North East Graduate Congress – 2017

University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya in collaboration with Regional Institute of Science and Technology organized the 2017 North East Graduate Congress (NEGC the most acclaimed flagship program for the undergraduates of the North East) The event sponsored by ERD Foundation began on 17^thFebruary and ended on 19^th February 2017. The graduate congress aims at providing students a platform where they can present their skills, sharpen their knowledge,, portray their traditions and diverse cultures, interact with students from different parts of the Northeast, and also interact with eminent personalities, who are experts in their own fields.

The NEGC 2017 , which took place at USTM’s Techno City Campus welcomed students and staffs from various institutions of the Northeast to join the celebrations, to compete with each other, with a healthy mind and more importantly to interact and form a union of growth.

Day-I began with the registration and allotment of accommodation to the guests then began the Round-1 of various sports competitions such as Volley Ball, Basket Ball, Badminton and Carrom in their respective grounds. A session on ‘Youth & Entrepreneurship’ was conducted in the afternoon by Mr. Sohail Ahmed from New Delhi, enlightening the students on the topic. Towards the evening Round-2 of the sports competition took place meanwhile there were cultural programs carried out in the form of Skit, group dance, and group song competitions. There was a competition to find out the best graduate among the participating colleges – ‘The Best Graduate’ competition, which was won by A Misban Hanif of Modern College, Imphal.

Day-II started with  –‘Unity Run’ followed by photography, cartooning and write-up competitions, while side by side the final rounds of the sporting competitions took place on different grounds. The most prominent event in the first half of the second day was the ‘Cultural Procession’ where over 10,000 students gathered to represent the cultural richness of the eight states of the Northeast. The whole ambience of the campus turned into a carnival mood. Students from over 40 communities all dressed up in their traditional attire set a cultural rally portraying the diverse cultural heritage of the region. The rally led to the main pandal where the ceremonial inauguration of NEGC-2017 took place in presence of  former Union Minister Shri. Mani Shankar Aiyar Ji, Hon'ble VC, Gauhati University, Dr, Mridul Hazarika, Hon'ble VC, Cotton College State University, Dr. Dhruba J. Saikia and Shri Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor, USTM. This was followed by a discussion session on a very contemporary topic- ‘Are Social Networking Sites Really Social? & What Next…?’ where youngsters took part in a huge number. The session was initiated by Mr. N.I. Laskar, Dr. Amit Choudhury and Prof. Alaka Sarma. NEGC-2017 also organised a National Seminar for Teachers with the theme – ‘Teachers as Motivators & Counsellors’, where teachers from various colleges took part. A session on ‘Personality Development & Soft Skills’ was conducted, where Mr. Thomas Jhon Rose imparted knowledge on the same.  There were also quiz, debate and mimicry competitions that took place in the afternoon session. Of the events that took place in the afternoon the most highlighting one had been the panel discussion with the theme – ‘Youth, Politics & Corruption’. Speakers from 8 political parties from Assam and Meghalaya took part in the panel discussion, the discussion was moderated by Mr. Mrinal Talukdar, Mr. J.M. Lyngdoh and Mr. Wasbir Hussain.  The hall was packed with audience and the speakers enlightened the youths with their ideas and experiences inspiring them to actively participate in debates and discussions related to politics as they are the future leaders of the nation. The panel discussion was followed by Cultural Program and prize distribution later in the evening, where Modern College, Imphal was awarded the Best Disciplined College of the event.

On 19^th the day – III, the valedictory session began in the morning at 10 AM with the farewell song. This was followed by expression of gratitude by the organizing committee and distribution of certificates. NEGC 2017 was a grand success and has become the only platform of such kind for graduates  in the country.  What more could be the highlight than of seeing students interacting with each others before parting and taking pictures to collect the memories of the grand event.

University of Science & Technology Meghalaya is one of the top Universities in Northeast India. USTM have under graduate programs as well as post graduate programs. PhD programs of USTM are one of the most renowned in Northeast India.  We also have Engineering programs, BA LLB, PG, MBA, B.Ed. & LLB programs among others. USTM Seminars & Placement in USTM is one of the best in entire Northeast India.

Preparing for Competitive Exams

All of us at one point of time or the other engage in the preparations of competitive exams. While doing so you go through a tough time deciding how to schedule your time, what to study and what not, when to study and how much to study. Well what you should keep in mind is that you study enough and in such a way that you retain enough in mind to ace the examinations.

Below are some of the tips and techniques that will help you prepare for all competitive examinations.

