As we leave…#26

Shubhanshi Singh is a final year undergraduate in Civil Department. Let’s have a look at her journey at IIT Kanpur and live the nostalgia and reminiscence with her.

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. 

“Mumma wake me up when the IIT gate comes, I don’t wanna miss a glimpse of my Mecca Madina!” Yes, foolishly enough, that’s what I told my Mumma once when we were coming from outstation and passing Kalyanpur. That’s how I dreamt of entering IITK, being a kanpuriya and having visited the campus beforehand.

Disclaimer: All the incidents in this episode are entirely real, and any resemblance to a person is purely intentional. This account of my journey through the 4 years of campus life (sadly reduced to 3.5 years) is based on personal experiences. A lot of lives were touched and harmed with attachment and love during its creation.

“एक छोटी सी दुनिया थी

उस लंबे से रास्ते की हमसफर,

पर न जाने क्यों था वो रास्ता आज

किसी और का रहगुज़र !”

Something I made up while in college, but that’s exactly how I feel now about leaving college. Well, I would only be presenting those fragments of the journey from which you can draw a lesson, for others hold no more significance than my desire to blabber.

Point# 1: My constant

For some, it might be a romantic interest, but for me, my constant was academics. For all, I knew then and still am firm with the belief that all other things stood secondary to academics for me. It was more of an increasing curve, starting with an 8.7, and moving on to a 9.6 was a journey that saw a lot of hard work and perseverance. But it doesn’t imply I was cut off from everyone, but yes, I had to decide and manage time, which I am still learning.

But once, when my amma while reviewing my resume, said that Teri CPI itni badh gyi‘, then it hit me: yes I had worked hard and what seemed unachievable wasn’t really. If I could do it, then I think anyone can do it with just two tools: hard work and sincerity.

Point# 2: My love: my department

This might not make much sense to some, but yeah, I am proud to be a Civil Engineer. It didn’t begin this way, for the whole first year I wanted a branch change to electrical but could not get one. Hence I was trying to make my peace with the department when I met a senior who in the true meaning of the word ‘introduced’ me to the beauty of Civil engineering. Then I embraced my branch with a positive attitude, which I feel is very important when you are starting something new. Second-year onwards, I did not study the courses to get grades but to feel the subject if you call it; believe me or not, it really works.

I felt it was my duty to at least reduce, if not end, the negative-cheering of Civil Engineering, most of which happens due to lack of knowledge about the department. In my first year, I never knew that I would be a part of the team involved in reviving the long-lost Society of Civil Engineers (SOCE) and end up becoming its coordinator. But for now, I take nothing but pride in being so closely related to my department and loving it dearly.

Takeaway: GIVE IT A CHANCE!! I know it is a bit old-school but, try to see everything positively, and not just feel the label of ‘Majdoor‘ or ‘Kam-a-kal‘ or any other branch, tagged to you as a negative one, just give your department a chance. If you don’t like it, then be it, but give it a chance and believe me, you have a hell lot of time to do so.

Point# 3: My rollercoaster ride

This one is especially interesting, for it shackled my forever belief in ‘Planning things ahead.’ I had chosen IITK for its academically rigorous curriculum. In my second year, I took up extra projects in the department, did field training, etc. to fully explore all fields before choosing. There was even a time at the beginning of my third year when I was sure of doing a Ph.D. at the least. But then I analyzed many aspects slowly with time and tried to see myself on the other side of the teaching table. All this went on for long and side by side the struggle to apply for research internships, taking out time to write emails to professors, waiting in anticipation, filling numerous program applications, and finally ending up getting the Honda YES Award. That interview was rough and honestly, I had no hopes. I also did my winter intern at IISc, which made things clearer. I realized that I was not really interested in becoming a professor, which seemed to be a role way bigger for me, since I’m not sure if I could ever be prepared to take a class. This view might change later, but for now, I am very sure of it.

Since I had a good academic record, I decided to stop on the research path and have job experience for now. I sat for the placements, ended up getting placed in American Express, and am really looking forward to the job now. And believe me, your confidence and your profile matter a lot in the interviews. For those who have time, please work on your profile. But don’t take the wrong impression here, for those in their last year, please prepare well for placements. Having been through the season, I have seen preparation do wonders for people.

