Ranjeet Singh, a Y19 student from the Department of Electrical Engineering, looks back at his college life, which is an inspiring tale of self-improvement, optimism and the audacity to expand one’s horizons. His story is likely to give one the courage to follow their dreams, even when the circumstances around seem despondent.
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 approach the end of my journey at IITK, memories flood my mind, reflecting on a campus experience filled with surprises, some maximas, minimas, and self-discovery.
Chapter 1: Surprises and The Beginning of Self-Discovery
After my brother, I was the second fortunate enough from my village to get into IIT. I spent the initial days analysing the changes that had occurred since shifting to the campus.Gradually when things started to become normal, I explored various clubs and hobbies. The next moment, I realised that Fursat Mandali(Drams Club) interested me, and this was where I could do wonders.
The schedule for my first semester was too clear to me. I usually went to practice at 8 pm and returned at 6 am the following day, got a quick nap, attended all classes & labs, and repeated this cycle. I barely went to any place during the night except the foyer. I got an SPI of 5.5 that semester and an E in phy102. I didn’t know the reason, but I blamed my fever during exam time because nobody studies the whole semester (or so I believed).
However, amidst the academic setbacks, there were moments of joy. That semester, we won Street Play at Antaragni & Inter IIT Cult meet in Bombay.
We won, but I didn’t have that feeling of fulfilment. This made me wonder if my true potential lied somewhere else. It was the time of Galaxy and the first time HSS(Hindi Sahitya Sabha) came into existence for me. I didn’t give it a second thought and just started taking part in HSS activities. That year in Galaxy, we routed the other halls in more or less every competition. Of course, we had the best team. Lost in the excitement of victory, I didn’t even realise I had phy103 mid sem on my head. I couldn’t draw any similarities between what I had studied and what was asked in the exam. That was the first time… now it’s every time. Thanks to two questions, I somehow escaped an F grade (out of a daunting 12-14). The TA made a mistake in counting six marks. Thankfully those six marks saved me from another E.
Chapter 2: Forging Bonds
Let’s not discuss what happened during COVID when we were homebound. The only good thing that happened to me in those two covid years was a trip with two wingies and four unknowns, which forged an emotional bond, and later, that group of 7 unknowns became “GHUMAI OFFICIAL”.
I didn’t get any internship from SPO Drive. I accepted it without taking it personally, knowing that my limited preparation of a month was just not sufficient for it, and moved on to focus on changes and prepare for placements.
Chapter 3: Determination and Overcoming Challenges
I was pretty familiar with Hockey as my brother was part of a hockey team, and I had his hockey kit at home. After returning to campus, I eagerly awaited a Hockey workshop, and got that opportunity just a few days later. On the first day at the workshop, Someone accidentally ran into me, and our heads collided, causing blood to spill onto the ground. I had a cut on my face that needed four stitches. However, I didn’t let fear overcome me, and guess what? The very next day, I was back on the field.
From knee to ankle, there wasn’t even a single spot the ball didn’t hit me at, but I kept going. After all, Girate padte, chot khate, seekh gaye.
In the first match of Udghosh, we got thrashed by some team from Armapur, 0-15 it was. Later we came to know some of them were professionals and were competing as a club. We heaved a sigh of relief. We reunited and finished 3rd in that tournament.
After not securing an internship this summer, I felt like not going home and preparing hard for the placements, which were only three months away. Somehow I managed to get a project for the summer under a professor, and this got me to stay on campus. I only had three things to do in the summer- Project, Coding, and Hockey(I continued Hockey as I felt it was helping me focus on my daily routine, and believed that I should contribute something to the team).
CC/Lib/RM/KD were my major time-spending spots in the summers.
(Thankfully, ACs were a lifesaver). We were around 10-11 wingies in B-6, Hall 12. One of our friends had a cooler. We placed it in the common area and arranged 4-5 beds in front of it ( BTW summer me 2 aur kaam bhi the patte khelna aur subah subah DJ ban jana).
Those were the days when 10-11 people slept on 4-5 beds. Whoever went to the library first kept seats for the rest of us. That was one rule among many.
Just before the end of the summer, nobody was aware that everybody wouldn’t get Hall 1, and the Hall 1 drama unfolded. The hope of securing a spot revived each night, only to fade the next day. That continued for 4-5 days, and finally (thanks to a friend), I found myself among the fortunate few. The whole wing got separated, but four friends were together, and they emerged as “Bagawati Laundey” (you can guess why we were named so).
Chapter 4: Setbacks and Triumphs
With renewed energy, I was ready as hell for Udghosh again. That was my last Udghosh and the only opportunity to win it. And at last, we were Champions. We won without conceding a single goal. That is the most cherished memory of my time at IITK.
I didn’t suffer that placement BT, and, honestly, I was not so prepared for an offer on day 1.
Wasting no time, after placement, I was regular to the ground. My place on the team was uncertain because I had hardly attended any practice sessions after Udghosh. Thankfully, I made it to the team. The next challenge for us was to do well in inter-IIT being held at IIT Roorkee. We performed well in our initial matches but tragically, we lost our third match in the shoot-out as we couldn’t hold our nerves. Since it was a knockout , we were out of the tournament. We couldn’t believe what had just happened to us. We were once considered strong contenders for the championship, but god had a different plan. Sadly there would be no second chance for me to win it, maybe in another lifetime. The one thing that we learned from that Inter-IIT campaign is that it’s not about PROVING yourself every time, it’s about IMPROVING!!!.
Last semester was a bit heavy academically. But who cares. All thanks to the no attendance policy by most of our profs. The number of classes I attended this semester can be counted on my fingertips (and honestly, you wouldn’t require the other hand to count). Only one DE(DC se kam nhi tha) kept all Batti peeps in tension, and that was 301. My sole aim for 301 was to pass with a D or D+(😊).
Besides academic instability, this semester stands out as the most memorable one of my whole campus life: new friends and countless memories. Probably there isn’t a roof in IITK that is undiscoverable to us(Engineering Science rooftop❤️). We witnessed just as many sunrises as sunsets. This whole semester we were “Nishachars.”
Chapter 5: Alum in the making
Reflecting on my campus life, it has been an unpredictable journey. I started with a modest 5.5 CPI and an E but eventually concluded with a 7.5. Dramatics held my initial interest, while Hockey became my final passion. I kicked off as a forward in Hockey, later midfielder, and in the end, I found myself as a defender (sometimes, it gave me the “Camavinga” feel). From not getting an Intern to getting a Job on day 1, this journey has been truly remarkable.
As I bid farewell to IITK, I carry a bag full of cherished memories, lifelong friendships, and innumerable lessons from my experiences here, that I shall apply in the future.
Written by – Ranjeet Singh
Edited by – Aditi Khandelia, Rudransh Goel
Designed by – Mrunmay
