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The VIT Student Handbook 2013The VIT Student Handbook 2013The VIT Student Handbook 2013---141414

Your certified guide to everything about academics and life at VIT University, Vellore.

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College

Credits

Map of VIT Student Bodies

Td Tom’s Diner

Ac Academics

ArArAr Around Vellore

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Hostels Hostels

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International Edition

www.vit.ac.in

T he VIT Student Handbook team would like to extend a very warm welcome to each and every per-

son joining VIT University this term. This handbook was conceptualized and created for the purpose

of helping and assisting each and every student in the VIT Campus and to ease their transition into

life at a new and unfamiliar place by providing a catalogue of important information. At this point we

would like to stress that the intended use of this handbook is solely as a reference. All efforts have been

made to ensure that any information provided inside this book is completely accurate. We apologize for

any errors that may have crept in inadvertently. Also sometimes office locations/phone numbers/rules may

not tally due to changes implemented by the VIT management. The most updated rules and information

can be found on the main VIT University website:

and also through your VIT Gmail account (information about this can be found in the „Academics‟ section).

The handbook has been classified in 5 major sections covering various aspects of college life. More infor-

mation on content can be found in the accompanying index.

The handbook is a work in progress. We are always looking for suggestions to help improve our content. If

you have any further queries you can reach out to us through our Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/VitStudentHandbook

-International Edition Student handbook

2

section 1.

V it University covers a vast expanse of land, measuring close to 350 acres with a built in area of almost 51

lakh sq. ft. With more than 22,000 students, 1100 faculty and 1275 staff members, world class amenities

and a beautiful residential campus VIT resembles an oasis within a desert.

The VIT campus comprises 23 hostel blocks, numerous academic, research and administrative buildings. It‟s size is

enough to intimidate almost any person. Fear not, you can master this huge layout with just a few basic concepts. To

make sure you are not confused by abbreviations used by the general populace at VIT, we list the commonly used

abbreviations for buildings and places (Please refer the included „Map‟ for their locations).

MB - Main Building

GDN - G. D. Naidu

SMV or Hexagon - Sir M. Visvesvaraya Block

TT - Technology Tower

FC - Food Court

SJT - Silver Jubilee Tower

CBMR - Centre for Biomedical Research

CTS - Center for Technical Support

CDMM - Centre for Disaster Management

and Mitigation

IR - International Relations

DSW - Director of Student Welfare

Co llege

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The Health Centre is located in the Dr. A. L. Mudaliar Block (Between CDMM and GDN).

The central library is named after Periyar E. V. Ramaswamy. Department Libraries (under various academic depart-

ments) are located in all academic buildings.

The VIT Souvenir Shop is a place where you can buy VIT memorabilia like branded watches, formal and informal cloth-

ing, calculators, branded bags and lots more.

Now that we know the important buildings let us get down to listing the various school departments and the loca-

tions of their school offices and department heads.

SCHOOLS AND THEIR OFFICES

SBST- School of Bio-Sciences and Technology

13BBTXXXX (BBT)Biotechnology, 13BIFXXXX (BIF)Bioinformatics, 13BMDXXXX (BMD)Biomedical Engineering

Office: SMV G30

Program Manager’s Cabin: CBMR 103

Director: SMV G32

SCSE-School of Computing Sciences and Engineering

13BCEXXXX (CSE)Computer Science & Engineering, 13BAMXXX (BAM)Bachelor of Animation and Multimedia,

13BCSXXXX (B.Sc.-CS)Bachelor of Computer Science, 13MSCXXXX (M.Sc.-CS)Master of Computer Science

Office: SJT 322 Program Chair’s Cabin: SJT 323

Dean: SJT 321

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Cr Credits

*Program Chair/Manager and Director/Dean are different nomenclature used by Schools.

Ac

SELECT-School of Electrical Engineering

13BEIXXXX (EIE) Electronics and Instrumentation Engi-

neering, 13BEEXXXX (EEE) Electrical and Electronics En-

gineering

Office: TT 520, Program Chair’s Cabin: TT533

Director: TT 511

SENSE-School of Electronics Engineering

13BECXXXX (ECE) Electronics and Communication Engi-

neering

Office + Program Manager’s Cabin: TT 039

Director: TT 042

SITE-School of Information Technology Engi-

neering

13BITXXXX (IT) Information Technology, B.C.A, B.Sc

(Animation), 13MSC

Office + Program Manager’s Cabin: SJT G23

Director: SJT G22

SMBS-School of Mechanical and Building Sci-

ences

Mechanical (Includes Mechanical Core, Mech. Energy,

Chemical and Automobile) Engineering + Civil Engineer-

ing (Registration numbers as 13BMEXXXX, 13BEMXXXX,

13BCHXXXX, 13BMAXXXX and 13BCLXXXX respectively)

Mechanical - Office + Program Manager’s Cabin: MB

G02

Civil- Office+Program Manager’s Cabin: MB G02

SAS-School of Advanced Sciences

This school is responsible for courses related to the Sci-

ences and Mathematics.

Director: TT 527

SSL-School of Social Languages and Sciences

13BCCXXX (B.Sc.-COM) Bachelor of Commerce

This school is responsible for courses related to the lan-

guages and/or humanities.

Director: TT 322/323

Office: TT 317

VIT BS -VIT Business School

13MBAXXXX (MBA) Master of Business Administration),

13BBAXXXX (BBA) Bachelor of Business Administration

(B.B.A)

Important Administrative Officers

Director Of Academics: SJT 809

Director of Student Welfare: MB 108

Controller Of Examinations (CoE): SJT 8th Floor

Academic Records Office: Above Souvenir Shop

Physical/Sports Department: Above All Mart (take

the elevator leading to Guest House Annex)

International Relations Office – MB 109

The IR Office will help all international students

with arrival, accommodation, immigration etc.

Visiting Hours:

Mon to Fri- 11am to 1pm and 2:30pm to 5 pm

(Phone – 0416-2202131, Intercom-2131)

For contact information and more details refer

www.vit.ac.in

AFTER ARRIVAL PROCEDURES

1. Report to the International Relations Office within 3

days of your arrival at the college.

2. Fill in Registration form for immigration

(10 passport size & 5 stamp size photographs, Xerox

of Passport (First 2 and last 2 page)

3. Submit Sponsorship Form (from parents/company/

organization) and Hostel Application

4. Xerox of all marks/grade cards of all examinations

taken so far (10th year of school onwards)/School leav-

ing certificate/Conduct Certificate) along with originals

**Original documents are submitted in MB-G09 (To

reach there you need to take the stairs adjacent to the

water cooler, cross the colorful tiles and head down.)

Note: Lunch time for offices in VIT is between 1pm

and 2pm, extendable to 2:30pm.

5. Required fees in cash / demand draft

6. You will meet your study buddy and be introduced to

your department teachers.

ID CARDS

Your VIT ID card determines your identity in VIT. Keep it

safe on your person AT ALL TIMES.

ID cards are issued after payment of requisite fee

and submission of the required documents.

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section 1.

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section 1.

p5

section 1.

p4 School Offices

Location of School

offices, Director‟s

Cabin, Program

Manager

After Arrival

What to do when

you arrive at VIT,

Information about

ID Cards

Miscellaneous

Finance, Proctor,

Climate, Health

Services, Currency

Exchange

Miscellaneous

Location of Halls/

Auditoriums,

Transport Services

inside, Xerox shops,

Girls please take note that in order to leave the campus,

not only do you need your ID Card but also your Hos-

tel ID Card, the details of which are given in the Girls‟

Hostel Section.

Do not lose your ID card, fee receipts, hall tickets or li-

brary books unless you want to walk away with a

(significantly) lighter wallet. The fees for reissue of a lost

ID card is Rs.500. If you lose it again it will be doubled

to Rs.1000. and so on. We hope you get the idea of how

important this small piece of plastic is.

NOTE: If your ID card is damaged it would be reissued

at the CTS office for a nominal fee.

NOTE: If you lose your ID card you will need a letter

addressed to the „Assistant Registrar, VIT University’.

Submit the letter at the Academic Records Department.

You will then collect a „Payment Receipt‟. Pay the re-

quired amount at the finance office and take the letter

and Xerox of payment receipt to CTS office for getting a

new ID card.

NOTE: Also good to know are the ID card tag colors for

t h e vari- o u s stu-

dents/faculties in VIT.

PROCTOR

All new students are assigned a proctor right after they

attend their branch orientations. The list can usually be

checked after the orientation ceremony. Your proctor is

like your guardian in the campus. You can approach the

proctor for any problems that you have. It is a good

idea to keep your proctor‟s contact information and

their cabin numbers stored in your mobile phones.

From granting leaves during working days to analyzing

your grades, your proctor shall be closely monitoring

your progress in the college, advising and helping you

at key steps in your academic career. Try to maintain a

good rapport with your proctor.

CLIMATE

All that you will get to hear from experienced seniors

about Vellore‟s climate is, “There are only three seasons

here- hot, hotter and hottest”. But don‟t be startled.

Vellore does get its share of pleasant weather, albeit

occasionally. When it gets cloudy here, it gets really

good.

With the blowing wind, lush greenery all around, and

sprinkles of raindrops on your face, Vellore at times

does seem to resemble heaven. It rains occasionally and

you might expect it to be pleasantly cool between the

end of December and the beginning of January (That

concludes the winter season in Vellore too).

Advice from our female readers to their brethren. Please

carry an umbrella with you at all times, if not from the

rain, it‟ll certainly save you from the sun! Considering

that the weather in Vellore is usually hot, it is best to

have a large stock of loose comfortable garments, pref-

erably of cotton, with long sleeves to prevent you from

getting tanned. If nothing else, dressing modestly will

prevent you from looking like a zebra with alternate

light and dark bands of skin color!

HEALTH CENTRE

The A. L. Mudaliar Block on the „Map‟ is where the

Health Center is located. It has doctors to treat a variety

of ailments. This center is open 24/7. For more details

about the Health Center see health services on the

page:

www.vit.ac.in/Infrastructure/HealthServices.asp

Also, sometime within two months of college, you will

have to attend a general health checkup. For more

info on the emergency health services refer the Hostels

section.

FINANCE

The official bankers for the University, Indian Bank, have

a branch at the VIT Shopping Complex.

You‟re advised to open an account with Indian Bank.

Why? You ask...we answer you below:

a. Your accrued refunds for (Mess, electricity etc.) are

deposited in your Indian bank account 5 days prior to

end of your academic year.

b. Whenever you need to deposit fees, you can get a

Demand Draft made for yourself.

(Note: All payments above Rs 500 require a Demand

Draft)

c. You can also make fee and other payments by Chal-

lan from the Bank.

Once you create an account you shall receive your ac-

count numbers and ATM cards (if applied for). It is a

good idea to also apply for phone alerts and net bank-

ing services.

CURRENCY CONVERSION

For Currency exchange/conversion services contact the

International Relations office.

Modes of Payment for College fees

You can make your payments through 3 modes.

