How ‘MEC’ College Has Changed My Life

All about my college life, how it has influenced me as an individual. A glimpse of 4 years in a capsule

I have completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Engineering. I have completed it with Honours Degree.

I am happy not because I have completed it but the real fact that I got rid of it. The past four years were an exciting experience, both sweet and sour.

Even though I don’t like the academic part of engineering or the CS or any part of that in college, I don’t think I should even regret that I was here for 4 years.

For those who don’t know what MEC is, it's the name of my college which is an acronym for Model Engineering College.

Despite not knowing it has really had an impact on my life. I would explain the changes in myself in brief.

Before I end this, I will also summarize the important points of the last four years and how they affected me as a person.

Thanks to a few of my friends who suggested this topic and I have been working on this piece for more than a year to put all ideas together.

Those who know me even before MEC, at school know me as a different person than who I am now. It personally doesn’t make much difference to me but it is a reality that I can pinpoint out the changes.

Until class 12th, everyone knew me as a silent geek, an introvert which I would take as a compliment.

I used to do good in my studies, at least better than what I did in college. I didn’t have a big dream or had an ambition during my school days. I just used to go to school, come back home and this cycle used to go on.

Sometimes I used to go for tuition and coaching classes too, but keeping that apart, was an endless loop.

Coming to college, I literally forgot what I was doing at school. Jokes apart, the college was just a building, not far away from my school, and in the literal sense, it wasn’t so much different from my school.

The only difference I could say is about new people that I meet every day. In college, I didn’t study hard and not at all systematic.

Most of the time, I just study one or two weeks before the exam. Record writing took most of the time. The majority of the time just passed looking into college works or texting friends.

It was just a month before college that I started wearing specs, I never had them before.

The weirdest aspect of college was that we had uniforms. I felt like a schoolboy wearing the same type of dress. This is quite common in India.

The college building is much smaller than how my school used to be. There were multiple stereotypes regarding how underfunded some colleges are and how the infrastructure was not up to the mark.

Despite that, I felt okayish with everything there unlike how the campus was big and sprawling like we see in movies.

Social Media

In school, I didn’t even have a single social media account. I only used to have Whatsapp which is again a messenger on a small Samsung phone.

Only after the 12th, I started Quora, then Facebook. Post that Twitter, then Instagram, and lately Linked In.

Now I am everywhere, but I don’t use them often. I just use many of them just for news and basically to post my articles. Rarely do I open the feed.

Whatsapp still remains my preferred form of communication. So basically from a ‘non-techy guy’ to a ‘tech-savvy person’, college life shaped me.

Boring classes

I used to love to listen to lectures when I was at school and at the entrance classes. Half of my learning used to get completed in the class itself.

I still remember how much effort students and teachers put in at school while in college, it's dull or pathetic to attend classes.

Labs used to be exciting at school especially when we get the experiment correct and understand stuff. In college, lab periods were a nightmare.

With tough viva, strict rules, not much understanding of what exactly is happening, and lack of interest actually can destroy oneself. The chance of getting accurate output got even low.

Thank god that lab exams were continuously and internally evaluated.

From one of the most systematic students in school, coming to be on top for exams, I turned out to be just an average student, who multiple times felt that this is not for me.

Electrical and Electronics used to be thought of as interesting stuff at school but totally turned dull at college, which is a lot of theory, formulas, and weird diagrams on the blackboard.

There was no way that the learning could be interactive or visual.

Academics

It was never my strong area in the four years. Most of the students even now complain about how the syllabus is rot theory, outdated subjects, etc.

First-year subjects were a bit lighter and understandable as we are coming directly after school and the subjects are familiar. The only alien subject was Graphics.

Physics and Maths, etc. were quite interesting as well had a lot of in-depth content. Chemistry was a bit dry and I seriously miss organic chemistry.

Second-year subjects were quite new and hence takes time for us to get used up. A lot of Core subjects prop-up and each subject has its own way of learning. I still don’t know how do we actually master the Theory of Computation which is neither theory nor a numerical nor a coding subject.

Subjects like Electronic Circuits, Digital Electronics, Microprocessors, Computer Architecture, Systems Architecture, Theory of Computation, Compiler Design, etc. were the hardest.

Computer Graphics, DBMS, Systems Software, Cryptography, Networks, etc. were moderate. While OOPs, OS, Distributed Computing, Image Processing were fairly easy.

Throughout the four years, I learned four mathematical papers with multiple subjects, of which Transforms was the hardest but fine; Probability and Complex Analysis was the easiest.

Along with that, there were three mathematics-based subjects for CS like Discrete Maths, Graph Theory, and Applied Linear Algebra. Even today, the only subject I should miss will would be Mathematics.

Other elective Non-Tech subjects like Sustainable Engg, Design Engg, Life Skills, Business Economics, Management will be missed. These were some reliefs amidst Tech subjects.

Although I say that I was not so great in college academics, I didn’t have any backlogs, which was indeed a great relief.

