Abstract:
The selection of electives is mostly based on the choices of the institution, however some colleges may ask students to choose their own subjects, choosing them must be followed on basis of your interest, you can refer the syllabus if you want and can choose it. Comparing with other subjects and knowing the criteria of that subject can be helpful in choosing it.
Today, we are publishing a few guidelines/ [Frequently Asked Question] which would give you little more clearer picture about What are Elective Subjects, What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of having an Elective Subjects.
Keywords
Elective Subjects, Optional Subjects, Value Proposition, Syllabus,
Learning Outcomes
After undergoing this article you will be able to understand the following:
1. What is an Elective Subject?
2. Why are Elective Subjects allowed in BTech ? Why not have a regular pattern with same subjects for all students?
3. How many Elective subjects are there in all ?
4. Are Elective subjects difficult to study?
5. What is Open Elective?
6. Are Elective Subjects for Scoring ?
7. Factual Analysis
8. What other factors are worth considering while selecting electives?
9. Conclusions
10. FAQs
References
1. What is an Elective Subject?
The Technical Universities introduce the system of Elective subjects in the Engineering curriculum for all branches in the 7th and 8th Semester. This system allows a candidate to choose a particular subject for his/her course from a given set of options. Normally for each elective subject, a candidate has to select a subject from given 3 or 4 choices.
2. Why are Elective Subjects allowed in BTech ? Why not have a regular pattern with same subjects for all students?
The Universities have wisely understood the diversity associated in each stream. In spite of students being in the same field ( say IT or Computer) the domain they choose for their career will most probably be different. Some may choose networking, some may choose Development, some may opt security and many others may choose Testing etc... the list is never ending. Now since, the fields can be extremely diverse, the learning phase associated with this is also diverse.
The University system wisely introduce the system of elective subjects which allows a candidate to make his Engineering Degree more precise and more specialized for his domain of interest. On a simple note, a student can choose his favorite subject from the given options.
3. How many Elective subjects are there in all ?
There is no specific number when it comes to how many electives you should take in college. You may take as many electives as you want. But, every college or university has its own limitation on the number of elective classes that you should take.
This purely depends on the university system. As on today in major universities,there are 4 Elective subjects in an academic year, 2 in each semester. Earlier before the 2008 pattern, there were only 2 Elective subjects allotted (One in each Semester). From the 2012 batch onwards, universities introduced 2 Elective subjects in each semester i.e. 4 in an academic year.
4. Are Elective subjects difficult to study?
I would never say that any Elective subject is really difficult to study, but the reason why most BTech students find this tough is 'Studying from Reference Books is mandatory in most cases'. You are left with no other option apart from studying from Reference Books when you don't have any local author books for the subject. The Elective subject are extremely vast and along with this, finding the syllabus among different Reference books recommended by the Univresity is also not an easy task. But one good point about Elective subjects is that : The question papers are normally easy and quite predictable (in most case , but not always true).
5. What is Open Elective?
Open Elective is a new step introduced by the universities from last few year. It allows a candidate to choose a subject of his choice with syllabus designed by himself or the institution and then approved by the University. This technique allows a candidate to get subjects from other branches into his/her stream.
We would be providing a detailed article about Open Elective, how to choose an Open Elective Subject and how to design it and then get it approved from the University.
6. Are Elective Subjects for Scoring ?
It completely depends on the subject you choose. But in most cases scoring above average in Elective Subjects is not as difficult as it was in other regular subjects.
7. Factual Analysis
Let us now move on to analyze the different Elective Subjects offered for BTech CSE
Elective 1 [BTech-CSE]
Option 1 :
Advance Database Management
This is the most important subject from all the options available. Advance Database Management is quite different from DBMS which you might have learned in other semesters. The subject is very interesting to learn and also not that difficult to score. The subject has immense applications for a software Engineer's career. The subject covers brief description about Data Mining, Data Warehousing, OLAP , a bit of PL/SQL and little bit about Transactional Database. Easy to learn, but this subject is extremely vast. My recommendation for ADM would be for those students who want to study a subject which would pertain some use to their career ahead.
Advantages : Very Interesting, Extremely Useful for your career.
Difficulty Level : Average , not that difficult but not that easy to learn also
Trade Offs
Local Authors : Not Available
The subject needs to be studied entirely from References. But the advantage is that a major part of the syllabus is easily available from Thomas Connolly and Begg books on Database Management
Extremely Time Consuming
Scoring Level : Average
Scoring 60+ in this subject requires more than average efforts and secondly the Question papers for DBMS or ADM is always unpredictable. Sometimes it is extremely simple and sometimes just the opposite.