• Have shorter study sessions – Shorter study sessions are much more effective than marathon study sessions. Studying for long hours can make you feel tired and frustrated. So break-up the time for studies; also take short breaks between study sessions. You can study for about an hour or two then take a break of 15 minutes.
• Do not study when you are sleepy – If you are sleepy it’s better to take a quick nap of 15-20 minutes so that you can start afresh.
• Don’t just work hard but work smart – The number of hours you dedicate is not important but the amount of focused study you do is important. So understand your own system and start with the most difficult subject when you are fully active and you can keep the easier ones for the time when you are little lazy. Also try to get rid of distractions and adjust your time to study in the quiet hours of the day.
• Do not schedule similar subjects one after another – It is better to club different subjects together this way the brain will absorb different subjects much better.
• Try to study during the early hours of the day – It is best to study in the morning after you wake up from a good night sleep. This helps to retain more information.
• Make a list – Once you have the syllabus, make a list of the books and study materials you would need for the exam and collect them as early as possible.
• Use colour for the books – You can use colours aas codes to mark what you studied. Say you can colour the ideas in red, the dates in blue with the other facts in colours such as green or yellow, etc. this helps to remember things faster.
• Set a finishing date, also save time for revision – You should set a date, when you decide to finish learning new concepts otherwise it would be like learning without any aim. Also when you have prepared well for the exam it is necessary that you revise, it helps to remember a lot of things.
• Try to be less social and switch off your phone – During this time try to be less social, don’t attend too many parties or go around with friends until it’s necessary. If you constantly get distracted because of your phone, switch it off while studying.
• Rejuvenation time – You also need to relax so that you are not stressed out. Take time from your hectic schedule and try to indulge in activities that refresh your mind. Say going out for a movie, play a sport, listen to music or jam out with friends.

Hopefully the above mentioned techniques will go a long way to help you prepare for competitive examinations. You don’t need to worry much, but work hard to achieve your goals and work smart.

University of Science & Technology Meghalaya is one of the top Universities in Northeast India. USTM have under graduate programs as well as post graduate programs. PhD programs of USTM are one of the most renowned in Northeast India.  We also have Engineering programs, BA LLB, PG, MBA, B.Ed. & LLB programs among others. USTM Seminars & Placement in USTM is one of the best in entire Northeast India.

International Earth Science Conference 2017, University Of Science and Technology, Meghalaya

The three day International Earth Science Conference 2017 ended yesterday. The sessions that took place yesterday were: Plenary Session II, Model presentation and Valedictory Session. The speaker of the Plenary Session II was Dr. Priyanie H. Amerasinghe, Sri Lanka, Senior Researcher and Head of Office, International Water Management Institute, Hyderabad. 
Valedictory Session was followed by release of IESC Online Newsletter, Distribution of Certificates by Dr P. G. Rao, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor, USTM.

Importance of Having a Hobby

A hobby is the activity that one enjoys doing in the leisure time. It gives us pleasure, and also physical and mental peace. We pursue a hobby that fits our interest, mental state, personality and budget.

Inculcating a hobby not only helps us spend our spare time, but if we closely observe we will discover that our hobbies help us build certain skills within us, which help us in other areas as well.

Say for instance if we have a hobby of painting it also proves to be beneficial to us when we are working for our class-wall-magazine or working on an assignment of biology where we need a lot of drawing skills. A hobby is not just an inclination but a constant and systematic process. It is not too difficult to inculcate a hobby as it does not need much effort, since we usually choose those activities as our hobby which we love to do. Indulging in such activities enhances our thought process, physical skills and mental abilities. This way we let ourselves release the creativity within us. Studies revealed that those who indulge in some kind of hobbies are less likely to suffer from anxieties, depression negative feelings etc. 

Given below are some of the reasons why having a hobby is important:

* It can be a life-long pleasure – Our hobbies can be very important aspects of our lives and may become our second nature. So we should see that we choose something fruitful as our hobby and in the long run it will benefit us.

* It is a chance to connect to ourselves – Through our hobbies we explore ourselves, it is our private time when we enjoy being ourselves. At times it gives us a different identity and a different meaning to life. 

* It gives us an alternative career option – Many people have made their favorite hobby their career, and have flourished. When you love what you do and do what you love, you will never get frustrated of your work and there will be brighter scope to excel in whatever you do.

* It could be a remedy to stress – When you are stressed or over-worked, spending time doing your favorite activity de-stresses the mind. You can feel the difference in your energy level and spirit.

* It gives us chance to meet people of similar taste – While procuring materials or equipments for your hobby you might come across people who pursue the same hobby you may get to know a lot from such people and it’s a great way to meet people.

* It gives us a chance to share – Different hobbies enable us to share our experience. It gives us a reason to reach out to and share our knowledge with others. For instance the hobbies like music, theatre, art, etc. lets us share the fine experience of the arts with the world.