Independent person

What is independence? Different people have distinct definitions for the same. For me, it was to think and act the way I can. I have learned to be independent than I used to be.

I now feel the confidence in me that I am making a decision even if it may or may not work, but I am able to make a decision, which I lacked previously.

I learned to stay alone, which I suppose was not a big deal but I had never tried it before. I learned to travel alone, including weird experiences like traveling from Trivandrum to Kochi on a General train without a phone.

Also given that I had missed the train too. Never mind I could manage that. I also made my first interstate travel alone, which again I feel is remarkable. I am also legal driving now.

Meeting new people and making contacts

I never even know the exact meaning of making contacts, it just reminded me of the contacts on my phone. You can never imagine, but the number of people I have met and interacted with in the past four years will outnumber the people I had met before that.

From a person with rare contacts at school to a lot of friends, in college and beyond MEC really is a boon. Being a small college, the scope of engagement and interacting with almost everyone in the college is more.

Going to programs and events outside the college does really helped me to increase my friendship, meet a diverse set of audience, and most importantly you reach where you exactly belong.

You will actually get to understand what exactly you need to do in your life.

Hunger for news

I have a hunger for news. Half of my phone apps and the majority of my social media feed are news. I love to read the news, gain knowledge and learn. It was a habit I got during my college years.

Contrary to the popular belief, I was never like that before. Even though I used to read the newspaper every day and watch the news and especially look closely at election analysis. The craze was never there.

On election days, I used to get up early in the morning, just to watch live results, counting, and follow-up analysis.

I got to know about the Syrian Civil War in my 12th standard, it was big international news at that time, I used to watch BBC, Al Jazeera, and RT Intl.

Later I read and wrote about it on Quora and it gave me a reason to read the news more and it continues with me forever.

External Events and Clubs

This is one of a new concept which I never tried in school or neither I knew about it. In college, I think the talent is less and you can easily attract the crowd if you have the talent.

The school makes me feel competitive and no one actually or rewarded anyone’s talent (Just my thought). Hardly I liked to quiz when I was at school, but never went for external contests.

IEEE

It is the largest association of Engineers in the world if you don’t know. Of course, there is a membership fee, which is $27, which amounts to INR Rs 2000 a year.

So at first say when the college began, I did not join IEEE, one of the main reasons is because of its name. I had a feeling that it was not meant for CS students but for electrical students.

In October when it was just 2 months after joining MEC, there was a small quiz conducted by IEEE PES Kerala Chapter. It was in the lunch break on Oct 3, which is celebrated as IEEE day.

I was given a paper, with 25–30 questions, mostly GK, like Where is CU in Kerala located? The motto of IEEE, etc. Two days later results were declared and I was the topper from MEC. I also received the privilege to represent myself and MEC at Hub and State level, happening at TKM Kollam.

It was also my first external competition.

To my surprise, I won the second prize in the quiz. At the program, in between the quiz, there was an icebreaker session and introductory session on IEEE.

That presentation told changed my perception of IEEE, it has one of the largest websites, the largest digital library Xplore, it is not just a technical organization, it has a lot of societies, it does a lot on Electronics and CS field than others (my personal view).

It does work on humanitarian issues, conducts programs, etc.

IEEEians refer to themselves as volunteers and they don’t conduct/do events for profit but rather as a service.

I have been part of a lot of IEEE events, it is filled with energy, hospitality, food, knowledge and most importantly meeting new people.

With IEEE membership you do get access to Spectrum Magazine, which has all details of the latest tech developments as well as upcoming gadgets. innovations etc.

I still remember reading the article on Aadhar, which inspired me to write on the same and do a paper presentation on the same. You also get free/discounted access to many intercollegiate events happening.

My best experience in IEEE is winning the quiz, then being part of IEEE Grid 2 as the head. I also went for IEEE KHM in July 2018, which was a really good event.

I also had the opportunity to be a finalist in Two consecutive Spectrum War Quiz, Volunteer for Magic 2020, and be part of the IEEE CS Kerala blog team and publishing 3 articles.

I kept on getting a lot of opportunities via IEEE and also won many prizes in the same. Even on Science day 2021, I won two prizes.

Beyond my college, I was able to take part in a lot of contests outside under the IEEE banner. This is indeed an amazing opportunity. If you think your $27 is a waste then that's absolutely not true.

You will get each and every penny back. The opportunities you get are also priceless.

MUN

I’m not going to explain what a MUN is and all rather I will just explain my experience in MUNs and how it has changed me. I had my first MUN in 2017, just a few months after joining college.

That will probably be the first event in college that I was participating in. When many of my friends were shy to enter it, I was overwhelmed in doing it.

From there, things started to change drastically. Even though I couldn’t perform well in my first MUN, the craze of MUN hit me deep. In the subsequent months, I got to participants in multiple MUNs across the state.

The connections I made, the experiences I got, the travel, the campuses I visited, indeed meant a lot. The subjects of contemporary issues, pressing topics, foreign policy, politics, diplomacy, etc. were talked about in detail.

