Is Diploma Before Degree In Engineering a Good Bet?


Online study platform Stupidsid used to dub it as the most overrated course on planet Earth. Very well, the then teenage founders knew what they were dealing with when they included Bachelor of Engineering (BE) courses into their database. But, little do incoming students know what the technical courses have in store for them once they step into its confusing and gigantic world of information – numbers and alphabets and symbols mostly.

And I am talking chiefly about those students, passed out of the mandatory yet insufficient Secondary School Certificate (SSC), at the entrance of the matriculation edifice. Should I take up the three-year diploma (certificate) course or should I go through the HSC-CET route? Is diploma good after 10th? What if I have decided to become an engineer? What about ITI?

These are the questions you will get answers to in this article.

The Confusion After 10th Grade

That is also exactly when your (yet unheard of) relatives clog your home network with phone calls, text messages, and what-not giving worthless advice about what you should do and which stream you should join and why VJTI is still the number one college in Mumbai. Your parents talk more to those parents whose children now walk behind the top CEOs or are the top CEOs of some native amalgamation under the disguise of an international one. (I’m not taking any names.) Your friends will be helpless because most of them will be in a similar situation.

Your partner is doing fashion designing or is studying town planning or is perhaps busy doing what most untalented folks do – digital marketing. You want to take up a diploma course because it sounds cool and will give you some respite from appearing for the Common Entrance Test (CET) which we all know is a tough nut to crack.

Whatever you are inclined to do, you should give a peek through the following points that I have personally experienced over my engineering days. After completing my four-year diploma course from Agnel Polytechnic, Vashi (which included six months of in-plant technical internship each at Air India and Godrej & Boyce), I entered second year of the degree course (in Electronics and Telecommunication or EXTC) at SIES Graduate School of Technology and studied for three more years to become an engineering graduate. Two years later, I began pursuing my Master of Arts in English Literature. And then in 2019 I successfully completed it. So you can rest assured that this article is based on experience and not on hearsay.

Note – Most diploma courses span three years but in my case I spent four years completing it because of the in-plant training.

Degree vs. Diploma – Which is Better?

A list of important factors to consider before opting for diploma in engineering compared to the HSC-CET route:

You Will Perform Poorly in Mathematics

This is the biggest drawback of doing diploma before degree in engineering. Because whatever stream you choose, a diploma course has the subject Mathematics only in the first three semesters as M1, M2, and M3. And the pathetic syllabus by the Maharashtra technical board (MSBTE) will have you learning only basic Matrices.

By the time you complete the course, you will forget most of it chiefly due to a lack of practise and implementation. Next, since you will directly enter the second year of engineering degree, a huge part of essential Mathematics (first two semesters; M1 and M2 of degree) will elude you and there is where they teach you why Mathematics is so, so, so important in engineering. Eventually, the chances of you flunking in the third semester Mathematics is as high as your chances of getting through the college that you want are low. Tutors may help you, but remember, coaching classes are a multi-crore business in India.

Although I somehow passed M3 in my second year, I struggled a lot to get passing marks of 40 out of 100 in M4. Since Mathematics is critical for other subjects like Electrical Networks, I struggled with those subjects as well.

Lack of Friends

You will find out how badly you suck at Mathematics in less than five days of your degree. And there’s this lack of friends-cum-classmates that you cannot even throw the baggage on.

Most of your classmates have all braved the CET and are, in most cases, younger to you by at least a year; they have already formed groups and all the pretty girls are taken, the topper has been throned and is usually not good-looking, teachers have capped their white-lists and created nicknames for you. You will never be called by your first name until the time you almost forget how a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) works. Diploma students are called D2D students, direct second year admissions, failures, scumbags and thankfully, sometimes “scholars.” Too bad, they won’t call you back-benchers because unlike during the school times, here the only vacant benches are the front ones. Somebody might want to edit that Kalam quote!

members of agnel polytechnic student council 2011
My time at the student council during diploma days helped me get through the degree

To cut the long story short, if none of your diploma classmates have enrolled with you in your college and if you are an introvert, then you will indefinitely sink into a state of desolation. Paranoia will take time, but history shows that soon you will find solace in other diploma students from different college and/or streams.

