How to study Computer Engineering in Nepal
If you prefer to watch video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9-44CHOFeY
Namaskar, everyone reading this article.
I am a Computer Engineering graduate from private college of Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University. I had 3 digits rank in IOE entrance exam solely based on my plus two studies(I mean that is what it should be LOL. What I mean to say is that I did not take any entrance preparation classes). I graduated with 71% on aggregate. I have already got my engineering license(on my first attempt). And currently I am preparing for loksewa computer engineer and IT officer.
First things first. 71% is not really a great percentage, especially in a mathematical course like “Computer Engineering”. So why am I sharing techniques on how to study?
Do not get me wrong. It is enough for many students, especially in private engineering colleges, but I consider that percentage was not sufficient for me, or students who are of my caliber.
One of the reasons why I got a low percentage in IOE was that I learnt how to learn very late in my engineering degree. Since it was too late, it did not favor my aggregate percentage. I am writing this article so that you do not have to face a similar issue.
Let’s get started.
There are already tons of blogs and mainly YouTube videos that talk about this topic. i.e., “how to study?” “How to study difficult subjects?” “How to read computer science textbooks?”, and so on. So, what is the need for yet another blog on the same topic?
Most of the content is being made by American, European, and Indian students and graduates. There is extremely limited content being made from the Nepalese students’ perspective.
While the study techniques really might feel like they do not vary geographically, there is some subtle nuance that needs to be addressed. There is some tailoring that needs to be done for Nepal-specific students.
This is the reason why I decided to create this article.
How to clear IOE back exams?
Studying alone is not enough. You have to study tactically. This will work for everyone(not just those with backs), but I will write it in this paragraph. Also read the rest of the paragraphs for the answer.
IOE gives 4+4 years for completing a Bachelor’s degree. IOE’s back policy is the biggest scam in engineering. It is made to allow students with 6 backs to take next semester, because the private engineering colleges wanted IOE to do so.
This destroys students’ concepts, confidence, and whatnot. A student who has not cleared Data Structures and Algorithms will do no shit when he is taught Artificial Intelligence.
This creates a huge ripple effect. One back succeeds another, another back succeeds another. And you reach hellhole. So the best strategy is not to get any backs. If you are reading this article before starting an engineering degree or while in the early semester, consider yourself safe.
Even if you have collected some backs, no need to worry because IOE is a “degree farm”. Passing IOE exams is easy. Although back exams look hard, passing them is also easy.
Follow all the techniques that I list in the blog below.
Keep confidence in yourself. Do not be hopeless. You are not studying MIT’s course and giving MIT-level exams. It is just Tribhuvan University, named after a bhaguwa king himself.
jk.
You can do it. Believe in yourself.
How to not get back?
First, find out the reason why you are getting back into this “degree farm” at the Institute of Engineering.
And try to work on that reason. Read the blog till the end, I have provided many tips that can help you prevent getting backs in the Institute of Engineering’s Computer Engineering degree.
Some students take tactical backs(they knowingly take backs, hoping to score more marks in backs). I urge them not to do so. Because it does not work like that. You will not get enough time for studies in the back exams. It is just a good way to ruin your entire engineering degree. If you are here, you’re already safe from this nonsense.
How to get good marks in Computer Engineering in Nepal?
I used to believe that learning in depth equals getting good marks. It does not. Tactical learning gets grades. You need to be highly strategic in learning. As I mentioned in my earlier blog
I know this because my batchmates who are now doing PhDs in reputed American universities never ever opened an authoritative textbook.
A few rules that you should follow to get good marks are as follows:
Solve Question Papers
Solve all the questions that were asked in the last five years. There will be 50-60 questions per subject. There will be 6 subjects per semester. So you will need to solve 300 questions.
I have seen some idiots copying from somewhere and claiming to solve the questions. This is not a correct way to learn. You have to solve the questions as if you were going to study them before the exam while being able to actually understand them.
Learning and solving questions take a huge amount of time.
But here is the mistake that students like me make. They get stuck in an old question loop. They keep solving every old question to date. But IOE does not repeat 100% of questions from the old question bank. Only 80% of the questions are repeated exactly from past questions.
So comes my next tip!