Option 2 :
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This is one easy option for most IT Engineers. Artificial Intelligence is an extremely simple and interesting subject to learn. The subject has the biggest advantage - Nirali's Local Author book, which makes learning this subject really simple. It is a relatively scoring subject and also doesnt require much efforts to score.
Most students prefer AI over other subjects as it has a local author book. Secondly another big advantage for Artificial Intelligence is that it has almost all concepts covered in NPTEL Video Lectures offered by IIT Madras. This makes learning this subject very simple and less time consuming. The paper is also set at a normal difficulty level which helps most students to easily pass in this subject and obtain a decent score.
Advantages : Easy to learn, scoring and Less Time Consuming compared to other subjects.
Local Author : Available
Scoring Level : High (Easy to score)
Difficulty Level : Low (Easy to learn)
Trade Offs:
In spite of this subject being easy to learn and a scoring subject, the subject suffers a major drawback. Artificial Intelligence has very low applications in your career as compared to Advance Database Management and other offered subjects. It would serve your purpose.
Option 3:
Compiler Design (CD)
This subject is a surprising subject. The term 'surprising' may sound weird but actually it is. Looking at the syllabus, this subject appears to be a very simple subject. With the major part of the syllabus quite similar to System Software Programming (SSP ) it appears to be a simple and scoring subject. Still if you feel that the term 'surprising' is not relevant for this explanation, things would be more clear now. Even while studying the subject, you would never feel that the subject is difficult. Contents are easily understood in very less time compared to other subjects.
The actual problems are evolved when you attempt for the paper. The question paper for this subject is always unpredictable. It is never asked in the pattern expected. In the Dec 2011 examinations, the CD paper had almost the same pattern which was designed for Computer Engineering's PCD - Principle's of Compiler Design.
The subject is definitely scoring but under certain conditions. There are students who easily scored 70+ but for most passing was a tough decision. Overall , Compiler Design is an interesting subject, easy to learn...but result is totally dependent on the paper which is quite unpredictable.
Advantages : Easy to learn, A lot of study material is available on Nptel in the form of Video Lectures. This makes the process of learning easy and less time consuming.
Local Author : Not Available
Trade off : Extremely unpredictable Question Paper.
Option 4 :
Advanced Operating Systems (AOS)
AOS is not a much preferred option by the students for Elective 1. The subject is interesting but not at all an easy subject to learn. Moreover , compiling the syllabus from different books is also not an easy task. The question paper level for this subject is also difficult. Very few students opt for AOS.
8. What other factors are worth considering while selecting electives?
Besides that you should keep in mind to
# Do a SWOT analysis
With the help of SWOT analysis, you may able to
Identify your interests
The flexibility to choose electives in college gives ample opportunities for students to learn about their field of interests. Electives also enable students to boost their overall performance and at the same time allow them to explore the new subject matter.
Check for electives that are aligned with your interests so that you would be keen on learning something new. While choosing electives, students should consider free elective requirements. Also, they have to evaluate the one which can help you in your general education requirement and accordingly decide. Select an elective which would give you a chance to dabble in something that you have always wanted to but could not try indulging in before.
Know your strengths
If your strength lies in creative writing, then an elective related to the field will help students to develop a certain skill set that will further help you in the future. It is also true that this will result in better learning for you. Keeping your passions in mind will also help you in choosing electives wisely and carefully. You might have always wanted to paint but never got an opportunity to learn, and then electives are a way for you to take an art class.
Select electives that will enhance your course value
Always check for the electives which can enable students to enhance their knowledge and skill-set. It must be relevant to their major. This will provide a more effective learning platform for students. For example, if your major is business administration, an elective in communication skills will help you improve your interpersonal skills. It can be vital for a managerial position.
Focus on your goals
Students must determine their short-term and long-term goals. While deciding on electives, check if the courses you are opting for will be of assistance to you in your career goals. Have a discussion with your academic counselor as they are quite knowledgeable and guide you considering your major’s requirements.
9. Conclusion
It has been often observed that students choose electives which they can easily accommodate in their schedule; however, this should not be the case. Choosing electives is an excellent opportunity to get exposure to new experiences essential to a student’s holistic development. Therefore, students require to set your mind to the task of choosing the right electives. You must make sure you go through the above list to make informed choices.
10. FAQs
Q.1.: What is the difference between a core course and an elective?
Ans.: Courses can be classified as either core courses or electives. Core courses are mandatory courses you must study to meet the requirements of your program. Electives are courses you can choose, allowing you to study topics that interest you. Electives, when added to your core courses, make up the total number of units needed to complete your degree.
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