Diploma is Not Equal to Degree

Diploma will give you opportunities and plenty of accolades for participating in the ubiquitous technical paper presentation competitions where you take a topic (which is often – “Recent Trends In Engineering”) and plagiarize every other online journal/Wikipedia article/magazine related to that topic without citing. The rookie jury will be astonished to see you present a Prezi slideshow because they are used to the more popular MS PowerPoint presentations. Technobabble will win you that cash-prize.

certificates, medal, and trophies received for technical paper presentation competitions
Some of the honors I received during my diploma days. These only look good in the showcase today

In degree, the story is totally different. You think of changing the monotony by participating in a presentation in the upcoming college-level technical fest. They have challenging competitors, professional jury, brainstorming sessions, and concept-debriefing. You will fail terribly if you follow your diploma protocol and that will further attack your self-confidence.

You should also think over this: diploma is typically a three-year course and degree is a four-year one but you only move forward a single year (direct second year admission) in degree after you complete the diploma. That answers the question why diploma has such a low value in career shelves and professional CVs.

Diploma as it should be rightly known is just a certificate course that was originally developed to help individuals land quick jobs in the technical fields. It cannot be termed a degree (as in academic rank) because earning a diploma neither makes you a graduate nor just a 10th/12 passout. You hang in the middle and that’s not a great situation to be in.

Parents Will Never Understand the Paradigm Shift

Okay, so you cracked that diploma examination with flying colors and were consistent in your efforts. You get the provisional certificate. Fine. But, since you suck at Mathematics, and because you will invariably find out that the remaining subjects are partially related to it, you will have the luck of flunking in at least one subject. Because, what you studied during diploma will be located on the farthest parts of your brain, and Mathematics, along with alphabets now has ambiguous sentences and Greek letters guarding it.

Techmax Publications won’t be sufficient also because they are crammed with errors. Depending on Easy Solutions or the recent fad KT280 Solutions may help, but will you really understand and grasp the engineering concepts? When the time comes for you to perform during the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) or any Public Service Undertaking (PSU) entrance test that you may later take, you will most probably experience a huge failure.

And that failure won’t be like how it seems to be in that famous inspiring quote about the invention of light bulb by Thomas Edison. It will bring you embarrassment. Teachers of your former polytechnic will understand and react totally opposite to how your parents will. That’ll be a relief, and if your diploma mates are allowed to keep term (ATKT) in the same subject(s), that will be a support against your parents, too. Pressure will falter and you will stop thinking about the future. This moment will be worthy, and I am pretty sure, the next time you sit to study with a credible reference book, it will be with vengeance. Only, here the adversary is no one.

Final Points

So, it is up to you and only you to decide what it will be and how it will be. Engineering is just too overwhelming when it comes to all the knowledge and learning, but make sure the path you choose is trustworthy and unmasked.

DO NOT listen to people who use sentences like “Diploma will give you experience”, “Diploma is better than the pain of CET”, and “Diploma is in parallel with Engineering.” This is all blabber because these people are actually referring to how the mainstream terms it. Of course, self-thought can outmatch these above listed discrepancies and there are people who have found actual success with the diploma route, like my father who is a successful Civil Engineer now after starting off with a diploma course in engineering. He took the diploma route in early 1970s followed by a four-year degree course and is a proud construction specialist today.

On the other hand, I have recently observed that there is not much difference between diploma students and graduates when it comes to their ability to get jobs in the real world. A friend and former colleague earns a handsome package as an engineer in Schlumberger after doing Industrial Training (ITI) and diploma courses. He still tells me that he has plans to complete his engineering from Mumbai University, but despite without a graduation, he is still an asset to his company.

With respect to how the word sounds bold, diploma is good enough for students who are not planning to pursue graduation in future. It is also a great path for students who are financially weaker and would want to wrap their education with a decent technical faculty. For example, a close friend of mine earns a decent package at Godrej & Boyce in Vikhroli after only pursuing diploma in Industrial Electronics. She has no plans to pursue degree in engineering and she’s happy and already climbing up in the world.

