Last bencher dozing off in a class

Hello everyone, I am Shashikanth and am just like the every other guy you find sitting at the back benches of the class idling his time away playing games on mobile phone, praying desperately for the lecture to end. Now, let me introduce you to my not-so-great academic profile. My highest qualification is a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering in a JNTU affiliated college in Hyderabad with an aggregate of 63.5% with 8 backlogs. So what am I doing here in this blog meant for “studious types” aspirants, eager to improve their skills for facing the dreaded interview?

Believe it or not, I have been given this opportunity to share my experience with you as to how I could score a respectable 1440 in the GRE Test(verbal 650, quant 790). Yes my friends, shocking it is, but I managed to crack GRE with the help of a few simple tips. I am now going to reveal few of my secret tips to get a great GRE score.

1. Fix the most auspicious appropriate date for taking the GRE test

   Generally, students enroll for GRE coaching during their semester break and take up the GRE Test immediately following the coaching classes. The myth being that their level of concentration is at the peak during and right after the coaching classes. So what is the perfect time to take GRE test? I suggest you to take your classes during a semester break and take the exam in the following semester break. Take my case, I took my GRE classes in the 3rd year 1st semester break and took the GRE test during the semester break of 3rd year 2nd semester.But, the truth is that your mind will be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of vocabulary and formulas that are needed to be memorized for the GRE. You may still want to take the test right after the classes and be satisfied with a mediocre score; which am sure would not get you an admission in the “coveted” college that you wanted.

2. Time management both for preparation as well as the main exam

   Time management is very important in GRE as it’s a timed test. You can master how to manage time with regular practice. Hence, prepare a schedule and set apart ample hours of preparation time for quantitative and verbal so as to train yourself to efficiently manage your time in the GRE test.Set your working hours depending upon your learning ability. You can take a break at times, but refrain from playing the computer games and watching TV. Recreational activities such as listening to music or physical activities such as an outdoor sport(badminton) or a refreshing walk, will help you prepare to take more load.In my case, I was more confident about the verbal section than the quantitative. So, I scheduled my preparation all through my semester break giving at least two hours for the preparation and revision of my word lists and more time for the quantitative.

3. Take the verbal very seriously

   Most of my friends prepared only for the quantitative section with the intention of trying out their luck on the verbal. They are of the notion that guessing the answers will get them at least 300 – 350. Fatal Error!! Mark my words; verbal on GRE is not as hard as you think, if you prepare for it the right way. The only way to boost your scores is to prepare equally well for verbal and quantitative as they carry equal marks(800 each). We Indians are inherently good at math, thanks to our high school math syllabus.There is no such thing as syllabus for GRE verbal section. It simply intends to test your reading comprehension and vocabulary. Practice upon the type of questions that you will be tested on. You need to memorize the word lists to get a good score in verbal section. This task can be tedious. Of course, this can be achieved by repetitive learning, but it’s more fruitful if you can find fun ways to stack the words and their meanings in your memory in a different way – such as a small song with rhyming words to remember meanings.You can even convert the sounds of the difficult words into some odd meanings in your mother tongue to make them easier to memorize. Remember, there are no standard mnemonics to learn the word lists, it’s just what suits you the best. I’m a Hyderabadi, so I try to twist the hard words into something funny in my vernacular. For example, I had problems with the words charlatan and mountebank. So I made a mental note of the sound charlatan as something to do with “chalu”, a fraud. Similarly for mountebank I made up a story: one who steals from a bank and hides it in the mountains. Very awkward revealing it, but it surely works.

4. Make your quantitative preparation intensive not extensive

   Firstly, list down the areas where you would be tested upon and then try to do as many problems as possible on those areas. I was extremely poor at math so I made sure it received that extra attention. The Barron’s is the most recommended book for the GRE. It comprises of topics listed under categories where we are likely to be tested on and special notes called “tactics” for explaining the application and the basics to solve any problem quickly. Make sure you complete the Barron’s before attempting the more complicated Kaplan, Cambridge or Princeton.As a final step, make sure you work out the quant database. For those who don’t know, quant database is a regularly updated set of questions from GRE quantitative test that are compiled from the actual takers of the GRE. This means that they are the questions that actually have appeared in the GRE test. In case you are not able to solve these questions, take help from the most responsive community for the GRE on orkut.I took my test on October 19th and I stumbled upon this database only 2 days before the exam and I could work out only the questions posted for the month of October. Believe me folks, I got 3 questions straight out of the database and that saved me an ample amount of time. If you work through the database completely, I’m sure you’d understand the standard of questions in the GRE (the questions are from the actual GRE) and hopefully get some questions out of the database.

