<p>@Gary of course the whole thing is a lot more complicated. Having said that, I don’t think I’d be ever willing to write an explanation that encompassed all the aspects of the situation. I will be looking forward to your detailed explanation though 
Good luck with your preboards!
I remember how stressful those were :</p>
<p>You guys all speak very good english…I’m starting to think you’re all Americans posing as Indians…lol.</p>
<p>@ everybody. I’m not trying to say American universities are bad, I’m just saying that when you get here you’ll see that the academics here are (probably) a lot less work than in India.</p>
<p>When I started the thread, I wasn’t actually trying to ask “Why don’t you all just go to IIT?” the question I intended was “Could you describe what IIT is like.”</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>@gary: Chill out. Don’t over-stress yourself with an IIT rant!</p>
<p>@zaqwsx Indians given and who take the opportunity of a decent education speak VERY good English.</p>
<p>Lol, contrary to popular belief, we don’t all suck at English :P</p>
<p>Okay, can someone tell me what exactly IIT-JEEE encompasses? Is it just about rote learning? Or is it more than that?</p>
<p>Well, think of the toughest calculus question you’ve ever come across in your life. Make it ten times trickier and more obscure to figure out. Do it in half a minute.</p>
<p>I’ve only ever seen JEE Chemistry questions (thanks to my teacher). I was able to do a few. I remember that I was quite impressed with myself that day, and decided to treat myself to some sinful dessert.</p>
<p>So, basically it’s not just about rote learning? Well in that case I really don’t understand why people have to spend years preparing for the test when what’s required is a good understanding of the topic.
Disclaimer:I’m just a curious noob whose questions were left unanswered yesterday.<em>looks at gar</em></p>
<p>I’m going to stay out of this.</p>
<p>ccp, look here: [IIT</a> 2005 Main Paper Mathematics : IIT JEE 2005 Mathematics Main Question Paper and Solutions](<a href=“http://www.iitjee.org/iit-question-papers/iit-jee-2005-main/iit-jee-2005-maths-main.html]IIT”>http://www.iitjee.org/iit-question-papers/iit-jee-2005-main/iit-jee-2005-maths-main.html)</p>
<p>It might amuse you that I score nearly the same %age in JEE papers and school maths inspite of the same chapters a lot of times 
So its obviously a lil more than rote/understanding. I’ll explain in detail later <em>pats ccp</em></p>
<p>Wow, this is an interesting thread because this has a lot to do with the arguments I have with people who don’t understand that there are a variety of problems with the Indian Higher Education System. This is of course from a very urban, perhaps elitist viewpoint.</p>
<p>To me, the IITs and IIMs are the most overrated institutions in India today. I know I’ll get a lot of flak for this, but beyond their crazy acceptance rates and them being beacons of an instantly bright future, I don’t see why most people want to go there. Their creation was justified in a post-independence era where Nehru thought it was important to have a set of solid, world-class professional institutions. However, the reverential treatment they’re meted out by the Government and anyone else for that matter, severely undermines the need for quality education in other areas. One Stephen’s in DU or a few others doesn’t do much for the cause for non-professional education. I joined a college here in Bombay (Arts) on my year of deferral just for an experience of the Indian college life, and I was in for the biggest shock. The entire undergraduate faculty of the University of Bombay (all its constituent colleges) decided to go on strike and didn’t resume work for an entire two months! All that appeared in the media was a little Page 2 article in TOI, monitoring the monthly progress whereas when the teachers of IIT go on strike for even an hour, it’s covered by both the electronic and print media with such gusto. What makes University of Bombay or other similar institutions so deplorable when compared to the IITs? We aren’t even talking University of Rampur or some such here, we’re talking about Bombay which has some of the “finest” colleges under its umbrella and boasts of such impressive alumni. The students were done so much disservice. While I didn’t really need the college or its classes filled with 140 odd students, there were so many students whose dream this was-to study in a famous city college. Also, as an obvious consequence, exams were delayed and lectures were held on Sunday to make up for lost time; it was all such a mess. I feel sorriest for the Third Years who’re definitely going to have their final year exams bumped up to almost May and we all know how important those are. </p>
<p>Even a Reed College student (where I’m going next year) who was on a semester of exchange at Lady Shri Ram and Stephen’s was shocked at how many classes were arbitrarily cancelled and how lightly academics was taken, despite being in the “Harvard” of India. I guess we can’t expect much because we pay barely $100-$200 on a yearly basis to these colleges, compared to $35,000-$40,000 in the US, but we definitely need to look into the gross neglect of institutions beyond our vocational stars.</p>
<p>My point is, in our lust for everything IIT/IIM/AIIMS/NLS or heck, anything stamped with doctor/engineer/MBA/lawyer, and our blind adoration for the same, we forget that there is a world of wealth in our so called “Liberal Arts” institutions and we need fundamental educational reforms to not only increase the quality of these universities/colleges, but also increase their number because despite their seemingly large number, they do not do full justice to most of our growing student population seeking access to Higher Education.</p>
<p>There’s also the Humanities versus Sciences debate that I love, but let’s not get started on that.</p>
<p>I’ll put up my ultra long explanation as promised, but the only problem I have is that very few of you might be ready to actually do something about it. We had a similar discussion a couple of months ago and I suggested a few changes, but the response was quite disappointing. Anyways, I’ll do my bit I guess.
