I’m Rushikesh, a Computer Science graduate from a Tier-3 college. Like many aspiring engineers, I once dreamed of making it big at the Smart India Hackathon (SIH). But here’s the truth, my journey didn’t begin with victory or recognition; it began on the sidelines, watching others win while I learned what it really takes to get there. Back in my 2nd year, something remarkable happened on our campus our seniors won the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2022. Their energy was electric. The way they spoke about their 36-hour grind, sleepless nights, and the thrill of solving a real-world problem in front of industry experts left us both astonished and inspired.

That day, my friends and I who proudly called ourselves the Coding Saints, made a pact

“ If they can do it, why can’t we? ”

So, if you’re excited about SIH 2025 and want some real student-to-student advice, keep scrolling. Trust me, this story is as much a guide for you as it is my personal journey. 🚀

Understanding SIH: The Father of All Hackathons 👨‍💻🏆

When most people hear the word hackathon, they picture a bunch of students coding overnight, surviving on coffee and adrenaline, to solve some random problem statement. But Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is in a league of its own. It’s not just a hackathon, it’s often called the “Father of all Hackathons” because of its massive scale, real-world impact, and the way it pushes students beyond their limits.

Every year, SIH brings together:

• 200+ problem statements (PS) straight from ministries, industries, and NGOs.

• 20+ government and private organizations putting forward real challenges that actually matter.

• The backing of the Government of India, which makes the event both prestigious and impactful.

SIH is not a one-night coding sprint. It’s a 3-stage marathon that tests your Idea, Execution and Endurance.

1. Internal Hackathon: The First Filter 🎯

This is where it all begins. Every college organizes its own internal hackathon to shortlist the best teams. The rules may differ from campus to campus, but typically:

• You pitch your idea to the jury.

• The college SPOC (Single Point of Contact) nominates the top 35 teams.

• These selected teams then get the green signal to officially submit their solution on the SIH portal.

Don’t take this phase lightly. Many teams fail because they don’t treat the internal hackathon as the real deal. When my team, the Coding Saints, first attempted SIH in our 3rd year, we cleared the internal hackathon. It gave us hope, but little did we know what was waiting in the next round.

2. Connecting with Organizations: The National Shortlist 🏛️

This is where the competition gets real. Once nominated by your college, you’re expected to:

• Submit a detailed solution on the SIH portal.

• Upload a presentation and (optionally) a YouTube video demo.

• Have your work evaluated by ministries and industry experts.

• From hundreds of submissions, only 5–6 teams per problem statement make it to the grand finale.

Our first setback: This is where our SIH 2023 journey ended. We were rejected in this round. Our submission lacked clarity, our prototype was half-baked, and we hadn’t given it our 100%. It stung. But looking back, that rejection was the wake-up call we desperately needed

3. The Grand Finale: The Craziest 36 Hours ⚡

For the lucky teams that qualify, this is the most thrilling and exhausting part of SIH. The finale is a true test of skill, stamina, and teamwork:

• You refine your prototype based on ministry feedback.

• You work non-stop for 36 hours (yes, no proper sleep, just adrenaline + coffee ☕).

• You face multiple judging rounds, where mentors and evaluators track your progress.

• Finally, winners are declared after three nerve-wracking rounds of evaluation.

Students who’ve been through it describe it as the most exhausting yet memorable experience of their college life. We didn’t reach this stage in our first try. But failing in Stage 2 gave us the clarity and hunger to prepare harder for our comeback attempt in the 4th year which eventually landed us in the finals.

How to Approach SIH:

When students think of hackathons, the first image that comes to mind is coding fast and coding hard. But here’s the truth about Smart India Hackathon (SIH) preparation is half the battle. In fact, most teams don’t lose because of lack of technical skills. They lose because of poor planning, unclear problem selection, or weak team coordination. If you prepare smartly, you’re already ahead of half the competition. Here’s a practical roadmap you can follow 👇

1. Forming the Right Team 🤝

   Your team is your biggest strength in SIH. Each team must have 4 to 6 members, with at least one female participant. A diverse skill set is crucial. Don’t build a team where everyone is good at the same thing. Instead, think in terms of balance.

