SURVEY BASED PROJECT REPORT

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

IN

RAYAT INSTITUTE OF ENFINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHONOLOGY,

RAILMAJRA

PREPARED AS A PART OF CURRICULUM

COMMUNICATION SKILLS LAB.

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Mrs. Poonam Bhatia Manjeet jindal (81103108058)
Sayeed Nabeel Hassan(81103108095)
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It is certified that the project report on “FIRST YEAR

STUDENTS IN R.I.E.I.T” has been prepared under guidance
of Mrs. Poonam Bhatia by bonafide students of B.tech first
year (E.C.E.) Manjeet jindal (81103108058) and Sayeed Nabeel
Hasan (81103108095) on basis of survey conducted by them.
There performance has been________.

__________ ___ ___________

Teacher in-charge Principal

Date: ___________

Institution stamp

Examiner’s Sign.

_______________

Date: ___________

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PREFACE
Being first year students, we were curious about how our batch mates found everything and
how much did they develop in terms of career orientation. So, we decided to undertake a
study regarding same as communication skills project, which is a part of curriculum.

Questionnaire consisted of a number of questions and about 42 students were chosen for the
survey. Questions were regarding various things like study, career, futuristic approach and
college campus and overall effort was to get maximum idea of their time as first year students
at empathetic level.

Information collected is being presented in form of graphs to get crystal clear idea of the
actual situation. Along with this, there were some questions that asked for comments on
various things. Some of those comments are being included in report. A brief analysis of
outcome of every question has been done along with added comments on how to improve the
situation.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
No task can be achieved individually. There are always a number of a number of factors that
are helpful in achieving the task. Our survey based project is no different. We were motivated
by our teacher Mrs. Poonam Bhatia. We express our sincere gratitude for laying the
foundation on which this project report is based. Our friends Princeedeep and Bikramjit
helped modify questionnaire. We therefore express our whole hearted thanks to all these
persons. Finally, we express our gratitude to all the students who helped successful
conversion of our idea into this project by an honest feedback and thus bring out a clear
picture of the actual situation and help suggest ways to improve the condition.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Important Factors
• Survey outcome
• Factors and figures
• Survey analysis
• Other issues taken up
• Conclusion

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INTRODUCTION
Entry to college from school is a major transition in one’s life. One enters college with a
number of hopes, dreams and desires. Some have been waiting to enter the college to enjoy
the new freedom in life, some to build a career and some to enjoy as well as to study, others
simply take this as a chance to be away from home and experience the much talked about
‘hostel life’. So, first year in college is always very special. There are lots of changes:
environment changes, classmates change, awareness level changes, priorities in life change
and most importantly, personality changes. It is real making of a person, developing him in
all spheres. The change is big: from being treated as a child to be treated as a grown up
person. From childish things to practical aspects of life, they all are important. Earlier college
life began with class 11th but now it begins with end of class 12, so by the time one passes
class 12th, he is already quite grown up but real maturity time is only first year of college
which brings one face to face with the reality of world. They shape tomorrow’s leaders and
workforce. So, its important to monitor development in first year.

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IMPORTANT FACTORS
There are various factors that influence our first year experience at college. They include
teachers, infrastructure, conduct of general staff (such as library assistants), behaviour of
seniors, ragging (which may be a different experience for hostellers and non-hostellers), food
and other facilities at hostel and availability of entertainment sources etc. All these have
substantial roles to play in how one finds his college as he is foreign to everything around
him.

Further, when it comes to a career goal, futuristic approach and general awareness, a number
of factors play a key role. Seminars conducted, workshops organised and personality
development classes are very much responsible for futuristic approach. Thus, in a way, there
are a lot of factors that have to be taken into account to make student’s career oriented within
first year.

It is very important that student’s develop career orientation within first year because that will
mean more time to work for perfection in their chosen field.

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SURVEY OUTCOME:
1. Were you ragged?

RAGGING

61%
70%
60%
39%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes No

2. If yes, ragging was:

Ragging was:

55%

45%

0%

Average
Harsh

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Analysis: The results in ragging department are remarkably good and very positive.
Nearly 60% of the students were not ragged at all. Among rest, ragging was a friendly
experience for 55% and average for 45%, which means no one had a harsh ragging
experience.

