Pulse 1

1st Edition
www.dtutimes.dce.edu
1
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INSIDE SUMMARY THE ISSUE:
THE STORY BEHIND THE
SUCCESS IN GRE,GMAT,CAT
Having stepped inside the iconic gate into the lush green and picturesque
campus, we often marvel at how differently each of us pictures
our 4 years here at DTU when stacked up against the 14 we wrapped up
at school. College experience doesn’t disappoint this line of thought. Life
in here soon compels us to act as self-reliant individuals, and the excuse
of being in a learning phase is quickly spirited away. As the bubble of
familiarity bursts, we learn to open ourselves to a vast scope of opportunities.
The fast pace can be unsettling, but it’s also conducive to professional
and all-round development throughout college.
The first semester passes in the blink of an eye. Curiosity controls
our actions. Some of us make neat plans for the four years, while
the rest take time to explore. In the thick of different projects, teams, societies
and placements, we feel obligated to know and be a part of everything
going on in campus, or at least form an opinion about it. And then
there is the immense freedom of travel, leisure and a vivid social life. By
the end of second semester, most of us have made a mental priority list to
balance all of the above alongside academics. We have a fair idea of what
we look forward to, even if we aren’t strict about it.
A PUBLICATION OF DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
1 st Edition
Feb 2015
SOUL CURRY
Chirag Arora, 2nd Year, ECE
Yet, despite all deliberation and prioritization, we often feel underwhelmed,
losing interest or simply failing to reach our goals. In the
excitement of exploring avenues and ourselves, we often overlook the
importance of getting some of the basics right, partly due to the “I’ve had
my share of studies, order and regularity in school” reasoning. Though
college offers immense scope for leisurely experimentation, theimportance
of maintaining a simple schedule cannot be overstated. Planning
may be less fun, but it certainly helps to segregate relaxation from procrastination.
Another aspect we all struggle with in college is that of accepting
delayed gratification. Following the college stereotype, we firmly
expect our 4 years to be the best time of our lives and often lose patience
hastily. While some abandon what they undertake if it threatens
to consume too much time and energy, some end up trying to balance
too many things at once. So much so that burning the midnight oil right
before exams is associated with engineering like a social paradigm.
While finding one’s true calling may require an uncanny moment of realization,
most of the college success stories we all read are really just
people doing ordinary things the correct way.
The Bawanaland Guide:
Food And More
- Aradhana Gahlaut, 3rd Year, ENE; Garima Mishra, 2nd Year, EEE; Yatharth Rana, 2nd Year, ECE
1. Adventure Island/Metro Walk: If one of the best amusement parks in Delhi
doesn’t entertain you enough, the picturesque lake surely will, along with
a variety of eateries to exploit seniors/friends. It also houses a tiny and sadyet-effective
Food Bazaar outlet, for the housewife in you. Highlights: Food,
Entertainment, Retail.
2. City Centre, Rohini - Closest thing to a mall: Quite a hit among students
courtesy 72 Mad Street - a one-of-its-kind (read: the only) gaming center
around Bawanaland with a bowling alley, pool tables and more. For the hostellers,
look no further than More Megastore for your gharelu needs! Also,
there’s a McDonald’s! That college feel! Highlights: Food, Entertainment, Retail
(of all, ahem, sorts).
3. Garg Trade Centre Mall - Ye old faithful: Also called G3S (after the movie
theatre), THIS is unarguably the most explored place by DTUites, after the
campus itself. If there’s a birthday, there’s G3S; if there’s a new movie, there’s
G3S; if there’s a team party, there’s G3S; and even if there’s no reason, there’s
G3S! BTW, Pasta Hut, Burger Joint, Puratan (if you’re fancayy), Giani’s, Pizza
Hut, Domino’s, SagarRatna etc. are just a few places to feast here. Highlights:
Food, Entertainment, Everyone From College.
4. Main Market, Sector 17 - Everyday’s a Mandi: This area houses many
hidden gems, the more obvious of them being the Apsara restaurant and the
momo guy outside Apsara bakery. Other places of interest for foodies are
L.B.P.S (chinese), Vaishno Dhaba (uh...dhaba food?), a bigger Zaika (rolls!),
a thela that sells kulfi and kulfi wala doodh, and the road to G3S (when all
else fails, dominos!). All your needs will be met by this congested market,
of whatever nature they may be; though don’t expect anything fancy. Highlights:
Food, Retail, More Food.
