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In the 69th edition of As We Leave 2026, Srishti, a Y22 student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering reflects on four years that transformed uncertainty into belonging. From finding a home in Hall 4, pursuing badminton, and navigating the highs of internships and campus life, to building friendships that became family, her journey is a celebration of the people who shaped her the most. Looking back on the ordinary moments that quietly became extraordinary, she leaves with a heart full of gratitude and the realization that the greatest gift IIT Kanpur offered was not just opportunity, but a place to truly live.
I had never imagined four years could change someone so much. I knew coming to IIT would be something, smart people all around you, doing wonders in their own arenas. But it’s only firsthand that you understand what this place actually does to a person. I won’t lie just to make this a good read. There were times I wasn’t enjoying myself, and that’s life. But would I sell my soul to go back to the day my parents dropped me at H4, my mom sobbing at the gate? Absolutely, yes.
Through this AWL I really want to relive those four years at a place where I truly lived.
While helping me set up my tiny H4 room, my parents were anxious about my roommate and whether I’d adjust. I didn’t really care, I was busy measuring the newfound freedom. And then we met. It was love at first sight, and our parents somehow vibed too. She was an innocent soul who had to live with someone who couldn’t stop talking until there was nothing left to say. The number of HC visits I dragged her through: never-ending vomiting, twisted ankles, migraines, fevers that just wouldn’t quit. She was always there, and I can’t thank God enough for the angel he sent me. There were things going on in my life that would make me cry, and I’d try so hard to hide it, but she always knew. That’s love, something utterly otherworldly.
My wingies were my first friends here. They made me feel at home. I enjoyed every minute with them, they were so unique and beautiful in their own ways. I think I was part of the most popular wing family, with the coolest and most beloved behene and Amma. Family time with them always opened up so many new conversations and opportunities. My first year was so enjoyable, all because of them. I had all my firsts with them — the exams, the fests, the new year celebrations.
Even before arriving, I knew I had to be on the badminton team, no matter what. And I was. I thought it would be hard to get in, but one humbling session with a star player (Vasudha 🙏) and I had my spot. I somehow ended up getting into most of the things I wanted to, but only later did I realize that things were shinier on the outside. That’s a lesson I carry: thoroughly live out an experience before committing, but also stay a little delusional. Find what works for you; I’m still figuring that out. The badminton team gave me some of the most amazing, nonchalant seniors I’ve ever met, people who made being outstanding look effortless. I never got a chance to become an SG, but talking to the bacchas in the badminton team and guiding them in whatever way I can really made up for that. Our parties were something else. Even top corporate teams couldn’t pull it off, because it’s always the people that matter.
Then came the day we all dread — Day 1 intern season. After grinding DSA and giving up on CP for lack of patience, I felt maybe 10% prepared. I cannot emphasise enough how much the seniors who were willing to help shaped my path. They are the biggest asset IITK quietly holds. I had only prepped for GS, JPMC and others like taht, but ended up at Google, a firm I’d barely even asked the seniors about. Life is unpredictable in the most beautiful way, the randomness is where the fun lives. The photo above is from my first day at Google. (I look really good, though.) What a delight that time was. The Google office is no less than a five-star hotel, and I absolutely mean it. I had never specifically prepared for Google, but I am so thankful to myself that I studied DSA so hard that the interview questions seemed pretty easy. I met some amazing people and had an incredible three months there. It was also during the internship season that I met my best friends, they will come later in the AWL.
Like most people, the fests were the highlight. Days spent deciding outfits and drinks, listening to the performing artist beforehand so the vibes were locked in before we even reached the pronite ground. Dancing in a crowd, sweating, feeling that rare sense of oneness I had never felt before. The festivals were never really about the deities; they were about us having fun. And I think the deities would have been happier seeing us enjoy their day so much.
The people I met along the way, from CSE assignments to Goa trips, are such a deep part of me that words genuinely fall short.
Surviving CSE and surviving really is the right word, without the remarkable set of people I found here, would have been impossible. The dedication these people carry is something else entirely, truly something to look up to. How Ananya is finally able to put together everything at the last moment will always be a mystery, and it’s so difficult to not admire what a “chill gal” she is. Anya, the queen of savageness, I will miss her so much and how we used to take all the same courses and discuss hours before the pre-registration and add-drop period. And knowing that some of my closest friends (Shriya and Poojal) are coming to Google with me makes the transition feel so much less like a goodbye.
And then there are my girls, the ones I thank God for with every breath. I don’t think they fully understand how much life and light they pour into mine. Whether it’s getting ready together in sarees, or holding your hair back while you’re sick in the washroom because you didn’t know rum would hit very differently during your periods, if that isn’t what soulmates look like, I don’t know what is. I used to dream about a group like this back in high school. Everyone bringing a different kind of kindness, a different kind of love, and a shared fierce hunger for success. For every little problem I will ever have, I know there are people who will guide me and kick my ass if need be to put me in the right place. Late-night walks with them are the biggest dopamine hit any drug could ever create. I love every single second I have spent with them, discussing courses, clothes, the gym — everything in the world gets discussed. What more could anyone ask for?
Sneha, the influencer in the truest sense and the biggest cheerleader, and we are just her team. Roy, always giving the reality checks, is super smart, so organized, and a complete badass with the best comebacks ever. Shrasti knows how the world works and can genuinely give advice no super LLM could ever and apparently knows everyone in the world. Harshita, the most elegant person in the room, and absolutely everyone loves her so much; I am just one of the many. Shriya, girl, why didn’t we become besties from the start! The coolest and hottest deadly combo, Google Bangalore isn’t ready for us. And Sanya, with the sweetest, prettiest face, would kill you with her roasting skills but is an absolute delight to be around.
IITK has given me so much, but these friendships I will be forever in debt for. And for this one thing, I look back and quietly thank my past self for sitting down and studying for JEE.
So to anyone reading this who still has time left: fall in love. With your courses, your responsibilities, your friends, even the person you’re not entirely sure about yet, and especially yourself. In a place where everyone seems so impossibly put-together, it’s hard, but remind yourself every single day.
It was mostly at the beginning and towards the end that I felt the campus’s beauty most sharply: the lecture halls, the CCD chairs, the trees with more flowers than leaves, and the long rows of cycles parked in the sun waiting for their riders.
They say if it passed quickly, it passed well. I think that’s exactly what happened. I wish more than anything I could relive just one more ordinary day with the people I’ll never get to just hang out with again. This place, everything it gave me, right and wrong, made me who I am. For all of it, I’m grateful.
I have known gratitude in many forms, but for these four years, I carry a debt I can never quite repay.
Written by: Srishti Chandra
Edited by: Aditi Narain, Saurya Singh