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Hosteller Day Scholar Faculty Ph.D. Scholar VIT Staff

a. Demand Draft (DD): is the most common mode of

payment. The Drafts are to be made payable to "VIT

University" at "Vellore". Drafts can be sent by courier

directly to the finance office (MB G10) or can be depos-

ited personally.

b. Wire Transfer: Direct money transfer to VIT Account

c. Cash in counter: At finance office MB-G10

LOCATION OF AUDITORIUMS

TT Gallery I - TT 028/029, TT Gallery II - TT 233/234

Kamaraj Auditorium-TT 7th floor

Dr. Ambedkar Auditorium- TT Ground Floor

Dr. M. Channa Reddy Auditorium- MB Ground

Floor

Rajaji Hall - MB 2nd Floor

Anna Auditorium- In front of MB

Xerox Shops

Xerox shops are aplenty on the campus. Other than the

ones in the hostel area, Xerox facilities are found in

GDN, in the library, TT ground floor, SJT first floor. Some

private shops are present near All Mart, Main Gate and

Gate No. 3 (the gate near the Guest House). Check the

‘Map’ for details.

Buses Around Campus

To help students reach classes on time, the university

provides free bus transport from the hostel areas to

the various academic blocks. Timings are displayed

prominently near the bus stops (also listed in the

„Hostels‟ section). You will feel proud to know that the

entire bus fleet is run on biodiesel. A new shuttle cab

service has also been launched at very affordable prices.

College Fests

graVITas: This is the annual technical fest of VIT held

in the month of September. graVITas is that time of the

year when you get to test your technical skills on a

highly competitive platform. One gets to meet and in-

teract with great minds of the scientific world through

guest lectures, quizzes and technical workshops.

The events held in graVITas are organized by the vari-

ous „Clubs and Chapters’: Registrations start a few days

prior to the commencement of the fest.

The competitions cover a wide range of technological

and engineering fields. From building catapults to

cheering your favourite robots in a battle to cracking

algorithms and solving ciphers and crypts, this fest has a

place for everyone.

The workshops held in graVITas are an opportunity to

move beyond bookish knowledge and develop practical

knowledge through a hands-on approach.

Student designed graVITas apparel is made available

for purchase prior to the fest.

graVITas gives first year students the opportunity to

work as volunteers in any of the different committees

which work in tandem to make the fest a success.

Riviera: This is the annual sports and cultural fest of

VIT held in February. Riviera is the time of the year when

you can use your extra-curricular talents to compete,

exhibit and create on a platform which hosts thousands

of students from diverse streams and colleges.

Be it graffiti or 3D art, chocolate making or DJ-ing,

Riviera has loads of events and workshops dedicated

to all genres of fine arts.

Any one quick on his/her feet or with a passion to woo

the crowd through their voice can take part and audi-

tion for the various dancing and singing events. From

hardcore metal to fusion, hip hop to classical, stage per-

formances are watched and loved by thousands of ea-

ger students. Riviera also comes with a whole set of

dedicated student-designed apparel as radiant as the

fest.

For those who love spending time at sports, Riviera

hosts competitions in every sport available in the cam-

pus. For those of you who think your fashion sense is

perfect with good looks to complement it, auditions are

held for the fashion show, which takes place on the

stage during the pro shows.

The pro shows are the highlight of every Riviera. Each

day of the fest concludes spectacularly in the outdoor

stadium which is transformed into a massive stage

where famous celebrities perform. With the dancing

competition, fashion show and food stalls to add glory

to the whole set up, the pro-shows are a unique experi-

ence. Passes can be purchased few days prior to the

fest.

Note: Details on the fests and registrations for the vari-

ous events, fun activities, seminars and workshops held

during that period can be obtained from the Control

Room (A brightly colored room behind Anna Auditori-

um. It‟s hard to miss.)

A small tip: Do not pay and register for too many

events unless you are absolutely sure that they will not

clash with each other during the fests. It is advisable to

inquire on which day of the fest the event/workshop is

to be held. (The fests are usually for 3 days only). Exact

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section 3.

Ac ademics

Certificate English Course - Compulsory English language training for non-native speakers of English is

provided in the form of credit/certificate courses by VIT University. 1

A cademics at VIT University is based on the Fully Flexible Credit System (FFCS for short), which is VIT‟s very

own academic invention that gives you the flexibility to shape your academic calendar (in layman‟s terms your

daily timetable) to suit your personal needs. This system, allows you to choose courses, faculties and even

your class location and timings. Each semester entails a fixed set of exams and quizzes, with a balanced proportion of

practical sessions that ensure a holistic all round academic development.

FFCS Course Registration - The FFCS course registration is widely considered to be the most important

event for any semester, and rightly so, for it will decide your timetable for the whole semester. It might

seem like a complicated system, but hey, we are here to help! Let‟s get down to demystifying this seemingly

complex system. Have a peep at the Common Slot timetable below:

2

A> Each working day has been divided into 12 slots (6 before lunch and 6 after) of 50 minutes duration each)

B> The morning slots are christened A1,B1...G1 with corresponding afternoon slots as A2,B2...G2. The same slots

have also been divided into lab hours (L1, L2…L30 as morning slots) and (L31, L32….L60 for the evening).

C> Classes run throughout the day from 8 am to 7:30 pm. However, you will only be attending classes for the

subjects you choose.

D> Subjects are offered in the slots mentioned above. When registering for any subject, you will have the option

of selecting from a number of faculty members and slots.

E> Every Subject has a certain number of credits. The number of credits corresponds to the number of scheduled of

theory classes, lectures or labs/practical classes in a week.

F> Schools usually provide you with a course page which lists all courses (in your school) that are offered, along with

the number of credits that will be given on the completion of those respective courses. It will have columns with num-

bers under LTPC (L-Lab, T-Theory, P-Practical and C-no. of Credits for the course). Refer course page for more

information.

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G> The registration for lab classes is done in the same fashion. However instead of the slots A1, A2 etc. you will be

registering for L1, L2 etc. as shown above. Lab and theory slots for a course are registered together.

H> The lab slots you choose will generally be from the slots other than your (chosen) theory schedule, i.e. for morn-

ing theory classes you will have evening labs and vice-versa. Although not necessary, it is recommended that you

choose your theory and lab slots for different parts of the day to prevent messing up your timetable i.e. for morn-

ing theory classes take evening labs and vice-versa.

I> The fully flexible system is flexible only to an extent. Every course that you opt for may be available in only few

of the slots mentioned, sometimes just 1 particular slot for specialized courses. As first timers, you will have the op-

tion to register for only a selected number of courses, pre-decided by your schools.

J> You can opt between 16-27 credits per semester though a number between 20-25 is advisable. Keep your eyes

open for extra courses that may open up in ADD/DROP (explained later). Again, do not take very less credits because

that will mean you will need to increase the load in the coming semesters, unless you plan to extend your stay here.

K> There are 4 Types of courses offered in VIT

CBL-Classroom Based Learning – The testing pattern in this type of course comprises of 3 quizzes, 2 CAT Ex-

ams (Continuous Assessment Tests) and a Term End Examination. Schedule for the same can be verified in

the academic calendar. CBL‟s may also have a lab component (called Embedded Lab). Examination pattern for Labs

usually comprises 2 CAT’s (again dependent on faculty) and a Lab term end exam (compulsory).

PBL-Project based Learning – These are courses where a major component of testing is based on the creation

of a working model/project in accordance with the course objectives. The marking scheme varies as per the

discretion of the faculty taking up the course. Term end examinations are held for PBL courses.

RBL-Research Based Learning – These courses require you to focus more on the research aspects of the sub-

ject. Students are generally expected to come up with meaningful research work and publish a paper on the

same.

LBC-Lab Based Learning (Lab only courses) – These courses focus on hands on learning by implementing prac-

tical and real-time application of theoretical knowledge of other courses. Here also, the marking scheme var-

ies as per the discretion of the faculty taking up the course. CAT/Mid-term exams may be held by faculties while

Term end examinations are compulsory.

L> CAT 1 exams follow the same schedule as your theory slots. The first exam will be A1 in the morning then A2 in

the evening and so on till G1, G2 in the morning and evening respectively. However, CAT 2 will have a reversed

schedule with A2 in the morning and A1 in the evenings. Term ends will have just one exam per day beginning with

A1, then A2 till G2.

is compulsory to sit for any CAT, Midterm, Term End examinations. Try to resolve any attendance issues with your

faculty at the earliest because attendance changes are locked within the week for every subject on offer.

Keep a track of your attendance on the student login or you can use the VIT Academics App (a handy little app for

your Android, Windows Mobile or iPhone) to check your attendance. You can find the link for the Android version

on the right.

a

b

c

d

7

NOTE:

75% attendance

VIT Attendance App Logo

section 2.

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section 2.

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section 2.

p10

section 2.

p9 Types of Courses

Types of Courses

(CBL, PBL, RBL, LBC).

Attendance criteria,

VIT Attendance App

FFCS Registration

Tips for Registration

Day. Sample timeta-

bles for morning

and evening.

ADD/DROP

How to use Add/

Drop, Tips for Ex-

ams, Academic

Counsel

Grading System

Mark Distribution for

the courses. VIT Gmail,

Z: Drive and other VIT

facilities

The D-Day, Your FFCS Registration

1. You will be assigned a particular date and time for your FFCS registration. Make sure you are aware of your

Registration Number (in the form of 13 ABC XXXX) and password for this purpose.

2. Have a general idea of how you want to design your timetable, you might want to answer a few questions

here, particularly whether you are a morning or evening person or if you want a particular day to be free.

3. Avoid slots in far away buildings (e.g. MB and SJT) unless you are really trying to burn some calories. It

can be a great problem during quiz time or in general as well.

4. Once done, take a photo/screenshot of your timetable for easy access.

Do not worry yourself to death if things do not go as planned. You will have the option of changing your time table

during ADD/DROP. We have a few of our old timetables which you can use as reference.

Example 1:

This timetable is something you should avoid like the plague. Look at all the empty slots between classes. You shall

end up wasting a lot of your time just roaming around waiting for the next class to begin, when you could be doing

something more productive.

Example 2:

This timetable is designed for people who love the morning sun or are particularly fond of an afternoon siesta. It‟s

great if you want some time for yourselves in the evenings especially for extra curricular activities.

Example 3:

This arrangement is for all nocturnal creatures who like to wake up late in the morning (although it is advisable to do

so before 9 AM or there will be no breakfast for you!). However, by opting for such a timetable you will face a slight

disadvantage because you might have to miss out on a few events conducted by the various student organizations as

they usually happen in the evenings.

8

ADD/DROP

Apart from many other exclusive features of FFCS, the Add/Drop is a facility that allows you to modify your course

registration, especially useful for those whose registrations were at later dates. It‟s like trial testing a car before you

finally buy it. Add/Drop allows you to take up any slots that might be available or to de-register a course if you find it

too challenging. You can also change your faculty if you are not comfortable with their teaching style (depends on

availability). Isn‟t it amazing how you have the freedom to change almost anything in your timetable?

We explain Add/Drop in more detail below. Note Again: Everything is subject to availability.