5. DC Chowk - Oasis in the DDA desert: A little further off but definitely
worth it, DC Chowk is THE place to be if you love Tandoori momos (Chalte
Firte), great, cheap Indian khaana (Apni Rasoi) and a not-so-great, cheap
place to ‘lounge’ around (Z Lounge). Also, it’s on the way to M2K, PVR
Prashant Vihar and other movie theatres in Pitampura, so you can stop here
for a bite. Highlights: Food, Memory Loss.
6. NSP - Late Night Pasta: Netaji Subash Place may look all office-y, but do
not be fooled! Khao Gali and the area around it have some brilliant outlets
such as Billu’s Hut (ah, the pasta and shakes!), BTW, Pind Balluchi, Chicago
Pizza, Sandwich king, Haldiram’s, Starbucks, McDonald’s etc. Fun Cinemas
is also one of the better movie halls in the area, making NSP a favorite with
most! Highlights: Food, Entertainment, Midnight Memories.
7. Haunts Around Campus - For lack of transport: Zaika (decadence is
those rolls), the Mother Dairy in Amar Jyoti colony (chocolate milk, anyone?),
Chachi da Dhaba (Paraanthe!), Chicken Khurana (far, but worth it),
3H Kitchen (effective home delivery), the little shack opposite the gate that
sells boiled eggs, buttered buns and elaichi wala doodh, and of course, dear,
dear old Maggi baba!
Know of any more places worth mentioning? Message our Facebook page or
email us at dtutimes@dce.edu!

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2
Common
Admission
Test is the entrance
test organized by Indian
Institutes of Management
(IIMs) every year for
selection of students into
their Post Graduate Diploma
in Management (PGDM)
program.
WHY MBA?
•A mix of technical and
managerial acumen is
required to climb up the
ladders in any corporate
institution.
•With an MBA degree, you
open more avenues for
yourself. The software you
develop, you can sell and
market it. The research
you do, you can effectively
employ to maximize profit.
•An average MBA earns
much more than an average
engineer. If you’re the
kind who does not like
engineering, or was pushed
into engineering by family,
MBA is your best way out.
WHEN TO START?
•It’s never too late (or early)
to start on the path you
want to take. You can start
preparing for MBA in your
first year, or after working for
a few years. The optimum
time however, is 3-12
months of preparation and
attempting CAT in final year.
•Juniors can start gradually
by brushing up basic
mathematical topics and
logical puzzles. Extensive
recce about preparation
methodologies is also
required.
•Joining societies such as
the Debating society or quiz
club can help you create
a solid base for speaking
skills, language, and overall
general awareness.
•Maintaining a good
aggregate throughout
college is an added
advantage.
IIMs?
•Premier institutions in
India for management
education.
•13 IIMs exist at the
moment with a few more
coming up.
•IIMs at Ahmedabad,
Bangalore and Calcutta
are amongst the top
management institutes in
Asia.
OTHER GOOD COLLEGES
IN INDIA?
•There are quite a few world
class B-schools in India
other than the IIMs.
•FMS,Delhi; XLRI,
Jamshedpur; SPJIMR,
Mumbai; ISB, Hyderabad;
SIBM, Pune; MDI, Gurgaon
and JBIMS, Mumbai are a
few.
ENTRANCE EXAMS
•IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR
and the IITs accept CAT
percentiles.
•Many good colleges
conduct their own entrances
or accept other scores.
Mohd Fahad
3rd Year, MAE
1st Edition
XLRI conducts XAT and
SIBM conducts SNAP, while
ISB accepts GMAT score.
SPJIMR accepts XAT and
GMAT scores too.
KITNA ROKDA MANGTA?
•Barring a few colleges
such as FMS, MBA is a
costly degree to undertake.
•India is fairly cheaper
than abroad but still on
the costlier side. Loans
are easily available at low
interest rates.
APNA DSM?
•Delhi School of
Management was
established in 2009 after
DCE changed to DTU.
•DSM is slowly gaining
reputation and is rising up
the rankings. In the Times
B-School ranking 2014,
DSM was ranked twentyfourth.
Nishant Bhatia (above)
Kaushik K (below)
“TOPPERS
SPEAK”
Did you take any type of
coaching for preparation? If
yes, which one? What prompted
you to opt for the said coaching?