In my second year, I was in the organizing team, getting to know the behind-the-scenes of MUN, concerning event management, social media, publicity, hosting, venue, hospitality, food, accommodation, etc. That was indeed insightful.

These weren't easy to be hosted from a common man’s view.

MUNs need special experience, we need more people with MUN experience to do this work. Even for participating in outside events, we needed to train and equip them; MUNSOC was that platform.

In the third year, I was the Deputy Secretary-general, coordinating with committees, the EBs, doing delegate affairs, etc. Since we had the newly formed club, things were easier.

More people associated with the club got responsibilities. There were a lot of other events conducted, Rio- +24 &+25, seminars, etc.

In early 2020, we had a grand IntraMUN just before lockdowns being implemented. During the lockdown, we had an IntraMUN as well. Both these events were conducted by the juniors. Last month of 2020, we had the core handover where we, founders handed over the club to juniors.

Quiz Club

As I mentioned about the IEEE PES QUIZ, that was the first big quiz that I attended and also my first quiz at the college level. From then on I got a couple of invites from many clubs in MEC for me to participate in few quizzes.

Before college, quizzes used to be more like general awareness or GK. After college concept of the quiz became generalized. The definition became really broad. It accommodated literature, books, movies, series, etc. which I was not at all well versed with.

So in the beginning, it was really hard for me to adjust.

Then on I became part of the Illuminati Quiz Club. During the second year I missed the annual quizzing event TIQ, ie. held in memory of the founder Late Sandeep Menon. In the third year, I was the publicity head for the event and was part of the OC.

In the final year, I became the Chairman and I am grateful to the previous core for the same. This club unlike other clubs in the college has a rich legacy.

In 2020, the core had a big challenge in holding the event, ‘online’. An event that always had been conducted physically to be converted into a new form without losing its essence.

Luckily we got the sponsors on time, as well as participants all over the country. Everything went smoothly with support from everyone as the core and team members. This indeed was an important responsibility that I had.

Other non-collegiate activities

Blogging

I can’t talk about my past four years without mentioning blogs and writing. I started my writing and sharing knowledge on Quora. Through Quora, I had the opportunity to be with College Content Team.

The team started working on a new blog called Paperkin as a publication on Medium. I was excited to write about that. I wrote my first article here and also published my first article on paperkin.

Those days, MEC used to be filled with budding bloggers, experienced writers, those people with great passion. Now there are not many people left.

In late 2018, I participated in Excel-SpotOn and became the winner. That was my first prize in blogging. From there I got multiple prizes in blogging, writing, tech-blogging, etc. In 2019, I had got an Internship in Online Manorama as a campus reporter.

That is the first time I got to be on a public platform and publish news articles under my byline. I was also selected as Editor-in-Chief for MUNner’s Daily medium publication by MEC MUNSOC.

From 2019 January, I constantly published blogs bi-weekly and during lockdowns weekly. In 2020, I started the Journal of Knowledge publication for sharing my articles. Then a telegram channel and Quora space in the same banner. I also started an Info daily Blogspot for politics-based commentary articles.

Now, I’m a regular writer on Medium now. This platform never fails to impress me. I am a paid member and it has been an amazing experience in the past few months. If you are a blogger/writer then you can’t miss Medium.

What do we get from blogging? That's for another day. Beyond the earnings or monetary value, its happiness, contentment, and encouragement.

Journaling

I started writing Journals, documenting my life events, college life, experiences, etc. It has been a hit. I got inspired by my senior Joel V Z to do the same. My first journal article got published at the end of my first year. Since then I publish one journal article once every four months.

Do check it out

Podcasting

Wasn’t quite familiar to me for a long time. Some of my friends used to suggest me some popular podcasts but I didn’t take them seriously. In 2020, I saw the MEC Podcast which was a college-based podcast come up. That's where I go to see a person I know to start and maintain podcasts. Before that, I thought only big channels, news channels, etc. use them.

I had an interesting idea after seeing this. The closed room discussions we had with friends on various issues may help a small number of people, or we can have a potential audience for that, so I planned to start a podcast under the banner of the Journal of Knowledge.

Till now I made five episodes and the first episode is one that stands out where four panellists spoke on the issue.

A podcast is really an amazing way to arrange discussions and market them to a large audience quite competitive to youtube. Till now everything is going smoothly there and I hope to continue with that initiative. I try to make sure I bring new faces each time for a new episode.

MEC has brought the courage in me to stand up do what I want which may not be what the majority or society approves. It has also taught me to know that only you are there to fight your battles and those people judging you are not going to do anything beneficial to you. It's you who must stand up and make some space.

Today as I conclude this article and also conclude my bachelor’s class. I must say college may not be the best place but it will bring in you an irreversible change. If not directly, what I do today has been influenced by the College and the environment in some way. I hope you would have also cherished those days and also thank it for what you are doing today.

Suggested Reading

I have started a Telegram Channel which will contain the record of all my articles. Follow my personal blog for behind the scenes and informative content.