Hi, I’m Havi Bohra from the Department of Mathematics & Statistics. If you’re a Y21, you probably remember me as the guy who used to ask a lot of questions during the online sem– or the one with less age.
“MTH is the toughest branch of IITK,” I was told by teachers at my coaching during counselling. But as always, I thought, “Dekhi jayegi.”
Fun Bit Flips / गुलों में रंग भरे
As the first sem was online, I thought everyone studies as they did in JEE, I used to be that serious and as said I asked a lot of doubts. Through online sessions by CS and clubs, I realized that here I’ll be meeting a lot of different minds and I’m going to have a lot of fun. But as the sem progressed, my enthu decayed. It revived the moment I received the mail about coming to campus!!!
I started making friends—barely had any during the online sem. For a while, I had a routine: attend classes, sleep there in the front rows, do nothing during the day, and explore rooftops with friends at night.
Aromatic phase / झिंग झिंग झिंगाट
First monsoon at IITK presents itself and seeing lightning strike to block next to us with naked eyes was a next level thing to me. I joined Udghosh Hospi, Hindi Sahitya Sabha, PPOC. Out of which Hindi Sahitya Sabha really interested me the most —and one of the best things it did for me was that it got me into reading books.. Third sem passed similarly to the second sem, doing academia, exploring things, places, clubs, etc. —and having fun overall.
As the sem ended, I realized I had no technical skills, so I started mailing profs to give me something to begin with. Only one prof replied positively and gave me a task to fine-tune a LLM. Obviously, I said yes (sikhlenge-krlenge kya hi chij hogi). And guess what I did for the next 3 months? — I learned python basics, created a basic html-css website and then watched basic ML Andrew NG videos.
The most memorable thing I did in fourth sem was a Wing trip to Manali– Kheerganga– Shimla, the longest trip I’ve ever had!
Fun takes a downfall / मैं किसी पुल सा थरथराता हूँ
Like most people, I had nothing much on my resume except for CPI. Stayed on campus for SURGE in the scorching summers to fill there something and learn DSA. I didn’t get many interviews on the day 1 but almost every company’s interview in the week for which I had applied. I got rejected in the first round of almost every company and in companies where I cleared all rounds with a good impression, I didn’t get an offer. I struggled with how to explain things and I was giving answers as I wrote in a doc for many questions related to my projects, even intro. Probably, I gave the most no. of interviews in the entire campus and got an offer finally 4 days before the endsems. Throughout the fifth sem, my only focus was to get an internship. Continuously giving interviews, getting rejected, not focusing on acads, bad decision to not drop HSS (near to fail), facing two worst profs and courses combo of MTH- Complex Analysis and Several Variable Calculus, was almost how the sem went. I tried improving my technical skills, soft skills, applying off-campus interns, research interns, using contacts, referrals, everything that could get me something, but I was losing confidence in myself and almost stopped meeting anyone. But the good part was I never stopped trying and I did realize after this that – it is only trying your best that matters and nothing else, prepare for the worst and face whatever comes without fear. I must thank Viplav Patel (Y19), Fahad (Y20) and some of my MTH friends who believed in me.
Sixth sem started with the Banaras trip. I was still recovering myself from last sem, and messed around trying out various things together. Summers in Bengaluru were great, coz it’s monsoon there. I also went on Chikmagalur Trip, a 10/10 place for riding and natural beauty.
Before I leave / ढल गया दिन होगयी शाम
As the final year began, I focused on placements, but this time with less fear as the previous year had taught me a lot. All went right. Best feeling after getting placed comes when helping and seeing friends getting placed.
Final sem came, I was again pumped up with energy– not missing any chance to make memories and complete all the checkboxes of this campus. I went back to the rooftops, azeez yaaro ke sath bakchodi aur awaragardi. The Final trip with Wing for Goa, was again 10/10. Dance Extravaganza, Hall-1 Baarat,… all the things 🫰.
It’s impossible to mention all the experiences I’ve had here, but two things are definitely worth mentioning: MTH guys and Hall 5-Wing 9. Most of my friends are in these two groups, MTH guys have been super fun-super collaborative, those times in classes–library–group chats and wherever we met, made me never doubt my “Dekhi jayegi” decision. My wing has been the hub of all my bakchodi, with every kind of personality you can imagine hanging out there.
Lastly, I can’t stop myself from borrowing a line from Jha’s AWL, “…Stories like mine are only fun when they work out…”.
I tried a lot to write this AWL in Hindi as suggested by one of my azeez Vrinda Sharma, unfortunately couldn’t make it to. Thanks to Mudita, CGM assigned to me, for being too patient as I always said to her “kal likhta hu”. Also, thanks to azeez Utkarsh Agrawal for motivating me to write this AWL.
Written by: Havi Bohra
Edited by: Mudita Jalan, Divyanshi Agnihotri
Designed by: Pragya Puri, Pankhuri Sachan