Follow syllabus
Nowadays, it is really easy. The Loksewa exam that I am preparing for has a vague syllabus and few past questions. The way I am tackling it is through LLMs. I feed the past questions and syllabus to LLMs, ask them to generate 10-20 questions per subject, and practice those questions. If I finish early, I will again ask LLMs to provide newer questions and practice those questions. I do not merely practice the question that the LLM gives. But understand the precursor topics around that question, till that question.
You can do the same. Feed the syllabus and past questions to LLMs. Then ask them to give questions that are not yet asked in old questions but could be asked in examinations. LLMs will read the syllabus and find such questions.
Revision
I learnt this too late in my engineering degree. Your marks do not come from you studying something for the first time for 10 hours. They come from revisions. The more you revise, the more valuable content you will prepare for writing in the exam, and the more marks you will secure.
The best technique to revise is active recall. Active recall means being able to write the answer without looking at it. This is obviously an energy-consuming activity, and many students just re-read their notes to revise. But if you follow the active recall method of revision, you will be a highly successful student in Nepal’s engineering degree.
How to deal with burnout as an engineering student?
Burnout is real in an engineering degree. The way to deal with burnout is to never get one.
As simple as that, even though it might sound rude.
There are a few habits and rules that you can follow to avoid burnout.
Sleep 8 hours every day.
Meditate and/or exercise a few times per week.
One thing that has greatly helped me to be consistent in these habits(sleep and exercise mainly) is getting a smartwatch. I personally went for HUAWEI Band 10 because I was on a budget and wanted maximum value for money product. I am very happy with this product. Get it from the link below:
https://s.daraz.com.np/s.ZSZ4b?cc
Interleave between subjects. I personally favored interleaving with Pomodoro.
The interleaving technique that I use works like this
- study subject number 1 for 45 minutes
- take a break(optional)
- study subject number 2 for 45 minutes
- take a break(optional)
- study subject number 3 for 45 minutes
- take a break(optional)
- take a long break(optional)
- Again, study subject number 1 for 45 minutes and repeat the loop.
Time Management Techniques
One thing that wastes so much time of curious engineering students is “digging too deep”.
Give yourself a deadline. Be it for a programming problem, an assignment problem, a past exam problem, or a project. Say “If I do not complete this programming task within 2 hours, I will seek help.” Do not get stuck too much. It is not worth it. It is a kind of slippery slope.
To be honest, if you follow all the techniques I am saying in this blog since the first semester, you will never get significantly stuck anywhere. Being stuck comes from a lack of prerequisite knowledge, mainly.
This is easier said than done. For me, when I get stuck, I feel an insane feeling that I should finish it by hook or crook.
Another way to manage your time is to work deeply. In the age of distractions, it is very hard to work deeply. For example, most of you listen to songs or podcasts while solving assignments. This is not called studying deeply.
If you are not studying deeply, you will need to spend some extra time studying. One thing that really helped me with deep studying is visiting libraries.
Since you are in college, you already have your college library. Study there every day. If it is open on weekends, it is great. Go there and study all day. If not, there are some public libraries that you could visit, like the Kaiser Library, the Central Law Library, etc. I recommended these libraries because you can take your books and study in these libraries.
If you are looking for paid study libraries, there are various “study rooms” that charge around Rs.3500/month. They are insanely helpful. But I believe you, as a student, do not need such expensive libraries. Just visit your college library. Ask the coordinator to make college libraries open on weekends as well. You will see a rapid increase in your grades when you start studying in the library. Trust me on this.
Best productivity apps and tools
I use couple of apps that you can call productivity apps. I use Android phone btw.
- CoffeePomodoro Premium(for pomodoros tracking and analysis)
That is all to be honest. Or maybe I forgot. I will add more when I remember.
Get a good chair. It makes a huge difference. I got a VBON Cude chair a year ago, and it has been directly impacting my productivity. I do not have to think about the pain of sitting in a plastic chair. I feel extremely comfortable when seated. And it is not even a very hi-fi chair. It is a basic office chair.
VBON gives lots of warranty on their chair. You will not need any warranty because the chair is very good.
Buy the chair from the link provided below:
https://s.daraz.com.np/s.ZhInu?cc
Note-taking techniques
After spending lots of time with both physical and digital notes, I have come to this conclusion:
- For theoretical subjects that involve mathematical equations, diagrams, and physical notes, pen and paper are the best.
