Event Management vs Career Prep: The Final Year Dilemma

The Final Year is a crucible. It holds two peak events: The College Fest (which you finally get to lead) and Campus Placements (which determine your livelihood). Inevitably, they happen in the same semester.

The Fest Trap (The Glory)

Leading the college fest is intoxicating.

• Status: You are the “Big Man on Campus.” Juniors listen to you.
• Adrenaline: Managing budgets, artists, and crowds is addictive.
• The Lie: You tell yourself, “This shows leadership! Recruiters will love it.”
• The Reality: Recruiters do not care about your fest if you cannot invert a Binary Tree.

The Placement Grind (The Reality)

Preparing for placements is lonely and boring.

• Status: You are invisible, locked in your room solving LeetCode.
• Adrenaline: None. Just anxiety.
• The Payoff: A ₹15 Lakh offer letter that changes your family’s financial trajectory.

The Opportunity Cost Calculus

Every hour spent arguing with the tent-house guy for the fest is an hour not spent on System Design.

• The Risk: Several “Core Team” members of fests go unplaced or under-placed every year because they peaked in Oct (Fest) and crashed in Dec (Interview).

Comparison Matrix

Feature	College Fest Core Team	Placement Preparation
Immediate Reward	High (Fame, Fun)	Low (Stress)
Long Term Reward	Low (Good memories)	Very High (Career)
Resume value	Moderate (Soft skills)	High (Hard skills)
Regret Potential	Low	Very High (If unplaced)

Conclusion

Choose Fest IF:

• You already have a PPO (Pre-Placement Offer).
• Your placement prep is 100% complete (unlikely).
• You are not sitting for technical placements (going for Dad’s business).

Choose Placements IF:

• You do not have a job yet.
• You are nervous about technical interviews.

Verdict: Delegate the Fest. Be a “Advisor,” not the “Worker.” Let the 3rd Year students do the heavy lifting (it’s their training ground). Your job in the Final Year is to get hired. Do not sacrifice your career for a 3-day party.