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In this 43rd edition of As We Leave 2024, Aryash Pateriya, a Y19 student with a double major in the Computer Science and Civil departments, shares his 5 year journey about personal stories. He humorously recalls his early struggles with weight and shyness, his growth through student activities and the impact of covid-19.
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.
Hi, I’m Aryash, and this is my story. I was lucky enough (well, in some sense) to witness 5 years at IITK. This extended stay has given me a full spectrum of experiences and memories I’d like to share. Being the same as you, I consider this article lengthy and that’s why I have divided it into three parts. The first concerns my campus story with all the experiences I gathered in a humorously toned rollercoaster way, the second is opinions and views as a senior which concerns the campus and falls in my domain to address. The last is a ‘later added’ bonus part of how life showed me another dimension of circus even upon graduation. So, you are free to go through any part you like and skip whatever you feel, it’s just vox has given me this opportunity and I have tried to put my heart out. Though I can confirm that all the three parts are written to address your perspective and would certainly provide you with something to ponder. Although I understand the goldfish attention span we have these days.
Part 1: The cream and brick (Tum bohot mast kaam karta hai, campus bhai!)
Same old “I won’t be focusing much on academics” cliché to begin with here as well.
I arrived at IITK on July 20, 2019 and at that time, if you’d seen me and a bean bag side by side, my guess is you wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference (well at least I can body shame myself). I weighed a whopping 97 kg. While I joke about it now, my weight was partly the reason I was a bit shy back then.
My first year was a nice little sin(x) curve, with the toughest task being waking up for the dreadful 6 AM PE classes. The worst mistake? Choosing NCC over Hockey for CPA. I still hold a grudge against my SG for that gem of an advice (sorry, Priyanshu!). Honestly, I can’t recall much, but I do remember spending most of my time inside my room. So, that whole “first year is for exploring and trying different things” mantra didn’t quite apply to me. You feel lost when a lot is going on and you’re a bit clueless. I must confess that one of the reasons I joined Vision was for their sexy hoodie (which I never got, by the way). Despite my ulterior motive, it was a place where I learned a lot of technical stuff during my short stay. I tried my hand at an EClub event during Takneek, but I guess the breadboard hated me as much as I hated it.
But yeah, being an introvert allows you to express yourself in other creative ways. I was interested in writing poems and stories, both in English and Hindi, playing FIFA, and had a fondness for making memes. There was a Facebook page called “IITK Shitposting” made by seniors, where I initially shared memes. The good response boosted my confidence, and I started sending memes to the IITK Meme Cell. Luckily, they also received positive feedback, which caught the eye of Abdulla (the page admin and a wonderful senior). He asked me to become a co-admin. I still remember my first ever “official” meme from the page—it somehow hit 50K likes. Together, we took the page to the heights of Burj Khalifa (with COVID being our peak, sorry!).
Post that, we went home for a 1.5-year-long vacation in the second semester. I still remember making a meme that said, “you crazy son of a b****, you did it,” thanking COVID for the 15-day extension after the midsem break. Well, who knew! During that time, people around me were diving into Coursera courses, and every second person on LinkedIn suddenly became an AI/ML enthusiast. While I applaud those who capitalized on this and did well, I didn’t think it was for me. Instead, I focused on our institute’s curriculum, and on Ramayana and Mahabharata (both the TV shows and the daily epic dramas of my family).
I joined the GameDev Society as a secretary because of my love for video games and the tech behind them. I also tried my hand at the newly formed Humor House, attempting stand-up comedy and contributing to roast sessions. It was there I realized that making people laugh is not easy, but it’s incredibly satisfying when you succeed in doing so.
It was during the online phase that I made some wonderful friends who remain close to me even today. One of my core groups consisted of 8 friends from the civil department. Somehow, we all shared the same sense of humor and approach to life, despite our differences. We often had “not-so” intellectual discussions late into the night on Discord. If you’re awake until 4 AM at home, talking about nothing but rubbish while your parents are trying to sleep, you have to find a way to make it work. I used to sneak out into the verandah and walk for hours while on Discord. A few days later, I realized that I had lost weight doing this. So, my diet plan was drumroll walking while talking rubbish for hours. On a serious note, I kept up this routine, walking 2.5-3 hours daily for the next 1.5 years, and ended up losing around 25-30 kgs. For me, it significantly boosted my social confidence.
