10. Institute of Technical Education & Research, Orissa:

Pros:

• �Major recruiters from MNCs.
• �Five-floor library.
• Excellent lab facilities.
• �Good placement records.

These were top colleges of India but if you are aiming for abroad studies, here are some top universities in the world:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US (MIT):

MIT is the world�s 1st ranking University located in the States.
Pros:

• �World-class academics
• �Best placement provider
• �Quality education
• �You will study with top geniuses of the world
• �Best professors from across the globe

2. Stanford University, US:

Pros:

• �Quality placements
• �High tech campus
• �Practical experience can be earned by doing internships
• �Experienced professors

3. University of California, US:

Pros:

• �Fully equipped labs
• �Recruiters from MNCs
• �Quality education
• �In-campus working experience

4. Technical University Munich, Germany:�

• �Quality placements
• �High tech campus
• Practical experience can be earned by doing internships
• �Experienced professors

5. RWTH Aachen University, Germany:

• World-class academics
• Best placement provider
• �High tech campus
• �Practical experience can be earned by doing internships

6. University of Stuttgart, Germany:

• �Quality education
• �You will study with top geniuses of the world
• �Best professors from across the globe

Study in Germany is extremely cheaper than in the USA. But you also need to learn the German language. You'll also avail yourself scholarships like: -

• DAAD, the upper educational institutions in Germany offer that sort of scholarship to postgraduate students. the quantity offered is 850 EURO per month. DAAD scholarships are awarded to students with a minimum of two years of labour experience
• Heinrich Boll Foundation Scholarships: this is often awarded to the scholars who are pursuing study during a state or state-recognized institution. the scholar will receive 850 EURO per month Students eligible for scholarship Heinrich Belt Foundation Scholarships are expected to point out values of the right end justice and also an exceptional academic record.
• Deutschland Stipendium National Scholarship Program this sort of scholarship program offers support to international students. Students get 300-400 EUR monthly through the collaboration of the federal, individual sponsors, and business foundations.
• The Goethe Goes Global Scholarship. The major aim of the program is to reinforce and support the tutorial career of scholars. With this scholarship, selected candidates will get to review at the Goethe University in Germany.
  There are about 20 scholarships available for international students per annum. Therefore, foreign students who have completed their Bachelor�s degrees are fit to apply. The University offers around �1,000 per month as a scholarship amount to students till the end of the Master's course.

In the end, I hope this helps, you get some clarity and get into the college best for you.

Want to know more about mechanical engineering in India or abroad? Do comment with your thoughts and queries.