You cracked BITSAT. Now let’s get you to Pilani.

Documents to carry

Carry originals and two coloured photocopies of each item below. Black-and-white copies will not be accepted. Keep all originals in your hand baggage –not in checked-in luggage.

Medical Fitness Certificate

This is not a generic doctor’s note. Download the specific format that you got from BITS admissions portal, get it signed by a registered MBBS doctor and carry it on joining day. If you’re on any regular medication, get a separate prescription/doctor’s note as well – you’ll need it when registering with the campus medical centre (Med-C).

Fee payment

Fee payment is done through the BITS admissions portal before your joining date. Keep the transaction ID and payment receipt saved on your phone. Fees are paid semester-wise and the tuition for AY 2026-27 is approximately ₹2 lakh 91 thousand per semester – with an additional hostel and mess advance on top of that.

Anti-ragging affidavit

You and your parent or guardian both need to fill this out on the AICTE anti-ragging portal before joining. This is mandatory. Do it at least a week before your joining date so there’s no last-minute scramble.

Hostel allotment

First-year allotment is done by the institute through a chit-system or a computerised system. You cannot choose your hostel, block, or roommate. You’ll be informed of your allotment either on the portal or on the day of joining through the chit system. Boys’ hostels are called Bhawans (there are around 11-12 of them); the girls’ hostel is Meera Bhawan, which has multiple blocks.

Hostel curfew time of 10:30 PM is in place for both boys and girls for the first 3-4 weeks.

Bank account

There’s an SBI branch on campus. Most students open an account here, but it’s not mandatory. What is non-negotiable is having UPI set up and working before you arrive. UPI is how almost everything works on campus – mess, hostel vending machine(pit-stop), canteen, shops everywhere. Set it up at home and test it.

SIM card

Jio and Airtel work well on campus. BITS also has its own Wi-Fi network (covered in Section 5). Avoid BSNL. Get your SIM sorted before you travel.

### SECTION 2: TRAVELLING TO PILANI

The campus is in Pilani, Jhunjhunu District, Rajasthan. The most practical approach for students coming from anywhere in India is to first reach Delhi and then travel to campus from there. Delhi gives you the most transport options and is the standard route most students take.

Recommended: Delhi → Loharu by Train → Cab to Campus

Loharu is a small town about 25-30 km from Pilani. From Loharu, a cab takes roughly 30-45 minutes to campus. This is the most economical and widely used option.

Key trains from Delhi to Loharu:

The Vande Bharat (26472) is the fastest option – just over 2 hours to Loharu. It departs from Delhi Cantt and reaches Loharu in the early evening, which is a comfortable time to then cab it to campus. Book tickets in advance, especially during joining season when demand is high.

To reach Delhi Sarai Rohilla or New Delhi station from IGI Airport, take the Airport Express Metro (Yellow Line) to New Delhi Railway Station. From there, autos or taxis are available to Sarai Rohilla (10-12 km, ₹200-400).

From Loharu to campus, cabs cost approximately ₹400-600. Coordinate with batchmates on WhatsApp groups for shared cabs – this is extremely common and saves money.

Other options

Direct cab from Delhi to Pilani: ₹3,000 – 4,500 for an Ertiga or Innova. Comfortable if you have a lot of luggage or are travelling with parents.

Direct bus from ISBT Kashmiri Gate (Delhi) to Pilani: Rajasthan Roadways runs this route. Takes 5-6 hours, costs ₹300-500 per person. A local auto from the Pilani bus stand to campus costs around ₹100-150.

What if you arrive late at night

If you arrive at Loharu at an odd hour, cabs are still available but you may need to call a local contact number or pre-book.

Cabs are still available at odd hours but you may need to pre-book. Some drivers used by many BITS students:

If you’re very uncomfortable travelling in the middle of the night alone, Loharu has small hotels where you can wait until morning.

Luggage

Don’t overpack. You will be buying most room essentials on campus in the first few days. Bring your documents, laptop, a few sets of clothes, toiletries and basic medicines. Everything else like mattress, bedsheets, bucket, curtains, room accessories is available at Akshay mart or the vendors who set up stalls near hostels during joining week.

What you can courier instead of carrying: extra shoes, heavy books, seasonal clothes. Use Delhivery or BlueDart.

Address format: [Your Name], [Room No], [Bhawan Name], BITS Pilani, Vidya Vihar, Pilani, Rajasthan – 333031.

Parents staying

There is no parent guesthouse on campus (V-Fast, the campus hotel is almost full all the time). The nearest accommodation options are hotels in Jhunjhunu (around 35-40 km). Book in advance – joining season fills up fast.

