It is August 2015 and I have graduated as a part of the first batch of the Bachelor of Science (now I must also add the suffix "research", owing to a recent change from the University Grants Commission) program of Indian Institute of Science.
(By the way, I am further special, as I was the first person in my batch to register on the day of admission and also the first person in my batch to sign my no dues certificate and permanently leave the campus.)
And indeed, this is my last and longest post, after which this blog will rest in peace forever. My target audience for this post are students who are deciding between IISc and other colleges/universities in the country, along with other people who are curious to know more about the IISc undergraduate program and how it has been for the first batch.
Throughout this post, I will try to outline various aspects of the program from a factual and neutral standpoint through my experience, which may be relevant to the reader. I apologize for any bias present in this post. Criticism/comments and further questions are always welcome at prannerta100@gmail.com.
Preliminary information about the B.Sc. (research) program at IISc, Bengaluru:
In 2011, IISc started a 4-year undergraduate program in sciences. Students in this program study introductory physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology and engineering (1 course per semester, no choices between courses) for the first 3 semesters with 2 additional introductory courses in environmental science and materials. From the fourth semester, they branch off to 6 possible majors- physics (highly preferred), biology (highly preferred), materials (highly preferred), chemistry (nobody gives them a cookie; they have got less than 12 students per batch consistently), environmental science (3-4 students per batch, even when this has the most research money of all) and mathematics (approximately 15 per batch). Your major subject is independent of your 12th standard/HSC/PUC background. That is, a Physics, Chemistry, Math (PCM) student can go on to have biology as a major.
From the 5th semester, students mostly take Masters/PhD level courses till the 6th/7th semester (please don't get scared/excited; they are not that challenging), when one is generally busy with course requirements. There is a final year research project, which has to be submitted by the end of the 8th semester. Before the 7th semester, research is usually restricted to summer (May, June and July, when there are no classes), except for highly motivated students who manage to do research even during semesters.
Post-climax (for people who will genuinely love the campus): Students can now stay on for an extra year and get an integrated M.Sc. in their respective undergraduate major, by doing an additional research project and some more courses.
Between the 4th and 8th semesters, students must complete at least 12-13 courses in their major subject, 3-4 courses in engineering and 5-6 other courses [in a particular subject, to get a minor* in that subject; otherwise any 5 science/engineering courses, if you don't want a minor].
There is an immense wealth of further information at www.iisc.ernet.in/ug.
*: minor can only be within the 6 disciplines offered as majors; you can have more than 1 minor, provided you fulfill requirements for each subject
THINGS THAT MATTER:
A few, "WinZip-compressed" words about IISc:
IISc is more than 100 years old now, and is a government-funded research institution for science and engineering. As the associate director of IISc put it once, "you find only science and fresh air in IISc". Great scientists like Prof. Satish Dhawan, Sir C.V. Raman, Dr. Homi Bhabha, etc. have been associated with IISc in the past. The variety of research in IISc is unparalleled in the country and undergraduate students study, live and work with Masters and PhD students. The average size of an incoming class of undergraduates is roughly 110. The campus is located in north Bengaluru, and has a dense vegetation cover throughout.
Course Flexibility:
As mentioned earlier, IISc has a wide variety in research, which also shows up in the courses offered. From your fourth semester, you are free to choose any course from any department, as long as it is listed (or can be listed, after some pleading with the administration) towards your major/minor/engineering course credits. You are urged to look up the full IISc course list (not including UG courses) at http://cts.iisc.ernet.in/Academic/SOI_2015-16.pdf.
Facilities:
The undergraduate teaching laboratories are well-equipped with ultramodern equipment (with net costs running into tens of crores). In some of my laboratory courses, even scotch tapes looked imported! These facilities provide ample opportunities for playing around and deepen one's understanding of scientific concepts.
Research:
Given the multitude of projects going on in the campus, there are abundant opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in research. Some of my undergraduate friends had already published research papers by the ends of their second years. The research laboratories at IISc are generally prompt in assimilating undergraduate students into their projects. From my observations, as a significant number of school students (I was one of them) misconstrue their notions of research, I feel that it may help to know descriptions of a few research projects and how they are executed, before judging about one's interest in research.
Who teaches?
