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In this 34th Edition of As We Leave, Lakshika, a Y21 graduate from the Department of Statistics and Data Science, provides a glimpse into the not-so-straight road IITK has been for her. From a list of Dos and Don’ts to a flowchart of her journey here, she speaks about what role this college and the people here played in her life. Be it the late night UNO sessions with friends, or the chaos accompanying the first batch of SDS, we get to view this rollercoaster ride named IITK through her lens, and how the only mantra to live by here is ‘do what your heart tells you to do.’
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.
When I first entered the campus, during my initial days here, I talked with seniors, and their exact wordings, as they said and I quote, “Ye chaar saal kab nikal jayenge pata hi nahi chalega”. I thought to myself, “4 saal to bahut zyada time hota hai, pata kaise nahi chalega”. Now, here I am thinking to myself, “Kaha gaye ye 4 saal, pata hi nahi chala.”
I am writing this AWL – As we Leave, but am I ready to leave? Maybe not, maybe I never will be. The thing is, I can leave this place, but this place can never leave me, it will always hold a very special place in my heart. Still can’t feel that I am graduating from this college – such a beautiful campus, full of greenery – with an even more beautiful journey and newest life experiences by my side. IITK was truly a home away from home. This place became my safe space, and I am so content with everything it gave me.
Let me clear one common myth about JEE Advanced – Bas IIT chale jao aur life fix ho jayegi, aisa nahi hota. You have to work hard to survive here – try to grab opportunities, get out of your room, go do that thing you are afraid of, never be afraid to speak your mind out, and be the life of the party.
My time here has been one of the best I have ever experienced. This place changed me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I was a very shy and introverted kid when I came, but gradually, I started talking to people more. There was a sudden shift in my mind when I realised that talking to people makes me happy. It is so amazing to see that there are so many different people here, with different views, from different places, yet all so connected. Everybody sees life through a different lens, everyone is so different yet so similar. The most similar thing is, everybody chills the whole semester, they become the most serious and dedicated people during exams and they become the most classic and stylish people in fests. Do not compete with people here, they are all amazing. Learn from everyone, and try to become a better version of yourself.
This college gave me the best life, the most happy memories and the most anxious moments I have experienced in my life. Choosing Statistics and Data Science in IITK was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I will forever be grateful to Prof. Dootika Vats for taking that one session just before JOSAA counselling that somehow got stuck in my mind and made my decision easier.
About Statistics and Data Science
It was a pleasure being part of the first batch of SDS. Below are some of the highlights, advantages and challenges we faced in all these 4 years.
- The professors in the statistics department are great, they teach every topic in depth and in a really easy to understand way. They made our basics really strong.
- I am really grateful that I got to be the first department placement coordinator of our branch. It came with some challenges of its own, and even though so many companies did not open for our branch, everyone got such good placements. This truly says that if you are skilled enough nothing can stop you.
- The things I learnt being the senior-most batch was purely immeasurable – No PYQs, no guidance from seniors, just we ourselves struggling to find a little ray of sunshine from MSc people.
- Once I got to do my internship, I realised how useful the things which we studied in our branch actually are. They have so many applications, and we literally “read between the lines of code” mathematically.
- There was a time during placements where I realised how immensely important the content of our courses was – when everybody was studying those topics which we studied in our department courses. It really saved time, so that we could focus on improving other things.
Overall, the risk I took while taking this branch was worth it. It is an emerging field in the future, and this branch provided me with one of the best learning experiences.