Lodges/Guest Houses near BITS Pilani :

### SECTION 3: CLIMATE AND WHAT TO PACK

Pilani has one of the most extreme climates of any college campus in India. No sugarcoating here.

You join in August, which is the tail end of monsoon. It’s hot and occasionally rainy. You do not need heavy winter clothes from day one.

What to pack for August (joining)

Light cotton clothes – t-shirts, shorts, track pants. 2-3 pairs of comfortable footwear. A rain jacket or compact umbrella. Basic toiletries. Your laptop. That’s it.

What not to pack from home

Do not bring a mattress from home. Vendors set up stalls near hostels during joining week and you can buy one there (multiple variants, decent prices). Same for pillows, bedsheets, buckets, and curtains – all available at Akshay mart on campus or at .(Short for Connaught Place, the shopping area near campus). Buying locally is easier than hauling these across the country.

Coolers and heaters

Coolers and heaters are not provided by the hostel. However, there is an important nuance here: check current hostel policy before buying. Some sources suggest coolers are not allowed, while others indicate limited wattage (300W) coolers may be permitted in certain bhawans. Verify this with your hostel warden when you arrive. If you do get one, the best way is to order from Amazon. It gets delivered to your hostel gate. Many seniors also sell used coolers and heaters at the end of each semester at discounted prices, which is the smarter option anyway.

Diwali break

Almost everyone goes home for Diwali (usually October). This is the natural checkpoint to bring back winter clothes – heavier jackets, woollens, thermals. You don’t need to pack all of that before leaving home in August.

Year-round essentials

Sunscreen (SPF 50+) is non-negotiable in Pilani given the intensity of sun exposure. A good water bottle. Basic medicines for cold, fever and acidity. The weather change catches many freshers in the first month. Extension cord (multi-plug, surge protected) your room will not have enough sockets otherwise.

### SECTION 4: HOSTEL ROOM ESSENTIALS

Your room comes with a bed frame, study table, chair, cupboard and a LAN port. That is the complete list. Everything else is on you.

4a. Bedding and Room Comfort

Bring 2-3 sets of cotton bedsheets from home – this is one thing worth carrying since you’ll be using them from night one. A light cotton blanket is sufficient for August-September. After Diwali, you’ll want a heavier quilt or woollen blanket. Bring it when you go home and return. A mattress cover/protector is worth having for hygiene. Pillow: the hostel provides one but many people prefer their own; this is a personal call.

For curtains, buy them at C’Not (the market near campus) after you arrive. Measuring your window and buying locally makes more sense than guessing from home.

Each student gets a personal whiteboard above the desk. Bring lock and key for room and cupboard.

4b. Bathroom and Laundry

Bathrooms do not come with buckets or mugs. Buy these at Akshay mart or C’Not when you arrive. Bring sturdy rubber bathroom slippers. Keep them separate from your room footwear.

For laundry, you have three options: the laundromat near hostels (subscription-based), the dhobi who comes to your hostel twice a week (per-piece pricing) or washing yourself. Most people use a combination of dhobi and self-washing. Bring a laundry bag and a small packet of detergent for the initial days. Hangers and clothesline clips can be bought locally.

4c. Kitchen and Food Items

Electric kettles are not allowed in the Pilani hostel rooms. Neither are induction cooktops. Do not bring these.

What you should have: a steel or plastic water bottle (large, keep one in the room to avoid frequent trips to the water point). A steel plate and a couple of spoons are useful for the occasional in-room meal or late-night snack situation. A thermos flask is very handy in winter for keeping hot water.

Mini fridges are not officially allowed, but some students keep them. This is at your own risk – check with your bhawan warden.

4d. Electronics and Cables

A laptop is a must. For most non-CS branches, Windows is the more compatible choice – certain software used in labs is not iOS-friendly. If you’re in CS or EEE and plan to do heavy computing, ML, or design work, factor that into your specs. A decent battery life matters because you’ll be carrying it to classes all day.

Other essentials: Noise-cancelling earphones or headphones (game-changer during study sessions), a power bank (very useful during fests and library nights), USB-A to C and C to C cables, a fast charging brick. An RJ45-to-USB adapter for LAN connectivity if your laptop doesn’t have an Ethernet port – buy at C’Not if needed.

Printing: S9 (a shop near campus) handles printing. You don’t need a personal printer.

Speakers are not a necessity unless you’re into music production, audio-heavy work or just like listening to music.

4e. Stationery and Academic Supplies

Most students at Pilani use notebooks rather than tablets for note-taking, but this is genuinely a personal call. If you already use an iPad and are comfortable with it, bring it. If not, a set of good notebooks, pens, highlighters and a folder for handouts is all you need.