Choosing one over another is just a matter of choice, and there is no objective answer as to which one is better, but all I want to emphasize on today is that Diploma does come with its own set of disadvantages. Which, to conclude, are more devastating than that of going to junior college. TN.

Featured image courtesy: Unsplash

Update: Copyedited; added and removed sentences and links. (14 September 2019)


98 responses to “Is Diploma Before Degree In Engineering a Good Bet?”

    • What would if someone thinks of completing 11/12th and then go for a dipmloa in the second year after completing it then afterward again go for a degree in the second year, this is really happening with me …

        • Am going through same situation please tell will it affect campus placement specially for companies like Amazon and Microsoft

          • No. Some companies have age barriers but you can confirm this with your placecom (placement committee). Your journey to graduation will not influence your chances of placement. What WILL influence is how strong your fundamentals are and how good your grades are. All the best!

        • Hi…mera bhaii 10th me tha padhai me weak hai lekin computer science me uska intrest hai….toh kya …usse 11 12 ki jgh diploma kara de…or diploma k baad degree.pls suggest….

          • 11/12 karna hi theek hoga. If he still has interest in computer science while/after 12th, wo engineering degree kar sakta hai.

  1. not agree. diploma is better than doing 11 12th. you get two degree in 6 years after ssc. those who do diploma and degree both are more sound engineers than person doing degree after 12th. dont worry about maths. it is easy. very good private diploma engineering colleges are available. dont do engineering in indian government colleges. no one completes syllabus in government colleges, faculty and students are lazy in govt.

    • Wait before you tag Diploma as a Degree. Both are totally different concepts. Of course, if you successfully complete degree after diploma (which is a tedious task, by the way), companies may give your priority. This post focuses on how at least 30% of Diploma students fail to manage the hailstorm, called Degree. Maths can be easy or difficult; but if you are a diploma student, it becomes tougher.

      • Hi Tejas Nair,
        I mast. Het Gudhka i am staying in mumabi , I have passed 10 std ,and i am confused in taking science aur diploma .. can you please suggest me which option is best for engineering , And is diploma compulsory after 2 years of science …..

  2. hi,
    i am interested in mechanical and automobile. there is no one in my family to help me to choose a course for the better future. i have finished my 12th PCMC. can you please suggest me or help me to choose a better course???

    • Hello Ashiq!

      It partly depends on your interests. I had a thing for Electronics, so I took Electronics & Telecommunication. However, you will also need to look at the subjects which you will be studying in the span of 4 years. It is very important and should be thoroughly considered. If you are interested in Mechanical/Automobile, then you should go ahead with it. You can reach me anytime at tejas.you@gmail.com.

  3. I m kedar Dhavaskar frm goa I hv finished ssc so should I go fr diploma or 11&12 and tan degree

    • If you are good in Mathematics and really understand that Engineering is for you, then I would suggest Diploma. Otherwise 11-12 route will be better because it opens many roads.

  4. sir, I am passed out 10th standard from icse board any benefit for going in diploma? or should I go for 11th & 12 th std? pls give me reply as early as possible.

  5. I just passed my 10th class with 90% marks and i am not that good in maths so what should i do 11 and 12 science or diploma

    • Since you are currently not good at Maths, I’d suggest you take the HSC route. This will not only prepare you more for degree but will also leave you with better options that you would if you take the diploma route. All the best!

  6. i am passed ssc exam.I have got 93.60 in ssc exam.So 12 and degree or diploma then degree is better for me in govt. college in computer.

  7. my son get 68% in ssc gujrat bord. what should i do go to diploma or 11 12. my son want to become BE MECENICAL. Should he take mecenical corse in diploma or go for 11, 12.

    • Considering that the percentage is low, you should opt for 11-12. If gathering an admission is difficult, only then opt for diploma in Mechanical. All the best!

    • You can do it, Mayank, but you will be joining as an SSC passout and NOT 11th passout. One other option you can try is to complete your HSC and then go for Diploma, but you will be wasting one more year… Good luck!

  8. sir,i failed in 12th then took 1st year diploma course in automobile engg. and now im failed in my 1st year subjects.Maths-2, Mechanics. and d-2.Now,im preparing for 12 th again.im confused.cuz i also want to do engg but i dont want those filthy grade msbte subjects i failed in..plz ..help me ..suggest me sir whether to continue diploma or do 12th n then do bsc or any other course like tourism,marine field,etc..or clear 1st year sub n finish diploma??

