As We Leave #16 : Struggles and Triumphs: Navigating Life at IITK

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In this 16th edition of “As We Leave,” Pratibha Anand, a Y20 student graduating from the Department of Chemical Engineering, shares her transformative journey at IIT Kanpur. From trials to triumphs, Pratibha’s story is a testament to embracing challenges, staying strong, and never giving up. She encourages us all with her message: If I can overcome, so can you. Remember to share your struggles and seek support from the right people.

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.

The small things we did in college now stand out as some of our best memories. I always dreamed of attending an IIT, though I never fully understood why. Now, it all makes so much sense. The year after admission was incredibly challenging for me in almost every aspect, or perhaps I simply wasn’t prepared. However, with time, everything fell into place. I’d like to share some incidents that are particularly close to my heart.

My First Visit

When I was in 8th grade, I got an opportunity to visit IITK through some means I can’t remember, but I couldn’t go because of exams. By the way, I’m a native of Kanpur. I felt really bad about missing out, but I remember saying to mummy, “One day, I’ll get admission there and visit IIT” (yeah, I had some anger issues). Back then, I didn’t even know how to get there—I was just really disappointed.

I was fortunate to receive admission in 2020, but visiting the campus seemed out of reach for the foreseeable future. My friends from Kanpur and I were eagerly anticipating our first visit, so we made plans to go. However, the SIS guards turned us away, and we had to walk back, our excitement temporarily dashed. Then we made another plan, we were 5 and had 3 scooters. Rest of our friends were coming for some work so they already had an entry. One was mine but my parents had trust issues as once I broke my nose with it so my friend, Swayam, was driving for me.

We found a way in through Chandeli Gate, but we didn’t expect to run into a SIS guard there. Just as we were wondering what to do, a car showed up and the main door opened. Without a second thought, we drove in right behind it, acting like we were with the car. And just like that, we were in the campus, ahead of everyone else from our batch. Then on our way, we passed by the TA202 lab, which was quite a coincidence because we had just finished our exam before visiting.

We headed straight to OAT because everyone said it was the coolest spot. It was sprinkling that day, which made the weather perfect. We were wandering around the OAT, snapping pictures, and making a ton of noise. Suddenly, a SIS guard appeared and asked who we were, and we all froze. Then, everyone started giving different answers, making it even funnier. Finally, we showed our Pingala IDs to prove we were students and said the boys with us were our cousins. We ended up having a nice chat with the guard about the campus COVID-19 rules.

Then we ran away, but in our hurry, we accidentally swapped scooters. Some of us decided to check out the halls while others headed to the P.K. Kelkar Library. I went to see the halls, and my friend Khushi took my scooter. Unfortunately, she got caught by the SIS guard again. They must have really liked her because they took her to the SIS office and had my scooter registered under her name.

Khushi called us and told us to wait outside. She must have done a lot of RR because they eventually let her go. We waited by the back gate, which was slightly open, and managed to drive out smoothly.

So, on my first visit to IITK, I ended up lying to the SIS guards and accidentally getting my scooter registered under my friend’s name. From that point on, IITK has been a nonstop rollercoaster of thrills and misadventures. Who knew getting busted by campus security could be the start of such an exciting journey?

From Struggles to Strength

I still can’t believe we’re leaving—Covid batch is leaving. I can still recall every single day spent on campus. When I joined IIT Kanpur, I was just a girl with a lot of dreams. But life doesn’t always go as planned. My college journey started with a series of unfortunate events.

In December 2020, I lost my grandfather, one of the pillars of my life. My father fell into depression, and then my little brother had a terrible accident. To top it off, my father also had an accident. I got so involved with my family that I almost forgot that I have a college going on. These events broke me down and took a major year from me, pulling me away from academics. I felt hopeless, thinking I was falling behind and would never catch up. I stopped talking to everyone and almost gave up trying.

But things changed when my friends came into my life. They started visiting my home to check on my brother and father. I remember feeling lighter when I shared my struggles with them. They stood by me through thick and thin. Slowly, I began to regain confidence, even though I felt like I was starting from scratch while everyone else was far ahead.

By the time we physically reached campus, everyone was already preparing for internships. I never thought I’d be able to land an internship because I didn’t even know which role to target.

One day, I went to Professor Dr. Rahul Mangal for some work, and while talking to him, I suddenly broke down. He was the first person who could relate to me. He shared his story and ended with, “Talk to people. You are the only one who can solve your problem.” Those words stuck with me, and I never looked back. I faced many more challenges, but I regained my confidence and knew it was better to take risks than to regret.

I came out of that dark phase because I wanted to. I talked to people, I cried, I worked hard, but I never isolated myself again. By the end of my campus journey, I accomplished everything I set out to do. My friends were always there for me, and they are one of the best things that ever happened to me.

IIT Kanpur made me stronger. The campus will test you, but you have to stay strong. It will bring out the best in you, but you can’t give up. Keep trying because if I can do it, anyone can. Just talk your problems out with the right person.