COVID was tough and it hit close to home when both of my parents were quarantined. A special thanks goes to my sister, who was also studying yet managed to take care of every chore with limited help from me (as I get colds very often and posed a risk). Tragedy struck when I lost my grandfather during this time. His passing left a crucial impact on me and inspired me to strive to be a kinder and better human being, just like he was.
A quick flashback to my orientation reminds me of how I became enamored with the culture and the Y17 CS Core Team in general. It was an utterly delightful experience. That moment sparked the decision to be a part of the Core Team if I ever got the chance. Life was simpler then, when people didn’t join councils just for the sake of padding their resumes. I’d advise against blindly chasing a PoR solely for that reason. But if you’re genuinely interested, by all means, give it your all. My love affair with CS continued when I became an SG and built a wonderful family consisting of the best bunch of misfits an SG could ask for.
Following that, I boarded the ship as an Operations Core Team member in CS, and I consider that to be the pivotal moment in my shift from a shy introvert to a more social and expressive person. It wasn’t that people forced me to change myself (which obviously sounds evil), but it was the love and welcome I received that gave me a sense of belonging, as if I had found a family. We delved into online mode and never ended meetings without musical nights or delving into meaty gossip until late into the night. Despite our differences in opinions, the bond we formed resembled Nokia 3310. Around this time, I was also allotted a double major along with two of my best mates across different disciplines, making us realize that we ain’t separating anytime soon. And that was awesome because these guys were the integral part of my 5-year survival kit.
We were summoned by the Head CS around October 2021 to welcome Y20s (resource constraint students) back to campus, as they were new arrivals (ironically, it felt new to us too). Our plans for a trip to Udaipur, painstakingly finalized after marathon parliament sessions over 1-2 months, had to be scrapped. But the sheer joy of returning to campus outweighed any disappointment. It was a moment of realization about the true value our campus held for us. So, we returned and indulged in awesome team night-outs, strolled through the empty campus with every area accessible, and with no one around to stop us. Those days, my friends, were the absolute best.
It was around this time that I met Prakriti (I have to specially mention her for being the greatest someone to me). I can’t do enough justice to the bond we shared in this blog, so let it be a completely different story for some other day. But yeah, I thank her for everything.
Coming back from the personal diversion, another tragic incident struck everyone—the Ganga Barrage incident (RIP Sejal, you are missed). Everyone was shocked and in tears, and it was very hard to console people, as it was a really tough loss. The only positive thing that came out during that phase was the unity in student councils. Not only CS, but everyone from the then Gymkhana, other cells, and miscellaneous volunteers came together and spent sleepless nights to take care of the students and handle the situation. That was the time I was really proud to see the student unity culture in IITK, and I hope to see it rise in the future.
Now was the time for the entry of Y21s onto campus, and for us, it meant holding the orientation stage. We spent many nights planning, preparing sessions and slides, and facing the occasional scolding from the coordinators, all to ensure that the upcoming batch received the warmest welcome, even in the online phase. To our delight, we received a lovely response, making all our hard work worth it. Y21 will always hold a special place in my heart as my favorite junior batch. When they finally arrived on campus, we organized a second, offline orientation with the same passion, and received a similar response from our juniors. It was a fulfilling experience to finally fill the shoes of someone I used to idolize. I even got one of the best bunch of grandkids. Upon handing over the charge to the Y20 core team, we were grateful that we passed the baton to a very nice and sweet set of people.
