Our Founder Chairman Late Dr. K.C.G. Verghese was a visionary who pioneered high quality technical education in the fields of Engineering, Aviation, Management and Applied Science.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science are among of the fastest-growing verticals in today’s global landscape, with a diverse range of applications and exciting career opportunities. Let us take a closer look at why studying AI and Data Science from a top engineering college is the right move for engineering students looking to succeed in the tech industry.
AI and Data Science are exciting and challenging fields that provide opportunities for professionals with a background in computer science engineering and IT engineering the opportunity to work on complex problems and cutting-edge technology. Machine learning algorithms, deep learning models, and statistical analysis enable professionals in these fields to create intelligent systems that can solve real-world problems.
There is a tremendous demand for computer science engineering professionals with extensive knowledge of AI and Data Science in today’s job market. As businesses and organisations generate massive amounts of data, there is a growing demand for skilled professionals who can collect, analyse, and interpret this data in order to automate processes and improve business outcomes. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global AI market size is expected to reach $733.7 billion by 2027, projecting a growth of 42.2% from 2020 to 2027. The number of AI-related job openings is projected to reach 2.3 million globally by 2023 alone, which is an indication of the high demand for IT engineering professionals well-versed in AI and data science.
To pursue a career in AI, you need to have a strong foundation in mathematics, statistics, and computer science. You will need to be proficient in programming languages such as Python, R, and Java and have knowledge of AI frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Keras. You will also need to have excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, as well as the ability to work in a team.
There are several pathways to becoming an AI professional, including obtaining a degree in computer science engineering or IT engineering with a specialization in AI and data science. Additionally, you can take online courses, attend boot camps or workshops, and participate in open-source projects to gain hands-on experience and build your portfolio. The best engineering colleges provide comprehensive computer engineering course in these rapidly-evolving fields.
In conclusion, studying Artificial Intelligence and Data Science is the right move for anyone looking to ride the next great technological wave. The high demand for skilled professionals, lucrative salaries, career opportunities, exciting and challenging work, and continuous learning and development make AI and Data Science one of the most promising fields of the future. Therefore, it is essential to consider studying AI and Data Science to take advantage of these opportunities and build a rewarding career.
Sources: ● Grand View Research. (2020). Artificial Intelligence Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), By Technology (Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing), By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 – 2027. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/artificial-intelligence-ai-market
● Glassdoor. (n.d.). Artificial Intelligence Salaries. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/artificial-intelligence-salary-SRCH_KO0,23.htm
Civil engineering is one of the oldest and most established branches of engineering, and its graduates are highly sought after for a variety of jobs. Civil engineers specialize in the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and dams. As a civil engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring that these structures are built to last and that they meet all safety standards.
In this guide, we will go over the various career opportunities available to civil engineering graduates. We will look at the different job types and discuss what skills are needed for each. We will also cover salary expectations for civil engineers and explain how to find the right job.
Career Paths
Civil engineering is a diverse field with numerous career paths available to graduates. Depending on your interests, you can specialize in areas such as structural engineering, environmental engineering, geology, quantity surveying, consultant, construction management and contract worker. Once you have your degree, you can pursue a number of different positions in the field.
Structural Engineer: Structural engineers are responsible for designing safe and efficient structures such as bridges, roads, buildings, and dams. They use advanced mathematics and physics to calculate loads and stresses that will be placed on the structure and then design it accordingly.
Environmental Engineer: Environmental engineers use their knowledge of engineering principles to develop solutions for environmental problems such as air and water pollution, waste management, and climate change. They also use their skills to design systems that reduce emissions and conserve resources.
Geologist: Geologists study the structure of the Earth’s surface. They use their understanding of geological processes to locate natural resources, such as oil and minerals and advise on ways to exploit them safely.
Quantity Surveyor: Quantity surveyors are responsible for estimating the cost of construction projects. They must have a precise understanding of how much materials will cost and how long it will take to complete each stage of construction before they can provide an accurate quote to the client.
Consultant: Consultants are experts in their field who provide advice and guidance to clients on a variety of topics related to civil engineering. They might be employed by large firms or work independently as independent contractors.
