As we leave…#30

Aman Sharma is a graduating Masters student in the Electrical Department. Let’s have a look at his journey at IIT Kanpur and live the nostalgia and reminiscence with him.

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. 

Countdown had begun, and the last few months were left to leave the campus. Everyone wants to live their lives to the fullest, but unfortunately, we missed these beautiful days to relive and glorify the moments because of the COVID-19  lockdown. I am feeling delighted and excited to share the experience for the Vox’s As We Leave. The experience, journey, and life at IITK were genuinely mesmerizing. Even after being a Master’s guy who usually gets only two years at IITK, I feel the love and affection for the IITK at its crux. Now the journey started….

On the first day of college, I  was supposed to reach at Hall-11 for the Hall allotment. Everyone was busy searching for their roommates. Luckily, I met a guy from my Bachelor’s college (IET Lucknow) and decided for roommates. Within 2-3 days, I  got to know many from IET Lucknow joined IITK for Masters. And this was one of the best things for me because I got the community with whom I could enjoy right from the starting days of college itself. We all enjoyed the orientation program thoroughly. That was one of the best parts of the journey. During the orientation program, we were told to enjoy these days fully; because once academics take off, we would not be able to get much time for enjoyment. And that was the thing that I confronted. It’s tough to manage other things if you are very serious about academics. In the first semester itself,  I opted for Machine Learning (CS771), a CSE department course, and the pre-requisites were not at all fulfilled by me. I was avid for this course, but later on, it became challenging to manage. Up to the midsems, I was almost at the bottom of the course; I seemed contended and barely able to pass, and it disturbed the rest of the courses as well.

At times, I felt like this course may lead to a termination warning in the first semester itself. Yes, I had an option to drop it out. But, as I opted this by my own choice, and I was fondly excited to learn it then, I thought, “How can I give up on my goals so easily?” In the complete midsem break, I stayed in the hall and tried to overcome my weaknesses in the course. Although my score was moderate, I did manage to get a decent grade in CS771. This was the first hopeless fight for me. Due to average marks in the midsems, I was not getting a thesis supervisor. Day by day, I was becoming hopeless to get a supervisor. After a few months, a new professor joined our department. It was a remarkable coincidence for me that his research domain was Machine Learning, and he needed a few PGs for the research. And that’s how I got my thesis supervisor. Thank you so much, sir (Dr.Vipul Arora)! Getting a software profile job of my interest was also a hopeless fight for me. Trust me, “There is always a ray of hope behind every dark cloud.” The element that I learned from these experiences is that you should be proud that you are giving the best.

Just ask yourself, “Did you put in every single ounce of your blood, sweat, and everything to accomplish your goal?” If the answer is yes, then it’s fine irrespective of success or failure. I made some new friends in the first semester, but I did not interact much because I was stuck in the courses. From the second semester, I met a few people who eventually became the crux of this journey. It is these amazing people: Himanshu Gautam, Shweta Parihar, Akanksha Vaish).

Since then the list was continuously increasing. I really wanna thank to all these guys who made my IITK life awesome. Find people who share your interests, challenge you, inspire you, and accept you just the way you are. Be with them. Trust me, they’ll go a long way.

Awesome SPCOM(Y18) people, Hall-11 B234 balcony view, group discussions, mugging up EE 698H, OAT rooftop dumb charades, late-night cycling, Inter IIT lockdown challenges, etc. All these fascinating instances will always be cherished. The Diwali moments on the campus were really adorable. Not only these but also the diversity that the campus focuses on. Different cultural festivals were spectacular. I am fond of dancing, and it was a dream to perform at the OAT stage before leaving the campus. Luckily, I got an opportunity in the PG fest ‘Impressions 2020’.

Just explore as much as you can. In the last semester, I joined the Adventure Sports Club. The conditioning for trekking was also one of the best parts of my IITK journey. This made me know my limits, pushed the boundaries, and helped me explore areas of my mind that I probably would never have discovered and experienced.

Team spirit, courage, determination, and perseverance are infectious! I realized the game is all about the mind. I enjoyed these 40 days of conditioning a lot, and this made me a go-getter. I loved the bicycle life of IITK. All the fests Udghosh, Antaragni, Techkriti silently turns the campus atmosphere into cherishable moments. It just liberates all the pressure of academic hardships, fuels us with full energy, and takes off to another world. I am going to miss these days dearly. This journey leads to many challenges in various forms, but the lesson is, “Less fortunate ones lead to comfortable lives. The lucky ones are tested to push beyond limits in the face of challenge”.

I will be short of words to describe the education, facilities, diversity, etc., of IITK because they are phenomenal. The fundamental and essential thing that reflects from any person are their virtues and their ethics. The professors are so empathetic, compassionate, and down to earth despite the vast amount of knowledge they possess. This sparked me (a wow like feeling!) and made me a better human. Perhaps, these are the lessons that last with me rather than a mere sheet of paper. Lots of opportunities, clubs, extra-curriculums are there to benefit. I’ll just say find your own interests, don’t follow the crowd, follow your bliss, and strive to keep waking up with abounding enthusiasm every morning. Envision it, manifest it.

After clearing GATE 2018 and getting the SPCOM specialization in the EE department, there were lots of questions in my mind such as, “Will I be happy with this specialization, or I can do much better?” Well, this journey put all doubts to rest. I have neither done anything outstanding in academics nor am I graduating with a wow pointer, but it’s sure that IITK made me a good human, which is indeed required for a long race of life. The next time I hear the letters I I T K, I would be overwhelmed with gratitude.

Overall, these two years were awe-inspiring. These lead to a monumental impact, and it’s indeed been an incredible journey with such a stimulating and enriching experience. I’ll cherish this journey forever. Last but not least, “IITK ka tempo high hai.” Cheers!

Written by:- Aman Kumar Sharma

Edited by:- Hemant Kejriwal and Varun Soni