Being an Engineer- The Indian Version

Disclaimer: The stats and numbers posted here are completely made up by me. There is no source to verify these.

This post is going to be exactly what you think. Many before me have forayed into this area and done a better job than what I will do. Idea for this came to me a few days back when I saw a post on facebook which said ‘In India we first become an engineer and then decide what we want to do in life’. This actually was one of the most honest posts to have been put up. Outside India (by that I mean USA and other western countries and not any of our immediate neighbors), the kids usually get to explore their potential in fields other than academics during their school years only. This helps them to decide what field of study to choose and then they go on to make a career in that field. Also we have the arbitrary notion in India to have doctors or engineers in every home that our western peers don’t have. Some will say opportunities are given in India as well, but to them I ask how many actually get to STUDY, and follow their ‘dream’. Now you will say ‘Hmm… so here we have another Indian student who is out, crying about how he did not get to do what he wanted in life, and missed opportunities.’ Well, you are not exactly right. 

For me engineering was something I wanted to do. Science always intrigued me. What I see these days is kids in 6^th Std. are being sent to ‘Early preparation classes’ for IIT, AIEEE, etc.   6^th Std.??  Sorry but I don’t get this. When I was in 6^th Std., I was blissfully unaware of any of these exams. It was in 10^th Std., that too towards its end that I found out about the various competitive exams.  I could never mug up all the names of various body parts and bones, so taking biology was not an option. After deciding on PCM I joined some coaching; tried but failed to crack ‘The Big Ones’. Still, got a decent enough college and now I am nearing the end of my college life- Part I. (I do plan on doing something later which will involve me going back to college).So you see, I decided what to study. I do not have any missed opportunities, just the ones I decided not to choose.

There are some who say they joined engineering because of their parents (read huge parental pressure).  I can’t comment on that. I don’t know what it is. I thank god for that. For giving me the most awesome parents ever. Also there are the ‘Bagal wale X Ji, Y Ji and Z Ji’s who have made more students opt for engineering than maybe Newton or Einstein ever did. Then the other reason we go for engineering is we get at least three options after engineering which according to me doctors or lawyers do not get. First option is, study it for four years, don’t like it or maybe you want more money than what is being offered, go for MBA, and change your line (and fortunes) completely. Or maybe you do like it, do M.Tech and become a lecturer. Or the third is, take placement from college and earn some money before going for the previously mentioned options. There is also another option of doing M.Tech and going for research but it is very very rare these days.     

The four years in engineering colleges have become like a buffer zone. Join B.Tech/B.E and you get time to figure out what you want to do in life. Try out various extracurricular activities like singing, dancing, music, quizzing, acting and what not. Colleges do provide all the necessary matter. Parents are happy that their son/daughter is doing engineering and so are the X Ji, Y Ji and Z Ji’s. So basically life flows smoothly for everyone in those four years. I don’t think today even 40% go for engineering as their career choice. Just to clarify, I am not including TCS, Wipro, Infosys jobs, which 90% of engineers do have after getting their degree. I am talking about the core companies. (CSE people, please bear with me. I know these are your core but this post is by a to-be-EEE engineer) Some people are successful in figuring out what they want to do after the buffer; others just go with the flow, biding their time (kind of like me). Those of you who still have time in the buffer zone, my advice is utilize it well. Now as my buffer zone is nearing its end, I am sitting here at crossroads still trying to finalize what I have to do later in life, praying and hoping with all my trust in god that everything will go smoothly. (I think I have a little idea on what to do but I am not going to post it on a public blog. That is my ‘something to chase’)

You may not completely agree with me, but these are my thoughts. What made you choose engineering or whatever it is you are doing? Do share your opinion. Feedback is always appreciated.