    • Hi Vikrant, if you feel the subjects (Maths, Mechanics, etc.) are not for you, then I would suggest you to resume and complete your HSC. After that you can start afresh – a BSC course with vocational majors like tourism or marine field. First you have to understand that Engineering may not be for you. Good luck!

      • thanks a lot for your suggestions n i highly appreciate your support sir..i thought a lot abt tis n hv decided to complete my hsc this july n then go for bsc ..but with marks of like 65%will i get good college for tourism n travel management in mumbai with low fees?

        • Hi Vikrant, that’s good. I wish you all the best. I’m sorry, but I do not personally know what the criteria are for such courses. But, I’m sure 65% is not a very low grade. Do some online/offline research when you get free time. Good luck!

    • No problem at all. You should not worry about such things now. Please continue your diploma and then preferably pursue graduation in the same or similar field. All the best!

  9. DoB : 21/02/1996
    X(2012) : 60%
    XII(2014) : 50% (commerce)
    Diploma(2017) : 63.7%(Automobile engineering) from an AICTE approved institution.
    Now(nov’17) persuing b.tech(lateral entry) from Techno india banipur(under Techno India Group) which is also approved by AICTE & WBUT affiliated.
    Now my question is that,am i going to face any problem in govt. job interviews after b.tech & GATE for not having 60% & science in HSE?

    • You may or may not. Most PSUs only just care about your GATE and final year BTech score. But it would be good to check the criteria before opting. Either way, there’s no point in crying over spilled milk about your HSC scores. Just do better on your forthcoming exams. Good luck!

  10. Hey…i failed in 12 in 2019..studing in science. I’m opting for mechanical or aeronautical…but I’m confused whether to take Diploma through 10 results of repeat 12 again??Please hepl me..Still in doubt which will be the better way??

    • Hi Borom, I’d recommend you to take 12th again because it is critical and you have better chances of acing it. Repeating HSC (1 year) and then doing degree (4 years) will be better than doing diploma (3 years) and then degree (3 years). Think of this in terms of years and work harder next time. Strengthen your 11th subjects and clear the basic concepts. You will definitely pass next time. Good luck!

  11. Sir I have just passed 10th with 84percent I have got 94 marks in maths so what should I refer diploma or 11th 12th

  12. Which is harder HSC route or Diploma.Secondly what’s the difficulty level of diploma mathematics? As I have just passed board exams with 82%

    • Hi Umar, both are easier, but what comes next after each of them is what I would call hard. After HSC, if you want to do Engineering, you’ll have to appear for competitive exams like CET. In case of diploma, the Mathematics will be a tough nut to crack.

      I would recommend you to go with the HSC route because that way you will have more options in front of you just after 2 years/ Diploma is 3 years and you HAVE to do Degree after that. Good luck!

  13. Sir I have completed diploma 65% with 6 year gap ??? MSBTE Board .what should I do ??? Job or BE

    • Hi Mohammad, considering the long gap, I would recommend you to start a job hunt based on your existing education credentials. If you can just start working at a firm related to your field and then use that experience to climb higher, it would be great. The key would be to start as soon as possible.

      If you are unable to secure a job, I would then recommend trying your hand at completing BE if you are really confident you can crack it.

      To answer you question, I think it’s better to start looking for a job than to spend 3 more years in pursuing degree education. Good luck!

  14. Doing diploma would hv any affect on job selection
    I hvjust completed 10 and wanted to know this

    • If you intend to do just diploma, then it can help you in gaining employment. But if your focus is graduation, I’d recommend going the HSC route.

      Diploma + ITI should give you some good job prospects.

  15. I have just completed my tenth from ICSE board and i
    have scored 88%. Although I am not good in maths but I
    thinking for diploma . Will this give me any problem
    in my degree college studies

    • Hey! Yes, math might be difficult when you enter degree directly from diploma because you skip the basics (M1 and M2) in the first year when yo join BE after diploma.

