Common Myths About College & Campus Placements

Common Myths About College & Campus Placements
Common Myths About College & Campus Placements

Introduction

College is undoubtedly the best time of everyone’s life, but it also brings a lot of uncertainty, doubt, and myths. Some of you probably have heard stories online or from friends, family and made assumptions about college life. 

Don’t get upset if some of your assumptions get false. 

It’s time to end the lies and start facing reality. Sadly, but whether you believe it or not, there are hundreds of assumptions lurking around the corners, fooling students from the very beginning. As a result, in this article, we will assist you in clearing all your doubts and myths.


Before proceeding, let’s discuss the categories of college and its role in placements. The colleges in India can be broadly classified into three categories – Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. The table below shows the key differences between each of these categories.

Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3
IITs, IISc, NITs, BITS and other top government colleges like DTU and NSIT come under Tier 1.All the IIITs, some newly established NITs and colleges like IGDTU come under Tier 2.The remaining colleges fall under Tier 3. 
Excellent infrastructure, faculty and resources.Moderate infrastructure, faculty and fewer resources.Medium infrastructure, faculty and fewer resources.
Almost every top tech company recruits significant workforces from these colleges only.A large number of companies appear in placement season in these colleges too.On-campus opportunities are less in comparison to Tier 1 and Tier 2 colleges.
Prestigious alumni base to help students.Good alumni base to help students.Poor alumni network

Congratulations! If you finally got your dream college. However, if not, don’t lose hope. You are going to decide your future in the next 3-4 years. 

Student life is exciting but also full of puzzles and pressures. They get into universities or colleges, choose loans and personal finance strategies, keep studying, and pass homework and exams at all costs.

The more you all try, the more painful it is to hear the rumours and myths about college and campus placements nowadays.

Check out this short video by Parikh Jain, a founding member of Coding Ninjas, to burst more groundless myths and adhere to the facts for doubt-free college life.

Myth: CGPA doesn’t matter at all during the placements.

Truth: “CGPA won the battle, but it is your skills that will win the war.”

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In recruitment processes, CGPA is frequently used as a screening or eligibility factor to lessen the number of applications that must be screened. Unfortunately, due to this procedure, some of the talented and worthy students are left out.

  • If you are someone from a core branch(like mechanical, chemical) and want to be placed in a good core company, then yes, CGPA matters. You need an excellent CGPA of around seven or more to sit in their technical interviews
  •  However, if you don’t have a high CGPA, it’s not the end of the road. Everything boils down to your abilities, projects, and practical knowledge in the end.

Most of the time, the companies that visit campus have CGPA requirements that are often equal to or more than seven in the screening round. Getting rejected in an interview is far better than being listed out in the screening round. So, here’s what we suggest: strive to maintain a decent CGPA from the very beginning because CGPA is in your hand.

Myth: Extra-curricular Activities are just a waste of time in colleges.

Truth: Whether it’s dancing or drama, technical or non-technical, college clubs and societies cover a broad spectrum of interests, allowing you to participate in one or both. One of the most significant benefits of joining a college club is the good impact on both your career and social lives.

We’ll get a more clear-cut idea of this by glancing at a few instances:

  1. Assists in exploring your passion: You can learn about yourself, your potential, and your interest through numerous student clubs such as technical, sporting, and non-technical.
  2. Assists in expanding social possibilities: Being a part of a student organisation provides you with several opportunities to expand your network. You will benefit in the future by meeting new people and growing connections.
  3. Aids in developing teamwork and soft skills: You can learn how to engage with others properly while participating in numerous activities. It helps expand your skills in work ethics, management, communication and improve the ones you currently have.

While you entirely focus on academics, you may get all A’s, but these lectures and assignments will put you under a lot of stress. 

A balanced college experience will help you perform better academically. So take a break from your academics and join one or two clubs that interest you.

Membership in student clubs and communities is also a great way to impress potential employers. Some big product-based companies also offer student ambassador programs to bridge the gap between college students and the industry. For example, Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors, Developer Student Club by Google, AWS Educate by Amazon, GitHub Campus Expert by GitHub, and many more. However, you can choose not to do this if you find it difficult or it causes unnecessary pressure.

Myth: College Projects are not necessary; we can just copy them from the internet.

