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In this 77th edition of As We Leave 2026, Manya Gupta, a Y22 from the Department of Chemical Engineering, looks back on four memorable years shaped by friendships, shared experiences, and moments that turned IIT Kanpur into a home away from home. Through stories of laughter, milestones, and the people who made every phase special, she reminds us that the most cherished memories are often found in the simplest moments we share along the way.
Disclaimer: The views presented below are the author’s own and are not in any manner representative of the views of Vox Populi as a body or IIT Kanpur in general. This is an informal account of the author’s experiences at IITK.
After procrastinating for a really long time and taking even longer to process that my time at IITK has actually ended, I have really tried my best to sum up my four years at IITK in this AWL.
When I first came here, I thought college would be about academics, placements, and somehow figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. Four years later, while all of those things did matter, they aren’t what I remember the most.
What I remember are the people. The random conversations, the late-night walks, the group meets, the fest nights, the endless rants, the setbacks, and all the little moments that somehow became my favourite memories.
It may not have been the most extraordinary journey, but it shaped me in more ways than I could have imagined. So before I leave, here’s my attempt at looking back on everything that made IITK what it was for me.
The Beginning
Like every other fresher who comes to college hoping for a fresh start and a chance to make new friends, I was no different. Having spent most of my school life as an introvert, I had made up my mind that college would be different. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and get to know as many people as I could. And honestly, orientation went pretty well. Between my IITK family, my wingies, and all the random interactions happening every day, I thought I was settling in nicely.
Then classes began. I still remember walking into class on the first day and feeling completely lost. Somehow, all the people I had met during orientation ended up in different groups. For the first time since arriving on campus, I felt truly alone. I was still figuring out the campus, trying to understand the academic system, and wondering whether I actually belonged here.
Thankfully, that phase didn’t last very long. I soon found people with whom I could share all of this. Whenever I felt alienated in such a competitive environment, they reminded me that everyone was struggling in their own way. The transition to IITK wasn’t very smooth for me, but the people around me made it a lot easier.
It’s honestly funny how some of the most random encounters end up becoming such an important part of your life. One day you’re meeting someone for the most stupid reason possible and before you know it, they’re one of the people you’ll remember long after college ends.
First year also came with its fair share of surprises. Somehow, I managed to fracture my foot on the morning of my MTH111 endsem. How exactly that happened is a funny story in itself, but I’ll skip that part for now XD. Having barely spent a month in college, I had no clue what to do next. Missing out on events and not being able to walk properly brought a lot of FOMO.
Thankfully, my roommate came to the rescue. Without a second thought, she was there through everything. I still remember her cycling me around campus so I wouldn’t miss out on hanging out with everyone, whether it was a late-night movie or just a random mama mio visit.
Even all my wingies were incredibly supportive. One would always bring me food from the mess, another would accompany me to all my doctor visits, and somehow everyone made sure I never felt like I was dealing with it alone. They made that whole phase so much easier. We spent most of our time together, usually sitting in one room and talking about the most random things. E1-113 eventually became our spot, and even today, just thinking about that room brings back so many memories. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out how I got so lucky <3.
Apart from all of this, I also had so many firsts. From attending concerts during fests for the first time to cycling to Ganga Barrage just to watch a sunrise, I became close to an amazing set of people(the “mujhe kya, main toh cute hu” group). Somehow, we were the most random mix of personalities, yet also the most compassionate. Random late-night walks, planning future trips, pulling all-nighters, movie nights in ESB; we did everything a fresher group does. Though, some of those memories only exist because Tamoghna and Zartaf had to call me multiple times whenever an “impromptu” plan was made and I am so glad they did :’)
And just like that, first year was over. It was only the beginning of a journey that still had a lot of surprises waiting for me.
The Sophomore Year:
Following the IITK tradition, second year began with new additions to my family. Being on the other side of orientation was really my first step towards growing up. Interacting with such a diverse group of people and taking baccha wing meets taught me a lot about understanding people without any biases.
Academically, second year felt very different. The batch got split into branch courses and suddenly everyone wasn’t going through the same things together anymore. The coursework became heavier, labs started taking up a lot of time, and catching up with friends became harder than before as everyone got busier with their own commitments. Yet somehow, we always tried our best to spend maximum time together and also started to understand each other better.
Alongside all this, I also got involved in the AnC Council. A council whose existence gets questioned every year XD, but one where I met some really dedicated people. I still remember the effort everyone put into organising intern and placement preparation programs so that at least some people could actually benefit from them. Somewhere along the way, CDev became an important part of my IITK journey, and I eventually decided to become a Manager there.
For a significant amount of time, I was really caught up on becoming a CTM. Like most people, it was something I had admired since day 1 of orientation. Many of my close friends were working towards it too and I thought it would be nice to get to spend even more time with them. But things didn’t work out the way I had hoped, and it took me some time to come to terms with it. I was scared that it would affect our friendship too but the way they handled the whole situation only made me appreciate them more.