      I would recommend you to take 11/12 where to can begins strengthening your mathematics.

  16. Hi sir I am in diploma i just got dropout in sy with 10 back logs should i leave or solve the backlogs

    • If you have an option of doing a degree course in some other field based on your HSC creds, you should go ahead. The current scenario is not entirely suitable for continuing with Diploma. 10 backlogs is huge and if you proceed again into the 2nd year, you will have a lot of work to do and 3rd and 4th years are equally daunting. But get a degree education because it’s very important for your career. Good luck!

        • Since you’re not comfortable with Science evidently I think it is best to choose Commerce or Arts as a background and then focus on various fields that open after HSC.

          • Hi Tejas,
            My son completed 10th with 78% and wants to complete Engineering. So which is the best route.. Diploma or 11 nd 12 Science.

          • Hi Vilas, I would definitely suggest the 11th/12th route. This is because I feel 15 (assuming your son’s age) is too young an age to decide on a career. Taking the HSC route will give him time and exposure to update his preference. If after 12th, his interest in engineering continues, he can opt for a degree. I don’t recommend diploma, as mentioned in the article, because it effectively closes out other options and you have to mandatorily pursue a BE degree to get a decent job. Or you are stuck with the diploma (which is just a certificate and cannot be considered a degree).

            Also, it may be a great idea to talk to a counsellor. If your school has one, consider taking your son to them, who will suggest better options according to your son’s acumen and interest at this point. All the best!

  17. Sir I have planned to pursue diploma and then take the SAT and apply for some scholarships and make my way to the U.S. Do you think that diploma would help in my SAT? And what do think about my plan? Have you got something to suggest?

    • Hi Gaurav, I wouldn’t depend on Diploma as a preparation for your SAT. It might give you a 10% headstart but not more than that. You would need a much more formal preparation to tackle the SATs. Also, I do not have much info about US education, so I am not the best person to ask that question. You should talk to people who are currently in the US to get more insights. Good luck!

  18. After 12th whoever have scored low or could not fulfill engineering criteria, I would suggest you to take a gap, learn from your mistakes and then reappear with preparation, you would really score good. Please don’t go for diploma, I am regretting my decision now. You will not be able to understand anything, because you would get direct second year admission in diploma after 12th. If any doubt regarding this problems and questions you can contact me vishwajeetdalvi629@gmail.com

  19. Hi i am a student of Delhi polytechnic and currently studying in final year in a government institution and wanted to pursue BTech in computer science as my branch is computer science in polytechnic. I am also not scoring well.Should i do BTech ???

    • If you feel like engineering is not your cup of tea, you may pursue other careers. But since you have invested some time in diploma, I would suggest first putting a little bit more focus on your studies and then decide after the final exams. Consult your teachers and mentors.

      Also, try looking for fields that you are interested in and study them. So when push comes to shove you can select a favourable career path quickly.

      • Can i just resort to other resources without having my 12 class certificate and is BTech difficult for diploma students ????

        • You’ll need a class 12 certificate for all graduate courses. Since you are in diploma, the only option is to move next to a B.Tech course and put your everything into it. It might be a bit difficult (mainly Maths, as suggested in the article) but if you get your M1 and M2 basics (get class 12 Math books and prepare) right it will be easier for you than others who don’t. Just go with a little bit of perseverance. Good luck!

  20. One last question please can i go to abroad on the basis of diploma degree without 12 and pursue my BTech ???

    • I think you can do that but depends where you want to go. Solid research is needed before you take a decision. I am not the best person for this though as I don’t have foreign education experience.

  21. hi.. as u told that maths really stucks in dipolma. so if i take science and write ceet exam and i gate less rank which is not suffeint to take a seat in eneegreing what shall i do.
    if i take b.sc it is quiet difficult to gate the job.
    now i have finished 10std in batch 2020 and i got 81.92% in karnataka state board
    so which course best for me.

    • I would recommend you to consider commerce or arts too. It is not necessary to take the science stream. Is there a counsellor/mentor you can talk to who will guide you better?

  22. My son completed his 2nd puc with only 43% he wanted to pursue engineering but according to vtu he has to get 45% what can he take now degree or diploma

    • Can you try at some other college? I would strongly recommend against a diploma if he plans to study further and become an engineer like you mention.

