Entering a tier 3 engineering college, I couldn’t shake the heavy disappointment of not making it to the prestigious IIT or NIT. Initially, I harbored a deep-seated resentment towards my college. It didn’t feel like mine; it lacked the sense of belonging I had for my school. However, over time, a shift occurred within me. I began questioning why I aspired for IIT in the first place. Was it solely for the placements or the studious environment with high-achieving peers? Upon introspection, I realized that most students around me boasted impressive 90+ percentiles. Yet, despite this, the college lagged behind in terms of placements.
My dissatisfaction transformed into determination as my peers and I embarked on a mission to bridge the gap between our college and the prestigious institutions. We established a community called the Student Community, dedicated to dissecting the core issues hindering our college’s progress. Through rigorous analysis, we pinpointed several disparities, with the lack of a robust coding culture emerging as a prominent concern.
To unravel the root cause, we engaged with fourth-year seniors, professors, and the placement cell. What emerged was a startling revelation—while our students were undeniably intelligent, they lacked guidance. This absence of mentorship contributed to the dearth of a thriving coding culture, ultimately affecting our placement statistics.
Refusing to accept the status quo, we registered our Student Community within the college. As we transitioned into our second year, we assumed leadership roles, guiding the incoming batch of students. Our team expanded, incorporating fourth-year students who had secured placements. Together, we endeavored to impart practical knowledge and instill discipline among our peers.
Personally, I instituted a structured approach by encouraging students to engage in daily video lectures from a curated playlist. Additionally, I initiated nightly coding sessions, where participants tackled two coding questions. These sessions not only enhanced our problem-solving skills but also fostered a collaborative environment for code debugging and alternative solution exploration.
Our efforts began to yield results, but we recognized that there was still much ground to cover. Currently, we are assembling teams for hackathons, leveraging the dedication and diligence of each student involved. With each passing day, we inch closer to our vision of a vibrant coding ecosystem within our college.
In conclusion, our journey exemplifies the transformative power of proactive student initiatives. Rather than resigning ourselves to discontent, we seized the opportunity to effect change. Through collective effort and unwavering commitment, we are reshaping the narrative of our college, one coding challenge at a time.