Next up was the internship hunt season (since I was academically parallel to Y20s now), and I decided to face the scorching summer heat by staying on campus for the summer. Let me offer a humble piece of advice: unless you have serious business, steer clear of the campus during summers. That scorching heat was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Temperatures soared to a blistering 45-48 degrees, and standing in the sun felt like experiencing live evaporation. Anyway, amidst our battle for survival against the environment, internship preparation was in full swing. And that’s where something unexpected happened, something that would leave a profound impact on my later career. Two of the top consulting firms decided to swoop in to hire interns for the very first time. Personally, I didn’t have much knowledge about consulting at the time. I saw it as just another opportunity and decided to apply, alongside tech roles. As I delved deeper, I realized the hype and craze surrounding management consulting were already unreal, and yet somehow, it was all new to me. They interviewed us early and made on-the-spot offers. For me, it seemed like an exciting new venture, and with the future uncertain, I took the opportunity. I didn’t give the interviews of other firms I was shortlisted for. After all the chaos, it was time to move into the fourth-year hostel. In my original wing, there was some segregation of groups, it was like stepping into the middle of a political battleground. And frankly, I had no interest in getting tangled up in that mess. Luckily, at the same time, a wing from Hall 3, where I’d spent my scorching summer days, welcomed me with open arms. It never felt like I was an outsider; they embraced me as if I’d always been one of their own. I can proudly say that it was no longer just ‘the new wing’ to me—it was now ‘my wing’. I had some of my best and most happening days with these folks (or should I say, brothers)
I had one of the best lifetime experiences during my internship in Mumbai, but first, I want to give a sincere shoutout to my co-interns from IITK, the Y20s, for being absolutely awesome. There was no senior-junior divide with us; I blended in quickly thanks to their efforts. During the internship, I made some of my best friends here, with whom I still discuss various gossips, while also sharing the BTs of our lives. My case was in finance and was pretty exciting too. I got to meet many cricketers from Mumbai Indians personally at the hotel, and the weekends were a whirlwind of exploring Mumbai to its very depth. Think Lonavala, treks, local trains, mystery rooms, Imagica, night cycling, and lavish parties along with discovering every nook and cranny of the city.
After some months, I received the PPO from BCG, and just a minute before the deadline the next day, I made the decision to decline it. So, what went wrong? Personally, I didn’t see consulting as something I wanted to pursue further. Investing all that time of the week, often in a rush, sometimes even for smaller tasks, didn’t seem worth it to me. I also didn’t want to abandon tech, which had been my focus for the past four years. Now, I may be completely wrong, and all these views are personal, but it is what it is for me. Perhaps I’ll be doing something else later in life. I just want to emphasize that if you have the chance to choose something today that might affect your life later, choose whatever aligns with your passion today and don’t hold any regrets. Do I regret joining BCG as an intern? – No. Do I agree with my decision to reject the full-time offer? – Yes. Is this the right call? – I don’t know, but I will try my best to make it.
(And this led to the part 3 of this article)
Ah, final year, and along came the placement season. With all the talks of “the market is down” and “companies won’t turn up,” the start wasn’t what you’d call ideal. Here’s a word of advice: please don’t overload your 7th/9th sem for obvious reasons (I did and felt like a bit of a sandwich). If nothing else, it’ll give you some mental peace. Anyway, with another semester of rush and uncertainty, and holding back all our plans for later, we all luckily made it through well within time (Again, part 3 confirms this was far from done). People also got accepted into the universities they desired. It was overall a pretty happy environment, but at the backend, it was a long process of providing moral support and holding each other’s back. But hey, that’s what friends do, right? That’s who you call friends.
Finally, about the trips. For me, it blossomed late but in the most spectacular way imaginable. I embarked on adventures to Bithoor, Lucknow, and Goa (what a trip, definitely one for the books!) with CS buddies. Ayodhya, Rishikesh (fairly recent and utterly rejuvenating), and a Nepal trip with my wingies, Ooty and Shirdi with my family. But let me tell you about the thrill of Darjeeling and Sikkim! Scooting along the banks of the Teesta River, completely drenched in the rain, with the exhilarating thought that you could plummet off a cliff at any moment—now that’s what you call fun! Along with totally opposite Udaipur, a gem of a destination, explored with best people. Unfortunately, a rookie mistake in selecting my graduation year as 2024 instead of 2023 in the Mitacs application (there are certain rules, you know) dashed my chance of visiting Canada. Instead of witnessing the majestic Aurora up North, I found myself enduring the scorching 50-degree summers in IITK (talk about a complete checkmate!). While I did get selected for Mitacs the following year, I had to choose BCG over it for the corporate experience.