Now that I think about it, I think I spent way too much time stressing about things that didn’t matter as much as I thought they did. It always feels like everyone around you has everything figured out and you’re somehow falling behind. But over time, I realized that’s rarely true. Everyone is figuring things out at their own pace, and there’s no single path that works for everyone.
And before I knew it, even second year was coming to an end.
Intern Season:
The summer before intern season suddenly felt much more important than any summer before. While most of my friends stayed back on campus, I decided to go home. Unfortunately, that decision didn’t work out very well for me. I struggled to stay productive, felt mostly clueless about where to begin, and ended up not preparing well for any of the profiles.
Somewhere along the way, I had convinced myself that Day 1 wasn’t meant for me. That lack of confidence probably hurt me more than anything else. Despite being eligible for so many tests, I had zero shortlists for day 1 even when I used to give the tests pretty much like everyone else.
It hit me harder than I expected. While most people around me were busy preparing for interviews, I was stuck wondering where things had gone wrong. On Day 1, I didn’t even feel like being around people. I remember going to the library just to get away from everything, only to realise that everyone there was talking about the exact same thing.
Those were probably some of the toughest days of college for me. There were times when I didn’t even feel like coming back to the hall or meeting anyone. I started thinking that this might even negatively affect my friendship and I would lose them as well but that really was not the case. They were all so supportive and understanding, be it the people who got sorted or the ones who were struggling just as me.
Intern season has a very clear way of showing you who your people really are. From helping me prepare for tests and interviews to patiently listening to all my rants, my friends somehow managed to keep me going when I had almost given up. And so the cycle continued—tests, shortlists, rejections and just waiting.
This went on for almost the entire semester until the day before my endsem, when I got recruited by Vedanta. Finally getting my RAS blocked was a huge relief. By that point, I had become far too hopeless, and that one result gave me back some much-needed confidence.
At the same time, I knew from the beginning that Core wasn’t where I saw myself in the long run. So instead of treating it as the end of the journey, I considered it as a second chance, to learn from all the mistakes I had made and not repeat them during placements. And finally, a phase that had felt never-ending came to an end.
We had a trip planned, a 4-day camping trek to Brahmatal for which a lot of convincing was required but all thanks to Vaneesha and Mansi who planned and managed everything. As physically exhausting as it was, especially for the “Bottom 3”, it was completely worth it. Being away from our phones and disconnected from everything else felt surprisingly refreshing. It was exactly the break all of us needed and it brought us even closer to each other.
Sixth Semester:
After the roller coaster that was intern season, sixth semester felt relatively chill. Life went back to complaining about 8 AM classes, making impromptu plans, cafe hopping, and simply finding time to hang out with friends. We really tried to make the most of that semester before life got serious again.
Although the highlight of this semester was the fun hall 1 parties; all the clubs celebrating their end-tenures, seniors giving farewell parties, it was also one of the most bittersweet parts of college. Saying goodbye to our seniors; our ammas, bapus, club seniors, and so many others who had guided us ever since we arrived at campus. They had watched us grow through all our phases and had always been there whenever we needed them.
Watching them leave made everything feel a little too real. For the first time, it struck me that our turn wasn’t very far away either. Soon after, everyone left for their summer internships while I went to Udaipur. To be honest, the internship wasn’t exactly what I had imagined but it taught me a lot. More importantly, interacting with IITK alumni there made me truly appreciate the strength of the IITK network. They guided me throughout my project, helped me whenever I got stuck, and eventually, I was fortunate enough to secure a PPO as well.
Placement Season:
Coming back from my internship motivated me to work even harder for the profile I actually wanted. This time, I knew I couldn’t afford to repeat the same mistakes. I was primarily targeting Analyst roles, with Product as a backup. I started reaching out to seniors relevant to my target profiles and followed their advice as closely as I could.
More than half of my wing wasn’t sitting for placements, and for the longest time I kept complaining about how isolated I felt in the process. Little did I know that it was going to turn out to be a blessing. Even though they weren’t going through it themselves, they were as involved in the process as if it were their own. From helping me with my resume and countless tests to eventually running around for my interviews, they gave their all.
Around the same time, two of my friends were also targeting similar roles. As the process moved ahead, we started preparing together and that ended up being one of the best things that happened during placement season. Having people who were going through the exact same thing made it a bit easier. We discussed all our doubts, shared every small win and setback, and somehow kept each other motivated throughout.
August and September went by preparing as much as we could. By October, the pressure started feeling very real. Tests had begun, companies had started their processes, and placements no longer felt far away.
I still remember having a deck submission just a day after Diwali. Everyone was scattered across different places, yet they still spent hours helping me with it. A week later, I got my first shortlist. It might sound like a small thing, but after months of preparation and uncertainty, that shortlist meant a lot. For the first time in a long while, I felt that maybe all the effort was actually leading somewhere.
November brought even more tests and with that, a lot of anxiety. The crazy thing about placement season is that you want it to end as quickly as possible, but as the final days approach, you suddenly feel like you need more time.
And before I knew it, there was only one day left. For me, it began with three shortlists on 1.1 and three on 1.2.
