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In the 19th edition of As We Leave 2024, Anubha Tripathi, a Y20 BTech. student in the Department of Electrical Engineering recounts her journey 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.
I am writing this AWL because I like to speak my heart out. Those who know me know I love talking and telling stories out of nowhere, and what could be a better platform to make yourself heard AS WE LEAVE.
Reflecting on my college life at IIT Kanpur, I see how campus liveliness blends with the elegance of Euler’s identity eiπ + 1 = 0. I first encountered this beautiful equation during JEE prep, marveling at how it unites 𝑒, 𝜋, 𝑖, 1, and 0. At IITK, amidst chaos and laughter, this equation symbolizes my journey, unlocking the universe’s mysteries and revealing the art of living within the madness. Let’s navigate this journey using these constants as our guide.
e - Embracing Growth and change
Beginning of college life, Adaptability and Resilience
On March 16, 2020, after my last Computer Science exam, my friends and I felt nostalgic, knowing we wouldn’t meet the same way again. As we headed home, we discussed the emerging COVID-19 outbreak, assuming it was like bird flu or dengue. We had yet to learn it would persist for years. Soon after, authorities delayed board exams, and we faced lockdowns, curfews, and global shutdowns. Without access to coaching, proper study setups, and financial worries, I, like many students, had to dig deep to pursue my dreams despite the unfavorable circumstances. During this period, we required resilience and determination to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Cheerful and talkative, I roamed around school corridors and classrooms with friends, doing pranks and getting pampered by teachers. My parents encouraged me to pursue my interests but always wanted me to appear for JEE. Their hope and motivation made me work tirelessly. Hurrah, it went as I hoped, dramatically changing my life.
On November 18, 2020, from a freshman entering IITK virtually to May 8, 2024, leaving as a confident senior, my journey has been a life experiment where failures became “plot twists.” Our IITK life begins through online platforms, away from the traditional physical campus: online freshers, events, bulla sessions, classes, and exams. We were confined to our homes for three semesters due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As a Company Coordinator with SPO, I gained insights into internships and placements. I also mentored with the Counselling Service and learning management challenges.
On January 1, 2022, I finally visited the IITK campus as a second-year undergraduate in the Department of Electrical Engineering. I received an E grade in EE210A during my fourth semester, facing an academic setback. The most painful part was not being able to repeat the course in the summer with my batchmates when grading was more lenient. Due to an internship, I planned to retake it in the sixth semester before placements. Moving from an E to a D+ was highly disheartening.
i - Acknowledging Imaginary dimensions
Exploring new horizons, Nurturing Creativity and Imagination
I was never a big fan of movies or web series. But when I landed at IITK, things changed. I started binge-watching films and shows my friends suggested. Music became my escape—I loved singing my heart out. But, as my friends would tease me, “Tujhe pata h tu bohot ganda gaati h” 😂. And well 🙂, they weren’t wrong about that! 😁
While capturing the beauty of IITK, I explored filmmaking, photography, and design, realizing my skills needed improvement. My friends Harsh, Kuldeep, and Ankit taught me the basics, helping me grow. Sure, I thought, “editing mein dekh lenge 😂”—but it wasn’t that simple. I also tried learning guitar, realizing it requires a lot of practice and time. Thanks to Ritick for guidance.
The challenges and triumphs of internship and placement seasons taught me resilience. I’m grateful to those who guided me in coding tests and interviews, helping me prepare for future opportunities. This journey highlighted the beauty in every failure and the joy in overcoming challenges and creating lasting memories.
I participated twice in cooking competitions organized by Meraki, the Culinary Arts Society at IITK. Cooking has been a cherished passion of mine for years. It was a delight to showcase my skills alongside friends, with enthusiastic participants eagerly anticipating our creations. The best part was the shared experience—we cooked something special, and everyone ate together, savoring the moment.
Janmashtami Performance
On September 7, 2023, my birthday coincided with Janmashtami, making my last birthday at IITK extraordinary. Determined to make it unforgettable, I stepped out of my comfort zone to perform on stage. Thanks to Aishwarya and Prachi and the support of my fantastic dance group led by Divyanshi with Nidhi, Tanishi, and others, I found the courage to go for it. Their belief and encouragement helped me rediscover my love for dancing. The successful performance filled me with newfound confidence and joy, creating cherished memories.
Graduating Giants
On 14-16 March 2024, I debuted in serious cricket at the Cricket Tournament by Chemineers, IITK. Despite my limited knowledge, playing alongside friends and teammates brought immense joy. I learned team strategies and improved my skills with their invaluable support.