As the last semester unfolded, I chose to keep it fairly chill, sticking to the template and savoring every moment. I made new friends, played cricket like there was no tomorrow, had intense IPL discussions just like back in the good ol’ days of 2016-17, experienced thrilling nightouts, and even dabbled in a bit of ghost hunting on top of ‘forbidden’ buildings. Life was just lifing at its absolute best. Amidst all the chaos, the stretched stay finally came to an end. It’s in these moments that you realize it’s not your achievements, but the people you’ve earned along the way that matter the most. There’s a whole different world outside academics, and striking a delicate balance between the two is key.
For me, these five years were a perfectly balanced blend of fun, challenges, amazements, academics, and mischievous adventures. It wasn’t too short due to Covid nor too long to become monotonous—it was just right. Peace! And this was supposed to be the ending of this AWL.
Part 2 – As an alum (Ab mai gyaan ch**unga!)
This is where I will mention my opinions on certain things, and you can either agree, criticize, or suggest something better. Just bear in mind that this institute is for all of us, and I hope the future generations will strive to make it function better despite some flaws.
I would like to begin by talking about CS while remaining neutral in my views and opinions. Firstly, a lot of people have problems with how CS handles the onboarding of first-year students. Some of the concerns are genuine, while others are driven by popular culture of being cool. The students are kept in H13/4, and they need proper interaction with their highly caring seniors, who only want them to mingle with the rest of IITK quickly. Yeah, very well.
For once, try to think from the perspective of someone who has just entered adulthood, leaving their home for the first time, some even might get teary-eyed the night their parents leave (if you find this unusual, then I am sorry you aren’t familiar with the reality, and it’s great if it didn’t happen to you).
As a student body itself, CS (the student side, not the other staff involved) has tried to maintain anonymity in many cases, and maybe that’s why you think ragging in today’s world is impractical and never happens after that infamous case. While I can understand the maturity of the third and fourth-year folks, you can’t argue that a second-year student, who might be excited about becoming a senior, is still new and might unknowingly cause serious damage. The ones allowed under the SG tag at least have some responsibility and accountability. And don’t worry, the culture we want to promote, though not all at once, is being promoted slowly in bits and pieces. You wouldn’t have received your DoPA on day 1 otherwise.
CS, from the inside, has flaws, I agree. The people selected to represent it might not always be the best ones to do so, and sadly that is the case with the entire IITK. Show me a leader on whom everyone agrees. But as always, even if 75% of them tried their best, the tenure ends with a satisfied smile. However, I highly condemn SGs and CTMs who are so busy that they won’t have time in the future to connect with their mentees. For God’s sake, don’t bother to be one. Focus on your other duties and PoRs; they will benefit your resume more.
Lastly, I would like to point out that I don’t think the “permanent people of CS” (you’ll get this) are of much benefit to the internal or external functionality of CS. The unnecessary hindrance they provide and their dated opinions have done some harm to what could have been a smoothly functioning student body we all would have loved.
Enough about CS, right? Alright. Another thing is trying your hands at research. Most of us are familiar with the usual career path, something we plan for even in our school years. But research (in something of your interest) is something for which you’ll have to find your passion first. You won’t have a eureka moment, but what if something keeps you engaged even in your idle thoughts? Given how accessible it is here, try SURGE, do a UGP, or participate in a foreign research internship program. No one stops you from altering your usual path. Just think of it as a side mission that might become your main focus, and there’s no harm if it doesn’t. Now, I haven’t taken the research path myself, and you are not obliged to follow me here, but I have respect for it, and you know the future is uncertain. (Too uncertain, in my case, to be honest). Just please don’t switch to a dual degree out of mere interest. I know the institute, in promoting research, makes it easy for you to complete a dual degree, but trust me, an unmotivated fifth year can be cruel at times. Some can’t complete their thesis on time and get stuck; sometimes professors stretch it too, and you can’t complain (completely catastrophic). So be thoughtful in this case.
Another thing, before a branch change or its other versions, try to explore your department as well. Who knows, you might fit and do better here compared to somewhere else, and this comes from personal experience. It’s okay if you find it uninteresting; at least you would be able to focus on things you actually like instead, rather than being clueless about your interests and jumping places following someone else’s path.
