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In the 52nd edition of As We Leave 2026, Nischay Patel, a Y22 from the Department of Biological sciences and Bioengineering, looks back on wings, friendships, and lessons learned the hard way. Through late-night wing sessions, table tennis, impromptu trips, and moments of doubt turned into clarity, he reminds us that leaving IITK meant realising how much of it had quietly become home.
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.
I remember reading a few As We Leave and thinking that one day I’d have to write one too. Since then, my friends and I had this running joke; after some memorable event, whether good, bad, funny, stupid, or unexpectedly meaningful, I would dramatically say, “Yeh toh mere AWL mein jaayega.” Everyone took it as a joke, including me, but somehow those moments kept adding up.
Now that the time has actually come to write this, I realized fitting four years into one story is much harder than I imagined. So instead of trying to remember everything on my own, I opened my gallery and started scrolling. Each photo brought back a moment, an event, a version of myself I had forgotten. So this AWL is going to be somewhat those few “Yeh toh mere AWL mein jaayega” moments, along with the failures and experiences through which I ended up learning significantly.
Wing E5 aka “SherE5baloch”
The People I Didn’t Choose but Somehow Got Stuck With
My bond with the wing started right from Day 1 of college. Playing and doing random things till like 5 in the morning with a few of my wingies (Nikhil, Shivam, etc.), I instantly knew that the wing was going to become one of the closest parts of my four years.
Over time, I realised that even the most random or boring things somehow became memorable. Maybe it was because our wing had 26 people, and almost everyone brought something different to the table, be it studies, coding, sports, music, dance, geopolitics, movies, or simply the ability to troll someone absolutely badly. Some of the best scenes were these random troll sessions and verbal brawls among 2–3 friends, where both sides would try their absolute best to destroy the other using regional humour or whatever trendy humour was going on at the time. All of this always happened in room E512. It became the hub where everyone gathered for all kinds of bakchodi.
As I scroll through my gallery, I find so many top-tier moments that simply cannot be recreated. I’ve tried to recount some of them here.
– First Year Moments. One memory that stands out is the constant verbal fights with C5 wing, which was right opposite to ours. We used to throw oranges at their doors and shout our hall anthems louder than theirs just to establish dominance before inter-hall events had even started. Then came the much-anticipated Galaxy dance event. I had absolutely no interest in dancing and somehow thought I would escape it. But things are always uncertain when seniors are involved. Eventually, thanks to Tamoghna and Prem, I also got dragged into it :)). Surprisingly, I ended up enjoying it. Well, Hall 2 finished last, and me, Yash, and Tamoghna literally ended up tearing up after the results. And honestly, after seeing Galaxy results for four straight years, I strongly believe Hall 2 performs really well every time and still somehow comes last because of pure politics and bias:)). Apart from this, we also used to put our beds outside in the corridor and sleep there at night, randomly dancing shirtless on “Khalibali,” and spending most of our time playing Mini Militia. Those games were basically ego clashes between the good players and absolute entertainment for everyone else.
– First Hard Earned Money. Since childhood, cricket had always been my sport, so wing-vs-wing matches became some of my favourite memories. Thanks to Rachit, Adhiraj, Prem, Anshul and others, these matches continued throughout college. The planning, early-morning practice sessions, and strongest possible lineups all for a ₹200 bet match. It sounds ridiculous now, but in first year that money meant milkshakes and glory. Somehow, we never lost to the south gang. I still don’t know why some of my teammates carried extra energy against the south gang (Rachit might know the lore behind this) :)).
– “Epic Coin Toss For A202 VS A209.” During room allocation in Hall 2, there were 4 people and 2 rooms left. One room happened to be beside the bathroom (A202), so naturally nobody wanted it. Anyways, thanks to the questionable roommate decisions led by Lord Gaurav Kanaujia, we ended up in one of the most nonsensical yet memorable situations. Before the semester even started, we arranged a Google Meet in the summer and explored every possible method; voting, mutual agreement, and what not. But obviously, the wing wanted entertainment, so we settled on a coin toss (best of 3). The winner would get A209. And somehow this legendary room allocation battle actually went all the way to the third and final toss, ending in favour of the NPC of our wing :)) (iykyk).