Construction Manager: Construction managers oversee the entire process of construction projects from start to finish. They must have strong managerial skills and understand all aspects of construction, from budgeting and design to safety regulations.
Contract Worker: Contract workers are hired on a short-term basis for specific projects. They might be hired to build one section of a bridge, or they could be responsible for the entire project.
Are You Wondering What Kind Of Pay Check A Civil Engineering Graduate Can Expect?
Well, salaries for these graduates fluctuate depending on the job’s type, location, and the individual’s experience. Generally, civil engineering salary could range between 1 to 1.5 Lakh a month, our alumni in the past have been placed at this salary range and we’re glad to share it here. However, experienced engineers with advanced degrees can earn significantly more.
Conclusion Civil Engineering is a challenging and rewarding field that offers graduates a wide variety of career opportunities. With the right skills and experience, you can pursue any number of roles in the industry. Whether you are interested in designing bridges, developing solutions for environmental problems, or becoming a construction manager, there is always something new to learn. We hope that this guide has given you a better understanding of the career paths available to civil engineering graduates.
To say that educational methods haven’t changed over the years would be a lie. Much can be said about the ongoing struggle of dealing with learning from home, and while some have found their peace in productivity hacks easily found on social media, many have turned to upskilling as their means of growth. Technological adoption has only accelerated over the course of this lockdown and this has seen an expeditious response from Edu-Tech firms worldwide, operating with the sole goal of delivering top notch education to those confined at home. Although, it may take several years to fully acknowledge this new industry, the utilisation of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has already fueled a paradigm shift in the sector.
There are several small-scale implications of the introduction of technology into the age-old concept of learning. Let’s take a look at how AI has revolutionised education as we know it.
Individualised Attention & Curated Content:
Gone are the days where a student would have to wait his/her turn in a line to clarify a doubt with a teacher. With the advent of online courses and discussion forums, any and all queries one could possibly pose, are either already answered or can be asked easily. And furthermore, with the completion of a few courses of a certain subject, AI-based adaptive learning systems curate the content a student may consume and offer helpful suggestions on what could be next in the learning curve in real-time.
Skill Analysis:
Another often under-appreciated aspect of online learning platforms is the precision with which they analyse one’s current skill level in any subject matter. This is usually done with a small question set of increasing difficulty. Based on the level of difficulty one clears, an accurate assessment of one’s comprehension can be obtained. Using this information, a student-specific curriculum can be constructed focusing on weaker areas which require more attention. This system keeps track of a learner’s progress and modifies the proposed curriculum in real-life to maximise efficiency.
Reach:
Remote areas have historically been the Achilles heel of the education industry. This is no longer the case. It is much easier for students in less accessible areas to access more knowledge than what was previously imparted to them. With the existence of Wi-Fi in even the most rural areas in this modern world, higher quality of educational content is now within everyone’s reach.
Not only has education been made more accessible for the geographically challenged, those with special needs are also being catered to. Given how those with learning and physical disabilities have always been sequestered from the conventional methods of pedagogy, the equality provided by remote learning has never been seen before, thus enabling them to effectively and even master the most difficult topics.
Choosing Professions:
Choosing a career path is one of the most dreaded, yet instrumental decisions made in the life of an adolescent. With the limited access to content provided by conventional education, this decision was often made without exposure to the vast majority of fields available. However, the mere existence of EdTech is able to overcome the short-sightedness in this crucial front which has jeopardized the futures of millions of young talent in the past.
Not only is more information easily available to those making decisions, the process itself is facilitated by the currently available data-mining tools, which provide insights into both the interests and aversions a particular student may possess while taking into account their long-term objectives.
In the present day, Artificial Intelligence has been instrumental not just in education, but in every sector. Currently, AI is being used in all areas requiring pattern-matching, speech recognition, analytics and any form of complex decision making. As one would expect to occur with the development of AI educational solutions, voids in teaching and training are identified, thus revealing scope for growth and improvement.
