As We Leave #2: Still trying to be the ideal CTM…

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This 2nd edition of As We Leave by Vedant Gitte, a Y20 Electrical Engineering graduate, is a story of transformation. Read about Vedant’s journey, his friends, and the challenges he faced during his time here at IITK.

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.

Hey, this would be a story of my important milestones at IIT Kanpur. I won’t be using lucrative language. Nor is it a heroic story. Just read it with the simplicity I wrote it with.

I am Vedant Gitte, a final year undergrad student of Batti. I am extremely hyperactive and you would definitely see me a lot around campus and at events. I spend the majority of the day outside my room either roaming the campus or meeting my friends. I was a CTM at Counselling Service in my third year. Where I can say I gave in all my efforts and dedication. The story just revolves around how being CTM has affected me, and how the experience has helped me through other challenges in college.

I really won’t be writing much about my first year. It was the same as any other fresher in college: exploring interests, connecting with new people, and taking part in various activities.

Still from Train when we were coming to college for the first time.

As for the Second year, we came to campus in our 4th Semester (the first three sems were online due to the Pandemic). It was wonderful to meet people in person. I joined Volleyball then and used to spend 2 hrs on the ground daily. That time was great as I felt good physically and mentally. I was also part of the Election Commission, Outreach, and Academic and Career Council. I met some nice people there. This was the time the core team member form of the Counselling Service came out.

Meeting new people at IITK

Story of the Counselling Service

Through the second year, I had seen the work of Counselling Service as a Student Guide. During the first few days on campus, I saw the CTMs helping with hall allocation and other events. It exhilarated me to be part of such an organization.

When the CTM form came out, I remember the discussion/talks going on l about who would be filling the forms and who had chances. Trust me, at that time at least, I didn’t come in among the most likely candidates in my Hall.

When the forms came out, I remember spending the entire day and night preparing for the role. There were not many situations I had handled, nor did I have a strong personality at the time. Some people were even rude and said things like why was I even bothering to apply if there were better people in the Hall? Every small to big action I took during that time was taken considering what an ideal CTM might do. I picked up littered trash and put it in the dustbin whenever possible. I made sure to be polite to everyone, I protected someone if he/she was targeted, and I undertook responsibilities and saw them through. I proudly say even after not being a CTM for one year now, I still take every decision considering how an ideal CTM might be.

Fortunately, luck was in my favor, and I did manage to be a CTM before the end of the Second year.

Fifth Semester

In the third year, I had cut down my involvement to CS only. There’s a thing about CS, no matter how much time you think CS will take, CS takes a lot more. On one side, you are planning events, the flagship Orientation, and other events, and on the other side, you are dealing with problems people come to you with. There are students in Academic Probation and Warning you have to keep in constant touch with, see to it if they have any issues academically and how you can help them. You have to be emotionally involved, or else you won’t be able to give your 100%. There are situations to deal with which your juniors, your batchmates, and sometimes seniors too; come to you with. And as a CTM, you have to dedicate yourself completely to the situation.

The Fresher Orientation was due in November, and our team dedicated huge efforts to it. We planned a long 10 day Orientation in which we also had our classes, quizzes, assignments, and the intern company tests going on. Understand it was the first full-fledged orientation after 2-3 years of online semesters. It was a huge success. Y22 batch students come up even now and mention how they loved Orientation 22.

Auditorium, Orientation of Y22 Batch

There will be people who come and tell you to take up Positions of Responsibility in college just for the sake of your resume and career perspective. There will always be people in the same positions as you who always prioritize their personal stuff and don’t do half the duties you do.

It should not hinder you even a bit from the efforts you are putting in. The confidence gained and the personality you develop outweigh all the fragile excuses and spineless, unasked advice.

With Yashvardhan, Orientation of Y22 Batch

Sixth Semester

Now that Orientation was over, I became more aware of my situation academically and careerwise. I had messed up my acads a bit in the 4th and 5th semesters due to my involvements. I had spent the majority of the time of 2nd-year summer for CS and for extra courses I took, so I couldn’t prepare as it is required for the Intern Season. It was just that I had miscalculated the time commitments.

I must tell you, after the orientation, I became too strong-headed. Positions, irrespective of which club, change you if you give yourself completely to them. From December, I started investing a lot of time preparing for tests, talking to seniors, reading articles, and what not. I buckled up for Intern Season Phase II. For my readers in the first year, Intern Season Phase I starts in August (5th sem), and the second season starts in late January (6th sem).

I cut out the leisure time. I replaced Instagram with LinkedIn, leisure time with preparation time; in short got back into the JEE mode. Intern Phase II was a disaster in our time; an unimaginably small number of companies came. Irrespective, I put in effort and managed to get an off-campus remote internship at the end of February. I joined the internship along with the ongoing semester. Since the summer internship was still pending, I continued with my efforts and managed to get off campus summer intern on May 3rd 🙂

Here, I would like to say that people give up easily if things don’t go according to what they planned. As quoted in Faults in Our Stars, “The world isn’t a wish granting factory.” Whatever situation you are in, always choose to keep on fighting. Trying and failing is always better than not trying at all.

Preparing for interviews

The end of Third Year to Placement Season

Learning from past mistakes, I spent the summer judiciously studying for Placements whenever I got time. My summer intern was also remote. I specified time within the day for sports, books, office work and placement studies. Now looking back, it was a great time, as I learned to manage a lot of things. When I got back on campus, the relentless studies, company tests, and academics continued. I had Prem Milind Gujrathi, Utkarsh Kandi, and Naman Jain as my closest friends. We spend a lot of time together preparing and helping each other through the placement season. Though the Placement situation was not good this year, all four of us managed to get placed, and it was worth all the efforts we had put in.

A pic with Y22 SGs and Y21 CTMS. Orientation of Y23 Batch.

With Prem and Utkarsh.

The Last Semester

In my third year, I managed to do what I loved. I did it with utter dedication and I did it irrespective of any hurdles. I thought nothing would surpass my 3rd year. How wrong could I be proved? Now that I had a few months left, I decided to build habits that will help me in the long run.

I have been reading a lot of self-help and fiction books. I take out 1-2 hours daily to work out. I am experimenting to be more disciplined and happier through a directed effort to grow emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I listen to good music, dance, and spend quality time with my friends here as I’m not sure when I will meet them next.

I continue being part of college activities; it fills me with the energy to do good and rekindles my enthusiasm. I go for walks to keep myself in sync with nature and give myself time to think clearly. For 4 months now, I have reduced junk food intake and have practiced meditation as well. I am the person my first year me would admire.

Going to the gym the Last Semester

Wing Photoshoot

A few things I would want juniors to learn

Keep healthy habits throughout your college life. I have seen people abusing themself and their bodies. Always choose to keep your health a priority. Though most seniors tell you things with good intentions, learn to take only good from someone and not replicate habits that don’t align with you. It never hurts to be the good guy. I can surely say I have always chosen to do the right thing and never hurt anyone intentionally. You must learn to respect others to get respect for yourself.

Have a big heart and learn to take rejections

I applied for Coordinator Counselling Service but couldn’t be one. Had I become one, I wouldn’t have worked so much on myself and the story would be something completely different. Take things the way they are, and you’ll be surprised by what God has in store for you.