The field of engineering is rapidly changing and updating itself to make it companionable with diverse, versatile and constantly changing environment. So every engineer should try to go beyond what is already invented and established. To match the pace with rapidly evolving technologies, engineering students must go beyond the prescribed syllabus and a limited number of textbooks. Also for the betterment of society and for a successful career, they must acquire practical knowledge to perform well in real-world scenarios. The four walls of classroom knowledge definitely not enough to sustain in a life-long career. It assists you to learn the fundamentals of the subject but not teach you everything you may need as an engineer.
Reasons to learn beyond the engineering syllabus:
- Industry Compatible
Every company demands a practical solution and expect the same approach from the candidates. So students should make themselves prepared well not only on an academic level but also suitable for real-world problems. To make themselves industry compatible students should participate in intercollege level competitions, tech fest, apply for internship programs etc. Also, engineering colleges should arrange expert lectures, a paper presentation on advanced technologies in-campus for students to enable them to shine in the competitive industrial environment.
- Technically Proficient
Technical skills are a significant part of the engineering profession. It includes programming skills, the analysis of complex figures or the use of specific tools. With sufficient technical ability, an employee can handle complex role efficiently and confidently and deliver satisfactory results. But with the conventional method of teaching and learning followed in academic curriculum one cannot become versatile and technically proficient. Students should make an extra effort to learn recently developed technologies.
- Encourage entrepreneurship
Learning beyond the academic level also helps to motivate entrepreneurship. Startups or become your own boss is nowadays buzzing trends among youths. But to run your own setup or be a partner in that require decision-making capacity, sound knowledge of niche topics, risk analysis, and other skills which cannot be taught in four walls of the classroom. To acquire these skills to become a successful entrepreneur one must focus on experiments and innovation, participation in the various competition held at a college level. Also, students should actively contribute in, live projects that needed to submit during last year of an engineering curriculum. It gives them an opportunity to promote innovation and apply knowledge aptly.
- Practical Solutions
The practical approach is very essential to analyze and solve a problem in real-world scenarios. In the four-year degree course of engineering, one must learn how to apply theoretical learned concepts practically. They must be able to apply basic science and experimentation skills. For this understand the basics of each and every concept is important. Then try to relate it in actual applications. Study only to excel in results and not able to apply that knowledge then your grades is of no use. Hence one should learn beyond the engineering curriculum to enhance his practical knowledge.
- In-depth Study
In engineering study, every semester students learn approx. 7 to 8 subjects. But in this hustle and examination pressure sometimes they forget to study topics in depth. One must learn the topic through different sources, various theories regarding it to know the concept in depth. Learning beyond topics helps to understand the concept very well, and easy to memorize. Few engineering colleges opt for eLearning, arrange video lectures from experts for students to understand the topics from a different perspective.
Nowadays many engineering colleges encourage students to learn beyond the prescribed syllabus. Most of the autonomous engineering institutes create a special platform to promote innovation, held various competitions, tech events to bring out hidden talent among them. Also, students should take part in various activities of in campus and out campus, inculcate the habit of reading, make participation in healthy discussion, etc. to be compatible in this competitive world.