As can be clearly seen, there are many ways in which AI is improving the sphere. Both those imparting as well as those receiving education benefit from developments in technology. The education industry is also offering educational institutions a competitive advantage by bringing e-learning softwares and platforms to connect with students. Looking at the bigger picture, there is no way to know what’s next. But it is important to note that the future is not AI-Led, it is only AI-assisted.
Despite all the advantages mentioned earlier, there is no substitute for human interaction. Schooling is not just a place of education, but also one of emotional growth. Several expects agree that the most promise lies in the concept of AI-assisted teaching, not in AI-led classrooms. The tools being created can be efficiently used to help determine what is best for a database of students, however anything requiring creativity cannot be learnt from a machine. In conclusion, one could say that although there is, and always has been, a role for humans in the classroom, the future of AI is not to compete with humans but rather to empower them to teach and learn more efficiently than ever seen before.
At KCG college we believe in the holistic development of our students and therefore give them every opportunity to develop the different facets of their capabilities. One such initiative is a weekend Programming Club open to all our 1st year students from any stream. The virtual Club session is held once a week over Microsoft Teams, for a 2-hour period and has been taking place for over three months now. During the club sessions we taught our students basic Python programming, built simple games using PyGameZeroand also worked on building desktop applications using PySimpleGUI. After our students reached a certain level of expertise, we thought it would be a more wholesome learning process if they could make fully functional apps with the coding they had just learnt.
With this thought in mind,we launched the Build2Learn event and were amazed by the overwhelming response we received from our students. For the event,the students decided to group themselves into teams of three and each team was asked to come up with a unique app with the coding they had learnt. Although they were just beginner programmers, they came up with brilliant project ideas and each team competed to make sure that their project was the best. The sincerity and dedication of our students was commendable. One team explained their project idea to their staff and said, “Ma’am, don’t worry about the complexity, we are a 3-member team and we can do it. Just tell us if this idea is good”.
The teamwork displayed by the students was exceptional, as each team worked together to complement the strengths and weaknesses of their team-mates. After not being able to meet for months together, the team environment helped students improve their connectivity with one another and gave them the opportunity to learn & work together. Our students had constant virtual meetings to discuss about their projects and were also guided by our staff to fine tune their ideas. What moved us the most was that our students not only helped their teammates, but also helped students from other teams whenever and wherever they could.
Over the years we have noticed that our students can show great responsibility when tasked with the role of decision making. With that background, we asked our students to come up with a realistic deadline for their projects and after a brief discussion, they came to a consensus to submit their projects by the first week of February. We scheduled a demo session on 7th February, Sunday, before which every team had their project uploaded on GitHub and had done the necessary documentation for the same. There was a total of 16 projects that were submitted to be presented for the demo.
On the day of the demo each team presented their projects with passion. Every team explained the functionalities of their project and how they achieved them. All 16 projects were amazing and it was pleasantly surprising to see how the students had put together all they had learnt to such creative use. On seeing their spectacular projects, we were convinced that the learnings they gained from building their projects, far outweighed the learnings they received during the club sessions. Once again, the Blended Method of theoretical & practical learning followed by our college has proven to make learning an enjoyable and productive experience for our students.
We applaud the commitment and enthusiasm shown by our staff & students!
Below are the links to the demo videos of a few projects:
Remember when it was the 90s and we dreamt of flying cars swooping over our heads? A century later, even the dream of computer-driven cars taking over the roads remains a fantasy. But let’s not lose hope. Slowly and maybe more modestly than we had imagined, driverless vehicles are no longer pipe dreams – although the pandemic did reduce the testing time on road tests. But in the last few weeks, driverless car developments have been burgeoning.
Formerly the Google self-driving project, Waymo, expanded its fully automated, driverless taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona – with no human attendants, whatsoever. Okay, maybe the idea of a driverless taxi was less debilitating when there was a human present near the steering wheel? Not just Waymo but General Motors’ driverless car company is also looking at the road ahead, without drivers in San Francisco, California.