– 4th Year Felt Like 1st Year. In the last semester, we somehow returned to first-year behaviour. Badminton, poker, cricket, late-night campus walks, Mama Mio, OAT almost every night ended after 5–6 AM. At one point, Naman and I wondered why we hadn’t started doing all this earlier. We eventually concluded that if we had, neither of us would have survived placements or academics 😂. During the fourth-year split between Hall 1 and Hall 9, despite Kumar Vishal’s best efforts, some of us had to stay in Hall 1 while others shifted to Hall 9. At that point, I genuinely felt the wing would slowly drift apart. And honestly, it did, a little. But somewhere between placement tests, interviews, cricket matches, Dance Extravaganza, film club photoshoots, and all the random late-night scenes, we somehow found our way back together again. By the final semester, it never really felt like the Hall 1–Hall 9 split had separated us at all.
Somehow these were the things that kept the wing together for four years. And honestly, when I think of E5 now, these are the moments that come to mind first.
Mkmtch; Mujhe Kya, Main Toh Cute Hu
The Impromptu Group
For those who don’t know, the title is the name of our WhatsApp group. What started with my wingmate introducing a few of us and his friend introducing a few of hers slowly grew into a friend circle that I ended up spending most of my time with.
Ironically, this is probably the hardest section of the entire AWL to write. The closer people are to you, the more difficult it becomes to put those memories into words. Partly because there is too much to write, and partly because I know all of them are going to read this, which automatically increases the pressure and expectations. So I’ll try my best not to disappoint them :)).
A lot of fun experiences were things I genuinely wanted to do, while many others were things I would have probably avoided if left on my own. I have always been someone who naturally gravitates towards his comfort zone, but these people constantly pushed me towards new places, activities, and experiences. Quite often, I would go in with very low expectations, only to end up having a great time and wondering why I was reluctant in the first place. Some recent examples would be Dance Extravaganza. Thanks to them, I ended up learning so many dances and actually enjoyed the experience. Writing testimonials also felt boring and unnecessary initially, yet a few days later I was the one writing them for almost all my friends, thanks to the initial push from the girls :)). Bowling was another thing I got introduced to only after coming to college, and somehow I ended up liking it more than most of them after trying it for the first time.
There were also many smaller things which seemed unnecessary at the time but became meaningful later. One of them was celebrating everyone’s birthdays. The girls would make personalised cards for each birthday person, filled with old photos and thoughtful notes. As birthdays came and went, we would often club together 2–3 celebrations and end up visiting cafés across Kanpur. The girls would also occasionally cook for all of us in their rooms: pasta, garlic bread, and other things that somehow tasted much better because someone else had made them (although they always made sure to recover the money from us later :)) ). In the last semester, badminton became another regular activity. Unlike badminton with the boys, where things somehow became competitive within minutes, here it was mostly about having fun and spending time together. The game itself was never the main attraction; it was just another excuse to hang out.
The most memorable memories have to be the trips we were able to go on together. It all started with a one-day Delhi trip, followed by the most chaotic yet enriching Brahmatal Trek, and eventually ended with an absolutely amazing Meghalaya trip in the last semester. All of these trips came with their fair share of shouting matches, debates, and disagreements. Everyone had their own constraints, schedules, and opinions. Planning trips with a mixed girls-boys group also meant navigating family restrictions and various practical considerations. But somehow, despite having very different viewpoints at times, we always managed to figure things out and move forward together.
The bulla sessions and random night outs (completely impromptu ones, not the planned ones) were genuinely some of the most relaxing moments. These sessions would happen in someone’s room, and would often go on for hours. Everyone would listen to each other’s stories, discuss whatever was going on in their lives, and inevitably end up in some of the most elite chaaplaspatti (gossip) sessions imaginable.
I am also really grateful that this group gave me my closest friend. She would help me with SOPs 😂, discuss academics with me, take courses alongside me, and was always there during some of my low phases. More than anything else, she played a big role in making me more confident. I’m also glad that we finally managed to watch and complete Game of Thrones together in the last semester, something that had probably been pending for far too long.
I realise that a large part of the photos and memories filling up my gallery exist because of those seemingly small moments. More importantly, they were the things that slowly brought the group closer together. Somewhere along the way, this stopped being just another WhatsApp group and became the default people I wanted to share things with.
Table Tennis IITK
I Came for the Sport, Stayed for the People
Before coming to IITK, I had never played any sport at a competitive level, and one of my goals was to change that. I was above average at many sports (a proper jack of all, master of none trait), so I played volleyball, table tennis, and cricket during Freshers’ Inferno. Eventually, I chose table tennis simply because I wanted to learn a new sport. I started going regularly for practice, getting familiar with both the game and the people around it. For almost 2–2.5 years, I tried my best to stay regular and improve. Staying on campus during summer camp and going to the TT court twice a day was an experience in itself.
