As We Leave…#2

Dhruv Mittal is a final year undergraduate in the Materials Science and Engineering department. Let’s have a look at his journey at IIT Kanpur and live the nostalgia and reminiscence with him.

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 IIT K.

As I begin collecting my thoughts, I realize that I’m looking at four years of my life at IITK with hindsight. Many might not know, but my stay as a student at IITK has been a little extra special. Because my father is a professor here, I’ve lived all my life inside the campus. Even then, I’ve tried making the most of these four years at IITK, without letting the perks of having my home close by devoid me of the numerous college experiences that one is blessed with.

As I walked into the premises of Hall 10, which was an undergraduate-hall back in the day, I was unaware of what I expected from myself and from IITK in the upcoming four years. “I want to be a drummer”. A 17-year-old Dhruv knew vaguely what he wanted in life. These were simply words, they lacked focus and foresight. I was an easy going teenager. So what was I doing in an IIT, you’d ask? Let’s just say that my parents and I were at a common agreement; I would complete an undergraduate degree before I set out to follow my dreams. It made sense to me, provided performing arts are not just unpredictable, but in some way, unorthodox and rather difficult career choices. My parents and even I, knew it was too early to commit to the dream. Before I go further, I want to present the reader with a short disclaimer: one might find my views a little crazy. After a lot of thought, I have decided to write this article as an informal epilogue, keeping the funde to the minimum.

As excited as I was to enter the huge lecture halls as a student now, I slowly started losing pace in a few classes. “Programming and math aren’t for me”, I told myself. Fast forward, and after eight semesters, a ton of courses have found a place in the list alongside programming and math. And not because I was failing or getting bad grades. Grades weren’t an issue, even though I’m genuinely weak at the subjects. I could keep up with the exam-week, and I was sincere on my part in attending classes. What really bugged me was my lack of academic inquisitiveness. A lot of my friends had it, why didn’t I? I was never really into any course, and I’m sure a lot of people relate, for their own reasons. I must admit that my sole driving force was wanting to excel in my grades, and not my interest in the subject itself (barring a handful of courses I loved). Now that I’m graduating, I have a little guilt that I probably did not do justice to the engineering curriculum. We all have our idiosyncrasies, and I definitely had mine. I guess it is fine, as long as you’re ethical and clear about your expectations from yourself. 

Right from the beginning, the Music Club became and has since been a big part of my identity as an IITK student. My orientation days were met with severe jaundice. I missed out on a lot of activities. A week before my batch’s Freshers’, I had recovered enough to be able to visit the Music Club. I was a decent drummer, so I got in. And because of the yellowish tinge to my skin and a complementing yellow shirt, I was nicknamed “Peelu” almost instantly by my fourth year seniors. Saying goodbye to the Y13 club seniors was difficult, and I still miss them. I’ve been a part of all the club events so far, and I distinctly remember the skills I’ve learnt as a musician from every song individually that I’ve played in. My tenure as the club coordinator in my third year is something I’m very proud of, and it posed a lot of challenges. It was fun, but at times the stress got the better of my health. I am very grateful to a few friends who helped me walk through the lows. I grew fonder of music and my desire to improve found a new direction. All the cultural festivals I’ve witnessed; the Antaragnis, the Mood Indigos, the Inter IITs and the Galaxys; inspired me and gave me a chance to interact with people who’re not only passionate about but are extremely proficient in their art. More importantly, it inculcated in me a sense of respect for other arts. I got the opportunity to be a part of the badminton team till the middle of my third semester. I saw and felt what teamwork is capable of. Oddly, the lessons I learned on the court helped me with my musical endeavors alongside. Playing in a band resonates with playing in a team. 

It is worthwhile to mention the times when I was at a complete loss. Neither did academics appeal to me, nor was I able to find a focused interest in drumming. I was sure that I would not want to work a corporate job. Despite my reclining academic interest, I hadn’t completely ruled out research, which I would attribute to peer pressure. I tried taking up a few research projects. While I was happy that I was keeping myself busy like my friends were, I was never satisfied with myself; it just didn’t feel right. A turning point was the third year summer. I secured a research internship under an exchange program at TAMU, Texas. My immigration documents got extensively delayed and when I finally went to the embassy, my visa was sent in for administrative processing, a procedure requiring weeks. While nearly everybody I knew were busy interning, I was still waiting in hopes to hear back. Which I never did. It was depressing, to say the least. Every night I would go to sleep thinking “why me”. I slowly lost all hope of my trip. Everyone was working an intern, and I thought I had failed at something I was obligated to do. Drumming was keeping me very busy those days. I had quite a lot of time for myself, and for the first time ever, I had a genuine realization that drumming was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. 

Now that I had my mind made up, I decided that I would dedicate the final year towards improving at the drums and getting into a good music school. For the first time, I stopped comparing myself to others. I hadn’t appeared for the intern season, and now I decided not to sit for the placements either. I received a lot of criticism for this decision, but looking back, I am proud that I stood up to it. I got accepted into Musicians Institute (MI), a world-renowned music school for contemporary music in Hollywood, LA. I have also been working on making an Instagram presence through my content, and the efforts are slowly fetching me the desired results. 

IITK was a good decision, and I’m definitely going to miss the people and the place. It taught me to be humble and respectful towards others and their passions. The bad experiences and the achievements, parting ways with good friends and the numerous heartbreaks; what an emotional ride as well, it’s been. If there truly were any funde I were to give; be sincere in everything you do, be good to people, respect what they do, and don’t be scared to pursue what you love. Everyone has their dream job, and your stay at IITK will definitely contribute to it in some way. Things might not be easy, but my experiences here have made me believe that everything does happen for a reason. Respect your friends who are there for you, because they are your biggest source of motivation. Your actions always speak louder than your words, and if you’re content with whatever you’re chasing, it’ll show. 

Goodbye, IITK. If I ever make it as a successful drummer, I sincerely hope to be able to come back to perform for a show here. Because that is what I have always, genuinely yearned for, watching pro-nights throughout my stay in the campus.

Edited by- Varun Soni