VIPS, New Delhi - community

I’m 19M and I’ve already taken one drop for JEE. Last year I scored 70 and this year I got 85 — which I know is not good, especially after dropping a year. I did study, maybe not perfectly, but I was genuinely putting in effort. In mocks like MathonGo, I was scoring well above 100, enough to qualify for JEE Advanced or at least get into a decent state college. But on the exam day, things didn’t go as planned — and I honestly don’t know what went wrong. Now, with this rank, I’m getting Computer Science with Cyber Security at VIPS (IP University), but the problem is — BTech is very new and the first batch just passed out this year. The placements were obviously very weak. There’s no strong alumni network, a very bad peer group, and very limited tech culture. It feels like a Tier-10000 college for engineering right now. And while I understand that skills matter more than ever in today’s world, I also know that college does matter to some extent — for network, exposure, companies visiting, and overall growth. I had made up my mind to take a partial drop (not taking full drop at any cost) while being enrolled in VIPS and preparing for JEE 2026 side-by-side, since VIPS has relaxed attendance rules and a good library where I can study. But recently, after reading several online threads and posts about how double droppers get filtered out by companies like Goldman Sachs, KPMG, Citi, and maybe even FAANG-level roles, I’ve started doubting this plan. Some people say placements won’t be affected much, and others say to forget about even getting shortlisted. Adding to that, my family is under severe financial stress. There’s a debt of nearly 1.5 crore, and our house is even at risk of being auctioned. It’s been extremely hard to focus during the last year while living in that environment. And while this isn’t an excuse, I do accept responsibility for not being able to deliver despite the drop. Some suggest preparing for GATE and going for M.tech, but honestly, I don’t even know if I’ll be in a financial position to pursue post-graduation later. I’ve always dreamed of studying in a top college with a good peer group, where I feel motivated and surrounded by people with drive. But VIPS isn’t that. It’s the only place I’m getting CS right now, and I honestly feel sad — even cry — at the thought of spending four years there. It just doesn’t feel right. So I’m stuck. I don’t want to waste another year, but I also don’t want to regret settling either. If I take the partial drop and fail again, yes, I’ll still have a college — but a lot of time and energy will be lost. What should I do? Is a partial drop worth the risk? Will placements really get ruined after a second attempt? I just need honest, experienced opinions. Thank you.