- For text-heavy subjects like programming, taking digital notes on a laptop is best.
I used Obsidian for note-taking. One issue that you will face while writing digital notes is potentially losing data. That is why you should regularly back up your data. You can do it manually with a hard disk.
For pen and paper notes, you will need good-quality pens and paper.
For paper, I prefer Chiyanotes ’ yellow-paged copy that costs Rs.200. For pens, I prefer the Uniball UB-150 micro roller ball pen.
Link to buy UB-150 micro roller ball pen
https://s.daraz.com.np/s.Z6hOD?cc
For Chiyanotes copy, you can visit any stationery shops near you. But that yellow colored copy is only available in selected few stationaries, not every stationary seem to keep it. Maybe due to its pricing.
To get the best of both worlds, you can buy a tablet. iPads are great but expensive. So I prefer Android. The one that I recommend is the Xiaomi Pad 8.
Buy it from the link below and start creating beautiful handwritten notes digitally:
https://s.daraz.com.np/s.Z6hFR?cc
If you are planning to buy something or know someone who is planning to buy something via Daraz, please share this link with them. This is a Daraz affiliate link. It does not cost you anything extra. But Daraz pays me from its own pocket for promoting this product. This helps me create helpful content for free. It is not necessary that you buy the Xiaomi Pad itself from the link. If you click the link and purchase something else, I will still get a commission from Daraz’s pocket.
How to really learn new and technical subjects
Say you have to learn distributed systems, which is a highly rigorous subject. First, ensure you have all necessary prerequisites for the course cleared. Then, follow the study techniques:
- interleaving+pomodoro
- active recall(revising)
- deadline time for a problem
- study tactically
New subjects can take a good amount of time to learn. If you are stuck today, just sleep after reading a little bit of that topic tonight. Read that topic tomorrow morning when you wake up. And keep repeating this till you learn. I know getting help is really tedious in Nepali engineering colleges because teachers are lazy(They have nothing to research, yet they are unavailable even during office hours), and there are no Teaching Assistants. So, make LLMs your teacher.
How to improve programming skills
One book that really “taught” me programming was Y. Daniel Liang’s Java book. It is available in Bhotahity’s National Book Shop, and you can get it from there.
The way to improve programming skills is not just by reading. Along with reading, you have to solve all the exercises present in the book. Then create projects. The book will take you from zero to hero. If you are in the first semester, start solving the problems of that book in C(or whatever your college is teaching right now). Believe me! You will be far ahead in programming if you do so(Unless you were naturally gifted and you would not have to do this at all).
Communication skills for engineers
Communication skills are what differentiate a talented engineer from a successful one.
Keep that in mind. You will understand the value of communication the moment you take your first job/internship right after college.
Take a public speaking course. Public speaking is a small part of communication. But it is what is widely available in the market. From there, you can grow in other areas. I have also taken a public speaking course. If you want me to share my experience, send me an e-mail. Even I am learning verbal and face-to-face communication skills, so I cannot comment a lot regarding this subject. I just put it here because the ChatGPT keyword gave this topic as well.
Udemy can be a good source to learn new skills like communication. Join Udemy from the link provided below and enroll in a course that you love.
Daily study routine for Nepalese engineering students
There are simple rules of thumb that you should follow. For example, for every 1 credit hour, you should be studying 3 hours at home. Do not consider tuition classes or tutorial classes in this. Just the lectures.
As a full-time student, you should aim for 50 hours of studies per week.
How can it be achieved?
- 8 hours of sleep
- 8 hours of college
- 6 hours of self-studies
- 2 hours for other stuffs
So during weekdays, you will have 30 hours of self-study. on weekends, you should do 10 hours each day. It is difficult to be real. I do not lie. And many students do not follow this schedule. Since the engineering degree in Nepal is not as rigorous as a foreign university’s degree, you might not even need this. But if you genuinely want to do everything in engineering, this is very necessary. By genuinely, I mean:
- not copying lab reports
- not copying assignments
- not copying projects
If you want to further research on techniques to study or in general learn new skills, visit Udemy:
Kindly please use the link above if you are buying a new course or a subscription from Udemy. This is udemy’s affiliate link. I get commission from Udemy without any additional cost to you.