The D-Day
My first interview went surprisingly well and before I could even process how it had gone, my friends were already dragging me to the next one. The entire night became a blur of running between interviews and companies. At one point, everything seemed to be going according to plan, but by the end of 1.1, two really big opportunities had slipped away from me.
And just like that, I had nothing. At around 5 AM, I walked out of Hall 13 feeling completely defeated. As I cycled back to my hall, it felt like intern season all over again. The same uncertainty and self-doubt, the same feeling that maybe things weren’t going to work out. I came back to my room, slept for barely two hours, and then it was time to start again.
Around 10 AM, one of my juniors called to ask whether I was participating in a company’s process. Half the process had already been completed. My heart sank because this was one of the companies I was heavily targeting and probably my best remaining chance. I rushed to Hall 13, and thanks to Ankit’s great convincing skills, I somehow managed to get a slot.
After the first round, I was convinced this was the only opportunity I should focus on since I had no Day 2 shortlists. But my friends insisted I attend another company’s process as well. They helped me revise my resume, discuss my projects, and prepare for HR questions; all in a matter of minutes. I walked into that interview with almost no expectations.
A few hours later, I had offers from both companies. Even then, I was leaning towards the wrong choice. I still remember Harshita, Khushi, Moni, Mansi, Ankit circling around me, patiently talking through every factor until I could finally make an informed decision. The moment I accepted the offer, they had tears in their eyes. Honestly, so did I. It felt less like my achievement and more like something all of us had worked towards together.
But the placement season doesn’t really end when you get placed. Not when your friends are still going through it. Day 1 and Day 2 were brutal. People barely slept, skipped meals, and kept showing up for every opportunity despite being exhausted. Watching everyone push through that phase with so much patience was honestly something to learn from.
Finally, by the end of Day 3, all of us were placed. That moment was one of the most wholesome feelings I’ve experienced here. After months of preparation, stress, and uncertainty, everyone around me finally looked relieved.
The Final Show
The most awaited semester had finally arrived. Suddenly, all those plans that had been living in our heads for years had an actual deadline. We knew this was our last chance to make the most of the freedom IITK had given us, so saying no to anything simply wasn’t an option anymore. In fact, we even made a bucket list of everything we wanted to do before leaving campus.
It started with frequent cooking sessions, trying to experiment with what we could make using an induction. Then came our girls’ nights; making air clay art, baking cupcakes, doing Just Dance, watching movies on the projector, singing our hearts out during karaoke, painting canvases, and literally just saying yes to every random idea someone came up with. We even became surprisingly consistent with badminton. We were definitely not good at it, but that was never the point. Looking back, those evenings of laughing at each other’s terrible shots are probably what I’ll remember the most.
This semester was also full of travel. It began with a short trip to Lucknow followed by an unforgettable trip to Meghalaya where we somehow agreed to do the craziest things (reaching the infinity pool and cliff jumping being some of them XD). After all that, a peaceful trip to Landour, enjoying the views and hopping between beautiful little cafes. Every trip had its own vibe, and every one of them gave us stories we’ll always remember.
As graduation started feeling real, there was this constant urge to capture everything before it all became a memory. We made so many cringe reels, all for a tiny 3–4 second clip in the batch video. Spending three to four hours planning, shooting and reshooting those few seconds sounds absolutely insane, but it was all worth it.
And then came all the “lasts.” The branch farewell, the batch photoshoot, realizing that these were the final pictures we’d ever click together as a class. Just as that was over, DE practices had begun. H6 had never felt more lively; every balcony, every terrace and every open space had someone practicing. Even people who had never danced before showed up and gave it everything they had. Seeing the whole batch come alive during those few weeks made the final performances even more fun.
The last week on campus was probably the most happening one. There was something planned almost every day. H1 ki Baarat, Scribble Day, Abhinandan; few last events for the entire batch to come together. Everyone laughed, danced, clicked endless photos and tried to make the most of every moment. Our wing even painted a picture of the eight of us on the C3 wall, leaving behind something that would stay even after we left.
And then, just like that, it was time to leave.
The goodbyes were easily the hardest part. After spending four years together, it was strange to think that this wouldn’t be our everyday anymore. Somewhere between all the lectures, hostel nights, random plans and endless conversations, IITK had quietly become home. Leaving the campus was one thing, but leaving the people behind was something none of us were really prepared for.
Looking Back
Four years later, I realised that college was never just about finding the right club, getting good grades, or eventually landing a job.
It was about the people who celebrated every small win and stood beside me during every setback. It was the little moments that never seemed important at the time but somehow became the ones I’ll remember the most; walking aimlessly around campus with friends, the whole wing sitting in one room for hours doing absolutely nothing, or last-minute plans that somehow turned into the best memories.
I came here as someone who was unsure of herself, constantly questioning whether she belonged. Somewhere along the way, through all the mistakes, opportunities and friendships, I became a little more confident in myself. This journey was far from perfect, but I don’t think I’d want it any other way.
Thank you, IITK- for the people, the memories, and for giving me a place that will always feel a little like home <3.
Written by: Manya Gupta
Edited by: Adiba Areej Laskar, Lavanya Srivastava