I have noticed a common misconception among some people who think that IISc undergraduate courses are taught by new, "junior" faculties at IISc, and not by the experienced, "star" scientists of the country. I firmly assert that even the first year physics course is taught by some of the most experienced and senior faculties, with the highest level of dedication. If you don't believe me, you can check the undergraduate courses' list to your personal satisfaction.
IISc v/s IITs, etc.
This question may be the only reason why some people are browsing through my blabber. I wish I were experienced enough to answer that question! One way to proceed in answering this is to look at the websites and find out more about professors, research, courses, opportunities, projects, etc. You can also mail professors and students and ask them their advice.
Placements:
If you are reading this section intently as a prospective student, you should better reconsider your choice of IISc. This course is primarily aimed at students who don't wish to seek employment right after graduation, and sincerely want to do research for a significant amount of time after B.Sc. While there are "placement seasons" at IISc, they would demoralize anybody if one were to describe the kind of companies that come and the "handsome" (yes, I am being sarcastic) salaries they offer. I have seen friends undergoing immense turmoil because of this. A glaring reason for this is the general disrespect for "B.Sc." in our country (I have relatives who still rebuke me for doing a B.Sc. When I travel in trains, I regularly find an "Uncle X" who asks me about my current course of study, and gives me a pale, demeaning look when I say "B.Sc.". Bangalore has a lot of "self-financed" colleges, so the fact that I am studying in Bangalore should be relegating me to the lowest echelons of mediocrity [I hope they don't think that I bribed somebody heavily to do a B.Sc., having failed the 12th Standard board exam!]).
THINGS THAT MATTER EVEN MORE (why didn't I write this before?):
Life outside classes, research, labs: It can be easily concluded that IISc is not even half as vibrant as an engineering college, because of its small size and majority of PhD students. Even then, we have an annual festival "Pravega" (www.pravega.org) running successfully for the past 2 years. Undergraduates play sports, participate in tons of activities like theater, dance, martial arts, etc. and chill out with outdoor trips, treks, etc., just like normal engineering students.
In conclusion, I would say that joining IISc requires a firm level of determination to do research and not care about a job right after graduation. (To the prospective student) If you can submit with a weak smile at "Uncle X" and remain interested in research even after graduation, then I hope that my aforementioned prolixity will help you take an informed decision about joining a unique institution like IISc.
(By the way, I am further special, as I was the first person in my batch to register on the day of admission and also the first person in my batch to sign my no dues certificate and permanently leave the campus.)
And indeed, this is my last and longest post, after which this blog will rest in peace forever. My target audience for this post are students who are deciding between IISc and other colleges/universities in the country, along with other people who are curious to know more about the IISc undergraduate program and how it has been for the first batch.
Throughout this post, I will try to outline various aspects of the program from a factual and neutral standpoint through my experience, which may be relevant to the reader. I apologize for any bias present in this post. Criticism/comments and further questions are always welcome at prannerta100@gmail.com.
Preliminary information about the B.Sc. (research) program at IISc, Bengaluru:
In 2011, IISc started a 4-year undergraduate program in sciences. Students in this program study introductory physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology and engineering (1 course per semester, no choices between courses) for the first 3 semesters with 2 additional introductory courses in environmental science and materials. From the fourth semester, they branch off to 6 possible majors- physics (highly preferred), biology (highly preferred), materials (highly preferred), chemistry (nobody gives them a cookie; they have got less than 12 students per batch consistently), environmental science (3-4 students per batch, even when this has the most research money of all) and mathematics (approximately 15 per batch). Your major subject is independent of your 12th standard/HSC/PUC background. That is, a Physics, Chemistry, Math (PCM) student can go on to have biology as a major.
From the 5th semester, students mostly take Masters/PhD level courses till the 6th/7th semester (please don't get scared/excited; they are not that challenging), when one is generally busy with course requirements. There is a final year research project, which has to be submitted by the end of the 8th semester. Before the 7th semester, research is usually restricted to summer (May, June and July, when there are no classes), except for highly motivated students who manage to do research even during semesters.
Post-climax (for people who will genuinely love the campus): Students can now stay on for an extra year and get an integrated M.Sc. in their respective undergraduate major, by doing an additional research project and some more courses.
Between the 4th and 8th semesters, students must complete at least 12-13 courses in their major subject, 3-4 courses in engineering and 5-6 other courses [in a particular subject, to get a minor* in that subject; otherwise any 5 science/engineering courses, if you don't want a minor].