      Alternatively, can you talk to an educationist or a coach who will suggest better?

      If he got 43% in PUC, I would suggest looking at more than one option. Engineering might be difficult and your son may lose precious years.

      • Hey sir !
        For a certain I didn’t know what to do cause I scored low marks in my 10th public so my parents made me to take diploma in engineering ,iam actually doing my 2nd year in ECE now and due to this pandemic I only attended college for My 1st semester and my others sem were cleared due to online exams.
        The thing is I am actually worried now cause after reading your article it’s make me worry about my future
        Sir could you give me some advice and what is the best thing to do right now?
        and do you think that this online exams are best for diploma ?

        • I would suggest you to continue the course and take this extra time at home to study more. Clear your basics on all subjects and you will be better prepared to tackle the final year exams. Online exams are fine as you will get a lot of free time to focus on important topics. All the best!

  23. Hey there!
    I know everyone has their own academic story but I would like to share mine. I am a diploma holder and currently pursuing my BTech.
    The mathematics part I totally agree. That part for all diploma to degree is a nightmare. But there is more to engineering than just math. Math is just a tool. Engineering is to coming up with an innovative solution for a problem. To do so one needs have technical and scientific knowledge. A diploma to degree student has a thorough knowledge of the respective field. By the time they reach degree they have been exposed to the real technical world. Coming to competitive exams such as GATE, there is math. Agreed. But so are core subjects. With better coaching and efforts any student can score better.

    In a nutshell, if a trajectory has been set. If a student has figured our which field he/she is enthusiastic about then diploma is an ideal option.

    I am in second year of degree, exposed to math. Yes, its tough but a little practice and attention is all one needs

      • Sir I just passed my 10th class and also good in maths so what can I prefer 11/12 or diploma for engineering bcoz my family’s financial condition is weeker and we don’t have much to spend on 11/12 tution fees….. so what can I prefer….. Your reply can be a turning point for me as well…..

        • Take the 11/12 route and opt for a decent college. You don’t necessarily need to join a tuition if you attend all classes in college. Good luck!

          Alternatively, you can opt for a diploma in engineering and start working after you complete it. No need to do BE.

    • So how are you now ? Is it fine?
      Is it really necessary to take Coaching after switching from Diploma to Degree?

  24. Sir, I recently passed class 10th from CBSE board and I want to pursue engineering, I want to be an engineer. I got a seat in a government polytechnic college. I am thinking to get an admission there. So, If I don’t want any other field. Should I go for diploma with degree rather than 12th with degree? as I don’t think I am that talented to crack JEE examinations. Should I do 12th and get an admission in any private college or should I do diploma (polytechnic) from a state government college and b.tech afterwards. And is there something like after b.tech companies give more preference to candidates with 12th+b.tech than diploma+b.tech or anything like that?
    thankyou

    • Hi Darsh, before you decide what route to take – diploma or 12th – you should ask yourself the motivation behind becoming an engineer. What is the reason behind this desire? Is it based on proper calculation/sincere interest or just pure ambition? Is it based on your parents’ or relatives’ recommendation? If yes, I would ask you to reconsider. Assuming you are 15 years old, it is a bit early to decide on a career path. This is why I recommend taking the 12th route which will give you 2 more years to decide and a lot more exposure to different fields within science, commerce, or arts. And if you still have the desire to pursue engineering, you can go ahead with B.Tech after 12th. Entrance exams are part and parcel of engineering, so you can’t skip that. But it’s an indication of the type of concepts and the amount of studies that you will need to take care of to pursue engineering and become a qualified engineer. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

      Lastly, companies don’t care if a candidate has pursued BE after diploma or 12th. They just care about your grades, your understanding, and your college’s reputation. So make sure you choose reputed colleges. All the best!