   A sample mix could look like this:

   • 1 Frontend Developer

   • 2 AI/ML Developers

   • 1 Data Scientist / Analyst

   • 1 R&D / Documentation

   • 1 Backend & Integration (that was my role in Coding Saints 👨‍💻)

Pick teammates who don’t just bring skills but also match your energy and vibe. You’ll be working 36+ sleepless hours together in the finale so trust, coordination, and communication matter way more than raw talent. Also, teams that combine members from different departments (CSE + ECE + AIDS) sometimes get an edge during shortlisting, since they can cover wider ground.

2. Selecting the Problem Statement (PS) 🔍

   Choosing the right Problem Statement (PS) is half the game won. Here’s the process that worked for us:

   • Every team member picked 5 different PS from the SIH portal.

   • For each PS, we wrote a reason why it excites us + what possible solution we could build.

   • We sat down, discussed, debated all the ideas, and iterated until we reached unanimous agreement.

   • Finally, we narrowed it down to 3 strong PS options, each with a clear vision.

Don’t pick a PS just because your friend is choosing it or because it’s trending. Choose something aligned with your skills + passion. If the PS excites you, you’ll naturally work harder on it.

3. Building the Presentation (Idea Draft)🖼️

   This is the step where most teams mess up and it’s the biggest reason they don’t make it to the finals. Remember, your PPT is your first impression in front of the ministries and organizations.

   Here’s how to nail it:

   • Tell a story: Keep it simple, clear, and engaging.

   • Visuals > Text: Slides should explain themselves at a glance.

   • Consistency: Use a clean, uniform design throughout.

   • Flow: Problem → Idea → Tech Stack → Feasibility → Impact.

Bonus points: Add a short demo video of your prototype or concept. It massively boosts your chances.
In our first SIH attempt, our presentation was messy. It was text-heavy, lacked flow, and didn’t show clarity. That was one of the reasons we got rejected in the organization round.But in our second attempt, we flipped the script. We made our PPT into a visual story and that’s what got us shortlisted for the finals.

SIH isn’t just about code. It’s about strategy, clarity, and execution. If you prepare smartly with the right team, the right PS, and the right presentation, you’ll stand out from 90% of teams who underestimate these steps.

4. Submission & Patience

Once you’ve built your PPT + optional demo video, you submit it through your college SPOC. After that, it’s a waiting game while ministries evaluate. This is where your clarity and presentation quality makes or breaks your chances.

👉 Want to see how we did it?
Here’s the actual PPT and demo video we submitted for SIH:

• 📑 Our SIH Presentation (PPT)

• 🎥 Our Demo Video on YouTube

Take a look you’ll notice how we kept the slides visual, structured, and story-driven. The video, meanwhile, helped evaluators understand our idea quickly without getting lost in technical jargon.

Qualifying for SIH Finals

After our first failure, we went back to the drawing board. We rebuilt everything from scratch, gave our second attempt everything we had, and this time, it clicked. When the shortlist for the finals was announced, we saw our team’s name on the list.

That feeling? Honestly, incredible. It wasn’t just excitement; it was pure validation. Every late-night discussion, every team restructuring, every heated debate over problem statements it had all finally paid off. I still remember the exact moment: we were in the lab, huddled around a screen, refreshing the portal like maniacs, hearts pounding. And then… there it was. Our name. We screamed, high-fived, and even ran straight to the canteen for a well-deserved “victory samosa party” by our own liability member Pravin Rajnale.

But here’s the bigger lesson I want every SIH aspirant to remember:
👉 Qualifying for the finals is already a huge achievement.
Think about it, out of hundreds of teams in a single college, only 30–35 move forward. Out of thousands across India, only a select few hundred make it to the finale.

What Lies Ahead ⚡

Qualifying was an incredible milestone, but it was only the beginning. The SIH finals are nothing like the internal rounds. They’re not just about having a good idea on paper; they’re about building, adapting, and surviving a marathon of innovation.