Our hobby is a great way to discover and re-discover our talents; we should not only indulge in a hobby for spending our free time but try to pursue a hobby so that it benefits us in the long run.

 University of Science & Technology Meghalaya is one of the top Universities in Northeast India. USTM have under graduate programs as well as post graduate programs. PhD programs of USTM are one of the most renowned in Northeast India.  We also have Engineering programs, BA LLB, PG, MBA, B.Ed. & LLB programs among others. USTM Seminars & Placement in USTM is one of the best in entire Northeast India.

Socializing in the Age of Social Media

We humans are social animals, whether we are the introvert type or the extrovert type, deep within we always look for a suitable company to share our thoughts, ideas, feelings and emotions. There was a time few years back when socializing meant people coming together to see each other, spending time with each other, going out to play, hanging out together in groups at the same place in the same time; probably if we ask our parents they can better share their experience of how they used to connect with people at a time when there was no instant messaging facility, forget calling them and seeing them live on your mobile phones or desktops.  

We consider ourselves lucky enough to belong to the age of the World Wide Web and more…the age of social media. We can easily find long lost friends, can instantly talk and chat with people, even see what and how they are spending their lives, let them know about our whereabouts, also follow our favorite social figures, know about the latest happenings of their lives and so on. This way our world has widened. And we feel so close to the lives of the people we are fond of. We can easily get updated with information about their lives and share our own status, feelings and emotions all virtually.

The ways and techniques of socializing have changed through times and so did our habits. But the feelings of meeting our near and dear ones face-to-face, their physical presence, makes a lot of difference. We must keep in mind that the social media way of socializing is just a way to make our lives easier at times when we have difficulties to reach out to people; it’s not the sole way to socialize. There is no doubt on the immense advantages of using various social media platforms, but we should analyze ourselves if in this process we are losing our skills of interpersonal communication. Hanging out with friends and making memories, actually getting together and talking to them gives the real satisfaction and is a more effective form of communication. On the contrary through social media no matter how fast we can connect with people living far away from us or people whom we barely know in person, there is still a virtual space that exists which cannot fulfill the place of a real friend.  At times, this virtual world may push us into a form of social anxiety as we are updated with too much of information of people enjoying the luxuries of life, travelling around the world, etc. making us perceive that we are living a rather dull and unsuccessful life. This is not a reality but an illusion which we start to accept unconsciously. This is the point we should realize that we are socializing too much on social media and we need to get a real life with real friends.  

Staying updated with the latest trends and technologies is always good but we should keep analyzing if we are not losing something in this run. Using social media platforms in moderation and balancing our real and virtual world is necessary to stay happy and satisfied.

University of Science & Technology Meghalaya is one of the top Universities in Northeast India. USTM have under graduate programs as well as post graduate programs. PhD programs of USTM are one of the most renowned in Northeast India.  We also have Engineering programs, BA LLB, PG, MBA, B.Ed. & LLB programs among others. USTM Seminars & Placement in USTM is one of the best in entire Northeast India.

How to write a successful CV?

Your CV is usually the first point of contact that a potential employer will have with you, and so it is imperative that when writing your CV, it reflects your skills, experience and accomplishments in an easy-to-read and engaging format. So, it’s essential to have a well presented professional CV, but still many graduates get this wrong. They don’t recognise the difference between a good CV and a great CV – which could be the deciding factor for you in securing an interview for your dream job.

Employers don’t have time to read between the lines, so the more you do to show how great you are for the job you’re trying to bag, the more chance you’ll have of getting it.

Remember, the reader will be asking themselves two very basic questions:

• Can you do the job?
• Will you suit their company?

Make sure the answer to both of these questions is ‘yes’ by:

• Moulding your CV to match what they’re looking for
• Making it clear where your skills meet their needs
• Pointing out the value you could bring to their organisation

Here are few tips for writing a great CV and effectively showcasing your skills and suitability to the professional world.

Mind your language

• Keep copy short and sweet
• Avoid lengthy sentences and use bullet-points
• Don’t refer to yourself as ‘I’ or by name
• Make sentences more direct with such phrases as ‘Major achievements include’
• Use the past tense to describe your career (‘Led a team of…’) but the present tense for your transferable skills and competencies (‘Offers experience in…’)

 Proof read

     It’s deceptively easy to make mistakes on your CV and exceptionally difficult to repair the damage once an employer gets it. A fresh pair of eyes can be super sharp when it comes to spotting the errors you  may have missed, so ask someone to double-check it for you

 Layout

• Try to keep your CV to two pages.All in all, your CV should be an introduction rather than a biography.
• Keep it clean and uncluttered
• Use the same font throughout and make sure it’s a simple one

Professionalism

CV’s with unprofessional email addresses are often ignored. Create a new email address with your name and a number – no nicknames, no random words. Choose a sensible email address!