A lab coat is mandatory for lab courses. Buy the one with the BITS logo from Akshay or C’Not on campus (₹300-400). You’ll also need closed-toe shoes for lab sessions – sandals and slippers are not allowed inside labs.

Calculator: Casio fx-991CW or fx-991ES Plus are the standard allowed models in exams. Check the specific rules in your course handouts but one of these two will serve you throughout.

4f. Medicines and First Aid

Med-C (Medical Centre) on campus is operational 24/7 with ambulance services and tie-ups with hospitals in the region for emergencies. Your hostel warden also has a basic first aid kit. Despite this, carry your own medicines for the first few weeks – the adjustment period can hit you with a cold, stomach upset, or headache when you least expect it.

Carry: Paracetamol, a cold/cough medicine, antacid (a very common complaint in the first month due to mess food), an antiseptic like Dettol, and a spray or cream for muscle soreness if you’re active. If you have any chronic health condition, carry a doctor’s prescription note and adequate medication for at least 2-3 months.

All emergency numbers will be communicated during the joining orientation and will also be on your hostel notice board.

### SECTION 5: CAMPUS LIFE ORIENTATION

The mess system

Each bhawan (or pair of bhawans) has its own mess. Your mess is assigned based on your hostel allotment. The mess is managed by SSMS (Society for Student Mess Service) and serves 3 meals a day. Timings are roughly:

• Breakfast: 7:30 – 9:30 AM
• Lunch: 12:00 – 2:00 PM
• Dinner: 7:30 – 9:00 PM

You can check the weekly menu and any timing updates at ssms-pilani.in . Timings shift slightly during winter months. Mess charges are paid in advance as part of your semester fees and are adjusted at the end of the semester based on actual usage.

Inside each mess is a small store called the Pit-Stop, which stocks curd, instant noodles, chips, ice cream, and soft drinks. You can pay here by UPI or by scanning your BITS ID card – the amount gets added to your end-of-semester mess bill.

Eating beyond the mess

Some of the most popular food spots on campus:

• ANC (All Night Canteen), Looters, and Food Ministry (FM): Open from around 5 PM to 2 AM with a break during mess timings.
• * Food Ministry: Vegetarian outlet with tasty Chinese, Burgers, Rolls and Pizzas etc
• * Looters: All veg and non veg food options
• Domino’s: On campus, open 11 AM to 11 PM.
• Redis: Small street-side stalls near bhawans serving Maggi, chaat, and chai. A Pilani institution. Open mornings to sunset.
• IC (Institute Canteen, in the Clock Tower building): Open morning to 6 PM.
• C’Not: A stretch of shops and small eateries near campus – good for variety.

Library

Once you have your BITS ID and library account set up, you can borrow and reserve books as per their regulations. Reading rooms are open till midnight; main library timings are 9 AM to 6 PM (extended during exams).

Sports and gym

The main ground (Gym-G) has equipment and space for hockey, football, tennis, and more. Indoor courts for badminton and other sports are in the SAC (Students Activity Centre). The gym is also inside the SAC. Individual bhawans also have open-sky areas for casual badminton and volleyball.

Clubs and societies

Clubs at BITS Pilani are a big deal. Many students look back on club involvement as the most formative part of their college experience. There are clubs for almost everything: technology, entrepreneurship, drama, music, dance, photography, literature, social service, and more.

Most clubs begin their recruitment processes within the first 2-4 weeks of semester. Watch your BITS email ID and WhatsApp groups carefully from day one. Announcements come fast. Recruitment usually has multiple rounds. You do not need to prepare for these in advance; just show up with genuine interest.

ERP portal

Once you get your BITS email ID, you can access the ERP portal at erp.bits-pilani.ac.in. This is where you’ll register for courses, manage your timetable, check grades, pay fees, and receive official communications. Get familiar with it in the first week.

### SECTION 6: ACADEMIC PREPARATION

Course registration

In your first year, all courses are fixed. There are no electives yet. What you choose during registration is the section: which professor and which time slot for each course. You’ll be given a PR (Priority) number that determines your registration slot. In your slot, you log into the ERP and pick your preferred instructor-timeslot combinations while making sure nothing clashes.

Getting a good slot is partly luck. What isn’t luck is knowing what to ask seniors before you register – which instructors are known for clear teaching, which time combinations work well together, and which sections to avoid. Ask your wing seniors this before your slot opens.

If you can’t figure it out, go to the computer lab during registration. Seniors are there specifically to help freshers navigate it.

Nalanda is the website where you get all the slides and other materials that are uploaded by the professors for the registered courses.