1. You can change your faculty, slot etc. according to your preferences.

2. To change slots you first need to DROP your own course and then register for the one you want.

3. Be alert and quick. There are others like you on the lookout for the same slots.

4. A dropped course takes around 1-3 hours to re-appear as an open seat in add/drop. Times have been varied

intentionally to keep the system fair and discourage pre-mediated change of courses.

COMMENCEMENT OF CLASSES

1. Make sure you know approximately how much time it takes to travel from one academic block to another. Avoid

being late to class. You can check the VIT student Handbook Map for more info.

2. Be prepared for the fact that the teacher you selected during your FFCS registration might not be the one you face

in class. They may sometimes change.

Usually the first week of classes has minimal workload unless you encounter a particularly enthusiastic teacher. Facul-

ties will give you a overview of your course, tell you about important reference books/lab dressing rules/and other

instructions which are in general, a good idea to follow. Workload will be negligible.

STUDIES

A simple tip: Better study the first year, so that you can get a good room for the second year. Studies are not all that

difficult. Although you might find yourself longing for a comfortable bed every time you sit down to study, don‟t give

in to the temptation to actually go and find one. Stay at the top of your game. Study regularly so that you don‟t end

up drinking barrels of coffee on the eve of the exam and later, are seen scribbling away with sleep-deprived, red eyes.

Pay attention in class and take down notes. It‟s better than running around campus trying to get notes right before

the exam and queuing up outside the Xerox centre to get them photocopied. This advice is more easily given than

followed, but as seniors, we regard it our duty to tell you.

TIPS FOR EXAMS

It is advisable that whilst preparing for CAT/Term End Examinations, you should only study from the books

mentioned in the course page/ones advised by seniors and not from other reference books. Why? you may ask,

coz questions in examinations are generally known to be selected from a limited pool of books. Refer to those im-

posing tomes with fancy author names during the semester, but before the exams, stick to the prescribed books.

Start preparing for your exams at least 10 days in advance to ensure that you do not perform poorly or fail.

Take note of the syllabus, model test papers and the class notes uploaded by your corresponding teachers in the

online course page which can be accessed at https://academics.vit.ac.in/.

SEATING ARRANGEMENT CAN BE FOUND ON THE SCHOOL OFFICE NOTICE BOARD BEFORE EXAMINATIONS.

It may also be available online on facebook through various unofficial groups. Term End seating Arrangement can be

found on the Student Login and your Admit Card. DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE YOUR ADMINT CARD FOR TERM ENDS.

ACADEMIC COUNSEL

For the academically inclined, it is of utmost importance that you understand the importance of maintaining a good

grade pointer, right from the 1st semester itself. The pros and cons of doing so are elucidated below:

Pros:

Those who score a 9 pointer in VIT, enjoy the following perks.

9

15 CAT 1

15 CAT 2

50 TE**

+ + 15 IA***

+

5 Quiz 1

15 CAT 1

5 Quiz 2

15 CAT 2

5 Quiz 3

5 Assgn*

50 TE**

+ + + + + +

a. Attendance for the next semester is universally exempted for all courses if the cumulative GPA is/exceeds 9.0.

b. 9 pointers also enjoy the luxury of choosing their rooms and roommates for the following year.

c. On a social level, those who score well enjoy unprecedented recognition and popularity in the University. (That‟s

right. I just saw that grin of yours).

Cons:

a. A cumulative system of scoring means that if once, you fail to score well, to compensate you might have to score

extraordinarily well in the following semester(s).

b. Students who fail in any subject may also give ARREAR exams to clear their arrear, conducted by the Controller of

Examination (CoE Office). Even if you get an extraordinary score in that you will not be awarded the best grades.

c. Students who get arrears or who drop a course in the middle of a semester have to pay a huge amount, which is

currently Rs. 4,800 per course, in order to repeat it.

Failure in the re-exam makes one eligible for doing the course again (as an arrear) during the Summer Semester

(May-July). Students in such an ordeal are not allowed to leave for their summer vacations. You may also take up the

course in your subsequent Winter/Fall semesters but we do not really need to explain how difficult and distressing it

can be to redo a course.

MARKING SYSTEM

Theory Marks Distribution (out of 100)

Lab Marks Distribution (out of 100) - (May change based on faculty)

Regular Theory Courses comprise a total of 100 marks. CAT exams are held for 50 marks which are scaled to 15.

Similarly Term-ends are held for 100 marks which are scaled to 50.

RE-EVALUATION Of Term-End Paper: If you are not satisfied with your Term End grade you can apply for pa-

per seeing. If you find any errors in the evaluation you may apply for paper re-evaluation by registering on Stu-

dent Login and paying the requisite fees at the finance office.

NOTE: PAPER SEEING IS MANDATORY TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR RE-EVALUATION. Since, the application

period for paper seeing tends to be very short. Make sure that you keep checking the VIT circulars for the applica-

tion window.

*Assignment **Term-End Examination ***Internal Assessment (Marks Distribution Depends on faculty)

Z: Drive and VIT-Gmail

You‟ll be given your own user account on the VIT servers for storing your digital projects/drawings/programs

which comes up as the Z: drive on Lab computers (hence the name). The password is the same as that for your stu-

dent login. If however, you want to change it for any reason you will have to approach the school office. You also get

a VIT Gmail account (again with the same password) where all important circulars are mailed.

10

12

section 3.

H ome away from home- that's what hostels are

for VIT students. You learn the meaning of

freedom and to coexist and live with hundreds

of people your age and who share your interests. Here's

a look at everything you need to know to seamlessly

adapt to hostel life. We shall first cover the Ladies‟ Hos-

tels (Ladies‟ first) followed with details on the Men‟s

Hostels. The Common Section lists the points common

for the hostels of both the sexes.

LADIES’ HOSTEL

HOSTEL BLOCKS

The Ladies‟ hostel comprises 5 main blocks named after

Indira Gandhi (Block A), Mother Teresa (Block C), Jhansi

Rani (Block D), Ida Scudder (Block E) and Suu Kyi (Block

F). In addition, there is the E Annex which is a small

block of rooms present in the connecting region be-

tween E and F Blocks. The A block, located near gate 3,

is usually reserved for M.Tech students. The F Block is

where international students are accommodated.

Types of Rooms:

The F Block has 1-bedded, 4-bedded and 6-bedded

rooms with and without air-conditioning (AC) .

The E block rooms are the most sought after during

room counseling. As terrible as it may sound now, you

will indeed have to study hard every year to be eligible

for a good room and for the opportunity to choose your

own roommate(s). Plus, it is advised that you investigate

a little before the actual counseling to determine the

best rooms in terms of space, location and view.

Room infrastructure: International students are provid-

ed with cooking facilities on the 9th floor of F Block. Per-

mission to use them may be taken from the warden. For

other details please refer the Common Section.

Power Consumption:

Use of most heavy power consumption electronics is

banned inside the Ladies‟ hostel. Electrical goods like

iron box, kettle etc. have a tendency to trip the mains

which will leave yours and few other connected rooms

without electricity.

In such an eventuality, you will have to inform the guard

at the hostel gate who will then send an electrician to

set things right, which will be preceded by a thorough

investigation of your room too.

Moreover, in case any of the articles mentioned above

are found in the room, the warden will confiscate the

same and will return them to you at the end of the year

or at the end of 4 years depending on the number of

times the offence has been repeated by you. However,

hair dryers, straighteners and laptop chargers are al-

lowed as long as they are LOW POWER consuming de-

vices. Refer the Common Section for more details.

Cleaning:

A lot of efforts are made to ensure that all rooms and

corridors remain spic and span throughout the year. A

cleaning lady comes on alternate days in the afternoon

to clean the rooms. If you are unavailable when she

makes her rounds, you can speak to her and ask her to

come at a time convenient to both of you. (You do not

have to pay her. However, please write in the register

she carries whenever your room is cleaned).

Common Rooms:

There are numerous common rooms in each hostel

building that have television, benches and several large

tables for one to study. The wardens switch off the tele-

visions by 10 p.m. The tables are ideal for completing

Engineering Graphics assignments because the mini-

drafter fits easily onto them.

Washrooms:

Although you may think that you‟ll have to hold your

breath every time you enter the washrooms in the hos-

tels, you can rest assured that they are spick and span.

Each floor in the hostels has a common washroom with

adequate number of cubicles, a clothes washing area

and sufficient number of washing basins. In addition,

there are numerous geysers to provide hot water, round

the year. Washrooms on every floor are cleaned twice a

day so that they are unsoiled, sanitary and hygienic.

Attendance:

Ho stels 23 1

12

6

section 2.

Ac 20

section 4.

2

section 1.

Co Academics

College

St Student Organizations

24

section 5.

Ar Around Vellore

Fu Functional Tamil

Cr Credits

It is mandatory for every student in the hostel to give

attendance, EVERY SINGLE DAY. For the initial few

days, you will have to go and sign a register kept in the

warden‟s office after 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and after 8

p.m. on weekends. Once your fingerprint is registered

on the biometric machine, you will have to give your

fingerprint on the machine every evening.

Please remember that failure on your part to give at-

tendance regularly will lead to the warden cancelling

your outings and leaves, for a time period decided by

the warden (Not something to look forward to).

Drinking Water:

Provision for drinking water is made on each floor in the

form of water coolers that provide both cold and regular

drinking water. In addition, several floors have hot water

geysers that provide hot, drinking water for making that

occasional midnight snack of cup noodles. Hot water is

also available in the mess, during mess timings.

FOOD INSIDE THE HOSTEL COMPOUND

A. Mess- Refer the Common Section

B. Java Green- Located between the E and F blocks, it

offers Chinese and Indian food, and a variety of drinks,

desserts and ice-creams. Timings: 9:00am to 9:00pm.

C. Aunty’s Kitchen- This much small yet much loved

establishment in front of the C block, is everyone‟s fa-

vorite. One can have delicious paranthas (Indian Bread

stuffed with potatoes/onions etc.), chaats (Indian snack),

and varieties of Maggie amongst other things. Timings

are from 1 pm to 8:30 pm on all days except Sundays

when it stays open till 7:00pm.

D. D-Block Shop: Present opposite D block, this shop

provides Puffs, Maggi, Cup Noodles and a variety of

drinks and snacks.

Special Services:

During days of traditional fasting, of any religion, the

mess provides special meals on request. For this, you will

have to inform the warden and she will put your name

on the list for the same.

LAUNDRY AND IRONING

Those interested in availing laundry services can do so

by speaking to the washerwomen (Please call them

„Akka‟, which means „Elder Sister‟ as a term of endear-

ment) who do the rounds on the floors throughout the

day. Rates can be bargained though the average is

about Rs. 100/- per month with additional payment for

washing of sheets.

Those who give their clothes for washing sporadically,

will need to speak to the lady in advance to let her know

that you will be availing of her services on a per day ba-

sis instead of a monthly basis. Rates vary accordingly.

You can give your clothes for washing by leaving them

outside your door in a bucket labeled with your room

number and name along with an adequate amount of

detergent. The buckets are collected around 9 in the

morning and returned by 1 in the afternoon. You are

expected to dry the washed clothes on the washing line.

