Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh (Deemed to be University) started the new academic session with a one-day Orientation Programme held on 31st July, 2018. The event exclusively addressed the incoming M.Tech batch of 2018.
The Orientation Programme is an overview of the facilities and opportunities available to the students. It aims to familiarize the freshers with the functioning of the Institute. Various esteemed speakers, experienced professors and existing students shared their valuable knowledge with the students embarking on this new journey.
Prof. Rintu Khanna, Associate Dean (M.Tech), PEC gave the introductory speech. She shared vital information regarding the structure of the programme and the credits system of the institute. She also highlighted the scholarship available to the students with high GATE scores and explained the rules that should be followed to maintain this scholarship. These rules include the need for above 75% attendance, consistent academic performance and other department-specific guidelines.
The next speaker was Mr. Ramneek Bansal, IIT-B alum, founder (Shakti Technologies, Chennai) and Art of Living teacher. He gave an insightful talk on the soft skills necessary for the students to thrive in the high-pressure environment of higher technical education. He emphasized the importance of laughter, self-care and time-management. Drawing upon his versatile experience as a software consultant and entrepreneur, he requested the students to take an innovative approach to learning to focus on real-world impact and not just academic scores.
Prof. K. K. Garg, Electrical Engineering Department, gave a motivational talk on the key methods to develop a growth mindset and adaptive personality. He mentioned how simple habits can help transform your attitude from fixed to flexible and the benefits of the latter. Furthermore, he shared effective techniques to overcome self-doubt and exhaustion to conquer various obstacles they'll face during their course.
Concluding with an informal interaction with the freshers to eliminate their doubts or concerns, the Orientation Programme successfully met its objective to provide a smooth transition for the students into the new environment of the institute.