And how much of your success
do you attribute to the coaching
center? If not, then why?
NB: I joined TIME CP. The main
reason was the feedback
from seniors. Coaching only
provides you a direction and
an approach, the main burden
of doing all the hard work and
being in regular practice is still
on you.
KK: I didn’t take any formal
coaching, mainly because I
wasn’t serious about CAT until
the exam was about a month
away. I had solved a lot of
previous year papers. A lot of
practice material was available
online and thus I decided
against coaching.
What kind of study material did
As per data collected so far, DTU has over 15
students with more than 99 percentile in CAT
2014. DTU Times congratulates all of them.
We interview Nishant Bhatia (ECE, 99.99) and
Kaushik K (Mech, 99.79) here, both of them with
totally different preparation methodologies.
you refer to? (CAT Coaching
study material, various books,
online resources et al)
NB: Mainly stuck to the material
provided by the coaching
institute. Just solving bulk of
material would not be of much
use if you do not develop a test
taking temperament. Regular
practice is important.
KK: Solving the previous year
papers is mandatory. Apart
from that I read anything I
could get my hands on. Also,
I had a book on Quant (by
Arun Sharma), which I used to
practice quite regularly.
At what time in your life did
you decide that you wanted
to pursue an MBA after
engineering?
NB: It was in my third year when
I seriously started preparing
for the MBA entrances. The
main strategy was being clear
with the basics first and then
giving as many practice tests
as possible.
KK: I had no intention of
pursuing MBA; I wanted to give
CAT just for the feel of it. An
internship at Toyota Motors
back in the summers was
what peaked my interest in
management. Even now, I’m
still looking at my options.
What prompted you to decide
that you want to go for an
MBA?
NB: To reach the top in any
organization, you need a mix
of technical and managerial
skills. Moreover, engineers
these days are involved in
managerial activities where
you have to innovate to make
optimal use of resources.
KK: As mentioned above, I am
yet to decide.

Q: When did you
start studying for
GMAT?
A: I studied during the
two-month summer
break.
Q: Any specific sources
for preparation?
A: The Official Guide for
GMAT Review is a must.
The exam is strictly
based on it.
There are separate Official
Guides for Quant
and Verbal sections too.
For sentence correction
– Manhattan GMAT
Sentence Correction For
critical reasoning – Manhattan
GMAT Critical
Reasoning Grockit.com
is a carefully customized
preparation tool
and has video explanations
for answers. For
mocks, I used Manhattan’s
online tests. A lot
of other websites offer
free online tests.
Save the Official GMAT
Test Papers for the end.
They give you a realistic
score and are available
for free on the website.
Q: How did you plan
your studies?
A: I took a practice test
before preparation to
know my strengths and
weaknesses. While preparing,
I started with
Sentence Correction
followed by Critical
Reasoning, and then
did the Official Guide.
It is important to practice
both Quant and
Verbal sections in the
same day. In the initial
month, I took one mock
per week. In the 2nd
month I increased the
Satyarth Praveen
2nd year, COE
We interview Mansi Arora, who managed a phenomenal score of 760 in GMAT
frequency to 2-3 mocks
per week.
Q: Please shed some
more light on GMAT.
A: In GMAT, you can’t
leave a question un-attempted.
Since it is an
adaptive exam, you can
proceed further only
if you have answered
the previous question.
Leaving out questions
due to lack of time has
a huge penalty.
Q: Did you give CAT?
What is the difference
between the
two?
A: Yes I took the CAT.
The syllabus is more or
less the same but the
pattern is different.
Q: Who, according
to you, should take
GMAT?
A: GMAT is useful for
those who wish to apply
to foreign universities
for MBA, MIM, or
MS courses. If you’re in
3rd year, you could also
apply to ISB’s Young
Leaders’ Program. Their
application deadline is
in March.
Q: Any last tips for
us?
A: Analyzing your mistakes
is the most important
thing. Especially in
English, even if you feel
your answer is correct,
you must read through
the explanation provided.
For RCs, don’t try to
read faster. You would
only feel the need to reread
the passage. Read
it once and carefully.
Also, keeping calm during
the test is extremely
important. You must
book your date well in
advance and make sure
you have a valid passport.