5. Promote your preparation to the next level

   The GRE test has now reached a state of saturation. There are innumerable websites and institutes who recommend their own “tested and proven” strategies. A mnemonic that suits a person may not be equally suitable for another. So it is better to try multiple options at hand and choose the best one which is the most suitable to “you”. For example, I have prepared for the GRE wordlists from the GRE KRUPA’s Pictionary’s which served as a visual aid for learning the endless wordlists. You may give this a try.

6. Don’t take your mock test scores to heart

   This is the most important tip that I would like to share with everyone. Don’t feel at ease or be discouraged looking at your scores in the mock test. The legend has it that the mock test scores reflect the actual score that you will get on the GRE. That is baseless; no one knows how the CAT (computer adaptive test) pattern of the GRE evaluates scores.I hadn’t scored anything beyond 1100 in most of the mock tests that I’d attempted. However, mock tests provided me an excellent platform to improve myself in the areas that I was weak. So, take the tests in an optimistic way, learn from your mistakes and try to improve your scores. There are many real life examples of people scoring well on the mock tests and failing on the GRE and vice-versa. Don’t get carried away by those scores.

7. On the day of the exam

   Stop studying on the day before your exam!!! Take a break; you have worked hard enough(hopefully) to earn yourself a well deserved sleep. Go to bed early and wake up early. Don’t try out any last minute reading. Remember to carry your passport and the printout of confirmation letter of your appointment. Avoid driving to the test center as it could be stressful. Ask your friend to drop you at the test center or take an auto. Reach the place at least half an hour early so as to complete all the formalities and take the test without any unnecessary conflicts.

A reminder to all of the GRE takers:

According to the test center rules, you are NOT allowed to carry anything including your hand kerchief or wallet into the test room. You will be provided a safety locker to secure all your valuables. Two sharp pencils and a booklet of 4 pages (8 sides) are provided for your rough work.

All The Best for exam!! Do let me know through comments if these tips helped you.

This article is for Indian parents who are looking for advice on choosing a good engineering college for their children.

It’s a parents’ choice

In India, the selection of engineering college is parents decision. Students don’t decide which college they want to join. At the age of 18, having just finished their 12^th, they don’t have enough maturity to choose a college to study engineering. Nor do they have sufficient financial authority to take independent decisions. So parents take an active role during this time. It is entirely parents’ responsibility to find the right college for their ward. So this article is dedicated to the Indian parents searching colleges for their children.

Know your child

The first and foremost thing you should do as a parent is to analyze the psyche of your son/daughter. Understand what your child expects from an engineering college. Not just in the academic angle but in a general view. Find out where you ward wishes to study. Does he/she prefer an urban environment or sub-urban or rural environment. Can he/she stay without you? Do they prefer to stay with parents or do they prefer to stay away from parents to learn to be independent? Does he/she have any regional or cultural preferences? Students from South India take time to adjust to cultural differences in North India and vice versa. Find out if your ward is comfortable with the food change and climate change.

Is public opinion useful?

Asking your neighbors or friends for opinion is a good thing. But they can only tell you which college suits them, they can’t tell which one suits your ward well. Their opinion is personal to their situation and not to yours. Their children may be smarter or dumber than yours. Their expectations from a college may be different from yours.

Rely Newspaper advertisements?

Don’t trust newspapers alone. Advertisements are meant to be advertisements. The very purpose of an advertisement is promotion. Don’t believe whatever is written in advertisements. Nothing can be a better check than a personal inquiry.

Get the inside story

I advice the parents to at least visit the college of interest 2-3 times before deciding to join their ward. Visit the college campus and observe. Don’t do anything else. Simply observe. God has given human beings a wonderful skills of deduction from observation. If you observe the college environment for half an hour or so, you will get a little idea about the college, how it works and about the students’ level of thinking.

Asking students for opinion inside college is a bad idea. Because students would not give your their frank opinion inside the college campus for the fear of talking against the college that holds the education and future career. You may ask students outside the college campus for a frank opinion. It is also a good idea to talk to the parents of students studying in a particular college. Again, asking teachers may not be a good idea. Teachers can’t voice a frank opinion against the colleges for which they are working.

Careful while paying admission fees

Do not pay the admission fees to unauthorized agents. Be sure to pay only to authorized agents registered with the college. I have known a case where parents of student from Bihar have lost 1 lakh rupees by paying to an unauthorized agent in Bihar.

College that fits your budget

Carefully plan your budget and decide whether or not to join your ward to a college. Think long term. Be sure whether you will be able to pay fees for all the 8 semesters in span of 4 years. I have known parents who had to sell their lands to pay fees of their students owing to the lack of forethought about the fees.

Placement is not everything

Career placement is not the only criterion for selecting a college. You should carefully examine the teaching standards of teachers in the college, facilities provided by college for education, food and health.

Make the best use of what is available

And after joining a particular college, you can’t compare the facilities of a particular college with other colleges. Once committed it’s done. You can do nothing complaining about the facilities in the colleges. Try to make the best use of the facilities given by that college.

