What makes Bengaluru's Christ University India's best Coders' Club
A rigorous all-round focus and an eye on the next big thing in computer applications has stood Christ University in good stead.
As a former student, it was a proud moment for me to see Christ University coming out on top once again as the No. 1 college in the country for a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) degree. If there's one thing the university has taught me, it's that life is filled with opportunities just waiting to be grabbed. The three years I spent in the college not only instilled in me a solid foundation but also equipped me with all the tools one needs to face the challenges life throws at you.
If there was a word to describe the 2014 BCA batch, it would be 'colourful'. We were a talented batch from all over the country, and various other parts of the world as well. In my first year, I was introduced to the world of programming (as well as the world of Christ University). Our lecturers put in a lot of effort at every session to help us understand the fundamentals of their subject. The faculty were all highly approachable and understanding.
College life is not all about academics, so I joined the student welfare office as an anchor for university-level programmes. In fact, my professors encouraged me to participate when I got a chance to be an anchor for 'Inbloom', the national-level intercollegiate fest at Christ University (even though I had to miss a few classes for it).
My second year was quite a challenge as more subjects were added to the syllabus. It included ones from other streams such as Financial Accounting and Technical English. In fact, the university puts a lot of focus on interdisciplinary studies (even psychology), which has made us better prepared for the outside world. And on top of that, as second-year students, we had to take on the responsibility for organising departmental events, which included our very own national-level fest, 'Interface'.
This was an incredible learning opportunity for all of us, as we got to meet students from colleges across India and hone our talents. We also got opportunities to visit colleges within Karnataka as well as outside the state to participate in various IT fests.
As part of the course, we had to dedicate two to four hours a week to working on our own research projects. On a personal level, I felt the third year was the best as we managed to take Interface to a whole new level. I also gained a lot of clarity about career opportunities in this chosen field of mine as well as options for a post-graduate degree thanks to the various placement activities.
Another memorable event I was part of was 'Daksh', the college's career fair. It was a unique experience getting to interact with the pre-degree students and helping them with their career choices. With that, the academic year ended, so after an amazing farewell party thrown by our juniors, my classmates and I bid farewell to B.C.A and Christ University.
Looking back, I realise that I will forever cherish all the wonderful moments I had at Christ University, whether it was eating hot momos in the college cafeteria or once even being reprimanded in the counsellor's office for some mischief mongering. I guess that's the beauty of college life. It stays in your heart forever, long after you've climbed those dizzying ladders of success.
Vishnu Nath was part of the 2014-'17 BCA batch.