For a hassle-free washing experience, try to avoid giving

white and/or expensive/delicate clothes to the washer-

women. Also a good idea is to keep your dirty linen in a

laundry bag rather than have it fly all over the room.

Sunday is a holiday, hence no laundry on that day. In

addition they will take off one more day of the week.

This also varies from lady to lady. Payment will be col-

lected towards the end of the month. You are advised to

keep note of the number of sheets you have given for

washing.

For ironing, a person sits near the gate that separates

the E and F blocks from the C and D Blocks and also an-

other near F block. You will have to give your clothes in

a packet with your name and room number and collect

it at a time as determined by him.

GROCERY/ GENERAL STORES

There are two utility cum grocery stores present within

the hostel compound. Known as VRS, one is present in

front of the F Block hostel while the other is in front of

the D Block hostel. They have everything ranging from a

small safety pin to every kind of packaged food. News-

papers are available in the VRS shop on subscription

basis. You will need to collect it yourself everyday.

VISITORS’ ROOM

There are 2 visitor rooms inside the hostel compound.

One is next to the E and F Block Main Gate and another

next to the C and D Block Main Gate. Usually, the courier

guy also waits here for you to collect your courier.

Moreover, it is also used for celebrating birthdays as

mentioned later in this section.

PHOTOCOPY SHOP/CYBER CAFE

In order to enable students to have easy access to a Xer-

ox machine and printer for last minute copies of notes

43 13

section 3.

p14

section 3.

p15

section 3.

p18

section 3.

p17 Ladies’ Hostel Info

Sports Warden,

Hostel ID, Postal

Services, Hostel

Intime

FFCS Registration

Types of leaves for

Ladies‟ Hostel, First

Aid, Counsellor,

Library Bus Timings

Men’s Hostel Info

Types of rooms,

Food inside the

hostel compound,

hostel in-time, rules

Common Points

The common points

for the hostels, info on

room allotment/

counseling

14

7:00 pm

(Campus) 8:30 (Hostel) pm

5:00 pm

(Campus) pm

8:00 (Hostel)

and assignments, there are two photocopy shops within

the hostel compound. One is opposite Java Green and

the other is near D Block. Printouts are available only in

the D block photocopy shop. Course material and

books are also available in both these shops

There is a Cyber Café near D Block. For other Xerox cen-

ters and cyber cafés, refer the ‟Map‟ or „College‟.

SPORTS

The VIT Hostels are designed to provide maximum op-

portunity for recreational development. The area behind

the C and D Blocks have numerous courts for Badmin-

ton, Volleyball and Basketball along with a specially con-

structed indoor stadium with rooms for Yoga, Pilate‟s,

Squash Courts, Badminton courts and other facilities.

The F block courtyard also has two badminton courts. To

supplement this, there is a well-equipped, paid AC gym-

nasium behind C block and also a non-AC gymnasium

next to it.

For swimming enthusiasts, the Hostel compound has a

state of the art swimming pool. Further details regarding

fees, timings and other rules can be obtained by speak-

ing to the swimming instructor whose office is right next

to the pool. The swimming pool is located behind the D

Block, adjacent to the Basketball Court.

WARDEN

The hostel administration is managed by the hostel

Wardens. Each blocks has its own head warden, who has

complete charge in her domain. There are several other

assistant wardens to help in case of a query or a griev-

ance. The head warden holds the authority to sanction

your leaves. Moreover, there is the Night Warden. She

can be found taking rounds of the hostel at night. She

also sanctions permissions for outings.

Telephone numbers of all the wardens can be found in

the Warden‟s office for ready reference.

HOSTEL ID*

This is the most important ID pertaining to your free-

dom to move in and out of the college campus. The

Hostel ID is issued by the Hostel Office within the first

few months of every odd semester. To avoid unneces-

sary queues, it is best to fill out the card and give it for

lamination in the hostel office as early as possible.

Check the hostel notice board regularly for info.

This ID has to be shown along with the outing letter to

the warden every time you want to go for an outing. It

has to be submitted at the college main gate to enable

you to leave the college campus and must be collected

on your return. Please make sure you enter from the

same gate that you leave. In addition, if you are found

trying to leave without a hostel ID or with someone

else‟s Hostel ID, be ready to have the same confiscated.

Moreover, it is a painful task to get the ID back as it de-

pends largely on the Chief Warden‟s availability. Plus, if

you forget to collect your Hostel ID from the gate, it will

again lead to the confiscation of your ID.

In case your Hostel ID gets lost, you should apply for a

new one in the Hostel Office. You need to pay a fine for

this. Although this is normally a fuss free process, it is

better to not lose the ID card in the first place.

POST/ MAIL

Your post can arrive in two ways - either through the

Government Post Office or as a Courier. Note: Give your

phone number on the envelope for ease of delivery.

The courier is delivered directly inside the hostel and the

courier man generally waits outside the entrance to the

hostel compound near E & F block. This varies from one

courier service to another. Some may require you to

travel to the courier office to collect it in person

Your normal post arrives at the Post Office situated next

to ALLMART. If your number is given on the letter, the

Post Man will send you an SMS and you will have to col-

lect your letter directly from the Post Office. Else, the

warden will receive intimation from the Post Office and

she will put your name on the list of people who have to

collect their post. It is useful to keep checking that list

regularly if you are expecting something.

Moreover, if the post remains uncollected for a long

period of time, it is sent to the warden office but chanc-

es are it may get misplaced in this process. So, it is best

to collect it from the Post Office as soon as possible.

HOSTEL TIMINGS

Now we come to the most strictly enforced rule in VIT-

The Ladies‟ hostel and campus timings. The timings for

the weekdays and weekends are mentioned below.

Please note that violation of the same can cause your

leaves to be canceled for a time duration decided by the

Chief Warden and can also lead to confiscation of your

Hostel ID. In addition, serious offenders are known to

have been taken to the Administrative offices for a repri-

mand and in worst case scenarios, have been suspended

from the hostel. Thus, it is in your best interest to stick

to the hostel timings like a limpet to a rock.

WEEKDAY/WORKING DAY Timings

WEEKEND (Sat, Sun)/HOLIDAY Timings

43

Even though boys are allowed far more relaxed in-times,

who says time limits can restrict the fun we have?

OUTINGS and LEAVE

There is a strict security system in place in the Ladies‟

hostel for sanctioning of outings and leaves. Unfair as it

may sound (considering that the boys have nothing sim-

ilar to it) it has been put in place with our best interests

at heart and although it may seem stifling in the begin-

ning, it isn‟t really that bad. If you‟re systematic, it will do

you no harm. So here‟s how it works.

As soon as you take accommodation in the hostel, you

will be asked to submit an affidavit and a bond that state

that you are responsible for all your activities and that

the University takes no responsibility for the same.

Moving on to the types of leaves, they are several in

number but do not let that intimidate you. :)

Outing: On weekdays, you do not need permission

to leave the college campus as long as you are in

possession of your hostel ID. However, on weekends,

you will have to write a letter to the Chief Warden stat-

ing your purpose, duration and place of visit. This leave

is sanctioned only for a maximum of 6 hours.

To leave campus (on weekends) you need to have your

Hostel ID, the details are mentioned earlier in this sec-

tion. Also please note that you have to take permission

on the evening prior to the one you are planning to go

out. Outing leave may be sanctioned in the morning if

the night warden is not available. You are allowed a

maximum of 4 outings per month.

Monthly Leave: The monthly leave allows hostel-

lers to go home once every month. There is an

online leave application system in the student login

where you may apply for leave. This must be approved

by the proctor and the printout signed by the warden.

In case of emergencies you have to fill a form in the war-

den's office and get it signed and stamped by her. If you

are going to miss working days of college, you need to

get it countersigned by your proctor and stamped with

the school office seal, prior to bringing it to the warden

for her sign. The warden will also ask for an email and

phone call from your parents to confirm the leave.

Semester Leave: The Semester leave allows you to

go to some place other than your home once every

semester. It is usually used for attending competitions

etc. The procedure for sanction is the same as monthly

leave.

Parental Leave: In case your parents come to visit

you, they can take you out for the day or for sever-

al days. This leave, depending on the time duration, ei-

ther comes under outing if it‟s for a day or under

monthly leave if it‟s for a longer period of time.

Semester Vacation: This leave is sanctioned at

the end of every semester for you to go home.

Procedure to get it sanctioned is the same as above, but,

in addition, your parents need to send a fax to the hostel

office, in the prescribed format on any of the following

numbers.

Fax Numbers: 0416-4207074/ 2240166

This sums up all possible leave formats. You must re-

member that the warden is the last authority when it

comes to sanctioning leaves and a lot of what gets sanc-

tioned depends on her perception of you. Hence, it is

advisable to maintain cordial relations with her.

COUNSELLOR

If you need to have a tête-à-tête with a person who is

experienced and understands your grievances better, the

hostel has a very sweet & empathetic counsellor. She is

available at all times. You can discuss anything with her

be it friends, relationships, academics or you could just

drop by and say hello.

LIBRARY BUS

A library bus has been introduced to take students to

the library after in-times. Timings are as follows:

WEEKDAYS

Hostel to the Library:

8:30p.m.,9:00p.m.,9:30p.m.

WEEKENDS

Hostel to the Library:

6:00p.m.

Timings are subject to change. It is best to confirm the

time at the hostel gate or in the library.

FIRST AID

To administer immediate medication for small and large

ailments, the VIT Ladies‟ Hostel has a First Aid room with

a nurse on duty 24x7. She generally prescribes effective

medication for minor headaches, stomach upsets, cold,

fever, and injuries of any sort. In case of anything seri-

ous, you will be referred to the Health Centre and sent

there by the ambulance.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

It is important to note celebrating birthdays is banned

inside the hostel premises. Although you may try to

smuggle cakes inside, it is not worth the Rs.1000/- fine

that you will be forced to pay if you are caught by the

night warden or the guards. Moreover, any kind of

a

15

c

e

b

Library to the Hostel:

9:00p.m. to 12:00p.m. at

half hour intervals

Library to the Hostel:

6:30p.m. to 8:00p.m. at half

hour intervals

d

screaming or yelling in the wee hours of the night will

lead to you being accused of violation of hostel rules. It

is better to restrict yourself to a simple celebration at

night and celebrate outside the hostel the next day.

In case you really want to celebrate within the hostel

grounds, the visitor‟s room can be used as a space for

cutting the cake. However, you should ensure that the

whole room is not decorated with cake by the time you

are done with your festivities.

ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Silence hour is to be maintained between 11.30 PM

and 6.30 AM. Violations more than three times would

call for expulsion from the hostel.

You are not allowed to roam the corridors in the night or

talk on your cellphones outside during silence hours. If

caught, it may lead to confiscation of your cell phone.

With this info, you‟re all set to deal with life in the Ladies‟

hostel in VIT. It is going to be a whirlwind journey with

its ups and downs, but trust us, you will be missing it

more than you realize.

