Everything You Need to Know About IEEE Membership at UVCE

Student Perspective

A comprehensive guide to understanding IEEE memberships, the recruitment process, and choosing the right society combination for your branch.

I was indeed enthusiastic about the IEEE club. As soon as the notification regarding the IEEE membership was sent in the Junior-Senior group, I eagerly went to fill up the form.

It had one section called category, where you needed to pay for the IEEE membership, and it had numerous choices. There were different sorts of mixed societies: CS Society, AESS, PES, PELS, WIE, etc. Multiple combinations were available to choose from. I was perplexed and had much ambiguity in my mind. What to choose? What will I get through this membership? Is it worth it? Should I have any sort of background knowledge to apply?

I then messaged our senior, Likhitha akka. I asked her for insights, knowing she was an active IEEE member and would be apt to help me out. I asked her which combination she picked and how much she paid last year. We met up at college today and discussed a lot of things.

Membership vs. Being a Member

So, what is the difference between paying for the membership and actually being a member of the UVCE IEEE student branch?

Currently, the link we have received is for the Global IEEE Membership. This is accessible worldwide; anyone around the globe can have an IEEE membership by paying a certain fee according to their areas of interest.

Global Membership Perks:

You gain access to global research papers.
You get a special tag while attending workshops or events.
You can connect globally with the IEEE network.
You gain access to the official IEEE app.

The Recruitment Process

Now, speaking about being a core member of the UVCE student branch. Likhitha akka explained that after the IMPETUS event (probably in March), there will be formal recruitments.

There are two rounds of testing to become a core IEEE member:

First Round: A Google form link will be provided containing a few basic questions. Based on the answers in the form, students will be shortlisted.

Second Round: The shortlisted students will have to appear for a personal interview.

Basic technical skills will be tested—nothing high-end. The other set of questions will be based on your behavioral patterns: your confidence level while answering, your communication skills, and your management abilities.

Here is an example of a question Likhitha akka was asked during her interview:

"Let's suppose there are two events in college at the exact same time, and you have interest in both. Which will be your priority? The IEEE event or the other?"

Interview PanelIEEE UVCE Recruitment

These are the types of situational questions where we need to think on our feet and answer tactfully.

Membership Validity & Timing

Some more details regarding the membership: The membership is released every year in January and stays active until December. You can even take the membership in June, but it will still only be active until December. Hence, it is much more beneficial to purchase it in January itself so that you get a full year of access to the content.

Understanding the Domains

Computer Society (CS)

A technical domain featuring coding sessions and practice competitions. Major attractions include activities like HackerRank and Ncode.

Power & Electronics (PES & PELS)

Related strictly to circuital branches. These societies are highly beneficial for ECE and EEE students.

Women In Engineering (WIE)

A special society where you can witness inspirational stories, talks, and lectures by highly qualified women who have achieved excellence in various fields.

Aerospace & Electronic Systems (AESS)

A booming society focused heavily on aviation and the electronics related to flight systems.

Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT)

Focuses on humanitarian efforts, blood donation camps, and introducing basic computer technologies to underprivileged government schools.

Summary & Pricing

For CSE students, it is generally best to take the combination of IEEE Membership + CS + WIE + SIGHT (Rs. 999).
For EEE or ECE students, you should strongly consider adding PES & PELS.
AESS is a great addition, but there is no pre-made combination for AESS + CS. To get both, you would need to purchase the all-inclusive package (Rs. 1299).

I would like to give a special thanks to Likhitha akka for giving her time and clearing all these ambiguities for the junior batches.

Additional Global Benefits

While the information above covers the student perspective perfectly, here are a few quick technical additions regarding the global benefits:

IEEE Email Alias: Getting a membership often grants you a professional @ieee.org email alias, which looks fantastic on resumes.
Spectrum Magazine: Members usually get access to the IEEE Spectrum magazine (digital or print), which covers the latest engineering trends globally.
Networking & Publishing: Beyond the college level, your membership ID can grant you significant discounts on international IEEE conferences if you plan to publish research papers in the future.