So what is the progress on driverless cars? The last time we heard, removing human minders from the steering wheels was a strict no-no. Now, driverless cars are allowed to operate in isolated areas. That means companies aren’t entirely trusting of an automobile to steer itself to glory. Why is that?
One of the biggest challenges faced by the industry comes with training the machine to learn to swerve around newer obstacles. As humans, unless we are intoxicated or distracted, we are equipped to handle circumstances on the road that we have never seen before. Let’s say a group of unsupervised buffalos (not an uncommon sight in India) decide to ‘enter the scene’. The machine will be able to detect the presence of obstacles (buffalos) but cannot devise solutions. This is because the machine cannot tell the difference between unsupervised buffalos and a flock of wild turkeys, and therefore does not have a readymade solution. But above all, the machine will not be able to act impromptu depending on the situation. That makes it a sticky situation because when you’re on the road, presence of mind is very important – to honk or to shoo away animals, without freezing on the spot. There are a billion other scenarios like this that are individually uncommon but collectively make self-driving cars a reliable mode of transport. And there is little room to err… when lives are at stake.
Voyage, a driverless car company is looking at revamping its customized computer-piloted taxis to operate without a backup driver. And these vehicles operate only in two retirement communities – this makes it easier for the machine to understand the map and operate with lesser surprises. Lower speeds, relatively understandable terrain conditions and small geography that Voyage computer systems have mapped in advance remove some of the surprise complications and risk. And for seniors, access to door-to-door car service at their fingertips can materially improve their lives.
You’d think smaller space, easier to operate – But even then, Voyage deals with complexities that can really boggle the mind. The cars have compound backup systems that prevent riders from grabbing the steering wheel or pressing the accelerator while the car is in self-driving mode – you don’t want to imagine what that would result in. Above and all, Voyage also has people standing by who can take over the driverless cars remotely if they’re needed.
So if your question is, are driverless cars going to hit the roads in large numbers everywhere? As much as we want to say yes, we have definitely misjudged the technology’s difficulty. The progress, on the other hand, will definitely accelerate. So we are all crossing our fingers!
Since the wake of the pandemic, our daily lives have changed considerably and have brought many challenges – from healthcare workers to students adapting to the new normal, everything has gone for a toss. What do we do when life takes a 360-degree turn all around the world? And for those reeling from social isolation, this situation has taken a toll on their mental health. Factors such as significant lifestyle changes, politics, family, academic pressure, relationship issues, and money can all contribute to changes in mental health, along with social isolation.
A recent mental health study done on over almost 8,000 individuals found that college students were the most affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown. Many students feel fear and anxiety when they first recognize a mental health issue within themselves, as they might not be able to figure out where it came from. Experts and researchers use terms like “epidemic” and “crisis” to characterize the mental health challenges currently facing college students. From stress management to a plethora of mindfulness techniques, there are ways in which students can use coping and grounding techniques while taking professional help.
Here are some ways in which you can recognize signs of unbalanced mental health:
During such uncertain times, it becomes important to remind ourselves to take things one day at a time, or in other words, be mindful and present. We tend to be preoccupied with what could/could not happen which makes us lose focus on what actually is happening. It is also important to note how people with pre-existing mental health conditions go through an extremely difficult time, as their symptoms are exacerbated due to the pandemic. The lack of proper facilities or unavailability of healthcare professionals makes it easier for people to relapse in case of high distress or those in recovery. As for students, most of them are in a fragile situation and a lot of research talks about how they are more prone to anxiety, stress and feelings of loneliness. While students are happy to be back home and are able to reconnect with family, the abrupt pause in real-time classes has remarkably affected their well-being, as coursework has transitioned to virtual learning which has put a strain on their social support system and extracurriculars. As students across the world await their commencement or graduation ceremonies, it has not been possible for many, which makes the students unable to grapple with the current state of affairs. Right from seeking employment to getting their paycheck, it has been quite the struggle as there has been considerable pay reduction or cancellation of job offers. Financial stress has really added on and for students who especially study abroad, it becomes even harder as they are missing out on the wholesome college experience.
