The standard of education and the institute's credibility can alone be determined by going through the rankings. So, I will be stating some highlights pertaining to the campus life at BIT Mesra, in general,

• BIT Mesra has an active club culture with more than 60 clubs promoting a number of extracurricular activities
• NIT Rourkela has the 2nd largest campus in India and is a great place to be at.
• The hostel life is also great with minimal restrictions at least for boys. 
• The mess is in close proximity to the hostel and the level of hygiene is commendable here. The mess follows a 4-meal per day system wherein Breakfast is served in the morning at around 7 -9.30 am, lunch at 12–1:30 pm, snacks at 5–6 pm, and finally dinner at 8–9:30 pm.
• Many night canteens run till 3 in the morning to cater to the midnight cravings of the students. 
• The institute is a heaven for sports lovers. It has facilities for almost every kind of sport like football, cricket, hockey, volleyball, basketball, and kabaddi.
• The internet connection facilities are however poor and this matter needs to be taken care of.

You will be surprised to know that my friends in other NITs keep complaining about the campus life there while I was very satisfied with the quality of campus life offered at NIT Rourkela. So, in addition to academics, NIT Rourkela also offers a vibrant college life!

One of my friends studied at NIT Rourkela. According to him, the campus was really good and had many features that made it stand out among others. 

Here are some facts about it:

• They have a huge campus, the second largest in the country. The environment is clean and green, with all the necessary facilities found nearby the campus area.
• The food here is comparatively costly than any other college at its level. It will take a bit of time to ease up on the food if you are an outstation student.
• The academic pressure is not much. They only strictly monitor attendance. 
• The students are required to maintain a 75% attendance to be able to sit for the exams.
• The faculty is average, they prefer students mug up theories than actually learn the content.
• Labs are tough and have regular evaluation.
• Here you will get a lot of exposure to extra curricular activities. 
• Many clubs are present like dance, drama, music, photography, social service, varieties of coding, robotics, aerospace club, vehicle designing club and many more. 
• These clubs teach you time management and enhance your skills.

The main rourkela city is about 7 kms from the railway station which has constant auto services. Rourkela has many restaurants, pubs and other hangout zones. They also have Vaishnodevi temple which students visit as the trip includes trekking and great viewpoints.