TOP ACHIEVERS
CAT
NISHANT BHATIA(EC)
RAJVEER SINGH(EC)
ARUNABH
AGARWAL(EC)
GARIMA BHARTI(EEE)
RISHABH NARESH(EEE)
PRATEEK
AGGARWAL(ME)
KAUSHIK K(ME)
TARUN KUMAR(EC)
ANAND BHUSRY(ME)
DISHANK BHAN(PCT)
SHUBHAM
AGRAWAL(EC)
VAISHAV JAIN(EC)
MOHIT
MALHOTRA(ME)
PALASH ARORA(EC)
99.99
99.98
99.9
99.87
99.79
99.73
99.7
99.65
99.6
99.58
99.5
99.49
99.9
99.85
We interview Joel Prince Varghese, who got an outstanding 336 in GRE.
Q: What prompted
you to take up this
career path?
A: I’m aiming for a Master
of Science (MS) or
Master of Engineering
(M.Eng) in IEOR (Industrial
Engineering and
Operations Research)
from the US.
Q: When did you
decide to give your
GRE and how did
you manage such a
phenomenal score?
A: I gave my first attempt
in the third year
winter vacations and
managed only a 314
due to an incorrect
preparation strategy.
After a month, I gave
a second attempt but
some technical glitches
occurred in my test
center, resulting in a
318. My final attempt
was during the end of
my summer break of
third year and I got a
score of 336. I’m not
trying to imply that the
exam is hard; many of
my peers and seniors
have scored outstandingly
in their first attempt
too! What I did
differently in my final
attempt was practice
a ‘variety’ of questions
in quant and focused
on actually improving
my reading and writing
skills in verbal.
Q: Which colleges
have you applied to
and how taxing was
the procedure?
A: I’m applying to a
number of universities
from the top 15 for
my program. After GRE
and TOEFL, preparing
essays, your resume
and letters of recommendation
is quite
demanding. The main
reason is because the
quality of these documents
is a matter of
Shubam Sharma,
3rd year, EC
perspective: there is
no absolute right and
wrong.
Q: Apart from the
GRE score, what
other aspects should
an application contain
to get accepted
at a good college
abroad?
A: Since you will be
competing with students
from around the
world, you must put
your best foot forward.
Some areas that could
enhance your application:
Good grades,
research work, internships,
leadership activities,
and international
exposure.
Q: Please share any
of your other notable
achievements.
A: I’ve written two research
papers: one
presented at an international
conference in
Indonesia and won the
best paper award; the
other is under review
for a journal. I’m also
the co-founder and
president of the Leadership
and Innovation
Club.
Q: Any other advice
that you’d like to
give your juniors?
A: If you are interested
in Masters abroad, it’s
never too early to start
preparing for GRE and
start exploring various
available options.
Keep yourself involved
in productive activities
that can enhance your
profile. All the best!
MAYANK JAIN(IT)
PRERNA BATRA(BT)
GMAT
MANSI ARORA(ECE)
SHUCHIT KHURANA(SE)
NILANSH JAIN(CE)
GRE
JOEL VARGHESE(ME)
SHUBHAM
AGRAWAL(EC)
BHAVYA
VASHISHT(EE)
ROMITA MULLICK(EC)
SHUBHAM
SHARMA(EC, 3rd Year)
DHRUV M.
SAXENA(PSCT)
SANA MALIK(PE)
VARUN
GROVER(EC,3rd Year)
SASHWAT ROY(EEE)
SHIVAM
GAUTAM(EEE)
VASUNDHRA
DEHIYA(EC)
AKSHIT SHARMA(EC)
99.4
99.01
760
720
710
336
336
335
332
332
330
330
330
329
329
329
327

A
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4
Preyesh Dalmia, 3rd Year, ECE; Akanksha Bindal, 3rd Year, COE
ghastly lull engulfs the campus, with just a few people lurking
around the vast empty grounds of DTU. The previously
bustling canteen has not a single soul in sight and
anyone could tell - the exam season has commenced.