For students to get the support they need, traditional coping mechanisms like social interaction or taking a vacation have been strained due to the interference of quarantine measures. As the fear of uncertainty and lack of control creeps in, we eventually start to lose hope for a better future. While many of us take comfort in following our daily routine and setting goals, that has not been very stable which adds on to the layer of stress. Uncertainty breeds anxiety after all.
Students who are close to graduating feel a wave of frustration because they should be finishing, but somehow the ending seems to be getting convoluted and hazy. As a first step, we need to remind ourselves that no matter what, we are trying our best. And if things do not meet our expectations, it is common for us to feel “I am not cut out for this” and go on a downward spiral which only further drags us down to rock bottom.
It is during these times that techniques like Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which really strengthens our mind and gives more clarity. Acceptance is always key. Being fully aware of the present and accepting the circumstances despite the uncertainty takes a lot of practice and effort, but once we get there, our well-being drastically improves. And we become more focused on making the most of the present time, rather than anxious or intrusive thoughts taking over.
A healthy mind cannot be isolated from the various external factors it is a product of. So unless the concerns discussed above and the students’ expectations are addressed, it is unlikely that any effort to improve the mental health conditions of students will succeed. Colleges can try to get the students to interact by conducting webinars on mental health, by spreading awareness. Moreover, it would make them feel a little less alone. Isn’t that what we all need?
A few helpful tips to cope with stress and feelings of uncertainty would be:
Remember the last time you shuffled through the newspapers to look for new restaurants? Or the last time you used a collapsable city map to look for directions? Or scoured your wallet to pay that extra five bucks for your coffee? Yeah, we don’t remember either.
Times have changed – changed to the point that we don’t know what collapsable city maps are anymore. They’ve become mere antiquities. Digital disruptions are very real, and they are constantly evolving. Life seems empty without them and businesses need to stay proactive to keep up, otherwise, things might head South.
Three such disruptors are additive manufacturing or 3D printing, Virtual Reality and Drones.
3D Printing:
Technology has transcended the ordinary and has become a surreal mix of science and futurism. Sure enough, today’s technology is tomorrow’s obsolete design but for now, we are going gaga over this era’s incomparable invention – 3D Printers. Understanding the theory behind 3D printing or ‘additive manufacturing’ is a five-finger-exercise; one must simply type a few digital codes and voila, the printer spits out a three-dimensional object. From drone parts to human organs and everything else in between, the printer can reproduce any three-dimensional object known to man, including food!
Medicine, automation, aerospace and fashion are four of the most successful industries in the country that have discovered the potential of this technology. Additive manufacturing is primarily used in the production of automotive parts such as doors, trunks and car panels that are later assembled together.
Unlike the west, startups operating in the 3D printing space function in two areas – sale of 3D printers and 3D printing as a service. On average, 3D printers are available from Rs. 30,000 and can go up to Rs. 10,00,000 lakhs – depending on if you want to print – a toothpick or a house. Last year, Global 3D Labs launched Pramaan One, ‘India’s largest 3D printer’, which measures a metre on all sides. It can print, and by that we mean, spit out whole furniture, functional robots and other large components at the push of a button.
On one hand, complex surgeries have been made easier but on the other, 3D printers have not yet found their end-consumer usage in India. The problem with 3D printing marketing in India is not the lack of capital investment, but the lack of ‘end product availability’ to consumers, and not just intermediaries. If that application can be derived, there will be healthy growth in investment.
But it looks like investment is burgeoning with IT giants like Hewlett Packard Inc bringing 3D printing technology to India about two years after it launched globally. HP is working with companies like Johnson & Johnson to print 3D parts that can be inserted in the human body—like an artificial hip or a dental implant, and this could potentially revolutionise the consumption of 3D printing technology in the country! Feels like we are stuck in an episode of Black Mirror, right?
Virtual Reality:
You are standing inside a hot air balloon, and it’s going to pop any minute now. Or, imagine standing on a bridge that is 500-metres above a water body, swaying like a pendulum. How do you cross it? Even if you know that you are only standing on a plank with your VR glasses on, you will feel like you are a part of the game, both physically and mentally.