MEN’s HOSTEL

HOSTEL BLOCKS

The Men‟s Hostel in VIT comprises many blocks

(precisely 15): you‟d be a genius if you learn them all in

your first year. All blocks (except K, L, M and N) are al-

most the same. K, L, M and N blocks are better because

of their more recent construction and modern design.

Types of Rooms:

The blocks have 2 bedded, 4 bedded and 6 bedded

rooms, both AC and Non-AC.

Cleaning:

It is mostly up to you and your room-mates to keep your

room clean. Your room is not a trash can. Try walking to

the nearest one when you need to throw rubbish. To

help you out, there are sweepers on each floor whom

you can request to broom and sweep your room. A tip is

usually expected.

Washrooms:

The hostels have sufficient bathroom and toilet cubicles,

cleaned at least once a day. Generally there are no

queues (this is no cinema!!) but for courtesy sake try to

be quick. It can get a little crowded around 7 am. Our

advice would be to wake up slightly earlier and beat the

crowd.

You‟d make life a lot better for your hostel mates by

practicing toilet etiquette. If you have doubts on what

they entail, we suggest using a search engine to enhance

your knowledge.

Common Rooms:

Title-deciding match between Manchester United and

Chelsea, highly anticipated final between India and Paki-

stan, Megan Fox running in slow motion, where do you

get to watch all this?

Fear not, VIT satisfies your entertainment needs, by

providing TVs in every hostel block. The remote can be

taken from the Warden‟s office after duly signing for it.

TV viewing is usually allowed till around 10 pm. Excep-

tions for high-profile matches, movies, etc. can be made

with prior written permission from the Warden‟s Office.

Attendance:

Wardens come around 9.30 pm to take attendance eve-

ryday. Bio-Metric systems are used. If you miss the war-

den during his usual rounds you have the option to go

to the warden‟s office to give your attendance. Failure to

give attendance continuously will lead to a hefty fine

and you will have to write a letter to the chief warden

explaining your absence. If you repeat this offence, the

warden may inform your parents and in worst case sce-

narios, it might result in expulsion from the hostels.

Drinking Water:

Water coolers are available on each floor. Make sure you

don‟t leave the taps turned on. We don‟t need to tell you

that water is precious.

FOOD INSIDE THE HOSTEL COMPOUND

A. Mess- Refer the Common Section.

B. Food Park- Located in J-block, it will probably be the

first place you see when you enter the men‟s hostel area.

Food is reasonably priced and so is the taste. You get

variety in the form of sandwiches, dosas, noodles and

paneer, chicken and vegetable dishes. Long lines might

be a bit of a downer especially in the evenings.

Our Picks - Veg/Chicken Noodles, Tandoori Chicken,

Dosa, Juices and Shakes. Avg. Meal Price - Rs. 120/

C. Food Mall- (L block) It is similar to Food Park. An al-

ternative for people who live too far away.

D. Enzo- The general store for the hostel area has re-

cently started to stock such a wide variety of snacks that

it might make a traditional café blush. From shakes to

puffs, juice to fresh fruits, you‟ll find a plethora of choic-

es to satisfy your hunger pangs.

E. Night Canteen- The night canteen is run by different

caterers in different blocks, usually between 9:30p.m. to

12:30a.m. Constituted to satisfy the hunger pangs of

students at night, the concept, in the words of our VC,

has been a huge success. Night Canteen does not accept

cash payments. Rather you will need to take coupons

16

from your warden (of Rs.100 or Rs.500), payments for

which shall be deducted from your Mess Refund.

NOTE: YOU CAN CHANGE TO THE FOOD PARK/ FOOD

MALL for your regular meals. You‟ll have a daily allow-

ance of Rs. 130/-. Unlike the mess, no refunds are made.

If you exceed the allotted limit, you will need to pay ex-

tra. Also, MESS CHANGES are allowed only for a FIXED

PERIOD during every month around the 22nd or 23rd.

Approach the hostel office for more details.

LAUNDRY AND IRONING

You have 3 options, other than doing it yourself:

Default Hostel Laundry- This is the traditional

Indian Dhobi. He‟ll be available twice a week in the

mornings. (Usually Mondays and Thursdays)

Fabric Care (near Enzo)– Does the same job

though rates here are significantly higher. You have

the option of opening an account and the money is de-

ducted every time you give in your clothes.

Private Stores- There are a few shops located out-

side, which offer these services at competitive rates.

If you simply need to have your clothes ironed, use the

services of the ironing person who sets shop near A

block. Refer Map for location.

GROCERY/ GENERAL STORES

There are 2 utility stores in the Men‟s Hostel com-

pound. They are Enzo & Sanjay Foods (Benzo): As men-

tioned, Enzo stocks almost everything that you might

need in your student life. It also keeps sports goods like

cricket balls, shuttles along with stationery items like

files, folders, glue etc.

PHOTOCOPY SHOP/CYBER CAFE

Xerox Machines and Printers are available in multitudes

in the hostel area, especially to get hard copies of as-

signments and for last minute note Xeroxes.

Cyber Cafés with scanning and printing facilities, are pre-

sent behind and in front of J block. Refer the „Map‟ and

„College‟ section for the other Xerox centers.

SPORTS

Life as a VITian is extremely good if you have an inclina-

tion towards sports. The gigantic outdoor stadium

(opposite G Block), is a vast stretch of flat land that has

dedicated areas for tennis, handball, volleyball, foot-

ball, cricket nets, table tennis, boxing, gym (non-AC),

long jump, track and running amongst others.

In addition to the above, there are two clay courts and a

basketball court in front of J block. The newly construct-

ed indoor stadium has badminton, table tennis,

squash, a dance room and a brand new AC gymnasi-

um amongst other facilities. Alongside it, there is a vol-

leyball court as well. Your block courtyards house con-

crete floored Badminton Courts. Some blocks also have

table tennis equipment. Water lovers will be particularly

pleased with the state of the art Olympic size swim-

ming pool near the outdoor stadium. You can get de-

tails regarding fee, timings and other rules by inquiring

at the office at the entrance to the pool compound.

The Director of Sports’ Office is located above All-

Mart. The other AC gym is also located here. Here, you

can get details to sign up for Tennis (paid), Badminton

(indoor), Swimming, Gym (AC), Snooker etc.

“Federer and Agassi played a tennis match atop the helipad

of the Burj Al Arab, Dubai. You can tell people you played

cricket on the helipad in the VIT Outdoor Stadium.” ;D

WARDEN

Like the Girls hostels, our hostel administration is also

managed by the Hostel Wardens, supervised closely by

the Chief warden. All blocks have their own Warden,

having complete charge over his domain. There are sev-

eral other assistant wardens, who, as the title suggests,

assist the head warden in his daily tasks like taking at-

tendance, and maintaining discipline in the hostels.

POST/ MAIL

You can collect your post from the post drop box situat-

ed near the entrance of your respective blocks. Couriers

are delivered directly to your rooms or in person at the

hostel entrance, unless the service requires you to col-

lect it from the courier office (varies between operators).

A good idea is to ensure that your phone number is

written on the packages sent to you.

HOSTEL TIMINGS, OUTINGS AND OTHER RULES

First year students are required to be inside their respec-

tive hostels latest by 9:00 p.m. Seniors have a more re-

laxed in time of 9:30pm on all weekdays and 11:30pm on

Saturdays. It is not advisable to be late in returning to

your hostel unless you have a very good reason for it. It

is not worth the hassle.

For any excursions that require you to be away from the

hostel overnight or to return after hostel in-time, you

will need to fill in a leave form which shall have to be

signed by the warden for your block. In case you need to

be absent during working days, you will need to get the

form signed by your proctor as well.

Birthday celebrations inside hostel rooms are officially

not allowed. You can use the common room for this pur-

pose after obtaining permission from the warden.

BUSES

There is a famous Rajnikanth joke about the campus:

17

a

c

b

“Le Rajnikanth: My house is so big I use the local train to

travel from one place to another.

Le VIT Student: My campus is so big roaming charges

apply when I move from one building to another” :|

Although very slightly exaggerated, *wink* you need all

the help you can get to reach your classes on time. For

this, VIT provides a free bus service (precisely 2 buses)

that run between the men‟s hostel and various academ-

ic buildings (provided you wake up on time to catch

them). The timings of the buses from the various build-

ings are listed below. Make sure you strictly adhere to

them.

Hostel: 7:45am, 9:50am,1:55pm, 4:05pm

CDMM: 7:50am, 9:55am,2:00pm, 4:08pm

Library(Main): 7:53am, 9:58am,2:03pm, 4:10pm

SMV(Back): 7:55am, 10:00am,2:05pm, 4:12pm

TT: 7:57am, 10:02am,2:07pm, 4:15pm

SJT: 8:00am, 10:05am,2:10pm, 4:20pm

COMMON POINTS

Room Infrastructure, Power and Other Facilities:

Your rooms will generally have bunk beds along with

fans, main room lights, table lights, desks, chairs, cup-

boards and shelves.. You will need to purchase bedding

and pillows. Buy good ones from Enzo, All-mart or

Sleepwell World in Thirunagar (near NEXT) (coz you

will definitely be using them a lot :D). In addition, there

are mirrors and plug points for chargers. Make sure that

all the electrical fittings and furniture are in proper

working order. In case of any breakdown, write in the

Maintenance register available with the guard in your

respective blocks. In case of ice formation in your AC,

click a picture before you call the electrician. They tend

to disbelieve you.

People with AC rooms, understand that you pay for the

use of the AC. The electricity consumption is calculated

from the meter outside your room and the bill is shared

equally among the roommates. The outstanding

amount is deducted every month from the electricity

advance that you paid as part of your hostel fees.

Safety of Belongings:

It is in your best interests, to keep all your belongings

under lock and key AT ALL TIMES. You can buy a lock

for the door of the room from ALLMART, or other utility

stores present within the hostel compound.

Moreover, you will need an additional lock for your indi-

vidual cupboards. Also, many a times, clothes and slip-

pers left to dry outside the room have been known to

walk off by themselves (we prefer not to ponder how).

Hence, it is a good idea to keep your shoes inside and

to dry your favorite/precious clothes within the safe ha-

ven of your locked room. Also, do not leave laptops,

iPods and other electronic gadgets lying unattended.

Better safe than sorry.

Internet:

The internet is quintessential to a college student – to

keep in touch with old friends, access Facebook, down-

load movies, play multiplayer online games and of

course, to study- VIT provides Wi-Fi with a free data

usage of 3GB per month to all students. Extra GB‟s can

be purchased at the Chief Warden‟s Office.

The Wi-Fi can be accessed in all hostel blocks and the

library and FC at all times except between 12.30-4.00

am. It is not accessible in academic buildings.

Blackberry and iPhone users will not have any problems

accessing Wi-Fi through their handsets. Android users,

using systems older than ICS will have to change their IP

address and DNS to connect to VOLSBB (name of the

college Wi-Fi hotspot).

Wi-Fi registrations are done after a few weeks into your

first semester. When that time comes, DO NOT give in

to lethargy, unless you want to spend the rest of your

semester leaching megabytes from your friends‟ already

dwindling Wi-Fi accounts.