There is an efficacious lot out there, the coterie of the
mighty men, the revered saints of the east - ‘the men
(women, mostly) with NOTES’. This bunch has a
fair idea about what is to be studied but - by and
large - are still stereotyped as the edgiest chunk of
the lot. Even people who spent most of their semester
in frivolity make a final dash to save their cause,
if only just. The photocopy wale bhaiyya has a subtle,
perpetual smile plastered on his face, seeing the lucrative
business unfolding before him. Living by the adage
‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’, students try to
get their hands on whatever studying aid they can rummage. After
having successfully scrounged for all available study material, scooped
out from the tiniest floating rumors around campus, a no holds barred
approach for discerning the syllabus is adopted. You leave no stone unturned-
from holding long conference calls with your equally clueless
friends, to fraternizing with the Ghissus, and even calling up teachers
already frustrated by your short attendance. You are comforted by the
illusion that discovering the syllabus will by some means defer the task
of actually studying it. And after all that effort when you finally confront
the battle at hand - the actual preparation - you receive the dreaded
phone call, “Yaar, syllabus fir change hogaya.”
Giving up on the syllabus, you then earnestly try to extract ‘The Back-
Up Plan’ from the recesses of your overtaxed mind to save your grades.
But hey, you didn’t have the time to formulate any plan B because you
were busy slacking off in your preparatory leave! This is when you have
an epiphany. Maybe, just maybe, the syllabus IS too vast to be covered in
entirety; not just by you, but by everyone. After a few moments of selfpity,
another idea clicks, and you begin asking around for ‘topics most
likely to come’. Your brain goes into overdrive, where understanding and
logic give way to absorbing large amounts of information as quickly as
possible; all in hope of salvaging a score respectable enough to put you
on that socially approved path to success.
Semesters come and go without ever disturbing the dusty upper echelons
of their brain cells. What reduces the sharpest minds in the country
Name: Shikhar Sachdeva | Theme: Nature
College: DTU | Year: 1st
Caption: Green is the prime color of the world,
and that from which it's loveliness arises.
Name : Anish Tuli | Theme : Travel
College :SRM University,NCR | Year : 1st
Caption : The beauty of travel lies inside
the heart of the traveller.
1st
3rd (JOINT)
“BHAI
SYLLABUS
MARK
KARWA DE”
Name: Puneet Grover | Theme: Architecture
College: MBS School of Planning and Architecture
Year: 2nd
Caption: Sky high
Name : Arush Kakkar | Theme - Nature
College - DTU
Year - 3rd
Caption - Lost in the right direction
2nd
1st Edition
EXAMS AND BEYOND
to these slothful creatures with complete indifference towards
learning? What shunned the need for in-depth understanding
and originality among students, turning each
exam session into a sprint for maximum marks?
Are these seeds planted by our education system?
Or is this a recent phenomena brought about by
increasing expectations and societal pressure?
The Indian Undergraduate Education System
serves to effectively curb independent thinking,
academic confidence and the very motivation to
learn with excellence. This system often confuses
academic excellence with performance in examinations
that assess the memorization skills of a student,
while the true measures of academic excellence such as
understanding and intellect are systematically discouraged.
Exams teach us a lot, but deviate from the very reason for their
existence.
DTU Times Team
Convenor
Dr. S. Indu, Associate Professor, ECE
Alumni Advisors:
Dhruv Sapra, Batch of 2014
Madhurima Baral, Batch of 2014
Student Team
Student Head:
Damini Goel, 4th Year, PIE
Editor-in-Chief:
Namrata Yadav, 4th Year, EE
General Secretary, Head of Design
and Web Development:
Garvit Gupta, 4th Year, EE
Student Advisor:
Isha Gupta, 4th year, EE
Associate Editors:
Shubham Sharma, Ankit Kumar, Prateek Singhal,
Aradhana GAhlaut
Associate Designer:
Milind Singla
Assistant Editors:
Parag Saxena, 4th year, ECE
Columnists:
Shreya Shankar, Ishan Shankar, Abhishek Dhyani,
Vishal Gayakwar, Satyarth Praveen, Mohd Fahad,
Aditya Tripathi, Nisha Yadav, Garima Mishra, Chirag
Arora, Raghav Sharma, Ankur Shukla, Vaisakh
Nair,VARUN GROVER
Designers:
Arpit Gupta, Gaurav Sharma, Sirali Chandolia
Photographer:
Karan Dhall
To join DTU Times please email us at dtutimes@dce.edu
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whatsoever. The views expressed in DTU Times are entirely personal and are not necessarily the official views of DTU. The publication is based on happenings and news as gathered from various sources.