Apart from Entertainment, the healthcare industry has been making prodigious use of technology. The virtual models help both experienced and new surgeons to choose the safest and most efficient way to locate tumours, place surgical incisions and practice difficult procedures that buy them time. But unfortunately for India, the healthcare industry hasn’t caught up with this new technology yet.
But most interestingly, beyond movies and games, this technology is coming in handy for those employed in the Handicrafts industry. Recently, The Hindu reported that Poompuhar, the retail arm of Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation, has plans to develop a virtual reality tool at the Chennai airport. Essentially, it would only be an empty room in the airport lounge. But donning a pair of VR glasses, you will see the most beautiful craft hub come to life. You can even virtually examine the products before buying them!
Few years down the line, grocery stores will have empty aisles, and libraries will have desolate racks. This might paint a depressing picture, but all tech specialists seem to believe that Virtual reality is our future.
Drones:
Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones as they are popularly called, are unmanned aircraft that have assumed a cardinal position in not just military, but also in maritime, marketing, real estate, insurance, utilities, mining, meteorology, education, and much more. Marketing? Yeah, with drones, telemarketers can waltz into your houses, drop those encyclopedic tomes, and make you run like hit-sprayed roaches if you don’t pay. That’s an exaggeration but we are inching closer to that.
Sixteen years ago, when UAVs were first introduced to the CIA, they were used for targeted killing in Afghanistan. But since then, their applications have expanded to surveillance, delivery, photography and crowd-control.
Despite stringent laws in place, drones fitted with cameras are also being widely used by television channels to cover large gatherings and other political events. The devices are frequently used for video coverage of marriages and in temple festivals. In the weddings, drones are used by videographers to capture visuals of guests arriving and then to pan the camera to other points such as the wedding hall and dais.
Next time there’s a drone buzzing at a wedding banquet, we have two words for you – Run Away. It could have the most embarrassing footage of you trying to fit two pani puris in your mouth, all without authorization.
While it is too early to assess the impact caused by the pandemic Covid 19, there are signs that it will permanently change the way we function, whether it is our personal lives or how we discharge our professional responsibilities. As one expert commented, “COVID-19 will leave an enormous impact on how we consume, how we learn, how we work, and how we socialize and communicate.”
Faced with an unprecedented crisis and a month-long lockdown, for an educational institution like KCG College of Technology, the immediate priority was to support our students who were cut away from the campus and isolated in their homes. It was crucial that we offer academic support as well as inspire the students to keep physically and mentally fit. Dr. Maria van Kerhkove of WHO said “There’s no lockdown on laughter; there’s no lockdown on talking to your family and finding ways to connect.” To take that one step further, we decided there is no lockdown on connecting with students and colleagues online while ensuring that everyone stayed safe. KCG College of Technology rose to the challenge by immediately adopting a number of well thought out strategies.
Creating Digital Content
Academic support was the first challenge, as students were confined to their homes with only phones and computers to connect with each other. Digital content and streaming online was clearly the way forward. Through Google Classrooms and Edmodo, students were given access to their course materials and assignments. Videos on topics mandated by the curriculum and regular quizzes provided intellectual stimulation and ensured interest in studies. Online workshops were meticulously planned and offered on mobile app development, web apps, programming, and innovation. The College also signed up with Coursera for 2000 licenses (https://www.coursera.org/) and both faculty and students were given individual licenses to do certification courses of various Top Foreign Universities and Industries. Various other Certificate Courses offered by Tata Steel (http://www.capabilitydevelopment.org/) and other Industries, IITs, MHRD-MIC (https://www.mic.gov.in/iflts_upcoming.php) and NPTEL (https://nptel.ac.in/) ensured that faculty and students would use the lockdown to learn new skills.
Many of our alumni studying abroad managed to return but we still had alumni stuck in UK, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Netherlands, Australia, and different parts of US. The college reached out to them and it was reassuring to know that they were safe. Alumni also came forward to take short webinars for current students as part of Digital Series 2020 on their area of expertise, ranging from CAD and CATIA to Artificial Intelligence (https://kcgcollege.ac.in/about/digital_series/).