Also, for the first time in my LIFE I was told to concentrate on boards instead of IIT LOL. Just coz she is certain I’m going to US and JEE is useless. Good for me I guess, but I’d much rather prepare for JEE than the effin boards <_<</p>
<p>Study for whatever, gary. Just come to Boston this fall :P.</p>
<p>“Why aren’t you all just going to IIT?”</p>
<p>Easy question, the JEE is just plain ridiculous, takes about 2 years of preparation and even after that its going to be very difficult to get into. You have just about everyone going to JEE coaching, there’s an idiot in my class who usually fails or barely passes and he’s going to IIT coaching, its just a fashion, everybody goes just because everyone else is.
On the contrary, getting in to an american college is much easier, they look at the whole person not just numbers.</p>
<p>AND I just can’t learn in the Indian education system, when I was in the US school gave me a basic foundation on which I can go to whatever level I want. Some things I studied on my OWN when I was 14/15 are being taught NOW in 11th and 12th. And the exams don’t see if you’ve understood and can apply your knowledge, they want you to reproduce the textbook. PERIOD.
And students here seem to lack an actual interest and passion in what they wan to pursue in their career. Engineering is overrated, ask an average person in 11th/12th and they will say they want to do engineering after school, but then ask them why and they’re blank.
This’ also why there are only 2 Universities in Bangalore which offer Pure Sciences, out of which 1 became a university just last year, and they both don’t offer a good variety of courses, aren’t vibrant and they usually don’t have very bright students, mostly students who didn’t make it into engineering or medicine. But there is an engineering college on almost every street in Bangalore!</p>
<p>@ kushalck Your reasons for wanting to come to US for undergraduate studies makes perfect sense. I think at least the top 100 schools in USA provide better environment for engineering education than IITs. </p>
<p>Isn’t it true that those wanting to come to US for undergraduate studies are from either upper middle or higher class. People pursue education for various reasons. Those who are privileged like yourself don’t have to belittle those wanting to do engineering just to get to a higher rung in Indian society and lead a better quality of life. One doesn’t have to go to IITs in India to get decent engineering education that prepares students well to enter work force.</p>
<p>BTW, Bangalore has some of the best science research institutes in India - IISc, Raman Research Institute and TIFR. <em>turning flame bait on</em> School of Automation at IISc is better than any IIT.</p>
<p>Yeap, engineering is overrated here. When I tell people I want to do natural sciences after school, they laugh and ask me why I’m not doing engineering.</p>
<p>Indian Education is literally becoming an engineering factory.</p>
<p>
This comes across as a very arrogant statement. In many many high schools across India medium of education is NOT english. Transition from highschool (10th grade in state run systems) to PUC is a very challenging one when all of a sudden they have to switch over to english medium. kushalck, you may not be in a position to understand how big a challenge this is. Many bright kids end up doing BSc/BA/BCom and continue on and do just as well as those who managed to “escape” from India after 12th.</p>
<p>NO, that’s what I mean. People here thing that the best students must do Eng. or med. Whereas I was saying that even those who do a BSc are in no way inferior.</p>
<p>But what I meant was, most students want to get into engineering because it’s “famous” I guess, I still don’t know why, but the statement I made that most students who take BSc didn’t get a seat in eng. was said by one of my physics teacher, I don’t know it first hand.</p>