I came to know about IIT in Class 8 when a son of my father’s friend took my parents, my sister and me to IIT Bombay to show how big the institute is and give us a taste of how it would be if I studied there. The dream of studying at an IIT developed from there and I began envisaging myself at an IIT.
The dream came true when I joined IIT Kanpur. I secured a seat in Electrical Engineering at IIT Kanpur in 2020 and now I am in my fourth year. We started our batch online amid Covid and I came to the campus in January 2022 in the middle of the second year.
I am from Pune, Maharashtra, and I finished my schooling in Pune. After Class 10, I got enrolled in a coaching institute for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) in the same city and appeared for the JEE in 2020.
‘Life at IIT Kanpur changed my outlook on life’
Life at IIT Kanpur has been awesome. It has completely changed my outlook on life. From being an introverted and shy person to extroverted and outgoing, IIT Kanpur has helped me find the person I am. The best part of IIT Kanpur is that it does not allot hostels on the basis of ranks obtained in JEE Advanced, nor does it allot on the basis of BTech branches. This system allows wide exposure to students.
As the placement season is coming up, I start my morning by planning for the day…like what to study and the classes to attend. At IIT Kanpur, there are ample places to study, including the computer centre and the libraries where we can take our laptops and study. Nowadays, I have been studying for the placement exams and the seventh-semester exams. This semester is generally light.
Earlier, during my previous semesters, I was involved in a lot of club activities, so after dinner, I used to spend my time attending club meetings, making projects and preparing for whatever event was planned for the week. I actively participated in the counselling activities of the institute and took part in all the other events, including orientation. When I am free, I read books and watch cinemas.
I even worked in a team of 10 members and led over 220 student guides for the conduction of an 11-day orientation for more than 1,250 freshers in the institute in 2022.
Life in an IIT: The CS team with 1200+ freshers
One of the most popular spots is the open air theatre (OAT) where I go with friends to hang out and have snacks.
Misconceptions regarding IITians
Many people have a misconception that IITians are nerds and just study or do things for better careers. People are very passionate here as well. Take the example of the chess club. The club has increased its events during the last two years. A few students have also started NGO Zariya to teach chess to underprivileged students.
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‘I see an MBA in my future’
I am aiming for software development or some management roles. Although I am currently improving my coding skills and working on projects to gain experience and improve my problem-solving aptitude, my inclination toward management is growing and therefore I am planning to do an MBA.
From JEE Main to JEE Advanced
I almost gave up after getting a rank in the 33,000s in JEE Main 2020 session 1 but my father motivated me to study for the next session and get a better rank. Had my father not encouraged me to give my 100 per cent in the engineering entrance test, I would have appeared for MHT-CET and enrolled in an engineering college in Maharashtra. I am the first in my family to get into an IIT.
JEE Main generally tests what the student has studied in Class 11 and Class 12, but JEE Advanced tests the overall knowledge of the curriculum and its applicability.