GetMyUni's Verdict on Anna University

Parvathy Krishnakumar

“Anna University, located in Chennai, India, is a renowned university known for its diverse range of Engineering and Technology programs. With a strong emphasis on quality education and research, it's a hub for students aspiring to excel in these fields.”

Anna University was established to consolidate the Engineering colleges across Tamil Nadu. The main university campus is situated in Chennai, which comprises the four primary colleges for Engineering and Architecture. As these colleges were founded decades ago, the overall academics and pedagogy are decent, with a legacy of cultivating renowned professionals in the field. 

In spite of the legacy, students who graduated from the university in recent years have criticized the university for including an outdated syllabus, which does not include the current developments and innovations in the field. This makes it difficult for students to find jobs and pursue a good career in the field due to the lack of updated information and knowledge.

Regarded as one of the best universities in the country, pursuing Engineering courses at the main campus is worthwhile, whereas the quality of education at the affiliated colleges varies. 

The university is a good option for those students who are determined to study on their own and create a successful career, as the teachers at the university are least bothered to spend time helping students understand the syllabus. They treat all the students the same and are just concerned about finishing the portions on time.

An Extensive Array of Engineering Programs

As mentioned earlier, most of the Engineering colleges in the state come under Anna University, which offers a wide range of specializations in Engineering programs. The university has a better curriculum, research facilities, and overall academic approach when compared to other universities. The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in the field of Engineering. 

The most popular course at the university is the Sandwich course, which is a 5-year Bachelor of Engineering course that emphasizes practical learning rather than theory. Over 500 Engineering colleges are affiliated with the university in the state of Tamil Nadu, and hence, the university is in charge of conducting exams, issuing certificates, and preparing the curriculum. 

The four primary colleges that constitute the main university in Chennai are as follows.

• College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG)
• Madras Institute of Technology, Chromepet (MIT)
• A.C. College of Engineering and Technology, Guindy (A.C. Tech)
• School of Architecture and Planning, Guindy (SAP).

Around 33 technical and non-technical departments are available in the university, which consists of Engineering, Technology, and Science programs, as well as Architecture and Management programs. 

The widely accepted program available at Anna University is B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering, as the university has one of the best departments in the country, well-equipped with excellent faculty and a structured course curriculum.

The tuition fees for the courses offered by Anna University are extremely affordable. The average fees for B.E, B.Tech, and B.Arch programs are INR 1,71,000, INR 2,20,000 and INR 4,35,000, respectively. At the same time, the fees for master’s programs range from INR 93,000 to INR 1,23,000. To ensure all deserving students have access to quality education, the university also offers several scholarships to students based on their merit and other eligibilities.

Experienced Professors and Effective Teaching

As many of the professors in the colleges under the university have been teaching for years before the centralization, the professors are highly qualified and well-experienced in their domains. Even though the teaching is good, they do not spoon-feed the students, and therefore, it is completely up to the students to learn and score good marks in the exams. 

A major drawback that the past year's students have pointed out is that the syllabus is mostly outdated and does not include any relevant topics that can help them get in touch with current industrial developments.

The teachers are dedicated to explaining the concepts well by engaging the students with interactive classes through presentations, seminars, and workshops. They ensure the students gain sufficient knowledge and information related to the subjects. 

Besides the syllabus being outdated, the course curriculum is well-structured, and the management of the university has taken measures to include more important topics and electives in the syllabus. Additionally, the professors are friendly and easily approachable for the students to clarify doubts and learn more concepts of their interest.

However, the teaching quality in other colleges under the university varies, but as the university has a certain reputation, graduating from these colleges will only be beneficial to the students.

Infrastructure: Room for Improvement in an Otherwise Decent Setup

According to the students, the university provides adequate facilities and a good infrastructure for the kind of fees they charge. However, the infrastructure requires improvement, considering the reputation of the university.

As the four primary colleges in the main location of the university were established long back, the infrastructure for these colleges is a good mix of traditional architecture and modern facilities. The lush green campus of the university has WiFi connectivity and old-fashioned classrooms with audio-visual equipment to facilitate interactive learning sessions.

The College of Engineering (CEG) and Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) have the best laboratories for all departments with updated instruments and devices to ensure the students have a wholesome practical learning experience. The laboratories are also well-staffed to assist students with their experiments. 

Another notable feature of the university is its facilities for research students. The university has collaborated with top companies and organizations to provide the required atmosphere for the students for their skill development and to nourish their innovations. 

The four colleges have separate extensive libraries, which are well-stocked with the best books for reference and gaining knowledge in their respective fields as well as for improving their general knowledge. The libraries have ample seating areas to accommodate a maximum number of students and professors, which the students use to read and prepare for their exams.

Modern technology and software are installed in these libraries to make it easy for students to search, lend, and return books. The libraries also have electronic resources and databases which can be accessed by the students from anywhere.

The university gives great importance to sports and, therefore, has a separate building, which is managed by the Anna University Sports Board, consisting of faculty and student representatives. Students interested in sports have all the necessary facilities to indulge in the games of their choice while completing their courses.

The colleges have different canteen and cafeterias spread across the campus that serve a variety of food and beverages and have spacious seating arrangements where students can hang out with friends after a long day of classes. These spaces are the primary hangout spots for the students of the university.

Although the university colleges have great infrastructure, students have pointed out that the classrooms and certain facilities are outdated, as these colleges were built years ago. The university is expected to maintain the features and keep them updated.