Dance Extravaganza with IBot++
On April 15, 2024, it was a dance extravaganza. Until that day, the halls resounded with lively music as everyone rehearsed their dance moves, striving to deliver standout performances on the big day. From “Chaiyya Chaiyya” to “Baby si… south Delhi ki,” our girl’s gang nailed that day with utmost passion and dedication to “Girls Like to Swing.” Additionally, dedicated countless rehearsals tuned our muscle memories to dance to the beats of “Tees Maar Khan” and “Criminal.” Even if my dance wasn’t flawless, the sense of achievement and the memories we created were incredibly rewarding. Our department farewell on April 14, 2024, was memorable, featuring a standout dance performance by the “Batti” girls, including myself, leaving a lasting impression.
π - Recognizing Cyclical Patterns
Academic Cycles and Celebrating Life’s Milestones
Recurring patterns of exams, breaks, and academic deadlines punctuate our college years. Just as π never settles into predictability, my graduation was a journey of challenges and Growth, highlighting resilience and adaptability. Submitting assignments on deadlines, requesting a deadline extension, knocking next door late for lab report submissions, night outs to study for exams, etc., was routine.
The fourth semester was a roller coaster indeed. Many online hackathons were held for female undergraduates, aiming at diversity hiring. I participated in many of them individually or in teams as required. It was the first time I met my online friends offline, and adjusting to the new environment and approaching people to seek guidance and help was difficult. On the way, I made new friends. On March 14, 2022, I made it into ABInBev India, grabbing a six-month remote internship offer as a Data Analyst.
I applied for several SIP internship opportunities, got shortlisted in a few, and eventually accepted a hardware intern position at Livguard-Wyncomm (SAR Group) for a two-and-a-half-month offline internship. Hereon starts my incredible Manesar journey, leading to bonding beyond campus. Gathering together, five of us, Kuldeep, Yash, Preet, and Siddharth, from totally different backgrounds, ended up diving into microcontrollers and batteries. None of us were jumping excitedly, but we figured we might as well give it a shot. Chatting became our favorite way to pass the time and get to know each other. Our daily routine was set in stone – commuting to the office together, grabbing lunch, and exploring the city in our downtime. During this time, I immersed myself in programming and electrical engineering, learning new technologies and skills with my peers. Preparing for the internship drive was like a crash course in teamwork and problem-solving, helping me rapidly advance in understanding corporate life and my field of interest.
Glimpses of Intern at Manesar
The experiences I received here in this internship were helpful. Little did I know that this intellectual internship, which I initially did not want but went for due to my parents insisting on it, would have something more in store for me and prove to be a savior for my placement season. My reluctance was because I wanted to try my hands on software development and data science/analyst fields. Like my other friends, I started preparing ardently for a good SDE role, doing DSA and a bit of CP to grab a good opportunity in the upcoming placement season. Placement season could have been better for the Y20 batch; we were somewhat aware of this crisis, and so was I. Realizing this, I started preparing well for the core electrical engineering opportunities and data science/analyst roles I had on my resume. With no shortlisting for day 1.1 to 5 interviews lined up for day 1.2, I grabbed an opportunity at Jaguar Land Rover the same day. This was like a dream come true for me, like many others. Thanks to my seniors and student guide, Shruti Nisal, for guiding me through this, and my Y20 placement buddies, who helped me and kept me motivated. Knowing very little about the future, I consider this placement opportunity a headstart to launch my career beyond IITK. Through it all, I learned that despite initial setbacks and unexpected outcomes, consistent hard work, self-belief, and timely pursuit of opportunities can miraculously align everything in ways you never imagined.
Placements
1 - Seeking Unity and Completeness
Building relationships, Self-Identity and Authenticity
Your friend circle defines you. Thanks to Riya, Rini, and my so-called “paani” group friends for being my “constants” throughout. There were moments of uncertainty and doubt during the internship and placement season. Their support and cheering made me strong enough to believe in myself to achieve my best.
I remember those dinners with Batti girls and some friends deciding not to discuss the exams anymore but examining every question we solved, getting ‘n’ types of answers by ‘n’ people still hoping to be correct. Telling Diksha, Barkha, Antara, and friends the night before to wake me up for exams tomorrow and take me along for classes with compulsory attendance and quizzes has been a routine these years. Those late-night talking sessions with my then roommates Anshika, Pratibha, Khushi, and Shruti have always been the best conversation night-outs, discussing all sorts of pan-IITK issues and people around creating and updating our databases for data analysis and conclusions 🙂.