This speaks of a very harmonious environment in the college which is vital requirement
for making students feel at ease in initial college days. Ragging is probably the most
feared factor before beginning of college life but our college has been successful in
eliminating it fully. This gives freedom from emotional stress as well as fear of
embarrassment. We often see reports of ragging related violence. Those places need to
learn from our college’s exemplary setup. It will not be exaggerated statement to call our
college campus “RAGGING FREE” .This invites praise for college authorities as well as
for understanding and caring seniors.

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3. Participation in MINERVA

Tech. fest participation

72.00%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
28.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%

Yes
No

Analysis: Participation in Minerva is good (about 3 quarters). Most of the participations

partic were
in form of volunteers which again reflects good relationships
relationship with seniors. What is more
important is that students understand importance of co-curricular
co curricular activities and are willing to
participate and contribute which points to good motivation level.

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4. Change in academic performance as compared to that at school:

Performance in studies

58%
60%

50%

40%
26%
30%
14%
20%

10%

0%
Went up Went down Not much change

Analysis: The results are alarming and just opposite to required. Only 14% have improved in
terms of academic output and as many as 58% have declined, significant decline, isn’t it?
Rest 26% confirmed their performance is at par with their performance at school. Well,
reasons
easons seem pretty much clear. Youth are crazy for enjoying their life once they enter the
college life. This means waywardness in their behaviour and careless towards primary aim of
learning. While in college dedication for learning must improve as it is basis of once career.

College should try to provide a environment that focuses on curbing this waywardness and
maintains a balance in study and freedom. Once an effort is made to impose study, it results
in adverse affects of outright rejection of studies and hence, performance declines.

• No doubt dedication reaches better levels in higher years of degree, but here the main
focus is on loss occurring in first year.
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5. College as a place for study:

College as a place for study

Max: 5

3
Rating

student's rating:
2 3.5
1

6. Practical Labs:

Practical Labs

Max: 5

3
Rating

student's rating:
2 3.2
1

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7. Are you being taught like engineering students?

Being taught like engineers?

60%
70%
60%
40%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes No

Analysis: The results in last three questions are satisfactory type. Comments show that
students are striving for more practical knowledge than theoretical portion and assignment
burden. They mention excess assignments are of little use as they are copied from one into
another and end up being time waste and writing effort rather than learning process. They
want more of programming in FCPIT lab etc.

They say focus should shift from remembering to learning. They want assignments that
challenge mind instead of being purely a process of jotting down matter from one notebook
to another as has been going on till now. They would appreciate methodology that promotes
analytical thinking and thus, making of a real engineer.

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8. Are you attending soft skill classes regularly?

Attending the soft skills classes regularly?

75.00%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00% 25.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Yes No

9. Have you developed career goal and futuristic approach?

Career goal and futuristic approach

75%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40% 25%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes No

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Analysis: Responses to queries 8 and 9 are again shocking. While 75% of the students are
saying they have developed a futuristic approach and set career goals for them, only 25% of
the students are regular in attending soft skill classes. What kind of futuristic approach is
this? This is ignorance, isn’t it?

If they were so sure of their career goal, won’t they be regular in soft skills to develop soft
skills that are at most requirement of today’s technical, industrial and corporate world? How
is it that they feel they have futuristic approach when they are not willing to prepare
themselves according to requirements of place they would be serving? There performance in
studies has gone down and they still stress they are career oriented. They are not ready to
accept their negligence and apathy.

Well, the answer is very simple: it all comes out of ignorance.

There have been seminars in this direction but didn’t do much good. Probably, need of the
hour is counselling, individual counselling or counselling of students in small groups by
career experts that make them aware of various career options available in their fields.
Students should know what it takes to win a job and then survive extreme competitions.

There should be a proper set up to ensure students get maximum of soft skills and other
options available.