Takeaway: HAVE PATIENCE AND GIVE IT A THOUGHT! It’s okay if things don’t go as planned, it’s okay if you change your mind at the last moment, it’s never too late to try something out. Just analyze everything thoroughly, and as long as you keep working sincerely for the(t) time of your life, things at (t+t) shall fall in place and for beyond you really don’t know.

Point# 4: Clubs, PORs?

Now it may seem to you that I am a person who sees nothing but the four walls of her room or the library but wait till the end. From the very beginning, thanks to my love for public speaking, I became a part of Hindi Sahitya Sabha. From performing in the fresher’s to participating in Galaxy, this club was a place I always looked forward to until I got busy with the department.

It’s not that I had given up Electronics totally at once, I was involved with the ‘Batti club’ for some time and made some friends who would last for a lifetime. The fun of participating in Techkriti in the first year, doing crazy things, full night outs in the LHC foyers, looking for a place to work, with loads of Odomos; the summer from getting our friend bald to changing the project topic on the last night, those are one of the best memories to look back to.

Talking of PORs, I really only had one major responsibility, the one for SOCE, which I did solely out of my will and not at all for the sake of resume filling.

Takeaway: EXPLORE!! The number of opportunities you get here would never come back, and it’ll be only wise to use them for your good. And don’t miss the chance to have fun here. But don’t do it at the stake of your academics, for you’ll never get that back either.

Point# 5: No interaction? All work and no play?

Well, I’m neither Jack nor dull. So yeah, it was not all work and no play. I really had a minimal number of friends before college, and here, it so was that I did make a lot of friends, some I could count on at any hour of the night and through the lowest points in my life. The random walks at night, exploring every single place on campus, being called the ‘amma’ of the group, and every single moment that made my life special is mainly due to all the people I met here.

I shared the 4am talks with my wingies back at GH, till the last semester. Trips were planned and cancelled every single weekend, throwing tantrums at each other, yet always sitting back to listen to even the long-distance calls to vent out our summer frustration. Add in the long lost-and-found friends from the 10th standard. From stopping the cycle in the middle of the road staring at the moon, to dancing on the roads on ‘Jumma Chumma‘ to having the last momo together before this exile, I am gonna miss each and every one of you.

Some of the seniors I met here are now my permanent family, and thanks to Hindi Sahitya Sabha for that. Can’t imagine how campus life would have been without you. You all just made everything easier and smoother, and every time I needed any advice or just an ear to listen, I knew I had someone. Then becoming the SG amma was not only a responsibility but also an experience that helped me grow and bond with a whole lot of new people. Helping out my bachchis in their problems helped in introspecting too. And not to forget the wonderful orientation of Y17 where we had to wake up earlier than the bachche and guide them through all, long hours and a lot of labour but only to be neutralized by the fun we all had as a team.

The department labs with hours of toiling on the ground and playing with cement and soil also gave me great friends. How could have I lived through those torturous labs without you people? The constant discussions on our career plans, sitting on the stage of L20, and then living through the summer heat. The SOCE people, me becoming the bad cop always, I am so gonna miss those scolding sessions.

How can I forget the Antaragni group, being called the busiest in the group, an extinct animal who only shows up on fests. Really, those 4 days of Antaragni were just 100% fun with lack of sleep and endless barati dance. From Pepsi to the dulha-dulhan of IITK, I will miss all the fun I had.

I cannot end this without talking about the role of the professors in my life. Some of the department faculties really helped out when I saw a dead end. Anytime I needed advice on be it acads, on career or on life in general, I could knock on a door and get in. From solving all my major issues to being available as a mentor, I would really thank them for always being there for me. Do not dread the faculty members; remember, they are just us plus years of experience. Plus, they don’t bite!

Takeaway: MAKE FRIENDS!! You’ll never end up enjoying life as much as you can in these 4 years, you’ll never be so looked after, and you’ll never meet so many like-minded people. Just come out of your rooms and talk to people, make friends! Take home people you know well and who know you well when you leave college.

Conclusion: The most important thing, time is infinite, but only if you manage it well. The number of things I did were only possible because I managed time well and did the right things at the right time (that includes ‘living’ the campus life). But remember, do not follow anyone’s template, make your own, no matter how foolish it might seem to others (as long as it’s not jumping off a cliff), follow it, customize it at every step, and re-follow. Make mistakes, learn from them, spend some time with yourself, with your friends, live like this time’s never coming back and obviously whatever you do, ‘sab chill hai!’

Written by:- Shubhanshi Singh

Edited by:- Sandipan Mitra, Hemant Kejriwal