CMS in Hindsight | Centre for Modeling and Simulation

CMS in Hindsight: Anirudh Jonnalagadda /* 2016 Jul 18, 17:17:03 */

Anirudh Jonnalagadda

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Association with CMS
M.Tech. Programme in Modeling and Simulation

Epoch of Association
2014-2016

Pre-CMS Education, Occupation, Field
Pre-CMS: BE Mechanical Engineering

Post-CMS Education, Occupation, Field
PhD Student at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Bombay
working in the field of Rarefied Gas Dynamics

Curricula and teaching programmes

The curriculum at CMS was one of a kind: the focus on the core theory instead of application oriented instruction is I found astounding. Moreover, the way the theory weaved its way into a multitude applications we had learnt about in our undergraduate course was fascinating.

Teachers

My first thought after reading the course document was that it looks amazing on paper; my second was whether the Faculty would be able to pull it off. We were called for counseling and I was able to interact with the Faculty for a bit and had a few of my queries addressed. Although I was still unsure (since I had only recently secured admission to a University abroad for the coming semester before CMS had called) I enrolled in the course with the intent to test the waters.

It took all of ONE WEEK after classroom teaching began to withdraw my admission from the University abroad.

In the first few days we had classes conducted by Barve Sir and a visiting faculty from the Statistics Department. The quality of those lectures completely blew my mind. Although the level at which the courses were being pitched were a little high, it was not beyond understanding. Moreover, by the second day I realized that the Professors at CMS could be approached without any fear.

My Elective courses were taught by Barve Sir and he was my MTech Project Guide as well; therefore I spent a lot of time around him. Its sufficient to say that interactions with Barve Sir, academic as well as non academic, will not leave you disappointed. More over, mere words cannot describe his seriousness when it comes to the students and their needs.

Mihir Sir teaches the Applied Statistics subjects with a unique flair and panache. There was a set of slides wherein a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon was used to drive a point home. His tests and assignments all are aimed at making the students think and apply rather than the traditional by-heart and reproduce.

Pujari Sir is creative in the way he runs his courses; he aims (and is able) to make his courses interactive, entertaining and informative.

Gore Sir brings years of experience to his courses. His method of teaching is very systematic and ensures that with proper attention one can become very adept at computing.

All in all in hindsight, CMS was perfect for what I was looking for and my teachers made my journey all the more worthwhile

Overall experience

The culture at CMS is very simply "for the students". Facilities include: Computer Lab facilities open 24 hours a day, strategically placed couches which allow for tired minds to surreptitiously snooze for a bit, a well equipped departmental library (in case a student needs a book not present in the library, the library in charge can be asked to order it), a mail server which gives you a personalized cms email for official communication, wifi facilities.

Like I mentioned earlier, the Faculty is very approachable, and that confidence of being able to talk to someone who is very well established in his/her field without fear of ridicule/judgment is something that I was able to inculcate at CMS.

As far as issues went, I personally did not find too many situations discomfiting enough to complain about. There was one occasion when an assignment problem was discussed during classroom hours before the submission deadline because the students could not cope with it which I felt was an unfair waste of time for those who had figured the solution out. A simple email conversation with the concerned faculty had sorted the issue out. The faculty realized the point being made was a valid one and in the future invited all those with queries to the faculty office.

Impact on career and growth

I secured admission into my PhD program solely on the basis of the Applied Maths and Applied Stats I had learnt at CMS.

Advice for current and future students

Make use of the resources to fullest; they are there for you.

Don't be narrow minded in your notions about what you want to do. Take whatever interests you and make the most of it; the possibilities are endless and you are only limited by what you allow to be defined as your limit.

Take the Mtech project and pre-project seriously, not because "that's what employers will ask you about" but because thats where you really apply the things you learn. Think of your Project as a reflection of your personality and ability. Please use your project as a platform to learn and grow as opposed to one to "get a job". If you are good at what you do, you will get a job.

Learn to prioritize the things that are important. Your MTech is of two years only. I remember walking into the pre-admission counseling session like it was yesterday. You will not even realize when you have missed the bus if you are not careful.

Work Hard. The course is not easy, but it isn't rocket science either. If you are willing to give it its due respect you will not only enjoy the learning process but also reap the benefits once its done.

And have fun whenever you can :)

Which direction should CMS grow in?

I feel that CMS should do more PR so as to attract better students.