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10. Behaviour of general staff:

General staff behaviour

Max: 5

3
Rating

student's rating:
2
2.95
1

Analysis: Well, the first year students feel staffs that include library attendants, lab
attendants; clerks can be better in their behaviour and more responsible in performing their
duties. They find out that sometimes library attendants are complacent in taking back issued
books and tell to return books some other day. Similar complaints regarding other staff but
overall satisfactory. Still, there is space for betterment.

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11. Library Facility

Students said our library is good, nice place to study and keep knowledge to up to date. It is
spacious and calm place and provides excellent opportunity to prepare for exams, but they
found certain areas that should be worked upon:

1. Books to be issued for longer duration.

2. Number of books that can be issued at one time should be three or four.
3. Stock of books that are in demand should be increased to avoid their shortage,
especially during exams.
4. At present, books are issued only on working days between 9.30am -3.30pm.This
should be changed and books should be issued all times library is open.
5. Library should be open seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm.
6. Library stock should be updated regularly.
7. More novels should be included into stock.

• There needs to be a connection between teaching and library. Assignments should

encourage library visits and hence reading books thoroughly. Stock of books should
cater to all kinds of needs: from academic to leisure time reading.

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12. Refreshment options

Here is how students responded to queries about refreshment options available in the campus:

1. Average but prices should be reasonable.

2. Non hygienic, non tasty. Packed items are too costly; more than MRP.
3. Very poor, very costly.
4. Hectic environment
5. Good.
6. It was average, but now improving.
7. Preparations should be more hygienic, nutritious.

On the whole, we see the two major issues are cost and hygiene. They are valid. Flies are
seen resting in the utensils where they cook food. Little attention is played to hygiene.
hy Its
tough to pay Rs. 15 for a verka product MRP of which is Rs. 10!!!!!

Here is a quantitative idea:

15
Rs. 16
13
Rs. 14
Rs. 12 10

Rs. 10 8

Rs. 8
Rs. 6
Rs. 4
Rs. 2
Rs. 0
product 1 product 2

MRP price in college campus

This is something that should be thought over and improved.

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13. Book shops in campus:

campus

There were no initial plans to make any chart for this question as participants were asked to
write a few words about them but results were such that it was felt that results would be
reflected better with help of a chart.

80%

80%
70%
60%
50%
40% 20%
30%
20%
10%
0%
book shops

excessively costly good

Some of statements by participants:

1. Someone called them “robbers”.

“robbers
2. High rates and cheap quality.
3. Very good but very expensive.
4. There should be a separate book shop that should provide books and other services at
fewer prices.

*Taking into consideration the number of customers these book shops get daily, it
i is not
wrong to say they are too costly by all standards.

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Other issues taken up by the students:

1. Provide proper equipments in laboratory.
2. Computers in labs should be managed properly. What about virus free computers in
our labs?
3. How about electrical workshop for 1st year?
4. Auditorium is something that’s wish of a majority of students. They say ours is a
college with a standard, so why shall functions and placement drives be conducted
under just a tent?
5. Communication skills lab needs up gradation in terms of software as well as
hardware. There we need to create a real learning environment. There are a number of
software available that can be used to train students in terms of listening etc.
6. Wi-Fi needs improvement. Some students download a lot others can’t even browse
properly.
7. Some students belonging to non Punjabi speaking areas complained of language
problem.
8. There is demand to make provisions for a suggestion box in college to get regular
feedback throughout the semester instead of at end of semester.

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Finally:

change from your school to our college?

60% 52%

50%
33%
40%

30%
15%
20%

10%

0%
Good Bad Average

We, as an institution should try to work in this regard to get maximum answers in positive
block in above diagram.

Certainly, there are some issues with every institution, even demands and expectations of
students are unfair and impossible to cope with sometimes but being positive doesn’t mean
overlooking shortcomings.

The survey has definitely given crystal clear picture of some of the areas that need
improvement. We are to be hopeful and keep working this direction to make next batch learn
lear
more.

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Bibliography
1. An approach to communication skills – Dr. I Bhattacharya
2. Functional aspects of communication skills – P.Parsad
3. Statistics and probability – Schuam series
4. Our source of data is primary i.e. survey.
5. Articles from internet on college life.

Further, various internet resources were used to explore various methods of data
presentation and choose most suitable one.

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