I chose India over Canada. Here is my College Experience

What factors made you choose Manipal over UofT?

During the uncertain times of Covid, going abroad seemed like a big risk where college admin had already mentioned that classes will be online for a year at least. Normalcy would not be expected at least till end of 3rd sem. It took away the charm of meeting different people, meeting passionate professors etc. Manipal on the other hand was within India and seemed like a safer option. Not to mention paying so much for abroad college was a major risk anything.

Did finances, family, or career goals influence your decision?

I think the balance of financial vs career goals is the biggest influence when choosing colleges abroad. Career goal with a recession at hand and financial uncertainty was at an all time high with covid and recession. If tuition fees wasn't high enough, the residence fees was also one of the highest among comparable US colleges.

Was it a tough decision? What were your doubts at the time?

It was an extremely tough decision. The doubts were "what am I giving away", "what if all these uncertainties get cleared away as soon as I make this decision", "Am I really giving away all the SATs, subject tests and APs I wrote just because of pandemic".

What was your experience like at Manipal Institute of Technology?

No one can convince me that UofT would have given me a better experience. I met the most open minded, diverse people who were fun, had similar issues during covid as me. The town was a college town and between a beach and mountain range so had a lot fun in both hill stations and popular beaches. The opportunities were immense as well as we had seniors going to ivy leagues, amazing companies so we had lots of help.

How did you get involved in clubs, competitions, and campus activities?

During inaugration, there was a seminar of all the clubs and various activities. I chose the most interesting sounding ones and then consulted seniors and left some once I figured that they weren't that great. We had some really nice clubs and the most interesting one I was a part of was involved in making self driving cars.

Do you think Indian colleges get enough credit for these kinds of opportunities?

I think when people hear Indian colleges especially for engineering, they straight away think IIT which is a wrong way of thinking. Some Indian colleges are definitely amazing even if they are not so famous among people.

Tell us about your job now—do you feel your college experience helped you get here?

I like the stuff I do at my job, my college experience had a lot of technical club activity involved with it. So I felt prepared for project work. Academic subjects like distributed computing did help understand niche concepts that I use daily.

How do you think Indian engineering education prepares you for the real world?

Subject wise – I would say book smart sure but depends on you on how to apply that knowledge. If you know what you are doing, you will meet an amazing set of people who would prepare you for the real world very well.

What advice would you give to someone who’s confused between India and abroad?

I would say why worry about it now and take decision. Giving SAT is a few months work, giving it is an education in itself. Give that in class 11 and in 12, focus on your subjects. It will prepare for subject tests as well as some of the entrance tests that the Indian colleges have. Try to give a shot at various places and then take a call. It might feel hectic but when done right, it will definitely be a better way.

What are some myths about Indian colleges you’d like to break?

• That they are boring! No, really no. It depends on you as a person, if you take initiative you will have more fun.

• That they are rote learning oriented! Subject teachers at school were no worse. Be involved in tech clubs and just do class assignments sincerely and you will see that students are the ones who make it rote learning.

If you could go back in time, would you still make the same decision?

1000 times yes! Canada closed down for Indians, I don't feel much in debt. I was able to meet my family a lot, I got a decent job and enjoyed visiting various cities with my college friends as well.

An advice:

The biggest difference between Indian and abroad is that in abroad the initiatives are less dependent on self but in Indian it very much depends on you to take initiatives and progress in stuff.