Room Change:

VIT gives you the opportunity to change your room,

subject to availability. All such requests are handled in

the Chief Warden‟s Office. If you wish to upgrade to an

AC room or a room with lesser people, this is a viable

option. Be warned that without a valid reason, your

room will not be changed. [An irritating room-mate isn‟t

one :P ]

Food inside the hostel complex

The Mess:

Three types of messes operate in the hostels. Although

distinct in the fare they serve, you must note that break-

fast is usually South Indian in nature, irrespective of the

mess. The messes provide 4 meals a day: Breakfast,

Lunch, Snacks and Dinner, timings of which are dis-

played outside the mess doors. You need to strictly ad-

here to the timings. The South Indian and North Indian

Messes are further subdivided into Vegetarian and Non-

Vegetarian categories. The mess food is highly depend-

ent on the caterer for your particular mess. Also note

that menu for any given month is pre-decided and put

up on the mess notice boards. The details of all three

types of messes are provided below:

South Indian Mess: Its regular fare includes traditional

18

and authentic South Indian food (mostly rice based).

You usually do not get chappatis (Bread) for lunch.

North Indian Mess: Its regular fare includes traditional

and authentic North Indian food.

Special Mess: What makes it different is that you get

fare like „fresh‟ fruit juice, cold milk, cornflakes and

toasted bread (varies slightly with caterers) for breakfast

in addition to the normal fare that you get in the other

two messes. You also get a different type of soup for

dinner every night and paneer/chicken dishes on alter-

nate days. The other dishes are a mix of South Indian

and North Indian cuisines.

You can record complaints/Suggestions regarding mess

food with the Student Mess Representative, Mess Su-

pervisor or if need be, with the Warden.

Mess Refund:

You get a mess refund for the days that you are on

leave, provided the leave is for a min. of 7 days. You will

need to fill in a mess refund form, along with the leave

form and get it signed by the mess in-charge.

FESTIVALS

Festivals from all communities and societies are cele-

brated with gusto and enthusiasm inside and outside

the hostels. In case you are staying on for Diwali, the

hostel makes arrangements for you to burst fire crack-

ers in the Basketball Court behind the C and D Blocks

(for girls) and in the outdoor stadium (for the boys).

Holi is also celebrated with fervour, though within the

hostel areas of the respective genders. Most other cele-

brations like Bihu, Lohri etc are coordinated by the re-

spective community groups.

ROOM ALLOTMENT FOR NEXT YEAR

The room counseling for the following academic year is

done in the second half of the current academic year.

Your CGPA until the first half is calculated based on

which students are given an NCGPA rank. This ranking

includes students of all branches after standardizing the

CGPA‟s of all branch toppers (i.e. each branch topper

has equal preference and their ranks are arranged al-

phabetically, the CGPA‟s of the others in the branch is

brought up or down according to how much standardi-

zation was required for your particular branch topper).

The room counseling occurs in Anna Audi for boys and

Chenna Reddy Auditorium for girls.

Needless to say, the order of room counseling depends

on your NCGPA rank. The higher your rank, the earlier

you get a time slot and a better chance to get your

„dream room‟.

Prior to the counseling, each one of you must pay an

advance amount plus the mess fees for the following

year. Exact amounts for which are put up on notice

boards few weeks prior to the room counseling. This

amount must be paid at the hostel office/finance office,

where you are given a fee receipt as proof of payment.

This fee receipt is very important. Do not loose it and

get it photocopied immediately. It‟s required during

room counseling.

This is how the room counseling works. Lets say you

have a group of friends and want to take a 6-bed room

in the following year. ONLY the HIGHEST RANK HOLDER

of your group must proceed into the room counseling

venue for the room selection.

The aforementioned top rank holder must know each of

his/her group member‟s NCGPA rank and have a pho-

tocopy of each member‟s ID card and the fee receipt

mentioned above.

The current room availability status is projected on big

screens, so that you know which room is available in

which block. You can choose from 6 bed, 2 bed, 3 bed,

4 bed AC and NON AC in a block of your choice.

Once you have selected a room, you will receive a yel-

low Invoice, which shall mention your room number and

mess for the following year and the balance hostel fees.

The balance hostel fees is to be paid at the hostel of-

fice/ finance office, following which you will receive a

white proforma . Get the fee receipts and the proforma

photocopied (2 copies each) and keep 2 passport size

photos with you for when you return the following aca-

demic year.

Luggage Storage and Retrieval (Cloak Room)

You will be assigned cloak rooms in particular blocks to

store your mattresses and other luggage you do not

want to take back home (Lists will be put up). You will

have to pack all such belongings of yours in boxes/

cartons/bags. It‟s a good idea to get them soon because

there is always an acute shortage near the end of sem.

Also, there might be limitations on the amount of lug-

gage in some blocks but the limit will be more than suf-

ficient. Keep the luggage slip given to you by the cloak

room manager carefully for you will be asked to show it

when you return the following year to retrieve your be-

longings.

These are some relevant details that will help you sur-

vive within campus. Experience will teach you the rest.

And most importantly, do enjoy your stay in the hostel.

Trust us, you WILL miss it when you leave.

19

20

section 4.

C ollege life at VIT is not just about academics. It is equally about the work and effort you put out-

side the realm of books. If you have a particular interest or a hobby, or are just itching to explore

something new, then VIT’s numerous clubs, chapters and organizations will surely satisfy your

itch. If you find nothing that suits you (although that should have a very slim chance!) you can go

ahead and start your own club!

As a VITian you are free to be a member of as many clubs or chapters as you want. You can expect to

learn a lot by working together with people, sharing your ideas and learning new skills from each other. All

clubs, chapters and organizations (including ours!) are run by a dedicated core or working committee.

You can take part in the selection procedures of various clubs and chapters as and when they are an-

nounced (Notices as such are prominently displayed). Selections into the core committees are usually

done on the basis of a selection process which generally comprises tests, group discussions and/or in-

terviews. Selections don’t usually begin until October. Till then you may want to explore various clubs

and chapters and find one which suits you best. A word of advice: Although it may be a good idea to ex-

plore what different organizations have on offer, it is not advisable to get actively involved in numerous

organizations at the same time. This might prevent you from realizing your full potential.

This section is dedicated to the clubs and chapters already functioning in the college. Because of the sheer

number of organizations present, we have classified them according to their prime field of interest or

work. The groups are colour coded and the index can be found right below:

2

section 1.

St udent

20

organizations

Social Computers & Electronics Literary Arts and Culture Others

S C&E L A M

S.No. STUDENT CHAPTERS FACULTY INCHARGE

01 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Prof. Vishwakarma

02 Computer Society of India (CSI) Prof. Shalini L.

03 English Literary Association Prof. V. Bhuvaneswari

04 Fifth (5th

)Pillar Prof. M. S. Jagadeesh Kumar

05 Hindi Literary Association Dr. K. Jayalakshmi

06 Institution of Engineers (India) - IE(I) Dr. P. Venkata Krishna

07 Institution of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Prof. V Arunachalam

08 IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Prof. Vijayasherly

09 Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) Prof. Kishore V Krishnan

10 Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE) Dr. David K Daniel

11 International Society of Automation (ISA) Prof. Jaganatha Pandian

6

section 2.

Ac

12

section 3. Academics

Ho Hostels

Co College

24

section 5.

Ar Around Vellore 23 1

Fu Functional Tamil

Cr Credits

12 ISOI Students' Chapter (The Instrument Society of India) Dr. P Arulmozhivarman

13 Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) Dr. Amit Mahindrakar

14 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Prof. C D Naiju, Prof. K Gokulkumar

15 Students for the Exploration and Development of Space

(SEDS)

Prof. Geetha Manivasagam, Prof. Anand Prem

Rajan

17 Tamil Literary Assoc. Prof. Tamilselvan

18 Telugu Literary Assoc.(Sahiti) Prof. Karuna

20 CBDG-I ( CompBio Discussion Group-India) Dr. Punnagai Munusami

21 IEEE Computer Society

22 IEEE Professional Communication Society Prof. Anitha Devi

23 IEEE Power and Energy Society (IEEE PES) Prof. V Ramesh

24 IEEE EDS Prof. K Sivasankaran

25 Toastmasters International Chapter Prof. J Karthikeyan, Prof. Krishna Chandramouli,

Prof. Siva Rama Krishnan, Prof. Thenmozhi M

26 IEEE-EMBS (Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society) Dr. Bhaskar Mohan Murari

27 ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Dr. Brijesh Nair

28 VITMA (Materials Advantage) Prof. Uma Shankar

29 AIESEC Prof. Abdul Gaffar

30 ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Prof. Jacob T Varghese

31 IET (The Institution of Engineering and Technology) Prof. J Kathirvelan

32 Kannada Kasthuri (KLA) Prof. S. K. Ashok Kumar, Prof. Sathyaswaroop

S.No. STUDENT CLUBS FACULTY INCHARGE

01 Creativity Club Dr. S Gomathi

02 Dance Club Prof. J Raju

03 Debate Society Prof. Maria Mercy Amudha, Prof. Rajesh A

04 Dramatics Society Prof. S Vijayalakshmi

05 Purple Tree (Entrepreneurship-Cell VIT) Prof. Karthikeyan

06 Environment & Energy Protection Club (E2PC) Dr. A. Mary Saral

07 Fine Arts Club Prof. P V Nisha

08 GIVE (Global Innovation Village )

09 Health Club Dr. Vijayalakshmi

10 Film Society Dr. Priyanka Srivastava, Prof. B. Nagaraj

11 Music Club Prof. S. Velu

12 National Service Scheme (NSS) Prof. A. Rubankumar

13 Photography Club Prof. Govinda

14 Quiz Club Prof. R. Srinivasan

21

The list of registered student clubs is given below.

15 SABEST (Students‟ Association of Bio-Engineering Prof. C. Shanthi

16 Trekking Club Dr. Reena Rajkumari

17 YRC Association (Youth Red Cross) Dr. V. Suneetha

18 Campus Radio Club

19 International Students Club Prof. Beverely David

20 RoboVITics Prof. Rashmi Ranjan Das

21 Uddeshya Dr. Paul T. Vedamuthu

22 VIT Animation Club Prof. Ganapathy

23 M.A.D. (Make A Difference) Prof. Deepa Madathil

25 Technology and Gaming Club (TAG) Prof. Senthil Jayavel

26 The Hindu Education plus Club Prof. Nageswari

27 Kalvi Prof. S. Tamil Maran

28 Juvenile Care Prof. Brijesh Nair

29 Electronics Club Prof. Kathirvelan

32 VIT Spartans Prof. S Anivel, Prof. S Vijayalakshmi

Dr. C. Vijayakumar

(Director)

African Relations

Dr. M. Subaji

(Deputy Director)

Asia Pacific Relations, International Projects

Dr. R. Srinivasan

(Assistant Director)

Middle East & Latin American Relations,

Semester Abroad Program

Dr. R. Seenivasan

(Assistant Director)

European Relations, International Projects

Prof. J. Karthikeyan

(International Relations Officer)

Chinese Relations, Short Term & Internship

Programs

Ms. Beverly David

(Counselor)

International Students Welfare

Mr. James Devaraj A.