About the author: Professor Kanniga works for Bharath University, Chennai. She has a teaching experience of over 10 years. She holds Masters degree in Engineering and Business Administration.(M.E, M.B.A). Professor loves her work as worship. You can ask education related questions to professor via email kannigatruth@yahoo.com

Congratulations to the five winners of the C Quiz Contest.

In all 50 people responded to this contest. Out of which only 7 people got all the answers right. The earliest five responses have been chosen as winning entries.

Key for the quiz contest in C language

Recently, we had posted a Quiz Contest on C language.

So far we have received received 30 responses. And we are shocked to know that only 1 out of the 30 people,  got all the answers correct! According to us, the questions in this contest are far from being tough. They simply test basic concepts of C language.

Not to forget, this quiz contest is like an open book test. You have Google, text books, lecturers and friends with you to check your answers. You even have free compilers and IDEs for C to check the output.

It is so hard to believe that there are so few Indian students who can get all the questions right. Guys, try harder. Before you send your answer, check and double check if your answers are correct. To win this contest you must get ALL the 20 questions right.

Take this as a challenge and forward it to all your friends who are interested in C programming.

Update: This contest is now closed. Key and Winners will be announced soon.

Aishwarya Rai's Passport

Do you dream of studying at MIT or joining an ivy league institute for your post-graduate studies? Do you aim to hobnob with the best brains from around the world? If yes, then you already would have thought of appearing for GRE/TOEFL/IELTS etc., by the final year of your college and also developing a vision. Most of the students start collecting information about coaching institutes and colleges they aim to study in. They also plan their finances ahead of time, but they tend to forget the little yet important prerequisite for any such exam; the Passport.

Who Needs it?
Anyone who’s appearing for an entrance exam for foreign education needs a passport ready even before applying for the entrance test. Most of these exams (GRE, IELTS, GMAT) consider Passport as the only valid proof of identification. Even test centers that conduct Technical Certifications demand the original copy of your passport.

How long does it take to get one made?
In India, it can take from three to six months (or even more) to get your passport ready. The process is a long one and involves several stages before your passport finally gets approved.

When is the right time to get it made?
As a student, I know how we tend to delay things like these and wait until the last moment. But if you are serious about your abroad studies then better start the process of applying it ahead of time. Ideal time in my opinion to get it made is in the pre-final year of your college, so that you have enough time to accommodate delays that occur due to various reasons such as address verification failure.

Advantages of getting it made early:
One advantage of getting it made well in advance is that at the last moment when you are suppose to study and keep your entire focus on the exams, these passport issues can divert your mind and result in wastage of time and resources.

Do I need it even if I have no plans of Abroad Education?
Yes, even for non-aspirants, it is always good to get it made and keep your options open. And at the end of the day you may require passport in future for going abroad. Why not get it made right now and keep your options open for foreign education too. Apart from educational purposes certain companies also ask for a passport as a part of their recruiting process. Some companies also send their employees to abroad locations for training etc., and in absence of a valid passport you may lose such an opportunity.

Other Uses
Apart from this, it is also the best form of identification and can also be used for several other types of registrations, getting a prepaid card, opening a bank account, registering voter identity card, getting a credit card etc., and would make your life much simpler.

Though its just a small piece of document but it can result in all your efforts going in vain. So in all, it is highly advisable that you get one made even if it is not required at the moment. Losing any opportunity over a document is the worst form of losing.

Further References:

• How to apply for a passport
• Checklist of Documents required for applying Passport

About Guest Writer: This article was written by Saurabh Jaiswal, a final year student of an engineering college in Indore. You can reach him at saurabhj@in.com

Welcome to Interview Mantra, a career advice blog that helps you achieve your best at work life.

Let me clarify something to you. To your career related questions, you may not get “convincing” answers here. Yes you heard it right, we don’t write theoretical answers in our blog.

What we give you, are practical solutions to real life career problems. We believe in application of knowledge. The solutions and advices given at this blog may seem dull or unexciting at times, but they actually work when followed in the correct manner.

To be able to follow this blog, appreciate the content and implement the advice given here, you have to necessarily come to this blog with an open mind. Understand and accept the advice given here, and implement in your career.

Our solutions are like the Herbal medicine, very unlike the Western medicine which dwells on temporary fixes without regard to the side-effects. We give you solutions that help you make better career decisions. Better career leads to better life.

Open your mind, and get ready for the change.

If you are reading this, I’m assuming that you are an engineer. But, are you a true engineer by spirit? Read on to find out.

An Engineer is one who uses a plethora of techie words to obfuscate his/her speech and sound knowledgeable to a layman.

An Engineer is one who subscribes to at least one monthly technology magazine like “Electronics for you” or “Digit” or “Chip”.

An Engineer is one who cheers for robots in a robotics competition held annually at IITs.

