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In the 41st edition of As We Leave 2026, Aditya Ranjan, a Y22 student from the department of Earth Sciences, opens his memory boxes one last time. He takes us on a journey through late-night cycling adventures, hostel gatherings, and the humor of hiding from the summer heat inside AC classrooms. Reflecting on an “unlucky” placement season and a transformative experience organizing IIT Kanpur’s cultural festival, Antaragni, Aditya looks back on a beautiful college ride defined by experiencing everything wholeheartedly.
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.
As I leave this place, I realize that the most valuable things I am taking with me are not grades, certificates, or achievements, but the memories and people who made these years unforgettable. My journey here was filled with experiences I could never have imagined on the first day. From random food plans with wingies to cycling outside the campus late at night without any destination, every moment added a story to remember. Some of my best memories were made during long conversations, hostel gatherings, fest preparations, and countless spontaneous adventures.
I was fortunate to meet amazing friends who became family. Together we celebrated successes, laughed at mistakes, survived difficult times, and created memories that will stay with us forever. I also enjoyed building relationships with professors, not just as teachers but as mentors and friends from whom I learned valuable life lessons.
One experience that became unexpectedly big for me was my journey with Antaragni, the cultural festival of IIT Kanpur. What started as just another organizing responsibility turned into one of the most memorable and transformative experiences of my college life. As an organizer for one of the events, I was responsible for coordinating with judges, celebrities, and performers. Initially, I thought my role would mainly involve logistics, but it quickly became much more than that. I spent hours interacting with renowned personalities, understanding their expectations, solving problems, and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Over time, many of them began to trust me and even preferred communicating through me as their primary point of contact. One of the most rewarding aspects was building genuine relationships. Some of the judges and celebrities I worked with became friends, and I learned a great deal from their experiences and perspectives. Handling high-pressure situations, managing different personalities, and ensuring that everyone felt valued taught me skills that no classroom could. Beyond the professional growth, Antaragni opened me up as a person. Working closely with my college friends to deliver successful events created memories that I will cherish forever. The excitement, the challenges, the late-night preparations, and the satisfaction of seeing a packed venue enjoying an event we had worked so hard on made the experience truly special. Looking back, Antaragni was much more than an event for me—it was an experience that helped me grow in confidence, communication, leadership, and relationship-building, while giving me some of the best moments of my college life.
Of course, there were failures too. Not everything went according to plan, but those moments taught me resilience and helped me grow. Looking back, I feel that the real beauty of this journey was not in achieving everything perfectly but in experiencing everything wholeheartedly. To my juniors, make the most of every opportunity this place offers. Explore, participate, travel, fail, learn, and most importantly, create memories. One day, these ordinary moments will become the stories you cherish the most.
Written by: Aditya Ranjan
Edited by: Manvendra M Seth, Pratyush Sandhwar