Knocking at Rini’s room to accompany her for parties, walks, night outs, going to the Mess, or just for random talks, sharing all sorts of “BT” was a cherished routine, turning ordinary moments into treasured memories. Chatting about politics and elections with friends filled my mind with tons of cool IITK stories, fun senior tales, and interesting facts and figures. It was like a treasure trove of knowledge and memories! Asking people, “Up for a walk?” and ending up discussing cool programming stuff with Harsh, Harbeer, Kuldeep, Yash, and others. Talking about hockey and batti department with Satender, Kaushal, Mohan, and Ankit while randomly exploring new places in IITK with Rini, Saif, Ayush, Riya, Harshal, and others turned into spontaneous adventures that were both intellectually stimulating and delightfully unpredictable. Playing quizzes, UNO, poker, and card games in F-mid, H-9 with I-bot++ were some of my most cherished moments.
On June 3, 2023, a bright summer morning, we set out on a 20 km cycling trip to the ISKCON temple. The ride was filled with endless chatter and fun. Arriving early, we waited for the temple to open, sitting on the ground, see-saw, and swings. This trip, like many others, was filled with joy, laughter, and the pleasure of togetherness.
Trips to Lucknow, Banaras, Jaipur and Mountains
Exploring vibrant cities like Banaras, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Agra with friends during long weekends and breaks created unforgettable bonds filled with joy and adventure. One memorable trip to the mountains starting on March 25, 2024, with fourteen wonderfully weird friends forged memories and bonds that will last a lifetime. From feeling immense gratitude for Subodh and Priyanshu’s support as I climbed and descended the peaks to the frantic yet hilariously fun dash to catch our returning train, every moment was pure joy. The train ride was a rollercoaster of lively conversations and laughter, with Arpit and Ankit stealing the show with their impressive dumb charade performances. The endless teasing and joking added to the fun, making the journey memorable. Dhingra’s faith in my scooty driving skills on those winding mountain roads was motivating. At the same time, Abhinav and Ankit’s constant care for my well-being and Kuldeep and Aditya’s protective guidance near the waterfall added layers of connection and friendship. The cherry on top was the quest to find the perfect stone inside the waterfall, making this trip an incredible adventure. The mad dash for “Brownie Points” as we guessed the correct answers during the bus ride back to the station and the “Guess the Song” game with Subodh, Shruti, Smriti, and Ankit kept the fun alive. Going through all the trip photos and videos with Aarchie and deciding which ones to post on Instagram was a hilariously serious mission. Brimming with laughter, care, and companionship, this journey will forever be in my heart.
And then came the most unexpected twist at the end of the tale: the remarkable “Hall 1 ki Baraat” organized on 3-4 May 2024. Every moment was pure joy, from the thrilling elections to organizing the event, including shopping and decoration. We transformed it into a typical wedding with a unique IITK touch. It was my first time dancing in the baraat procession. Welcoming the baraatis at the Hall-6 entrance with Sumedha, Tulika, Prem, Vedant, Aishwarya, Ankit, Yudhveer and others was joyous. Brimming with memories, fun, laughter, and excitement, this day will forever remain etched in my heart.
0 - Embracing Emptiness and potential
New Beginnings, Mindfulness and Presence
Summer semesters have been transformative, offering me time for self-improvement through skill development and self-enhancement. Seeking peer advice and dedicating extra study hours have positively enriched my academic journey and shaped my personality.
Mummy’s Birthday Celebration in Campus
I found solace in campus life, enriched by my parents’ frequent visits. Together, we explored every corner, deepening our bond amidst Academic Growth. Graduating from IIT Kanpur marked a transition to new career pursuits, where I embraced uncertainty with optimism. My time at IITK profoundly transformed me, fostering unparalleled Growth and inspiration and shaping who I am today.
Arriving at IITK, I battled homesickness but emerged transformed and ready for new beginnings. Navigating online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic and engaging in extracurriculars pushed me out of my comfort zone, fostering resilience. This journey gave me the confidence to tackle challenges, seize opportunities, and navigate life’s complexities maturely. I now embrace the future with optimism and enthusiasm, eager for what lies ahead.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading. Lastly, here is a brief excerpt from a song that is close to my heart, one that I have always loved listening to –
“ Aate Jate Khoobsurat Awara Sadko Pe
Kabhi Kabhi Ittefaq Se
Kitne Anjaan Log Mil Jaate Hain
Un Me Se Kuch Log Bhool Jaate Hain
Kuch Yaad Reh Jaate Hain “
Written by: Anubha Tripathi
Edited by: Manya Dixit, Pranav Agrawal
Designed by: Sanyam Shivhare
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