  25. my brother just done with 10th standard, his dream is to become a civil engineer by choosing diploma,which he is interested.In our home and village he does all the electrical work for houses, I wonder if he can do that better in fixing electric things for houses, why can’t he choose electrical engineering I asked him, he gave me a reply that electrical engineering PHYSICS is very tough it seems,… he told..
    and I asked him whether maths in civil engineering is that easy? he then told me, then what to do?
    what should I choose civil or electrical?
    and I got a new doubt that is it good to join graduation after degree in engineering… please reply me… and guide my brother

    • Since neither of you have enough information as to what engineering entails (don’t worry, I was the same when I was your age), there are two things that you can do – one, if you can find a mentor/teacher, as them for guidance. Take their opinion on the way ahead. Two, my suggestion would be to take HSC/12th (Science) for now and use the next 2 years to get the basics and foundation correct. These 2 years will also give your brother enough time to think about whether to take Engineering, whether diploma is good before engineering, civil vs electrical, and many more queries.

      Assuming your brother is 15, I feel it’s too early to take a career decision. By the time he completes his HSC, he will be 17, which will be a good age to decide. And I feel he should choose his career on his own. You can suggest things but the end decision has to be his. Good luck!

  26. Are the topics in engineering (Maths) really hard? Can’t we cover after 6sem gap between taking admission?
    I am computer engineering student, I find the I scheme syllabus very much updated.
    Along with that as you said that we are taught only matrices is not true 😂.

  27. Sir I have completed my class 12 humanities and I am weak in maths I can take diploma in mechanical engineering or not .

  28. Sir I have completed my diploma in 2020 in civil as uh knw due to this pendemic the base knowledge is not so good now I’m confused what to do plz guide me .

  29. I’ve completed my Diploma in Electrical Engineering after 10th and now I’m in confusion should I go for preparation for jobs or for Diploma to Degree.
    Which will be better for my career??

    • I would recommend going for degree if you don’t have any dependents. Diploma is not considered a “degree”, so you’ll need the bachelor’s to shape your career well in the future. Good luck!

  30. Your observations are spot on! I too have experienced most of the points you summarised above. A few more additional points from my own experience.

    1. Environment – This is probably one of the biggest differences in my opinion. I did diploma in Information Technology from SBMP, Mumbai, and I always felt that the students in general lacked focus, motivation, and desire to excel in studies (unlike students preparing for boards or JEE). Also, many students in my class had had relatively modest SSC percentage and had opted for diploma as they dreaded preparation needed for 12th/ CET. There are always exceptions, however, most folks under such environment simply do not push themselves hard enough to realise their potential.

    2. Narrow focus on dated technologies – I always felt diploma was a little too focused on specific technologies/programming languages/tools without enough focus on fundamentals and theory (read mathematics). Technologies change drastically every few years but your syllabus most likely won’t. Since your fundamentals (especially in maths) are weak, you struggle when you have to deal with anything beyond technology (and specially programming if you are a CSE/IT diploma student). Most computer science concepts (and more so Data Science/statistics/machine learning concepts) have their roots in mathematical concepts, and this is where most diploma students struggle in their engineering days and even after that.

    3. Competitive exams – Most competitive exams in India (especially for MBA and also placements) evaluate you on your aptitude skills. Most diploma students struggle with them. Those who have seriously prepared for JEE or 12th have a serious advantage over their diploma counterparts. Agree, diploma students may have an edge when it comes to programming, however, in my opinion, it’s easier to improve programming skills, then say improving your maths skills after gap of all these years 🙂

    4. Higher studies – Recently, with Data Science masters programs gaining popularity, it’s extremely important to have the right mathematical foundation. Many programs outside india look for certain number of credits and coverage of certain topics in mathematics subject in your undergraduate degree. This is hard to show especially when you have skipped the first two semesters of mathematics.

    In my opinion, anyone who is sincere and focused about their studies and wishes a career in Science should opt for 12th and prepare for JEE and other entrance exams. Regardless of the results, I believe the environment and the process of preparation shape you well, and lay a solid foundation which your future self will thank you for 🙂

    Thanks.

  31. Hi I want my daughter to do computer engineering but she is not good in maths. Her plan is to do diploma then move to foreign country to study degree plz suggest how to go about n how to go on.

    • In that case, why can’t she try to emigrate now? If she plans to do diploma and then pursue degree abroad, she will waste 3 years. If going abroad requires graduation, I would suggest doing degree here and then moving abroad for PG.

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