The Things To Take To The Exam-Center

Hi MSSS Aspirants,

Having given a mid-semester exam after a gap of 4.5 years, all the memories of the same given during the Engineering degree days came alive. Ah, what were those days!

Last weekend, the same time of writing this article we were giving the exams! A week has passed! 2 hectic days of giving the 4 mid-semester exams, 2 per day, forenoon and afternoon for 2 straight hours! Woah! All that said, enjoyed it!

Few observations were made and a few things which are a must to carry with you on these days are given below:

1. Books for the subjects, whose exams are on the same day:

This proves to be beneficial and also most of us bring them along since as this is an WILP, most of the aspirants of the same batch are oblivious to each others presence. So when they meet, they exchange valuable tips and topics. In the last moments before the exam, much can be learnt!

2. A spoon can save you a lot of trouble:

At most of the exam centres, which are the colleges in the same city, Lunch is served for the aspirants in the premises. Many a times the food is hot, and the spoons are absent and a great discomfort is felt in having the same at a time when the exam is in next few minutes. Carry personal spoons or a couple of disposable plastic spoons. Trust me, a spoon can save you a lot of trouble and time.

3. Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink:

The presence of potable water in a personal water bottle can increase your efficiency in the exam hall and will comfort you during writing those lengthy answers.

4. Chewing gum is a great stress buster:

Carry a strip of chewing gum, just in case, the things get tense and you need to vent it out.

5. Headphones and a music player:

Last 30 minutes before the exam starts and you need to concentrate but that person by your side is busy discussing matters with others. Who will save you? Yes, your music player and your headphones. They will insulate you from the noise from the surroundings.

6. Pens on which you can trust:

Guys, do not bring the new-new pens to the exam. It is a fact that a pen(a specific brand and model) which has been used before for sometime will help you write faster and with better grip.

7. A Scale can scale heights for you:

Bring a scale. It can do wonders for you! It can make the answer sheet beautiful and compensate for the dirt you have spread in it :) 

Best wishes for the Mains @29-30th October 2011.

First Semester Mid-Semester Halls Tickets Available

Hi MSSS Aspirants,

The First Semester Mid-Semester Halls Tickets are available and the link to download the same has been mailed to the personal e-mail id registered with BITS-Pilani and also at Sandesh email account.
Please check, if not done yet!

Action-Items:
1. Download the Hall-Ticket and take a print-out of the same. It needs to be brought at the venue.
2. Check the venue details.

• If the venue location is in the same city then make yourself knowledgeable of the location. Visit personally before the exam if possible.
• If the venue location is in an another city then make arrangements for the travel in advance. 

3. Make sure that you are aware of the mid-semester syllabus and are not ignoring any topic. Click here for more information. 

4. Check out the previous years paper. On checking the WILP Website we could not find any such link available as of now! Keep on checking the same!!

Best wishes!

Tips To Maximize Study Time

Hi MSSS Aspirants!!

Greetings!!

As we all are aware that we have chosen the lucrative double edged Work Integrated Learning Program (WILP), Master of Science in Software Systems (MSSS), while being an active contributor to the IT industry. Also, at the same time, it is doubly difficult to remain diligent to the study plan and maintain a regular and slow & steady study routine, not being cocooned in the sacrosanct environs of a College and under constant guidance of the Professors and Peers.

So to keep up with the time, running like a bullet train and days converting into months, I have a few suggestions for the upkeep of a healthy study routine without disturbing the usual work routine.

1. Each semester includes 4 subjects. First and foremost, buy the books in the beginning of the the semester. Books provide mobility and enables take-out-and-study irrespective of locale and timings. Do not forget to keep a couple of blank pages in the middle of each of the books which can double as book-mark as well as notes. Carry a book each day while travelling to the work-place. Utilize the time spend in the local-train and bus to study and complete a couple of pages and if time permits (traffic-jams) a chapter all-together. While returning back, revise the same, as the mind will not be as fresh and agile as it was in the morning! Am I not right ;)

2. Buy/Download the PDF versions of the same books and keep a copy of the same in the office Laptop/Desktop! In the mornings and after Lunch hours, make a habit of working out a few problem-statements/Numericals at the back of the chapters! Also use these PDF versions while travelling to home-town or business-travel as it is not advisable to carry the hefty books to these locations!!