 Personal statement

• Your personal statement is your big chance to sell yourself. Think of it as a sales pitch — you have one chance to grab the reader’s attention with how great you are
• Write a focused summary of what you have to offer, keeping it simple and snappy.

Work experience

• Use assertive and positive language under the work history and experience sections, such as “developed”, “organised” or “achieved”. Try to relate the skills you have learned to the job role you’re applying for.
• Start with your current or most recent position and work backwards
• Provide a job title, start and finish dates, company name, and a brief description of what they do
• List relevant responsibilities, achievements, duties and skills; describing the scope of your job, rather than giving a job description

Qualifications, education, training and development

• List professional and academic qualifications, degrees and executive programmes (giving the subject, awarding body and year)
• Include skills such as languages, technology, or vocational training.

References

Including references have to be from a person who has employed you within the past and might vouch for your talents and revel in. If you’ve never worked before you’re OK to use a teacher or tutor as a referee.

Future proofing

When you put together a CV it’s often difficult remembering the projects you have been involved with and the achievements you have made. To avoid missing important pieces of information out, revisit your CV every month adding anything of importance and cut any information that is no longer required.

University of Science & Technology Meghalaya is one of the top Universities in Northeast India. USTM have under graduate programs as well as post graduate programs. PhD programs of USTM are one of the most renowned in Northeast India.  We also have Engineering programs, BA LLB, PG, MBA, BBA, B.Ed. & LLB programs among others. Seminars & Placement in USTM is one of the best in entire Northeast India. http://ustm.ac.in/

Preparing for Civil Services

One of the most competitive and prestigious exams, civil services, is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), India’s major regulating body. The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE), popularly known as IAS (Indian Administrative Service) exam including the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Revenue Service(IRS) in two phases namely UPSC Prelims and UPSC Mains. The prelims exam comprises objective-type questions, while the questions asked in mains need descriptive and essay-type answering.

The Prelims exam is also known as Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) that includes two objective type question papers of two hundred marks and two hours duration for each paper. One is on General Studies and the other is General Aptitude Paper (which has now an optional paper). Many students appear multiple times to clear Prelims because limited numbers of candidates are chosen to write the mains exam.

Paper 1 – General Studies

This includes areas like; Indian National Movement, Indian Polity, Basic Economic Understanding, Geography. While these are static part of the syllabus, the dynamic part includes current affairs, General Knowledge and that does not proper definition, thus making the syllabus quite vast.

Paper 2 – Aptitude Test

Unlike paper 1 which has some static part, paper 2 is totally dynamic in many senses. This includes mathematics, reasoning, analytical ability, and interpersonal skills that requires spot mental ability. The Paper 2 is now of only qualifying nature and its mark is not counted in preparing the merit list of the Prelims exam. However, you have to score 33 per cent in this paper to qualify the Prelims exam.

Since the preliminary exam is a test of endurance, candidate must prepare themselves mentally to adapt to the requirements of this test. The main constraint is the time one gets to answer about 100 questions in 120 minutes. On an average one gets around 40 seconds for each question.

It is not an exaggerated fact that IAS is the nation’s toughest competitive exam and calls for intensive practice and preparation. There is no definite answer to the most commonly asked questions, such as how many hours an IAS aspirant need to put in every day? It will differ from person to person so let us look at it from a general perspective.

Experts believe that aggressive preparation for 10 to 12 months is a must. Four out of every 10 Indians (21-32 years) aspire to become an IAS officer and competition is so intense that only 5 percent of that massive number gets through. An aspirant must map-out an effective strategy and decide ideal number of hours required to implement that strategy.

An aspirant should also understand that preparation for civil services examination calls for qualitative and not quantitative preparation. It is about completion of your short-term target. Ideally you should target two subjects every day. Most of the top rankers starts preparing for the exams right from their school days, as most of the questions are asked mostly from Class 6 to 12 standard books. So preparing notes and devoting 10 to 12 hours before a year of exam is believed to be sufficient.

Even with all this preparation, it is necessary to have a positive attitude and a great amount of will power to succeed in this exam. You must remember to achieve your goal of getting through the Civil Services exam, qualifying the Prelims exam is the first hurdle.

University of Science & Technology Meghalaya is one of the top Universities in Northeast India. USTM have under graduate programs as well as post graduate programs. PhD programs of USTM are one of the most renowned in Northeast India.  We also have Engineering programs, BA LLB, PG, MBA, BBA, B.Ed. & LLB programs among others. Seminars & Placement in USTM is one of the best in entire Northeast India. http://ustm.ac.in/