Truth:  College students have plenty of time to devote to something worthwhile. But, in college, working on projects can give you an edge over your peers. It can be the biggest mistake to think that you can simply copy your project from the internet.

  • Projects are crucial because they allow you to put what you’ve learned so far in your academic career to the test.
  • It also provides an opportunity to study new things that are not covered by the curriculum.

So prepare for the real world, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, and work on maximum projects in college. You need to know that projects play an important role in campus placements as well. Most companies prefer students who have outstanding projects on their resumes, and their interviews also revolve around their projects. For example, Google and Facebook are open source advocates; they prefer applicants who have contributed to open source projects.

Myth: One cannot get a good placement by just 3-4 months of preparation

Truth:   “It is never too late to start.”

One of the most stressful phases of college is campus placements

While most people wait until the very last minute to begin preparing for their preferred company, some begin far earlier. So, starting as early as possible will undoubtedly be a smart move, and small steps toward your goals will prepare you to take that one significant step when the time is perfect. 

We all know the importance of a great resume, so making it isn’t something you can do in a single day. However, starting preparations early will help you fill out your resumes and provide you with more time to do so.

For example, Data structures and Algorithms require four to six months of intense practise and study. On the other hand, because Operating System, DBMS, Computer Networking concepts are part of everyone’s curriculum, they can be covered in as little as 12-15 days. 

So, we recommend that you start preparing for placements as early as possible.

If you need guidance for making a perfect resume refer to Resume Secrets to land a 25-LPA job.

Myth: Top tech companies like Google, Amazon, and others exclusively hire from Tier 1 and Tier 2 colleges.

Truth: This is one of the biggest misconceptions among students, which is a complete fallacy. Even if you graduated from a tier-3 college, you could get into your dream firm if you have the talent and the needed skills. All you need is dedication and perseverance.

Here, see how Coding Ninjas aided in Pareksha’s Preparation, and she bagged offers from three major tech companies despite graduating from a Tier 3 college.

The list of tier 3 students who have landed jobs at top product-based companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Adobe, etc., is long enough; you can read more about such Interview-Experiences on CodeStudio. It is designed by skilled programmers to help students by providing blogs, hassle-free online courses, mentor support, and everything they need to become a perfect candidate for their dream company.

Myth: You need to have all of the correct answers prepared during technical interviews.

Truth: Don’t just say what you believe your interviewer wants to hear while answering questions. Answer truthfully. Interviewers typically ask questions to learn more about how you think and work.

An interview isn’t a test of perfection. Instead, it’s to test your skills and personality. So, be honest, and remember to include both facts and your attitude and point of view.

The preceding are some of the most important aspects of a technical interview:

  • The amount of your technical knowledge will be the first thing they evaluate. 
  • Technical interviews test the knowledge foundations, understanding, and interest in various technologies and the industry required to thrive in the job. 
  • They may also assess your ability to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios.
  • They’re not only looking for the correct answer but also how you got there. 
  • They could be putting your reasoning and analytical abilities to the test, as well as your capability to think laterally and imaginatively.

A concise representation of all the myths we have debunked so far is shown below:

Above all, “Success is a Student-dependent entity rather than a College-dependent entity.”

So, if you’ve worked hard for your placements and have the necessary skill set, you’ll end up getting a good job.

Hacks For Preparing For Off-Campus Placements

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get a good placement in college?

Starting preparations early and having a great skill set will help you get a good placement in college.

How do you crack a college placement?

Make a list of all the companies coming in for placements, research their exam patterns, and prepare accordingly. Also, prepare for aptitude exams as well.

Is campus placement easy?

Yes, Campus placements are easier than off-campus placements because there is less competition on campus.

Is on-campus placement difficult?

If you are well-prepared, nothing is complicated. On-campus placements are comparatively easy.

Which is better, off-campus or on campus?

If your college provides better opportunities, then nothing is better than on-campus placements.

Can I get an off-campus placement?

Yes, definitely, you can get an off-campus placement. All you have to do is directly send job applications to the companies that you wish to join.

Key Takeaways

We’ve attempted to clarify some common misconceptions regarding college and placements through this article. We’ve highlighted the college’s role in campus placements, addressed the significance of CGPA, extracurricular activities, and the value of doing projects in college.

Finally, we also endeavored the benefits of being honest in interviews. 

By Vaishnavi Pandey