Hello,
My name is Hammad Maqbool now ex-student of Virtual University of Pakistan, I just completed my degree of MS(CS)- Software Engineering from VU and writing this article about my 2 years experience of the Virtual University of Pakistan.
Let me clear your very first question in mind why I am writing this ?
I am writing this just to tell what people think and say about VU and what VU is actually and how was my 2 years experience in VU.
Society Reaction on getting admission in VU: I think now you know exactly what this article is going to tell you. So starting from the admission time, After completing my BS(CS) from University of Azad Kashmir when I apply in 2016 for the MSCS in VU lots of people asked me why are you getting admission in VU this is waste of time. Go get for some reputed university, You are a intelligent person. You should not waste yourself like this and lots of sentences like this I faced at the time of admission. No doubt how much you say I don't care for "Log kya kahain gay" but still deep down somewhere in your mind you care about it. So these sentences put me on random thoughts and over thinking.
How I tackle the society reaction: Reaction is already a result of some action and showing action again on reaction is not good approach some times so instead of changing my decision I start observing and analyzing things. First of all the most often used sentence by people for the virtual university was "This is not a reputed university they just give you degree no matter you study or not". I started thinking over this and you know what I noticed? this sentence was said by the people who never experienced this university in any sense. They were telling me this just because someone else told them. This is how our society works we all are expert at giving you suggestion by rejecting harshly your choice because we all know more than each we all have knowledge more than each other about every field of life except our own. After realizing this all those who are saying don't go for VU never experienced VU in any sense. I started searching people over facebook who Passed out from VU and asked them about their experience telling in short no one said VU is not good. As I was already on over thinking because of those stupid comments about VU. I didn't believed on their comments as a I was thinking they all are graduated or post graduated from VU they have VU degree how they can say this is not a good university. I started searching for the people who failed from VU or they left VU at the mid of degree this search was really difficult any how I found some people. Asked them why you left VU? answers were different but to make a long story short let me tell you collectively summery of the answers.
"Hum nay VU say study just degree lyny k liyay start ki the lkn wo tough hay job ya kisi busy routine ki waja say ab manage nai ho raha, so choor he di. VU main parhai us trha asan hay nai jysy logo nay show kar rkhi hay, Yahan apko bahoot seekhny ko milta hay lkn aagar ap actively time day sakain to. Q k yay ragarty bahooot hain aur aysa nai hay k degree dy dytay hain agar parho to he marks aur degree dyty hain VU marks bahoot dyti hain lkn agar kam bhe us level ka ho warna fail karny main time nai lagati"
Now these were some real answers, answers by those who got admissions by watching the face of VU in our society and get out of VU by realizing the fact that the actual face is totally different by what people tell about it what society think about it.
After this all I got admission in VU at that time when I was making preparation for the entry test again lots of people tell me "VU entry test fail nai karti tension na lo " But I keep studying thanks to ALLAH I passed my entry test and found lots of people crying "Myra entry test fail hogya" This time I again noticed how VU shows its face totally against the image about its entry test criteria.
ALLHAMDULILLAH now I was the student of Virtual University in MSCS - Software Engineering and I started my 1st semester study there were lots of groups over Facebook and we found almost all of the class fellows across the world in to those groups. We make whatsapp groups we keep discussing we keep sharing helping materials we start group discussion on daily basis over skype group calls.
We don't have direct access to classes we don't have direct access to over class fellows so we should collaborate with each other over internet this thought in mind was some how making us more close to each other and also urge us to study more as compare to normal physical university environment.
This is how we keep studying on facebook and whatsapp and Telegram groups till the completion the degree.
Experience with Teachers of VU: In short it was excellent, You have video lecture in VU you can listen them if you are facing difficulty in understing some point listen them repetedly. Still you have difficulty just put your question over facebook VU group and get the answers more than your expectations, still difficulty? mail your teacher or ask the question at you LMS get the answer. Still feeling difficulty teachers are also available over skype to make discussion over topic with you. Now tell me still would you like to say "VU main us tarha say guidance nai milti?" Let me correct you, VU can give you more guidance than any other university and I am writing this statement after experiencing 3 different universities.
We don't have direct access to classes we don't have direct access to over class fellows so we should collaborate with each other over internet this thought in mind was some how making us more close to each other and also urge us to study more as compare to normal physical university environment.
This is how we keep studying on facebook and whatsapp and Telegram groups till the completion the degree.
Experience with Teachers of VU: In short it was excellent, You have video lecture in VU you can listen them if you are facing difficulty in understing some point listen them repetedly. Still you have difficulty just put your question over facebook VU group and get the answers more than your expectations, still difficulty? mail your teacher or ask the question at you LMS get the answer. Still feeling difficulty teachers are also available over skype to make discussion over topic with you. Now tell me still would you like to say "VU main us tarha say guidance nai milti?" Let me correct you, VU can give you more guidance than any other university and I am writing this statement after experiencing 3 different universities.
Opportunities in VU: It is a Virtual University but still it is full of opportunities, They have different societies of your interest they organize different competitions, If you have good hobbies VU have platform to show encourage you. I was good at photography as hobby I won 2 time shields in photography competitions.
If you are a good programmer being a student of Computer Science or Software Engineering they programming societies and competitions for you. Even they have their own software house where you can get internship or job.
If you are scoring good but you can't afford study VU is again there for you to provide scholarship.
What else you want from a university on the name of opportunities?
What else you want from a university on the name of opportunities?
Degree Value: In short I will say it is a recognized university and VU graduates are serving in their fields all over the world having reputed jobs from governmental level to private and multi national companies.
I think this is the best answer to define the degree value.
Learning Experience: I have learned a lot from this university the subjects I studied from this university I have grip on those subjects, My concepts are more than clear my subjects I have personal satisfaction that I my learning experience was excellent I learned more than I expectation.
Note: This is not to compare the VU with other universities but to tell you the actual image of VU. To Tell you what I experienced in past 2 years.
