A hands on experience with real time machines running in the industries, in most of the engineering courses what they do is just give theoritical explanations, perform few lame experiments based on them. It would be great if engineering colleges provide at least 6 months of compulsory industrial exposure to the students, so that we may come to know about the actual application of the knowledge that we are gaining.

The curriculum should make it mandatory to have the concepts of all the basic subjects in every branch of engineering, be explained using real-life examples.

I wish theory was less and there were more practical sessions for each module we learn. I hardly remember any of the theory part I've learned, other than some of those which I would say 'i use' in my practical work now.

Industrial visits were good, but I needed more work exposure. Compulsory internship programs would have been enlightening in various fields of subject. eg: communications.

Learned about Television and Antennas in Electronics and Communication, but never really got to mess with a real television. People at home expect us engineers to know how to fix most of the stuff at home! 😖 I was actually called by my aunt to try and fix their television (internal circuitry issue), but that's a risky option unlike soldering the much cheaper electronics (resisters, capacitors, etc onto the bread board). A senior of mine actually spent two months after college in a Television/Radio repair shop, as an apprentice before he joined an electronics company 😘.

Overall we're unfinished products out of college, stuffed with more than necessary and hardly useful knowledge. It's a good thing to learn if you want to research and experiment, but for the rest majority of job-seekers, exposure is the word! 👀

I personally would have loved to have the following included in engineering curriculum for every engineer:-

1. How to fix tube-light, food processor, washing machine and all home appliances.

2. How to fix a broken motorcycle & cars.

3. How personal finance and investments work.

4. Basic legal laws that can be handy in day-to-day life.

5. How to behave in society.

6. Basic civic sense.

7. More practicals than theory (theory being taught at the time of practicals)

I don't think we should expect anyone to teach how to do practical stuff. There are limitations there. The problem for a failure can be millions. If someone was ever to document all these problems on paper, it would be an infinitely large book.

With a lot of practicals and basic know how of how to fix things, you'd be a technician but not an engineer. A person with lots of practical knowledge or a technecian might easily know that when you wind a motor on this particular stator you should leave two slots gap between the windings. That would make a working machine. But, why does it run, or why are there two slots gap, or how can it be improved, can be answered by an engineer with enough theoretical knowledge.

It isn't the problem of curriculum I guess. Rather students should start trying things by themselves rather than waiting for the teachers to force them to do stuff. I'm of the belief that students would involve in projects all by themselves if they are really interested, which should help improve their practical knowledge. At the same time, universities and colleges should offer better opportunities.

The way one decodes theory to 'how it works' and amazing teachers to lead the route is the key. May be, in place of two projects in four years, that number may be made to four or five self developed projects and atleast one compulsory industrial training in every year of study.