Ensuring Inclusivity
One of the very real issues when shifting to digital content is that those who are disadvantaged or settled in remote rural areas are likely to have less internet connectivity, leaving them ill-informed and vulnerable. These students might find themselves unable to participate in online courses. Every faculty took it upon themselves to ensure that no one was left out, that every student had access to the materials being posted online. The students were called personally, and enquired regarding their general well-being. After understanding the network issues, they were facing, classmates as well as system admins from the campus helped the students access the material. Where necessary, parents were contacted and their cooperation sought to make the online teaching-learning process an inclusive one.
Contributing to Society
Mentored by their professors, students came forward to help society fight the pandemic. When Dr Vijaykumar MS State Coordinator, IMA COVID Task Force, Tamil Nadu, spoke about the shortage of ventilation units, Mr K Balasubramaniyan, a first-year mechanical student, based on the doctor’s inputs developed an automatic, portable and affordable ventilation unit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwWA-AJ1bNg). also, Mr Lekhraj Kashyap and Mr Rudraksh Chandra Mukut, final year Computer Science & Engineering students developed a website (https://covid19live.today/) to provide live reports of the current situation. When Satyamangalam Corporation expressed their difficulty in making people realize the importance of safety measures, a third-year computer science student created an animated video with appealing graphics, explaining how people can stay safe and healthy. The Aeronautical Department provided drones made by them, to help crowd monitoring. Meanwhile, the Hindustan Management also came forward to help those in need with cash and provisions, even as every faculty moved by the plight of those struggling to make ends meet, contributed one day’s salary to the Prime Ministers fund.
Keeping Morale High
The other primary concern was the mental health and emotional well-being of our students. A situation like this was bound to create stress and anxiety, with endless questions and worries about infection and death. Students were advised to take care of their health by doing regular exercise, yoga, meditation, listening to music, helping parents at home in household chores, interacting with family members, talking to friends and relatives over phone, playing indoor games, and other recreational activities, indulging in some screen time, eating limited and nutritious food to avoid weight gain, sleeping well and following a structured routine to stay healthy throughout the lockdown. The contact number of the Student Counsellor was shared with them, so that they could contact her if they felt stressed or anxious. The hostel has been kept open to accommodate students whose parents did not want their children travelling when lockdown started. With nutritious food, outdoor games like football, cricket and volleyball, indoor games like chess and carroms, workouts in the well-equipped gym, the students keep their morale high.
Together, we shall not only survive but thrive. Once the pandemic passes, we will join hands to rebuild our society and economy with renewed vigour and commitment.
Authored by: Dr Anita Manuel, Dean – Student Affairs
What is this Smart India Hackathon?
Smart India Hackathon 2020 is a nationwide initiative from the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) where they provide college students a platform to solve some of the pressing problems we face in our daily life. This, in turn, encourages innovation, and the ability to think outside the box to solve problems/cases. The last held SIH event saw over 5 million students from various colleges [across 65 locations] and they competed for the top prize.
The 1st edition of SIH was in 2017 and since then it has been growing in number and popularity, giving students the opportunity to expand their horizon while working on challenges faced within various departments, ministries, industries, PSUs and NGOs. This is also a good place for Corporates and businesses to seek out the smartest and best minds from across the country and hire them.
It helps,
For more information on SIH 2020, visit their website and their Facebook page
Round up – Internal Hackathon for Smart India Hackathon [SIH] 2020
The event like every other requires quite a lot of prep work. Here too, the initial registration, assessment sessions began a good few weeks ahead. An initial round of evaluation of the problem statements and ideas and mentoring of the 52 teams took place on the 7th and 10th Jan. Mr. Dorai Thodla, our college mentor met all the teams and guided them accordingly for the event. It was only after the screening was the date of the main event finalized to be 20th January.
The highlight of the event was that the participants were given the CISCO & DEVNET platforms to work on and come up with creative solutions to the problems assigned to them. We are grateful to these two companies for extending their support and the giveaways as well.