Memorable Hostel Life

The university provides housing facilities separately for the students belonging to CEG and MIT. CEG has around 14 boys hostels and 8 girls hostels, which are well-furnished with all the necessary amenities provided. Although the hostels are comparatively older and the facilities are quite dated, the overall experience of living here makes it worthwhile. As a lot of students from outside the state are part of the university, the hostels have a diverse crowd where the past years’ graduates have created most of their valuable memories.

The first-year students are allotted rooms with 4 beds and have common bathroom facilities. For the second and third-year students, the hostel will be changed with more spacious rooms and facilities. By the final year, the students can opt for single rooms or double occupancy rooms depending on the block they are allocated in.

Separate international hostels are available to make it easy for international students to settle in, which are considered to be the best among the government colleges of the country. All rooms in these hostels are well-facilitated with air-conditioning, geysers, microwave ovens, and fridges.

Students have access to laundry facilities as well. However, there have been instances where the management admitted non-NRI students to these international hostels solely for money, hence leaving no room for international students.

Timely meals are served through clean mess and have separate dining areas for senior and junior students. Although the food is prepared hygienically, the students take time to get adjusted to the cuisines as it may be new to students from other states. There are separate mess facilities for students who opt for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

The mess charges are included in the monthly hostel fee, which ranges from INR 3000 to INR 22,000 based on the hostel and rooms. Several facilities, such as laundry services, T.V. facilities, a library, a Badminton court, and medical services, are available for the hostelers. 

In addition to the on-campus hostels, students can stay at the private hostels available outside the college premises which have nominal rents. As most of the hostel allotment is done on a first-come-first-serve basis, some students choose to stay at these hostels, which provide all the necessary facilities, including food.

The rules and regulations set for the hostels are lenient, but there is a strict curfew that must be followed. The safety of the students is assured with separate wardens and security personnel for each hostel.

Culturally Diverse and Academically Engaging Campus Life

More than 90% of the students are from the state, hence making Tamil the widely-spoken language on campus. Nonetheless, several students from other parts of the country are part of the university, which makes it a diverse campus. Students from South India, especially from Kerala, find it easy to adapt to the language, while it may be difficult for North Indian students to blend in. 

Another interesting factor about studying at the university is that all students have the freedom to move around and engage in extracurricular activities. There are multiple clubs and associations in the university where students can pursue their interests, be it cultural activities, sports, or technology.

The clubs also conduct academic-related events, such as workshops, seminars, etc., where students have the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and gain perspectives on the professions they intend to pursue.

Most of the cultural events and fests are organized by the university, which is widely famous for its standards. International tech events are conducted every year, with more than 600 students working together for the success of these events. Such fests help in the overall development of the skills and talents of the students.

As mentioned earlier, the university has an active sports committee that organizes several competitions and tournaments throughout the year. Apart from the facilities available on campus, as the university is located in the prime area of Chennai, there are several places for the students to hang out and spend time during the weekends. 

The best thing about studying at the university, according to the graduates, is the connections and contacts created here. The relationships created with the senior students and alums members are highly beneficial for the fresh graduates as many of their seniors are in top positions at reputed companies and organizations.

Diversity on Campus

The male-to-female ratio in the student crowd in the university is proportional to the number of female students in certain courses and vice versa. Equal opportunities are provided to all, irrespective of their gender and background. The cultural diversity on campus also gives students exposure to the different languages and cultures across the country.

Dress Code

The university does not have a uniform for the students but has a specific dress code that must be followed. Boys are expected to wear self-colored pants and tuck in their shirts. They can wear any shoes, except for sports shoes and slippers. Girls have a strict dress code, as they can only wear salwar suits with pinned shawls. 

Top Notch Placement Records

As the university has a legacy of cultivating highly educated and qualified graduates, prestigious companies and organizations across the globe hire several students from the university every year. However, getting placed by the companies is totally dependent on the caliber of the students, their performance in the exams, and their skills. Certain departments, such as the Computer Science and Information Technology departments, have consistently managed to have a 100% placement rate for years.

Even though some staff members are lazy, most of them provide assistance and guidance to the students to perform well in the placement drives, which can help them get recruited by the top companies. The placement opportunities for some departments are better than the others. Over 100 companies participate in the placement drives conducted by the university. The drives for CEG and MIT colleges are combined, hence making it more competitive.

It must be noted that being part of the university does not guarantee a job. Students are advised to participate in academic activities, sharpen their skills, and develop contacts with seniors who are in high positions in good companies. The top recruiters who participate in the placement drives held at the university regularly are as follows.

• Amazon
• Microsoft
• Visa
• Fidelity
• Citicorp.

According to the previous years’ placement records, the highest salary package offered to the students was INR 36.50 LPA, and the average package was INR 9.6 LPA. Students must score a minimum GPA of 7 to participate in the placement drives.

Conclusive Assessment of Anna University

In general, being part of Anna University has more benefits than drawbacks. As it is one of the most reputed government universities in the country, the academic curriculum, professors, facilities, and placement opportunities offered by the university are top-notch. The university also has a long, illustrious list of alums who have outstanding achievements. 

Although there were issues among the students due to the outdated syllabus, the university has made the necessary changes over the years. The pros and cons of studying at Anna University are tabulated below for quick reference.

*Source: annauniv.edu