1. Welcome to KGiSL Institute of Technology (KITE)! Dr. V. Jeyakesavan University of Texas at Dallas, USA jeyv@utdallas.edu

2. Agenda My background Why am I here? Past: School – Memorization Present: College – Why this college? – How is different from school? – How to get the max out of college? Future: Higher studies or Industry – How to prepare yourself? What parents should do?

3. Little bit about myself Dad was a school teacher in our village. B.E. (ECE) in CEG Guindy, Anna University – 1986-90 UNIX System Software Engineer, HCL Limited, Chennai, 1990-91 MS Computer Science, University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), USA, 1991-94

4. Little bit about myself Telecom Software Engineer, Northern Telecom, Dallas, USA, 1994-97 Ph.D. Computer Science (part-time), University of Texas at Dallas, USA, 1994-99 Technical Lead, Samsung Telecom, 1997-2010 Adjunct Faculty, UTD CS department, 1999- 2002 Online Adjunct Faculty in several online universities from 2000

5. Little bit about myself Sr. Lecturer (full-time), UTD Computer Science, 2010-present Passionate about teaching – I travel to India twice a year to share the latest ideas to improve CS & Engg. education in Indian colleges.

6. School Education : Tamil medium 9th - 12thSt. Xaviers Hr Sec School, Palayamkottai 8thGovt Hr Sec School, P.Ramachandrapuram, village near Srivilliputtur 6th & 7thNadar Hr Sec School, Rajapalayam 5thAKDR Elementary School, Rajapalayam 1st - 4thKasturi (Govt) Primary School, P.Ramachandrapuram, village near Srivilliputtur

7. Why am I here? Today is my 13 th day in KITE in the past 2 months. Activities: – Faculty Development Workshop : 4 days – Java workshop for 3 rd CS/IT students: 4 days – “Enjoyable introduction to programming” workshop – open for all Coimbatore faculty : 2 days – 2 day C/C++ placement training for final year CS/IT/ECE students – 1 day programming workshop for final year Mech students (next week)

8. Why am I here? I know little bit about KITE and its management I am both an outsider and an insider I have visited lots of Engg colleges recently & know how each one operates. I hope to share my thoughts & observations.

9. Past: Your School Education Was it enjoyable? Involved lot of memorization?  Tons of information dump  Was it all about +2 scores? Unfortunately, yes Fierce competition

10. Present: KITE I am sure each student & family have your own reason to join KITE. KITE is reasonably young institution, so it does have a few challenges. But I can say you have come to a great college! – My sister’s son is here to prove my words

11. Why KITE is a great college? Management passionate about quality and results – Excellent resources & staff in labs – plan to train 1000 school students this December – Management working hard to improve placements Unique co-existence of companies and colleges inside the campus. Simple & efficient processes in place – business-like environment

12. School  College : Major changes? Memorization  Understanding Enjoy the learning process Ask questions & keep the class interactive Try something new in the lab sessions It is time to become an adult & professional!

13. Get max out of college life Time management skills Make new friends Explore - Go beyond what is required Self-discipline - Stay away from destructive habits Put your brain to the test

14. Steve Jobs – convocation speech “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

15. Future: Higher education or Industry What do you want to do in your life? 3 rd year is the great time to start preparing for life beyond college! Go for internships during breaks – build industry experience! Present papers in college symposiums Improve your English language skills – needed to handle “Group Discussions” and interviews. Decent programming skills is a must for all. I am sure management will do their part!

16. Future: What do companies want? Communication Skills: – Constructive criticism – Comprehension skills Professional behavior Learn quickly and apply your knowledge to solve problems Ok to make a mistake once, but NOT twice! Team-work Confidence, passion and positive attitude Help your office run like a “well-oiled machine”. Use the next 3 years to get prepared.

17. Future : Higher Education in US MS or MBA degrees take TOEFL and GRE or GMAT exams in 3 rd year Be ready to spend a lot in first 2 semesters, then you will be eligible to work in companies. It is possible to graduate debt-free! Unforgettable International Experience!

18. What parents should do… Allow your children to grow up! Do not be their personal assistant/manager or provide reminder service, etc. If you do, you are setting them up for failure in life  They are in a safe and friendly environment – enable them to become well-rounded adults! Slowly transition from “parent” role to “friend” role!

19. Questions & Answers Dr. V. Jeyakesavan jeyv@utdallas.edu