An Engineer is one who maintains a good attendance record at college and a clean impression with teachers.

An Engineer is one who cleanly replicates class assignments by carefully rephrasing the words, without leaving any clue of plagiarism.

An Engineer is one who memorizes programs for passing practical exams.

An Engineer is one who reads “All in One” Question banks, occasionally reads textbooks authored by local authors to pass exams.

An Engineer is one who can memorize a lot of theory and draw beautiful block diagrams.

An Engineer is one who spends at least a couple of days for photocopying thousands of pages before exams.

An Engineer is one who buys from project center, a fancy project with a gizmo name for securing good marks in the last semester project.

An Engineer is one who earns certificates by participating in paper presentations. He/she writes research papers by copying from Google and editing it neatly to sound original.

An Engineer is one who chooses engineering because he/she was told that they are paid well in job market, and is respected amongst the educated society.

An Engineer is one who passes all the semester exams and earns a course completion certificate at the end of four years.

A computer science engineer is one who can execute only one program — Hello World.

I hope that you have guessed by now that I was being sarcastic.

A true engineer is one who applies technology to solve a real life problem. That’s it.

If you are a computer science engineer, aim to make an application that makes your life better in some way. Or write an application that helps your friends or family do a complex task in a simpler way.

If you are a mechanical engineer, design a gadget that simplifies effort you spend on a physical task. Anything that helps the society do work better and faster.

If you are an electronics engineer, try to build an electronic circuit that helps you automate a manual chore.

Learn to replace the fuse, learn to troubleshoot gadgets, learn to assemble computers, learn to build working things from the theory of science.

Be a real engineer.

A ground breaking video on how to motivate people.

In short, the speaker in that video says that you can get good results from people using the carrot and stick mechanism for mechanical tasks. But money rewarding doesn’t work well for the creative tasks. On the contrary, it works against the employer. The more you pay the poorer is the performance you get for an employee who is expected to do a creative job.

This is so unlike how it works in the Indian IT industry.

Hey wait, does this mean that all software engineers do mechanical work which doesn’t involve cognitive skills?

Got tired of uploading resume in the Job sites?

Take a short break and say ALL IS WELL.

Enjoy this game created by A. N. M. Bazlur Rahman, student of Institute of Information Technology of University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Link to [GAME] UNSCRAMBLE ME

I very much admire engineering students who wish to build their final year projects on their own.

Talk to any such enthusiastic final year student of engineering about their project. They would tell you few out-of-the-box ideas that might never have occurred to you.

Many a time, students aim to build a college project that they could later release it as a commercial product in the market. They wish to offer more features and price their product lower than that of the current players in that field of business.

I can’t help but think that students don’t know difference between the idea of a project and a product.

Let me explain with an example.

A couple of years ago, I remember talking to an electronics engineer who wanted to design an electronic walking stick for visually challenged people. The core idea was that the stick had remote sensors that could sense objects in proximity. In case of encountering an obstacle, the stick would alert the holder of stick by vibrations and by sounding an alarm.

So far, this project sounds doable.

The student goes on describing about the features of this intelligent walking stick. The stick should be able to detect the current light indicator in a traffic light signal.

Hmm… technically, could get a bit tough this one.

The feature description of this stick isn’t completed yet. The walking stick should be able to SMS to the current coordinates of the stick to a preset phone number. So that people could track where the stick currently is carried.

I take a deep breath, waiting for the student to finish the project feature description.

This walking stick should be able to remotely operate the electronic door lock and fan switches of the stick owner’s house.

By this time, I’m already overwhelmed, mentally calculating the complexity and time required for finishing this project. I don’t want to discourage budding engineers that come up with new ideas, but would like to tell them few important things that have to be kept in mind before committing a project idea.

First and foremost, it is a college project and not a commercial product. The primary purpose of a college project is for the student to learn practical application of technologies. Whereas goals of a commercial product is profit and fitness for a purpose.

It is okay if your college project, electronic walking stick doesn’t work properly in real life as long as it demonstrates the concept as a prototype. But if your commercial product, electronic walking stick doesn’t help the person using it to detect an obstacle in realtime, this is a critical issue, can become a legal issue too.

The point here is every product in market right from toothbrush to iphone, undergo rigorous testing process, undergo scrutiny of standards and tests. Products come with legal guarantees or warrantees. Whereas the college projects are not expected to be infallible, it’s okay if the project has few defects. The reviewers of your project won’t scrutinize you with legal processes if it doesn’t work perfectly.

So, if you are doing an engineering project, set out with an aim to learn practical application. Before committing to commercialize your project, review your capabilities in  a realistic manner. Ask yourself, if you implemented such concept in college laboratory, if you have someone around to help you out if you get stuck. Set realistic goals and do original projects not to impress your fellow students but to learn something.