There is an immense wealth of further information at www.iisc.ernet.in/ug.
*: minor can only be within the 6 disciplines offered as majors; you can have more than 1 minor, provided you fulfill requirements for each subject
THINGS THAT MATTER:
A few, "WinZip-compressed" words about IISc:
IISc is more than 100 years old now, and is a government-funded research institution for science and engineering. As the associate director of IISc put it once, "you find only science and fresh air in IISc". Great scientists like Prof. Satish Dhawan, Sir C.V. Raman, Dr. Homi Bhabha, etc. have been associated with IISc in the past. The variety of research in IISc is unparalleled in the country and undergraduate students study, live and work with Masters and PhD students. The average size of an incoming class of undergraduates is roughly 110. The campus is located in north Bengaluru, and has a dense vegetation cover throughout.
Course Flexibility:
As mentioned earlier, IISc has a wide variety in research, which also shows up in the courses offered. From your fourth semester, you are free to choose any course from any department, as long as it is listed (or can be listed, after some pleading with the administration) towards your major/minor/engineering course credits. You are urged to look up the full IISc course list (not including UG courses) at http://cts.iisc.ernet.in/Academic/SOI_2015-16.pdf.
Facilities:
The undergraduate teaching laboratories are well-equipped with ultramodern equipment (with net costs running into tens of crores). In some of my laboratory courses, even scotch tapes looked imported! These facilities provide ample opportunities for playing around and deepen one's understanding of scientific concepts.
Research:
Given the multitude of projects going on in the campus, there are abundant opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in research. Some of my undergraduate friends had already published research papers by the ends of their second years. The research laboratories at IISc are generally prompt in assimilating undergraduate students into their projects. From my observations, as a significant number of school students (I was one of them) misconstrue their notions of research, I feel that it may help to know descriptions of a few research projects and how they are executed, before judging about one's interest in research.
Who teaches?
I have noticed a common misconception among some people who think that IISc undergraduate courses are taught by new, "junior" faculties at IISc, and not by the experienced, "star" scientists of the country. I firmly assert that even the first year physics course is taught by some of the most experienced and senior faculties, with the highest level of dedication. If you don't believe me, you can check the undergraduate courses' list to your personal satisfaction.
IISc v/s IITs, etc.
This question may be the only reason why some people are browsing through my blabber. I wish I were experienced enough to answer that question! One way to proceed in answering this is to look at the websites and find out more about professors, research, courses, opportunities, projects, etc. You can also mail professors and students and ask them their advice.
Placements:
If you are reading this section intently as a prospective student, you should better reconsider your choice of IISc. This course is primarily aimed at students who don't wish to seek employment right after graduation, and sincerely want to do research for a significant amount of time after B.Sc. While there are "placement seasons" at IISc, they would demoralize anybody if one were to describe the kind of companies that come and the "handsome" (yes, I am being sarcastic) salaries they offer. I have seen friends undergoing immense turmoil because of this. A glaring reason for this is the general disrespect for "B.Sc." in our country (I have relatives who still rebuke me for doing a B.Sc. When I travel in trains, I regularly find an "Uncle X" who asks me about my current course of study, and gives me a pale, demeaning look when I say "B.Sc.". Bangalore has a lot of "self-financed" colleges, so the fact that I am studying in Bangalore should be relegating me to the lowest echelons of mediocrity [I hope they don't think that I bribed somebody heavily to do a B.Sc., having failed the 12th Standard board exam!]).
THINGS THAT MATTER EVEN MORE (why didn't I write this before?):
Life outside classes, research, labs: It can be easily concluded that IISc is not even half as vibrant as an engineering college, because of its small size and majority of PhD students. Even then, we have an annual festival "Pravega" (www.pravega.org) running successfully for the past 2 years. Undergraduates play sports, participate in tons of activities like theater, dance, martial arts, etc. and chill out with outdoor trips, treks, etc., just like normal engineering students.
In conclusion, I would say that joining IISc requires a firm level of determination to do research and not care about a job right after graduation. (To the prospective student) If you can submit with a weak smile at "Uncle X" and remain interested in research even after graduation, then I hope that my aforementioned prolixity will help you take an informed decision about joining a unique institution like IISc.