The Internal Hackathon held at KCG College saw 43 teams participated on the day. There was a Jury panel consisting of 6 members who were industry experts across fields. They were given the task of evaluating and assessing the ideas and prototypes presented by the participating teams. It was fascinating watching the judges talk to all the teams, spend time understanding their ideas, learning about how their thought process works and sharing their knowledge as well. They took their time with the 20 plus teams and spent over 4 hours in all…
For better or worse, Learning is part of College life. Becoming an effective and efficient student is not something that happens overnight. It requires patience, practice, trial and error. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. Read on to learn how you can use the Leitner system to memorise things quickly.
Why Leitner System?
Can you remember every single fact you’ve read in a textbook? Probably not! That’s because when we read through something passively, our brains are not forced to think. But, when we have to answer questions, our brains are triggered to take action. By using Leitner system, our brains are constantly stimulated to actively recall information so that it is stored in our memories more effectively and for a longer time.
What is Leitner System?
Leitner system was created by German Science Journalist Sebastin Leitner. It uses a number of boxes to track when you need to study each flashcard. FlashCards and the Leitner system are a fantastic tool for memorising and drilling facts.
Anything that can be studied in a “Question & Answer” format can be turned into flashcards and also things like short definition, scientific symbols, data, math formulae, and other facts.
What are Flash Cards?
A flashcard is a piece of card with a cue on the front and the answer on the back. The cue can be a question, a single word or a picture. Electronic flashcards can also have sound or video cues.
When you review your flashcards, you will take one card at a time, look at the cue and try to answer it as quickly as possible without checking the answer at the back and moving on to the next card. Flashcard helps you to practice the same information over and over again – Practice makes a man perfect!
Tips for making Flash Card
Use the following links to make flashcards
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.wikihow.com/Make-Flash-Cards%3famp=1
https://blog.fluent-forever.com/gallery/
https://youtu.be/WGvO98aAcU4
Spaced Repetition – Powerful Tool
There are only 24 hours in a day; naturally, you’d like to use it as much as possible. Amidst other commitments and duties assigned, you need to find a method that lets’s spend less time learning but in an effective way. Here is the solution “space out your studying”. By assigning regular time intervals between your study sessions, you can remember more even if you spend a few hours studying. This is called Spaced Repetition. Research shows that the best time to relearn something that is learned is just before you are about to forget it. Spaced Repetition tries to bring out a solution for the problem of forgetting. It is the most powerful technique in practice for improving one’s brain’s ability to recall what is studied.
In short, Spaced Repetition = Testing + Timing
A simple way to do spaced repetition is to use flashcards organised into a box. Set up schedules for each box. If you answer the card correctly you move the card to the next box, i.e., you put it into the section that you will revisit less frequently in the future. Otherwise, you move the card into the section scheduled for frequent visits.
The system operates on 3 rules
Rule 1: Every card starts out in Box 1
Rule 2: If you get a card right, move the cards to the next box
Rule 3: If you get the card wrong, move it down a box – Box 1
Here is how you do it: [ A simple example using 3 Boxes]
Day 1
Put all your cards in Box 1 and review them. If you get a right answer, move the card to Box 1 and if wrong then it stays in Box 1
Day 2
Review Box 1 [ as on Day 1, move right cards to Box 2 and wrong in Box 1]
Day 3
Review Box 1
Review Box 2: If you can answer move the card to Box 3 and if you cannot collect the answer move the card to Box 1
Day 4
Review Box 3: If you get a card right, it can leave the box. If you get it wrong move it back to Box 1
Day 5
Review Box 1 and Box 2
Day 6
Day 7
Review Box1, Box2, and Box3
Day 8-13
Repeat Days 2-7
Once all your cards have left Box 1, your studying is done.
Study smart, not hard.
The way you study can make or break your success at School/College/Universities. By implementing this method of learning, you can study smart instead of wasting countless hours of your valuable time. This helps you to save a lot of time that would have been lost with unfocused attempts of studying hard. Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays younger. Let’s remain young forever by learning.
By Ms.P.Tephilla Joice, Assistant Professor (Mathematics)
Follow her @KCGSH2