Imagine this:

• 36+ hours of non-stop coding, designing, debugging, and pitching.

• Real-time feedback from mentors who will challenge every assumption you’ve made.

• Three intense evaluation rounds, where you must win over industry experts and ministry representatives.

• Sleepless nights powered by coffee, Red Bull, and raw determination.

That’s the finale stage. Chaotic, exciting, exhausting and easily one of the most unforgettable experiences of a student’s journey. When we entered the finals, we realized just how different the game was. Every team was talented, every idea was polished, and in the end, it came down to who could adapt and execute under pressure.

But that’s a story for another day our finals strategy, survival hacks, and lessons from the 36-hour grind deserve a chapter of their own. And that’s exactly what I’ll share in Part 2 of this blog series.

If you’re here because you’re preparing for SIH 2025 (or even your very first hackathon), take Part 1 as your blueprint for qualification. And if you’re curious about what really happens once you step into the finals, Stay tuned for Part 2: The Survival Guide to SIH Finals.

Trust me, you won’t want to miss it. 😉

This blog isn't about overnight success or shortcut hacks to get hired. It's about what worked for me. It's for students like me who want to grow, improve, and land jobs on their merit, regardless of where they studied. I want to share everything I wish someone had told me back then, what to expect, what to avoid, how to prepare, and how to keep going when things don’t look too great. I’m not chasing likes, shares, or comments. I’m writing to help. If you're someone who values learning, awareness, and building in public, this is for you. Let's dive in.

The Harsh Truth About Tier‑3 Placements

Let's be real, Tier 3 college placements often fall short of expectations. Big-name product companies rarely visit, and support systems can be outdated. In my experience, placement support was minimal, manual, and often led to confusion and missed opportunities. Most drives were for service-based, sales-executive, or bulk-hiring firms. You can't just rely on the system; you have to take charge.

You’ll see friends getting placed through pure luck, connections, or aptitude, but rarely through a predictable, merit-driven system.

I don’t say this to demotivate you, but to prepare you. It’s the reality I faced, and once I understood it, I was able to take back control.

Here’s what you’ll typically see on Tier‑3 campuses:

• Service-based companies (TCS, Infosys, Capgemini, Accenture) are the most frequent recruiters.

• Startups or mid-scale companies may occasionally show up, but only if you have an internal connection or your T&P cell is proactive.

• Product-based companies rarely conduct direct drives unless you stand out off-campus or through referrals.

• On-campus drives focus heavily on:

  1. Aptitude tests.

  2. Basic technical MCQs.

  3. DSA-based coding rounds.

  4. HR interviews that test communication, attitude, and problem-solving.

If you’re banking only on on-campus opportunities for a dream role, you’ll limit yourself. The smart move? Play both fields on-campus and off-campus.

The Tier 3 Advantage:
I want to change your perspective here. Being in a Tier 3 college might limit external opportunities, but it sharpens your internal toolkit. You learn to build from scratch, take initiative, be resourceful, own your progress, and stay humble, hungry, and curious. These aren't weaknesses; they are superpowers born from necessity, as I learned firsthand. I know this because I lived it. And over time, those scrappy habits became my superpower.

Common Challenges Nobody Talks About

No matter how motivated you are, there are certain challenges almost every Tier‑3 engineering student encounters on the road to placement. I faced each of these personally, and that’s exactly why I want to talk about them.

1. 

   Skill Gaps: I remember feeling overwhelmed the first time I attempted a LeetCode medium-level problem. The stuff I was taught in class barely scratched the surface of what companies were asking for. The curriculum felt years behind the industry. We were spending hours learning things like drawing a line using DDA in Computer Graphics or studying the Pentium 5 microprocessor, topics that had no real-world relevance in 2024. Meanwhile, companies were testing us on DSA, OOPs, DBMS, and problem-solving skills that the syllabus barely covered in depth. College won’t prepare you for the job market; you have to do that yourself.