Also, please be thoughtful about whom you idolize here (if you do). It’s good to choose a different path but never follow ‘that cool off-track senior’ blindly. They are not much more mature, as I realize now. Don’t get swayed by someone’s polarized political opinions or why IITK is ruined and can’t be great again. It’s your campus; be respectful and create your own version of it. Even I wouldn’t say to agree with me here, it’s fine to have your say on something, but be humble enough to correct yourself if you are wrong. Enough of the lecture, right? Sorry!
Part 3 – Out of a million other possibilities… (Aayein? Baigan!)
This is the part I added later, and in my wildest dreams, I never thought this would happen. It’s a comic tragedy that shows you can’t do much if destiny has some lessons planned for you. Understandably, there’s a reason why Virat Kohli started putting Neem Karoli Baba’s picture as his wallpaper. Alright, sit back and relax.
During placements, after the coding round and four interviews, I got an offer from ‘Spring’ on Day 1.1, summing up my entire struggle of preparation. I was happy and satisfied. This led to a joyful last semester, during which many of us received mail from a company called ‘Prithvi Shaw’. As I wasn’t busy, I took their test. In the last week of our stay at IITK, we planned a wing trip to Rishikesh. During this trip, I received a call for an interview. I postponed it and gave the interview unprepared, thinking I had nothing to lose. The interview went mediocre, and I didn’t hear back, so it’s understandable they found a better candidate. Whatever, why would it worry me?
Then, on May 31st, I was traveling to Bangalore to meet my sister and friends after a long time when I received a call. And as some of you may know, SPO informed me that my offer was revoked. This was a total shock. I became inactive and slept for 12 hours just to escape reality. It was a nightmare. I had casually wasted a pretty good opportunity earlier with Prithvi Shaw. When I woke up the next day, I tried to contact as many people as possible who could help me. And that’s why I say, you don’t make friends, you earn them.
Without a laptop, I updated my resume on my mobile. I spent another night revising OS, Compilers, and Networks through my phone. I wasn’t able to hear anything from my parents; it was as if my outer senses had shut down. You may think I was making a big deal out of this, and I would have agreed if it hadn’t happened to me. I met my sister half-heartedly and gave an ML interview from a hotel room while my family visited Mysore Palace. Shortly after, I posted about the incident on LinkedIn.
But my friends, SPO, alums, and other connections helped me a lot. This is something you reap while graduating from an institute like ours. I got good reach on LinkedIn and applied on many different lengthy portals. Next, I went to my friend’s place where almost all of us from the Y19 CS Core Team gathered, and I couldn’t be more thankful to them. They helped me with interviews, lifted my spirits, and eased my stress. We played FIFA, went go-karting during the day, and I prepared for interviews at night while playing poker. Although I slept very little, I prepared well in the short time I had.
I applied to numerous places and got both positive and negative responses, even facing rejections in the final rounds. Finding an off-campus job in this recession was tough. Fortunately, thanks to many trials, a good resume and many referrals, I got good offers from some great places, and things were back on track. I accepted an offer from ‘Cream7’ (I expect you to get the reference) and went to Mumbai, as if destiny had it all planned. The End. Phew!
“Wo camera me dekh ke haath hila dijiye, aapke sath prank hua hai,” life told me yet again. Just when I was about to join Cream7, I got a response from Spring saying they would like to reinstate my offer with a specified joining date. Wow, wtf! And the offer was better, along with a favorable location. So, I couldn’t deny it. Here’s the final update: I will hopefully be back to where I was supposed to be after a full circus of events. How I left Mumbai is yet another interesting story, but that’s for a different day. All I can say is that Cream7 had some of the best people, and they helped me a lot through the mishaps.
So, what’s for the future? I don’t know, man; I can’t even predict at this point. But with whatever has happened, I can say that anything can happen without a surprise. So yes, just remember that life is never fair and always expect the unexpected. Peace!?
Written by : Aryash Pateriya
Edited by: Vedant, Mayur Agrawal
Designed by: Sanyam Shivhare
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