(Senior Assistant)

Issue of ID Cards, SAP Application submis-

sion, Appointments

Mr. B. Ganesan

(Data Entry Operator)

FRRO Registrations, Visa Renewal & Ex-

tension, Exit Clearance

Mr. David

(Assistant) Guest Care

As mentioned in „College‟ annual fests like graVITas and Riviera also provide you an opportunity to work as volun-

teers and later on as co-ordinators, managers and organizers.

Apart from the above mentioned student organizations, the Student Council (comprising of 3rd and 4th year stu-

dents) plays an important role in communicating the student’s voice to the management. To be a part of the

student council you can contest elections for PR (Program Representative) from your individual schools. One male

and one female representative is selected from each year after ballot voting. You can also volunteer to be Mess Rep-

resentatives from your Hostel blocks and keep a check on food quality and help decide the mess menu. All these ac-

tivities help in bringing out your leadership skills and gives you first hand experience in team work and co-ordination.

INITIATIVES BY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OFFICE

The International Relations Office‟s functions far exceed the simplicity of its name. The IR office epitomizes interna-

tional cooperation through academic and cultural exchange programs.

With Memorandum of Understandings with universities in 6 continents, semester abroad programs, and active

pro student propaganda, the IR office has left no stone unturned to ensure that students of VIT University have the

best international exposure that can be offered.

The Chinese Language Centre is one of the IR office‟s most recent successful initiatives, where students learn to

read, write and speak Chinese from native Chinese instructors. The IR office also has the International Students

Council under its mandate that conducts orientation and ice breaking sessions for international students and makes

them feel comfortable. Behind these successful initiatives and flawless execution is a team of highly experienced and

motivated individuals that treads on the road less travelled to bring to your education a magical value addition.

22

Meet the International Relations Office Team

Responses:

1.How much is this?–“ Idhu evvalavu ”

2.Where is the <place>? – “ <place> engae irruku ”

3.What is your name?-“ unga ?peru yenna?”

4.How do I reach <place>-“<place> ku eppadi ponum”

5. I want <thing>– “Ennaku <thing> venum”

6. I want to go to <place>– “<place> ku ponum”

8. Why- “yaen”

9. When– “Yeppo”

10.How– “Yepdi”

11.What– “Yennae”

12.Where– “Engae”

13.Minutes– “Nimisham”

14.Time- Mani

NOTE: If you're being talked to in an unknown language by someone and you can't understand anything, say

"TAMIL THERIYADHU!" (MEANS YOU CAN‟T UNDERSTAND TAMIL).

The native language of Vellore, being in Tamil Nadu, is Tamil. We have listed out a few words and sentences

that we feel may come in useful while interacting with the local people.

1. “Yes” – “aamaa”

2. “ No”- “illae”

3. “My name is <name>“ - “En peru <name>”

4. “Thank You very much“- “ Romba Nandri”

5. “Mine” – yenoda

6. “Yours” – Onoda

7. “His” – Avanoda ( Avaroda – with respect)

8. “Hers” – Avaloda

9. “There” – Angae

10. “Here” – Ingae

11. “Come” – Vaango

12. “Go” – Pongo

16. “Little” – Konjam

17. “Lots” – Nariya

18. “Very” – Romba

19. “Water” - Tanni

20. “Clothes” – Tuni

21. “Elder sister (didi)” – Akka

22. “Elder brother (bhaiyya)” – Anna

23. “Food‟ – Sapaadu

24. “Yesterday” – Netiki

25. “Today” – Iniki

26. “Tomorrow” – Naaliki

27. “Day after tomorrow” – Naalniki

28. “Day before yesterday” – Mundanetiki

29. “Ok”- Seri

Questions/ Requests

23

Fu nctional Tamil

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

20

onnu

30

rendu

40

moonu

50

naalu

60

anju aaru

70

yelu

80

yetthu

90

onbadu

100 10

poochiyam

iruvadu mupadu naapadu ambadu arvadu yeluvadu embadu thonnuru nooru pathu

20

section 5.

VIT &Vellore

R ooms cleaned up and ready, timetables made,

and schedules arranged. You are now ready to

explore Vellore, one of Tamil Nadu‟s hottest and

favourite tourist destinations! We‟ll start with everyone‟s

favourite– Food. Food needs cash. Lets find out where

you can get it.

ATM Locations

ATM locations inside/near the campus:

INDIAN BANK ATM's: In front of SJT, near All-Mart

(Adjacent to Indian Bank) and behind Enzo (in the boy's

hostel area)

HDFC ATM in G.D. Naidu Block

SBI ATM in TT (near Food Court) and outside main gate

CUB ATM in front of F-Block (in the boy's hostel area)

and in Dr. A. L. Mudaliar Block.

INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK ATM near Girl‟s Hostel

Refer to the „Map‟ for locations.

FOOD

Vellore has a multitude of restaurants serving diverse

cuisines, both inside the VIT campus and outside, to sat-

isfy your hunger, and to give you a welcome break from

the repetitive mess menu.

The eateries listed here are categorized based on their

location- those inside and those outside campus. We

also list some of the dishes that the editorial team feel,

deserve a mention.

Inside the Campus:

Food Court - Strategically placed near TT, the food

court is favoured by all – from students to professors to

staff. In these times of recession, God bless places like

these which are reasonably priced and don‟t compro-

mise on taste or variety. A note: Don‟t order dessert

along with your main course. Chances are your ice

cream will arrive before your main course.

Our pick - American Chopsuey, Kebabs, Kiwi Mojitho,

Rocky Road and Hot Fudge Nut Sundae, Thick Shakes,

Fried Ice Cream, Sandwiches, Special Veg. Pasta and the

all-time favourite Dosas.

SJT Canteen - Located at the ground floor of SJT, this

place is frequented by students looking to grab a quick

bite during the morning/evening classes. Lunch buffets

are available to allow you an escape from the daily mess

food.

Our pick- Naan and Paneer Butter Masala, Pepper-fry

Idlis, Pav Bhaji.

GDN Canteen - Run by the omnipresent Darling Cater-

ers (who happen to be the culinary kings of Vellore), the

incredibly spacious canteen is home to a variety of food

options and yes, it‟s light on the wallet. You will find it

on your way to Allmaart, adjacent to the GDNIt closes

about half an hour after the girls‟ in-time on any given

day. Coincidence? We think not!

Our pick - Potato Croquets, Cheese Omelette, Special

Grape Juice, Darling Special Idly, Coke on the rocks (yes

you read that right!).

Baker’s Bay also offers a variety of bakery products like

burgers, pastries, pizzas at decent prices.

The Nescafe kiosks that are located around the campus

are also good for a quick bite.

Outside the Campus:

Tom’s Diner : Responsible for introducing VITians

to creamy, succulent cheese cakes , Tom’s Diner is a

restaurant opposite the VIT main gate, with a fantas-

tic menu , and an amazing interior design. From din-

ing with a special someone or simply gorging on

food with best buddies, Tom’s diner undoubtedly

takes the cake (available in strawberry , blueberry

and chocolate ).

Our Pick : Cheesecakes (especially Blueberry) , Vodka

Pasta, Manhattan Fries, Chicken Burger, Chicken Strips.

Hot Eggs - The restaurant with a difference– Hot

Eggs was established to introduce people to ‘Healthy

Dining’, and you will be hard pressed to find any-

thing healthier in Vellore than the delicious Special

Ar ound

6

section 2.

12

section 3.

24

Ac 20

section 4.

Academics

Ho Hostels

St Student Organizations

2

section 1.

Co College 23

Fu Functional Tamil

Legume Sandwiches, the Magic Mushroom and Corn

Cheese Omelette. Other egg dishes are also amaz-

ing. Hot eggs is the place to go if you want a healthy

breakfast/lunch or just in the mood to ‘brunch’ out.

Our Pick - Butter Egg Sandwich, Special Legume Sand-

wich , Cheesy and Magic Mushroom, Gujarati Thali.

Baker’s Hub - A new establishment near VIT, Baker’s

Hub is a premium bakery with a mindboggling vari-

ety of delicacies on offer. From chocolates to cook-

ies, Shakes to Pies, Pastries to Pizzas, they have

enough options to satisfy any kind of food craving.

Our Pick– Danish Pastry, Litchi Pastry, Homemade

chocolates, Focaccia Bread, Cookies and the Veg Burger.

Flo, The Café - Flo is adorned with classy blue and

white interiors, and attracts people despite not serving

meat. It has its own attached bakery that churns out

homemade breads, sandwiches and authentic Italian

thin crust pizzas along with serving a variety of mock-

tails, milkshakes, smoothies and coffee to wash it all

down.

Our Pick - Nachos with Cheese, Cheese Corn Balls, Piz-

zas, Mint Green Apple Granita, Cookie Frappe.

Quick Bites - Burgers, Subs, Sandwiches and Pizzas are

the usual order here. Situated right beside All-maart,

Quick Bytes makes a pretty authentic sub and an amaz-

ingly refreshing Ginger Lemonade.

Our Pick -Veg Burger with Cheese and Mayo, Chicken

Sausage Burger, Ginger Lemonade.

Olive Kitchen - Good food for the tummy but your wal-

let might disagree. A fine dining experience for Vellore

standards. One of the few places around where you can

sit down for a formal dinner.

Our Pick - Tandoori Chicken, Dragon Chicken, Sathe

Paneer, Lemon Mint Cooler and Olive Paneer.

D'Blues Rock Café - Combine smooth jazz, funky art

décor, cosy furniture, good food and voila! You get an

uber cool place to hang out. A refreshingly different

experience.

Our Pick - Bacon and Cheese Pasta, Pasta Al-fungi,

Hakuna Matata, Iced Teas and any shakes on offer.

Café Coffee Day - Everyone's favourite coffee shop is

now in Vellore. A great place to unwind with that special

lady friend of yours or just to treat yourself and your

friends to a great conversation and amazing food.

Our pick - The famous death by chocolate, spinach and

corn sandwich, cold coffee & ice cream.

Kamraj Juice Bar – From strawberries to lichies, drag-

onfruit to chapans you can find liquefied versions of

almost every fruit under the sun. The sodas however,

are a big let-down.

Our pick - Strawberry, custard apple, pineapple juices,

mango shake and rose milk.

PLACES IN MAIN VELLORE

100’s Heritage (Gandhinagar)– With French architec-

ture, great food and an amazing ambience, this is a

place to visit if you feel the need to splurge.

GRT Regency (Near new Bus stand)– Part of the GRT

group this place boasts of some of the finest décors in

the city. Their buffets are highly recommended.

China Town (Near CMC)- A great place to have deli-

cious chinese food.

Lalit Vihar (Near CMC)- One of the most famous eat-

eries near CMC. Famous for its delicious Rajasthani

( West Indian ) food.

Ibaco - This new ice cream parlour is located in officers

lane, and serves delicious ice cream sundaes.