2. Limited Mentorship & Networking: There were times it felt like I was navigating this entire journey alone. No seniors from my college worked at product-based companies. Most of my questions were answered by Reddit threads, LinkedIn posts, or YouTube videos. Things changed when I started reaching out to strangers on LinkedIn. Before my Zeus Learning interview, I messaged 2–4 Software Engineers who worked there. Surprisingly, they replied! Their guidance was crucial, not just for preparing the interview but also for helping me decide whether joining was the right move. That experience taught me the value of networking and asking for help, even if it feels uncomfortable.

3. Low Soft-Skills Exposure: I was decent at writing code, but my first hackathon taught me a harsh truth. During the presentation, every single sentence I spoke started with the word “basically.” I didn’t even realize it until someone pointed it out later. That was my wake-up call; I needed to practice communication as seriously as coding. Companies don’t just hire for technical skills; they want confident communicators who can explain their thought process clearly.

4. Manual & Unstructured Placement Support: This one frustrated me the most, especially because I was the Student Placement Coordinator (STP) for my batch. I got dozens of queries from students, but for answers, the Training & Placement (T&P) cell was painfully slow. Replies came late (if at all), or I was told to “ask students to send an email and wait,” which meant more delays. Every clarification became a back-and-forth of emails and waiting for approvals. Opportunities often came at the last minute, and communication wasn’t streamlined. If I hadn’t prepped on my own and followed communities outside college, I would’ve missed out completely.

How I Turned It Around (My Strategy)

Once you understand the challenges, the next step is figuring out how to overcome them. This is not about shortcuts or luck; it’s about building consistent habits and making smart choices. Here’s exactly how I approached preparation and what truly worked for me.

Building Strong Foundations in DSA and Core Subjects

The foundation of any placement preparation lies in mastering Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA), along with core computer science concepts like OOPs, DBMS, and OS. For me, the journey started with C in my first year, but when it came to placement prep, I chose Java because it’s widely used and offers great library support for DSA. I followed Kunal Kushwaha’s DSA in Java playlist on YouTube, a resource I still recommend to anyone starting. My approach was simple: understand one concept deeply and then practice it with problems. Over time, I solved countless problems on LeetCode and supplemented my learning with Striver’s SDE Sheet. The truth? You don’t need to solve 500 random problems; you need consistent practice with the right patterns. Even solving two problems daily makes a huge difference if done strategically.

Using Online Platforms Effectively

There’s no shortage of platforms out there, but that’s exactly the problem: most students waste time hopping from one to another. I kept it simple. For DSA, my go-to was LeetCode because of its real interview-style problems. For aptitude, I relied on PrepInsta and IndiaBix, which are lifesavers for companies that include aptitude in their hiring process.

One habit that gave me an edge was researching every company before its drive. I would search Google for their interview process, reviews, and previous questions on sites like Glassdoor. This gave me clarity on what to expect and helped me prepare smartly for every test and coding round. Honestly, this single step helped me clear almost every aptitude and DSA round.

Working on Real Projects, Not Just College Assignments

If you want your resume to stand out, you need more than mini-assignments from the syllabus. I focused on building projects that solve real problems. My favorite was VeriSure, the project that won us the SIH hackathon. It wasn’t just a win; it taught me how to work under deadlines, manage a team, and deliver something meaningful. Another project that helped me in interviews was Synthia, an AI-SaaS solution I worked on. During one interview, I was asked about database migration, and because of my experience with this project, I confidently explained the process. That’s the power of good projects; they give you real talking points.

Improving Communication and Soft Skills

My technical skills were decent, but as mentioned above, my every sentence started with "basically." That’s when I realized that being a good communicator is just as important as being a good coder. To improve, I started watching tech podcasts and discussion panels to understand how professionals explain ideas. I also practiced explaining my projects out loud until I sounded confident and clear. For HR interviews, I kept a solid 90-second introduction ready and even used ChatGPT to generate potential HR questions based on the job description.