The CGPA system

BITS uses letter grades, not percentages. Each course has multiple evaluation components (assignments, quizzes, mid-semester, comprehensive exam) and your performance earns you a letter grade from A to E. The grade points are: A = 10, A- = 9, B = 8, B- = 7, C = 6, C- = 5, D = 4, E = 2.

Crucially, grading is relative. Your grade depends on where you land relative to your batchmates in that course, not against a fixed percentage cutoff. A tough professor doesn’t automatically destroy your grade; what matters is your rank within the class and the class average.

Your CGPA is the weighted average of all grade points, weighted by each course’s credit value. It is cumulative from semester one. One rough semester won’t ruin you, but it does pull the average down and takes a few good semesters to recover. Start consistently.

Attendance

There’s no single institute-wide attendance rule that applies uniformly across all courses. Attendance policies vary by instructor. That said, labs and tutorials typically have stricter attendance requirements than lectures. Missing too many lab sessions can bar you from the lab comprehensive exam. Read every course handout in the first week; it will tell you exactly what applies to each course.

If you miss something for a valid reason (illness, family emergency) get it documented from Med-C or through the Associate Dean. A verbal excuse doesn’t carry weight in most cases.

Resources and previous year papers

Studydeck (studydeck.bits-sutechteam.org) is the primary resource platform. It has recorded lectures, PYQs, notes, and old assignments. Your branch and wing WhatsApp groups will have links to Google Drive folders passed down by seniors, which are often more curated and useful. The Central Library also has past papers on file.

Seniors

Seniors are your single most useful resource in the first semester. They are more current and specific than any document. For timetable strategy, course advice, PYQs, club culture, and general campus navigation. Approach a wing senior or branch senior directly. A polite DM on WhatsApp is all it takes. Most seniors are happy to help genuine questions; just don’t mass-message 10 people with the same question.

### SECTION 7: MONEY AND DAILY EXPENSES

How payments work

UPI works everywhere on campus. For some outlets like ANC, Looters and FM, you can also pay via the BITS SU app. It generates a scannable QR linked to your BITS ID and the amount gets added to your end-of-semester bill. The mess pit-stop also works the same way with your ID card.

Where to shop

Akshay is the on-campus convenience mart – your first stop for room essentials, stationery, and daily needs. C’Not (near campus) has more variety: clothes, electronics accessories, food, and general stores. Amazon delivers to the hostel gate, which students use heavily for things not available locally.

Realistic monthly budget

This will be higher in the first month because of one-time room setup purchases (mattress, curtains, bucket, etc.). Budget separately for those.

Nearest city

Jhunjhunu is the nearest town for anything you can’t find locally, about 35-40 km away. Students take shared autos or arrange cabs. During the semester, most shopping needs are met on campus or through Amazon.

Track your expenses closely in the first month. You’re learning what your actual spending pattern looks like — use that to set a realistic allowance for the rest of the semester.

### SECTION 8: FIRST WEEK SURVIVAL GUIDE

The first week at Pilani is a mix of orientation sessions, room setup, late nights and meeting more new people than you’ve probably ever met in a single week. Here’s how to approach it without drowning.

Day 1-2: The basics

Focus on setting up your room, getting your BITS ID and email and finding your way around. Visit the notice board in your bhawan – it will have your warden’s contact, important dates, and rules. Set up UPI, activate your BITS email, and log into the ERP portal.

Day 3-5: Start exploring

Once you know where your room and the mess are, start expanding. Locate each academic building, the library, SAC, Akshay and Med-C. Visit the Rotunda at night – this is a central gathering spot where freshers and seniors mix informally. It’s the best organic way to meet people.

Seniors in your hostel will often organise informal wing meetups in the first week. Show up. These are how friendships start.

Common fresher mistakes

Buying too much stuff from home that you end up not needing (or that doesn’t fit your room). Skipping the orientation sessions because they seem boring. They cover information you’ll spend two weeks figuring out otherwise. Staying in your room and waiting for things to happen. Being afraid to approach seniors.

Ragging

BITS has a strict anti-ragging policy and there is genuine enforcement. The culture on campus is not ragging in the traditional sense. Seniors may be boisterous and enthusiastic about interacting with freshers, especially at places like the Rotunda, but it is largely friendly and not coercive. If anything crosses a line, report it to your warden or the SWD immediately. The mechanisms are there and they work.

Who to contact for what

• Academic problems (registration, grade disputes): Academic section / ERP portal
• Room or hostel issues: Your bhawan warden or superintendent
• Health: Med-C (24/7)
• General student welfare: SWD (Student Welfare Division)
• Online resources: AUGSD portal, ERP, and the studydeck

###

### SECTION 9: GIRLS FAQ — BITS PILANI (RAJASTHAN)