Birthday Cakes - Flo Café, Café Coffee Day, Quick

Bytes, Bakers Hub, Food Court, Crisp „n‟ Cream, All-Mart

are the places where you can get birthday cakes.

The shopping complexes near and around the Vellore

Fort are unanimously preferred by students for their

academics related and extracurricular purchases at de-

cent rates. For those who need posters, flyers and ban-

ners printed, there are a number of printing options. For

those who wish to pursue technical projects, stores at

markets like Sarathi Mansion (opp. Vellore fort) are a

great option. A number of wholesale dealers provide for

those who wish to buy material such as wood, steel etc.

for all your DIY projects. Long bazaar, a literally long

stretch of shops opposite to Vellore fort serves as a

multipurpose bazaar with stores selling everything from

watches to footwear to engineering supplies. Second-

hand books can also be purchased at very economical

rates.

Gandhinagar is another place where one can go shop

around. You‟ll find a bakery and even the More super-

market. Book lovers should definitely check out Book

Station which is located right above the More Super-

market.

25

section 5.

p25

section 5.

p26

section 5.

p27 Our Favorite Restaurants

Information on our favorite

restaurants around Vellore

with a selection of our favorite

dishes. Recreational centers

FFCS Registration

Movie Theatres, Hair Salons,

Location of service centers

of popular electronics com-

panies

Miscellaneous

Getting around Vellore

Shopping Locales, Traveling

Advice, Interesting places

to visit, Holidays

GAMING CENTRES-

Gaming is an integral part of student life and an im-

portant social ritual. It develops the bonds that can

make strangers Bros for life or turn them into eternal

enemies. Your bro development needs are taken care of

by three gaming centres mentioned below:

A. FUN PLANET: It is located right above the waves

store in Gandhinagar. With a video game arcade, party

room, and a gaming zone with PC‟s, PS3‟s and XBOX

360‟s (Yes, we know it‟s hard to believe!!) it‟s an ideal

hangout place for the guys who miss all that gaming

action that the metros have on offer. To add to the

amazingness a food court is also opening shortly.

B. SNOOKER WORLD: It is located in Gaurang Mall, the

building which houses Flo. Great place to have a friendly

snooker match or enjoy the latest beats. Flat screen TV‟s

are also present for you to watch the occasional match

or simply hangout.

C. Hangout- It is present above Tara Maa. It's a decent

place to have a round of pool with your friends.

D. Game Spike- Air conditioning, bean bags and an

overall cool atmosphere, this place is another option if

you‟re looking to play on consoles like Xbox 360 and

PlayStation 3.

MOVIES

It is true that students form one of the biggest audience

groups for the entertainment industry. We live by mov-

ies (God bless the Movie Studios...Amen!!). This effect is

more pronounced when you come to a college where

you have to study a lot (Hello! three exams and quizzes

per sem). Needless to say, the value of entertainment in

your life will be immense.

Laptops, our evergreen movie friends, may not always

rise upto the situation when there is a need for that cin-

ematic and dramatic standard that comes with a proper

movie theatre. Fear not, Vellore has 2 (and another un-

der construction) which might be useful in dire straits.

One is a local theatre which goes by the name of

Raghavendra. The best way to enjoy a movie here is to

form a group of 5-6, catch a rickshaw, and bargain until

the auto wala agrees at no more than 100-150 bucks as

charge (around Rs.30/- per person). After reaching the

theater, buy a ticket which usually costs Rs.80/-. You

might want to spend some on food as well. Hire anoth-

er rickshaw at the same price to get back. All in all, you

can enjoy a decent experience in Rs.200/- provided the

movie is nice. Be sure to check if the movie is in Hindi or

Tamil, unless you want to sit and pay for a tutorial on

languages.

Disclaimer: Take note of the fact that you are in Vellore.

Don't expect plush sofas, Gold Lounges etc. The seats

are actually wooden benches and chairs. This hall is

NOT air conditioned. This is NOT a multiplex. But,

something's better than nothing. A Raghavendra in Vel-

lore is at best like the non-descript single screen back in

your hometown. Also expect a rowdy crowd. Some au-

dience members just cannot sit down and enjoy the

movie silently. They regard it their duty to express their

heartfelt emotions for all the audience to know. Be a

sport and accept it as part of the movie package. Noth-

ing much you can do anyways. Another option is As-

cars. This place showcases Tamil movies mostly.

A very viable option is to book movie tickets in Chennai

at halls like Sathyam or Escape and convert it into an

all day outing. Make sure to get the tickets as soon as

bookings open up online at night (Bookings begin 3

days in advance). We rate both the theatres a 5 on 5.

Plus tickets are pretty cheap and you can also enjoy

KFC, McDonalds or food from any of your other favour-

ite food joints. Be sure to get something back for your

friends and they‟ll be eternally grateful to you.

SALONS AND HAIRDRESSERS

Looking good is the need of the hour when in college,

at least for the majority amongst us. After all, the num-

ber of heads you turn is directly proportional to the in-

crease in popularity, isn‟t it? Vellore provides you with a

number of decent salons and haircutting facilities for

you to be the next fashionista in campus. Here are the

select few that we think deserve a mention:

A. Bright and White (Men’s Only)- It‟s on the way to-

wards Chittoor Bus Stand. Decent haircutting, good am-

bience and decent location. We rate it 4.0/5.0 for results

and 4.0/5.0 for ambience.

B. Friends (Men’s Only)- This is a salon situated inside

Gaurang Mall. Rated 3.5 and 3.5 for results and ambi-

ence respectively.

C. Naturals (Unisex)- This is one of the finer hair salon

chains in India. To your and our great joy, it has 2

branches in Vellore. The closest to VIT is the one in

Gandhinagar. Autos may charge you 50-70 bucks just to

get there. Hair cutting costs start from Rs.120/- (for

members) and Rs.165/- (for non members). We rate it a

4.0 and 4.5 for results and ambience respectively.

D. Gorgeous (Unisex)- Located in officer‟s lane

(Vellore‟s only shopping area), Gorgeous is probably the

coolest saloon and spa in Vellore. It even has a pool

table to relax while you wait for your turn. It is slightly

expensive. We rate it 4.5 for results and 4.5 for ambi-

ence.

26

SERVICE CENTRES

That new laptop you bought suddenly overheating?

Your beloved phone fell in watermelon juice or you

bricked it while rooting? We list some service centres

which we think will be handy.

HP laptops

Vijex Systems, 25C Arcot Road, Jeeva Rathinam

Maaligai, below Hotel Saravabavan.

Contact: 0416-2226515

Dell Laptops

No1 Saizburg Square, 107 Harrington Road, Chetpet

Chennai -600031 (Landmark: Near Chetpet Shopper

Stop / Chetpet Police Station).

Contact: 044-42855091

9:30AM - 6:30PM

Lenovo Laptops

Enness Corporation, New No.41,4th Floor, Anugraha,

Nungambakkam High Road, Next to Taj Kormandal,

Chennai-600034.

Contact: 044- 43561757, 43561758

9:30AM - 6:00PM

Acer Laptops

Fox Plus Computers, 4/3 2nd Floor, Ambiga Plaza(Near

National Theatre), Old Bye-Pass Road, Vellore.

Contact: 0416-4300302

Nokia Care

Nicetel Communication, 1/2 Katpadi main road, 1st

floor, near National theatre, Vellore.

Contact: 9840761045

Htc Mobile

TVS-E Servicetec Ltd, No A4, door no. New No: 446, old

No: 600, Gemini parson complex, Anna Salai, Chennai -

600006.

Contact: 044-42381027

9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m

Samsung Mobile

No. 3/2 1st Floor Subashri COMPLEX, OFFICERS LA-

NEVellore, Tamil Nadu 632001.

Contact: 0416 4204206

Blackberry

Raj mobile clinic, No 11b, Navalpure, MBT Road, Ranipet

Vellore, Vellore - 632509.

Contact: 9003973789

Check out the MOBILE STORE near main gate for any

accessories you need to buy (speakers, headphones,

gaming mouse/mousepad, pen drives etc.). For small

mobile repairs you can try shops near All-Mart.

SHOPPING

Waves, Gandhinagar: For all your apparel shopping

Waves is probably the nearest and best option. With a

wide range of apparel to suit everyone‟s tastes, it‟ll be

28

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The best bakers in town

AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS:

LIVE TO LISTEN, LIVE TO GAME.

MR. SANJAY (+91 98942 15758) sanj.store@gmail.com No. 165, Chennai Road, Opp. VIT Main Gate, Katpadi,Vellore

hard to leave this place empty handed.

Fabindia: This widely renowned ethnic Indian apparel gi-

ant, has a retail outlet at Officer‟s Line. It‟s a treasure trove

of embroidery, handicraft and textiles, especially for the

ladies.

Stores like Planet Fashion, Levi‟s, Reebok, Fabindia, Lee,

Peter England, Basics etc. are also present in the Officers‟

Line area in Vellore.

TRAVEL

Getting Around:

Getting around Vellore or rather anywhere, will lead to a

lot of haggling with autos and taxis. Make sure you know

the average fares to your destination to avoid getting

fleeced. You can use the auto rate chart near the main

entrance as reference. Having someone who knows Tamil

can be especially useful while negotiating rates. Autos in

Chennai are infamous for quoting exorbitant rates, partic-

ularly to non-locals who might not be aware of the usual

fares. A good idea is to pre-book a taxi from a trusted

service like „Speedbirds Travels‟ (+91 94437 44327)

whenever you plan a trip.

Must Visit:

If you ever wonder why VIT is where it is, just have a look

below:

You want to go:

Shopping or for IV‟s (Industrial Visits)-Bangalore:3.5hrs

Wash your sins-Tirupathi: 2hrs, Golden Temple:25 min

Go „beaching‟, biking, sightseeing, and be blessed with

holy water (on a limited budget)- Pondicherry:4hrs

Go „beaching‟, biking, sightseeing, and be blessed with

holy water (on a king size budget)- Goa:12.5hrs

A day out to watch movies, walk on the beach, watch IPL

or have a meal in Dominos/KFC/McD- Chennai:2hrs

Extended weekend vacations- Ooty, Kodaikanal:10 hrs

A day to relax and watch nature (ultra limited budget)-

Yelagiri:1.5 hrs

Enjoy the fruits of tax subsidies- Chittor: 45 min

TICKETS AND HOLIDAYS

It should be pretty obvious, book your tickets way in ad-

vance. India‟s population is taking leaps and bounds to-

wards the largest population accreditation.

To help students beat the queue, VIT will usually inform

about all holidays at the very beginning of the semes-

ter through the veritable academic calendar.

Beware, if there are any unplanned holidays due to natural

or political calamities (the latter more often than the for-

mer), classes will be compensated for, by treating the fol-

lowing Saturday(s) as a working day.

Advice: Book your tickets well in advance and be ready

for sudden changes in the academic calendar which might

require you to change your travel plans by a day or two.

The official University holidays are usually for the follow-

ing durations, Deepawali Holidays - 5 to 10 days, Winter

Holidays - 20 days to a month, Summer Holidays - 1.5

months.