Building an Online Presence That Works

In today’s world, your LinkedIn and GitHub profiles are as important as your resume. I started by connecting with people in roles I wanted to apply for. Before my Zeus Learning interview, I reached out to four software engineers who already worked there, and they replied! Their guidance was crucial for both the interview and for deciding whether the company was a good fit.

Did I post content publicly on LinkedIn? Not really, I was (and still am) an introvert. Instead, I shared updates on X (Twitter) where I felt less judged. The point is, don’t ignore your online presence; it can open doors that your resume alone cannot

My Timeline (Phases of Prep)

Looking back, my preparation journey wasn’t linear. It moved in phases, each with a clear shift in focus. The Turing point was by the middle of the third Year. My real preparation began midway through my third year. By then, I knew a degree alone wouldn’t secure a job. I needed strong projects and solid fundamentals. So, I decided to start with projects and then transition fully to DSA.

Phase 1: Building Projects (6th Semester)

From January of my sixth semester, I spent the next five to six months building three substantial projects. These weren’t routine assignments; they were designed to demonstrate real-world application and scalability. One thing that helped was joining Harkirat Singh’s Cohort 2, where I learned modern development practices and systematic project building. That experience gave me the confidence to present projects I was proud of in both my resume and interviews.

Phase 2: Focusing on DSA (Vacation after 6th Semester)

Once exams ended and vacation started, I put development on hold and dedicated myself to Data Structures and Algorithms. While I occasionally revised development concepts, my main effort went into mastering DSA. Kunal Kushwaha’s DSA playlist in Java became my daily resource, and I practiced consistently on LeetCode. For structure, I relied on Striver’s SDE Sheet, which gave me a clear roadmap without overwhelming me. This phase lasted about two months and set a solid foundation by the start of my final year.

Phase 3: Placement Season (Start of 4th Year)

When companies began visiting campus, I was already confident in my problem-solving skills. That allowed me to focus on company-specific preparation instead of cramming at the last minute. For every company I applied to, I checked its interview process and previous questions on Glassdoor and similar forums. I also practiced technical MCQs and aptitude questions immediately after applying, tailoring my preparation for each drive. This early, structured approach kept me calm throughout placements. I didn’t chase marathon study sessions, I just aimed for steady daily progress without burning out.

Key Takeaways & Advice for You

If you’ve read this far, chances are you’re serious about cracking placements. And trust me, if a Tier‑3 Computer Engineering student like me can do it, so can you. But here’s the thing: you need the right approach. Here are some straight-from-experience tips to guide you.

1. The biggest mistake students make is starting DSA prep or projects after companies start coming. By then, it’s too late. Begin in your third year (or even earlier). Build a foundation first, don’t rush.

2. You don’t need 10 frameworks or shiny tools. You need strong basics in DSA, OOPs, DBMS, OS, and the ability to apply them. These are non-negotiable for most companies.

3. Skip the calculator apps and weather widgets. Build something that solves a real problem or uses tech that excites you. Your project should be something you can confidently talk about in interviews.

4. You can be the best coder in your class, but if you can’t explain your ideas, you’ll struggle. Practice your introduction, project explanations, and common HR answers. Record yourself, do mock interviews, or join speaking clubs if needed.

5. Don’t aimlessly solve hundreds of problems. Follow a roadmap, focus on patterns, and do company-specific research before every placement drive. Platforms like LeetCode, PrepInsta, and Glassdoor are your best friends.

6. There will be days when it feels like nothing is working. I’ve been there. But keep going. One hour daily for months beats 10 hours once in a while. Consistency wins.

Conclusion

Cracking placements from a Tier‑3 college is not about privilege, shortcuts, or luck; it’s about strategy, consistency, and ownership of your journey. If there’s one thing I want you to take away from my story, it’s this: You are responsible for your career, not your college name. I didn’t have perfect guidance, I didn’t have elite connections, but I made it to a decent company by staying consistent, learning every day, and not giving up after failures like SIH. Start early. Stay curious. Build projects you’re proud of. Network genuinely. And most importantly, believe in yourself even when it feels impossible.

If you’re preparing for placements and feel stuck, connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, X.
I’m happy to help.