The most annoying part of college life at MNNIT is its 'anti-innovation environment in mechanical engineering. In the four years of the program, you will notice that average teachers or fun fests wouldn't matter as much as the exploration of your creative potential.

If you try to create new things, the college itself will create obstacles, such as these:

• Lack of manufacturing facilities: As a mechanical engineering student, you might build a machine or a humanoid robot. But, MNNIT has a 3D printer worth 35 lakhs which doesn't work. Even the CNC machines don't work because they are quite old. The lab harbors a 'robotic arm' which moves at times and is the only showpiece in the lab-cum-museum.
• Lack of academic freedom: You're not allowed to choose your subject! So you might get stuck with learning 'steam-powered engineering' even when you do not have any intention of working in that field.
• Dull and boring: Because of the 75% attendance rule, you will be stuck in a non-AC classroom or a lab with broken equipment. If you are a female student, you'll have to abide by stringent hostel timing rules.

Being an engineering student, you must worry about the washrooms, or mess rather you should be concerned about the lab timings, technical facilities available there, and whether it all works efficiently. If you're a CS student, then you'll be fine. Other branches too may find things to their liking but not mechanical.

Yes, at the end of the first year, you can apply for branch sliding. However, in order to be eligible, you must have a CPI of at least 7.5.

My brother also applied for branch sliding. There are only a few seats available in the branches (3 or 4), despite the fact that 90% of the students applied for branch sliding. 

The competition in-branch sliding is similar to that in JEE Main because there are only a limited number of seats available. To be eligible for a branch such as IT or CSE, your CPI must be greater than 9.0.

The date of the result of branch sliding is totally the mismanagement of academics. For 2 or 3 weeks after commencement of classes, you will have to first attend lectures of your own branch and after the result declaration you will go to the other branch, and slowly you will realize its importance. You have to catch up with what the teacher is teaching.

So branch sliding is possible, but it is a difficult problem to confront, as you will see when you attend the lectures.

At NITK Surathkal, Saturdays are holidays for all the students. In the first year, timings depend upon your section. It has about 23 hours of classes every week. 

These can be: 

• Between 8 AM to 3 PM - Monday and Thursday.
• Between 8 AM to 3 PM - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

The schedule can be altered as per the student’s convenience with the help of the class representatives (CRs). In the second year onwards, the schedule depends on the branch in which you belong. For example, the mining branch has 20 hours per week, CSE and ECE have 25-28 hours per week, while the mechanical department has around 35 hours per week. There are extra classes at the end of the trimester.

At NITK Trichy the college time is usually 8:30 AM - 3:10 PM. Sometimes, it may extend to 4-5 PM. There is a lunch break from 12:10 – 1:30 PM.

At MNNIT Allahabad the classes are held from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday are holidays. In the first year, all students study general subjects from 9 AM – 5 PM. The lectures are 30 hours a week. In the second and the third year for the core subjects, the classes are 8 AM – 6 PM, i.e., 40 hours a week. The CSE/IT batch has only 25-30 hours per week. In the last year, classes are rarely held in the institute. The lectures are approximately 12-15 hours a week.

My elder brother is from MNNIT Allahabad so I am quite aware of its pros and cons. 

• Never mess up your pointers. A 9+ pointer will help you get internships, jobs, and ahead in your career. Furthermore, a higher pointer indicates that you have studied that subject, which implies that your fundamental knowledge of the subject is solid.
• Make personal notes on all subjects every year. Your exams will comprise the teachings in your class. It will also assist you in better understanding the subject.
• Maintain a cordial relationship with all the professors, their help will be required in every step while in the college.
• Improve your communication skills by learning English. It will assist you in obtaining a good job because every company values good communication skills.
• Develop an area of interest, do some good projects under professors, and it will help you in the future with jobs and higher education.
• By the end of the first year, make sure you find your goal in life. It can be GATE/IES or maybe CAT, core jobs/consulting jobs, higher studies, Civil Services, etc. Take a decision and be on your toes. Start working on it.

College is the best place to start building your career. You have plenty of time and opportunities to prepare for future challenges.