3. As it was said that when Arjun (Mahabharat) was told to shoot an arrow in the eye of the Birdie, he successfully did so only because he was focussed and all the other objects surrounding him were out of the context in his thinking. The same applies here too!! While making time for study, keep the objects of house-hold and work-place out of context.

4. Slow and steady wins the race! Be the tortoise and not the rabbit. Instead of planning to study only in the weekends, please make the work-days the warm-up sessions for the weekends!

5. Prioritise the syllabus over the entire content of the books and study-material. Prepare for the syllabus first and if then time permits, increase the knowledge-base by covering the rest of the topics, not in the syllabus!

Best Wishes!!

Email Access And VU Are Active

Hi MSSS Aspirants!

The BITS-Pilani, Sandesh e-mail account and the Virtual University is now active. Please check with your credentials! I hope studies are going good!

Best wishes!

7 Advantages of Work Integrated Learning Programmes

Hi Readers,

We have compiled a list of advantages one receives, while opting for a Work Integrated  Degree from an University instead of a Regular On-Campus Degree. But before that let me define, what is WILP.

WILP: Work Integrated Learning Programs are a set of Education Programmes which are targeted at Working Professionals irrespective of work field and industry. In India a few Universities provide a quality program worth considering. Also at present, Industries are at a ascending curve to recognise these programmes. But as it is undertaken while being at the work location under the direct supervision of the Mentor also at the work location it is well received by the industry and the Employee.

The Advantages:

1. The Work Experience just never stops:
The Person undertakes such endeavours (WILP) while working at full potential at the work place. So one is carrying a double edged Sword! Work Experience just keeps on adding! It just never stops! Learning goes hand in hand!

2. Super-Glued and Well-Connected to the course material:
As the person who takes such endeavours(WILP) is never separated from the industry and the work place, therefore, discovers and invents more number of stronger connections with the course material and implements the knowledge in the personal/academic work as well as at the work place!

3. No On-Campus Recruitment-Ruckus:
There is no denying the fact of On-Campus Professional courses that at least 25-50% of the course duration is spent speculating, dreaming, worrying, fretting, premonition, preparing and polishing oneself for the D-Week when the companies looking for the worthy, to be taken in their organisation, visit the campus. As the person who takes such endeavours(WILP) has never to bother about such frivolous matter as one is in the game already, one remains fully focused for the entirety of the duration of the course. Just Awesome Right Readers!

4. Synchronous Connection with the Industry:

The Person who undertakes such endeavours (WILP) finds more relevance to the Programme curriculum as a member of the Industry and as a functioning cog in the system, well greased and in motion. While it can be said that the On-Campus cohorts are in the shackles of the Campus and its rituals, waiting to be released again to the Industry. The connection whatsoever is faintly established through internships and industrial visits.

5. Living in Reality:
The Person who undertakes such endeavours (WILP) remains in the realms of the constant updation, being active in the industry and its latest trends. It forces the person to ponder upon the real-time cases around him rather than the case-studies only on paper.

6. Pangs of Entrepreneurship:
Ah! the pangs of entrepreneurship, the zest of being the CEO of one's own company! The Person who undertakes such endeavours (WILP) gets the perspective soon enough and may realize or even goes ahead to do so right away! One need not wait for the Campus rituals to come to an end to even step into that world.



7. Panoramic Perspective:
Having being involved in a small segment/domain of the industry and worked initially at the lower rung of the workplace, employees start losing perspective and therefore the danger of stagnation looms over their heads. The syllabus of a WILP brings back the perspective and focus on the industry as a whole rather than mere a job role or a particular technology.

Best Wishes!