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In this 3rd edition of As We Leave, Sarda Anuj Hanuman, a Y21 student graduating from the Department of Mathematics, looks back at his IITK journey marked by unexpected turns, quiet perseverance, and moments of joy, growth, and deep connection. From online beginnings to on-ground chaos, his story captures the essence of navigating ITK with humour, heart, and a whole lot of hustle.
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 IITK.
Four years ago, we took one of the toughest exams in the country—competing with over 10 lakh students—and somehow, we made it. I landed in MTH, full of dreams, with the echoes of our Kota mentors still ringing—“Ab toh majje hi majje!” That dream phase? Yeah, it began…but lasted only a few days. Then came the CPI blows, dragging reality right behind them.
We were the COVID batch—everything started online. Zoom calls replaced wing meets, and our first friends came through breakout rooms and Counseling Service sessions. Amid this digital haze, I unexpectedly found my ‘Baapu’—thank you, CS, for that!
Exams arrived. Cheating followed (a lot of it). I was good at coding and basically ran an underground ESC101 support center. Ironically, even though I was in the Math department, I always tanked my MTH courses—the best I ever managed was a B+ in DC (thanks, Numerical Methods). But hey, the chill OEs, ESO, and HSS kept my CPI in the ‘socially acceptable’ range.
Then came the message: campus reopening. What a feeling! I’d packed on weight during JEE prep, so before stepping onto campus, I went full Rocky Balboa—nighttime fasting, 2km runs. And then, hostel life began.
Triple room, Rahul and Anuj, and a wing that never studied—except the night before endsems. Prabal’s room became our headquarters, with legendary bulla sessions and iconic nicknames: Panda, Balma, Cunt, Chudri, Babu, Bitch (yeah, that’s me). We explored Kanpur on cycles—Ganga Barrage, ISCKON—but birthdays were the real events. We’d group them together, book a fancy place for dinner, and skip the GPLs… well, except that first GPL of Prabal—it was historic.
First-year memories? The Fresher’s dance, my first time ever on stage—and now I can say, thanks to KOS, I can dance! All-nighters of practice, and it paid off.
Second year came with a slap of reality: we learnt to do weighted averages – CPI calculation and the realization that personality alone doesn’t land you interviews. Still, I dove headfirst into campus life: councils, elections, fests. I ran for Mess Sec and lost by 14 votes. That loss taught me more than any win ever could. I still remember my soapbox—shaky hands, cracking voice—but I powered through. That was a turning point.
Eventually, I became Accounts Secretary, then Acting President for a while. Blew 2L (smartly) on hall development. Okay, maybe some futuristic purchases too. But our HEC was driven by one goal: leave the hall better than we found it. We Nawabs always lived up to our legacy, and when in GC, “sher ne dahad di tab hil pade pahad bhi.” We stacked achievements one by one, crushing other pools.
- Galaxy ’23 & ’25
- SnT Code ’23 & ’24
- Takneek ’23 & ’24
- GC ’22-’23
- Inferno (Freshers & Main) ’23 & ’24
But MTH? Still not my cup of tea. Skipped quizzes, ghosted classes, and finally—boom—an F in DC. My worst SPI: 5. Intern season came next. CPI was mid, got just one interview in Phase 1, bombed it. That hit hard. So, I switched gears.
Sem 5 & 6—65 credits, brutal. But I grinded. Studied. Leetcoded. Refined my resume. 8 AM to 11 PM in the library became my routine. Got rejection after rejection in interview shortlists, but kept going. Then came Day 1 of placements. Three interviews. One offer.
Mastercard SDE.
After Round 1, I thought I was done. But I stayed confident and answered anyway—even when I knew I was wrong. That honesty? Maybe that’s what got me through.
And after that? The rush for friends’ placements. Running across campus, arranging rooms, coffee, food—real bonds were forged there. Akshat, Chaitanya, Arvind (Tau), Verma—you guys are gold.
Whole group got placed. We celebrated in Mussoorie—scooties, snow, rabdi-gulab jamun. Also, Mahakumbh—because paap dhone padte hain bhai. 😂
Then came the 8th sem. Everyone chilled. But not me. I wanted to change. I joined the Adventure Club’s conditioning camp. The first few weeks were brutal. But I persisted. From barely 2 rounds to 11 rounds of PE ground. Cakewalk now.
Also picked up Skating, Wall Climbing, and yeah—found love. A Geo-informatics intern. Totally unexpected. My friends used to joke, ‘Teri toh bandi ban hi nahi sakti.’ Well, guess what?
Went on a Dodital trek—a soul-healing journey. Met Jassi and Sneha. In a week, they felt like family.
And then… Techkriti. The craziest one. Seedhe Maut. Sonu Nigam. Military gear. Tried rifles. Hosted my cousin. Pure madness.
Now? My acads are solid. Personality’s evolving. I’ve learned to let go. I used to overthink, get frustrated, needed approval. Not anymore. No more status updates. Stopped offering advice unless asked. Started listening—to life, to people, to myself.
And yes, my dance moves? Fire. Taught ‘Vartman’ choreo to MTH buddies and Adventure Club for our batch videos. Rizzed it up at Farewell too. 😎 The best batch of MTH department. I love all those 67 Kings and Queens! Never had such an awesome group of classmates❣️, never will🥹
Swimming is the latest addiction—started two weeks ago and almost mastered it. Want to learn an instrument next.
Thank you, IIT Kanpur.
For the heartbreaks and the homies. For the fests and the failures. For the mess food and the mess-ups. For turning me into someone I’m proud of.
And to my friends, seniors (mentors), batchmates—thank you for shaping the best years of my life.
We came. We saw. We evolved.
As we leave, we take with us not just a degree, but a lifetime of stories.
Written by : Sarda Anuj Hanuman
Edited by: Namrata Chavhan, Disha Singh
Designed by: Pragya Puri
