u/BuildingDue5579

Hi everyone,

I will be joining BITS Hyderabad this year for my M.E. in Computer Science. Before arriving on campus, I’d love to get some insights from current students and alumni to help me prepare.

If you can shed light on any of the following areas, I’d be really grateful:

1. Academics & Prep

• How intensive is the M.E. C.S. curriculum?
• Are there specific subjects, tech stacks, or prerequisites I should brush up on before the semester starts?
• Any professors to look out for, or electives you highly recommend?

2. Placements & Practice School (PS)

• How are the placement statistics for M.E. C.S.? Which top companies visit, and what roles are typically offered?
• How strictly do companies weigh CGPA for internships, Practice School, and final placements?
• For the next two years, what should be my primary focus: DSA/CP, Dev/Projects, or Research?
• How important is Practice School for M.E. students, and how often does it translate into a PPO (Pre-Placement Offer)?

3. TAship & AICTE Stipend

• How does the stipend structure actually work? What is the realistic monthly take-home for a GATE-qualified M.E. student (AICTE scholarship vs. Institute TA stipend)?
• Are there strict CGPA or attendance conditions tied to the stipends?
• What is the typical weekly workload for a Teaching Assistant? Is it easily manageable alongside coursework and placement prep?

4. Hostel & Campus Life

• What is the hostel life like for PG students?
• What are the absolute essentials I should pack as a fresher, and what common mistakes should I avoid?
• How are the campus facilities, daily routine, and overall rules?

5. Fees & Mess Logistics

• How exactly does the mess system and electricity billing work?
• How are charges calculated, and what is the approximate monthly mess expense? Are refunds/adjustments easy to track?

6. General Advice

• What is the best way to network and build good relationships with professors, seniors, and batchmates?

I'm super confused between these two options:

1. BITS Hyderabad ME in Computer Science
2. IIIT Bangalore MTech in Computer Science and Engineering

Edit: Please share any stats or data points that could make decision making easier, along with sources if possible.

My primary goal is getting a good software job and maximizing my package.

Some points I found from official placement reports and placement coordinators:

• Fees are almost the same after considering the GATE stipend and BITS Practice School. The effective difference is only around ₹1 lakh, so fees are not a major factor.

• Location is good for both.

• IIIT Bangalore offers internships from the first semester itself and even has an 11 month internship opportunity.

• BITS guarantees an internship through Practice School without interviews, which seems like a big advantage.

• Placement statistics seem surprisingly similar in terms of average and median packages, although IIIT Bangalore seems to have a slightly higher maximum package and perhaps ₹1 to ₹2 LPA higher average and median.

• Batch size:

  • BITS ME CS: around 36 students
  • IIIT Bangalore MTech CSE: around 147 students

• Placement percentage:

  • BITS ME CS: around 95 to 100%
  • IIIT Bangalore MTech CSE: around 75%

I am unable to understand why the packages look similar despite the huge difference in batch size and placement percentage.

For someone whose only goals are:

1. Secure a software job
2. Get the best possible package
3. Minimize placement risk

Which one would you choose and why?

I would especially appreciate inputs from current students, alumni, or people who had to make the same decision.