FLOW CHART OF LIFE AT IITK
I have always thought “how cool it would be to make a flowchart of everything that’s happened here”. Here goes, what I would say, my best effort at summarizing my IITK life:
JOSAA counselling → IITK → Amma Called → First Semester → Online Classes → Clubs orientation → Online Exams → Cheating on peak → Second Semester → Still online (waiting for offline) → Direct Offline midsems → First time Antaragni → Offline hits different → Exploring campus especially rooftops → Third Semester → First time department courses → Department Friends come closer →E-summit → Fourth Semester → First Time Techkriti → Trying to get good CPI for internships → Seniors at Rescue → Fifth semester → Internship Interviews → BT for those not getting internship → Offcampus applications → Sixth Semester → Academics at peak → Project under professors → PPO struggles → CPI increase for placements → Seventh Semester → Making good resume → Placements → Finally placed → Parties and Trips → Eighth Semester → Card games (UNO) → So many Last Lasts → Batch video → Last midsems → Dance Extravaganza → Blackout → Last Endsems → Branch photo with profs → Painting walls → Fare thee well → Abhinandan → Transformation from IITK student to IITK alum
LIST OF DOS AND DON’TS
I have always craved for a comprehensive list of Do’s and Don’ts for college. Now, here I am writing my own personal list.
Do’s –
- Attend classes. It always helps.
- Talk to your friends more often than you can. Trust me when I say that these people are for life.
- Focus on practical implementation more than remembering things just for exams.
- Try to be part of those clubs that intersect with your hobbies.
- Find something that calms your mind.
- Get a good internship and a good placement.
- Do at least one project under a professor.
- Talk to your seniors if you are unsure about anything, their experience will surely help you.
- PORs are important not just for a resume, but for your overall improvement.
- Go to those rooftops, do infinite bulla sessions, go to night outs, go talk to that friend, sort things out before it’s too late.
- Try to become amma or bapu, it is one of the best experiences at IITK. Although I never got the chance to be one, I can surely say it is a great experience.
- Academics are important, but the bonds you make here, the time you spend, the people you meet, the way you learn to survive – that remains with you forever
- All the above items in the list are very personal. There may be some completely different goals that you have planned for yourself.
♦ Make your own decisions here, listen to what everyone has to say but in the end, do what your heart tells you to do
Don’ts –
- Do not drink or smoke if you don’t want to. They are bad for your health. Also, there is nothing like just try it once, if you do it once, you will most probably do it many times after that.
- Don’t miss classes. If you believe in missing classes, try to utilize that time in doing something productive.
- Do not ever beg for marks. Work hard and you will get what you deserve.
- Do not waste time on people who don’t deserve your time and attention. Protect your peace at all costs.
- Last but the most important, do not take life very seriously, life is like a game, play it, move on and go with the flow.
Live life to the fullest, experience new experiences, and take nothing personally. #IITKforever. This place can be the best place or the worst place, it all depends on you. Make good decisions because they truly shape the way you will live your life. Be the best and do the best.
If I had the chance to go back 4 years, what would I change?
I wouldn’t change a thing, because the things that happened here shaped me into who I am today. I have No Regrets whatsoever. The journey here was the most fulfilling, satisfying, and enlightening that I have ever had. I can say one thing for sure – I have become a better, more mature version of myself who can handle anything that life puts on her.
I am eternally grateful to all the people I met here. Hemant, for being my supporter from day 1. Vanshika, who has been my best friend forever. Anushree, for being the sister I never had. Shrilakshmi, for always helping me and all the people. Kriti, Geetika, Lakshita, Sudarshana, Alice, Meenakshi, Charitha, Divya, Soni, whom I have spent so much time talking to in the last semester, mostly playing uno, truth and dare or whatever new card games we could invent. There are so many people whom I didn’t name, but somehow, their words are stuck with me even today. You all made my campus life beautiful.
ChatGPT ? NOT REALLY
I do want to say one thing, while writing this AWL, I was many times tempted, almost forced by my mind to open ChatGPT and take a little bit of help, be it for better formation or better vocabulary or just to look more cool, however I did not open it even once. This was not one of my assignments that, without thinking even once about it, I would just completely put it all on GPT. I wanted this journal to be my own thinking in my own words without any AI tools interfering, and yes I did it.
P.S.:
zyada bhaari shabd nahi likhe maine, naa mujhe likhne aate hai, par jo bhi hai sab dil se likha hai
Written by: Lakshika
Edited by: Aryan Agarwal, Mahi Mittal
Designed by: Pankhuri Sachan, Pragya Puri