I was fortunate to represent IITK at Udghosh, Spardha (IIT BHU), Varchas (IIT Jodhpur), and several district-level tournaments in Kanpur. Among all of them, IIT Jodhpur stands out the most. Not because of table tennis, but because we somehow enjoyed everything except table tennis 😂. The Delhi outing, endless card games, and constant roasting after every lost match made it one of the most memorable trips. More importantly, it helped build a great bond with the Y23 juniors.
I was never really in contention for Inter IIT. Our batch had two national-level players among the best across IITs, some strong PGs and the following year another national-level player joined from Y23. Do I regret not playing Inter IIT? Not really. Sports are straightforward, you either win or lose. It is difficult to match someone who has been playing seriously since childhood when you started from scratch in college. What I am proud of is how far I managed to come despite starting from zero.
Over time, I gained much more than just the sport. The TT court became a place for endless interactions with seniors and juniors. It never felt like a typical senior-junior relationship. There were no unnecessary formalities, forced respect, or barriers. In fact, when I think of Y20 and Y21 seniors, some of the best seniors that come to mind are from the TT team. Throughout these four years, it was always about much more than the sport. There were countless outings and parties, starting from Y20 placements and farewell parties, then Y21, then Y22, along with a few PhD farewell parties in between. Honestly, I don’t think any other club managed to organise these many celebrations. Another surprising thing was how comfortable the PGs made the environment. It is usually difficult to be completely free with PG students, but in TT, they were some of the most chill people around.
I joined hoping to learn a new sport, but ended up gaining far more than I could have imagined. Being part of the TT team turned out to be one of the best decisions of these four years.
Things I actually learnt at IITK
– CPI and Academics are more important than you think. Like many others, I ended my first semester with a 6 pointer CPI, partly because I genuinely did not understand how important academics would be later on. I also made the mistake of comparing myself with others. What works for someone else may not work for you. If you are behind in something, there is no shortcut, you simply have to put in more work to catch up. CPI is not everything, but it does open or close many doors. Internships, placements, and higher studies opportunities are all affected by it. Looking back, I would rather have spent a few extra hours studying than spend years wishing I had.
– The Cost of Doing Things for the Wrong Reasons. In my first year, I tried my best to get into an SNT summer project but wasn’t able to. Unlike many others, I had almost no prior exposure to technology before IITK, so things felt overwhelming from the start. The same happened during Club secy interviews, and I ended up getting into none of the SNT clubs. Soon, FOMO kicked in. Everyone around me seemed to be part of some club, and I felt that I was falling behind. As a result, I joined the IITKMS team. Looking back, it was probably the wrong decision for me. I chose a non-technical role, spent a significant amount of time on it, and ended up neither learning much nor having enough free time to explore things on my own.
A similar thing happened in third year when I applied for CTM. The biggest reason I did was probably the fear of not having a 3rd year POR and feeling left out. I spent a lot of time preparing, talking to seniors, and going through multiple interview rounds, only to get rejected in the final round. The rejection did hurt a lot, but what bothered me more was not getting a clear reason for it from most of the CTMs until one of my TT seniors, who was also a CTM, explained the situation honestly. Sometimes all you need is clear reasons; rather than classic CTM responses like you did better but we had a number cap :))
Ironically, that rejection turned out to be one of the better things that happened to me. That same summer, I did a research internship, published a paper, and realised where my actual interests lay. One thing I learnt is that not getting into something is rarely the real problem. Chasing something for the wrong reasons often is. IITK has plenty of opportunities; don’t get involved somewhere just because everyone else seems to be doing something.
– Most People Present a Filtered Version of Themselves. One pattern I noticed about myself was how easily I got influenced by other people’s opinions. I have always been someone who speaks quite openly and honestly without keeping any filter, so I often assumed others were doing the same (a very wrong assumption to have). If someone said they weren’t studying, I felt less pressure to study. If everyone was chasing PORs, I felt I needed one too.
Over time, I realised that many people are not the best source of information about their own lives. People often say they are not studying while they actually are, act relaxed while quietly preparing, or make things look easier than they really are. Most of the time it is not even intentional; everyone presents a filtered version of themselves. Looking back, I think I made many decisions based on what others appeared to be doing instead of honestly evaluating my own situation. One thing I learnt is that comparison only works when the starting points are the same, and at IITK they rarely are. It is far more important to understand your own goals, strengths, and requirements than follow the crowd.
– Many Things Are Possible If You Actually Give A Try. Just after securing an on-campus internship, I was happy and people around me told me to relax, everything is sorted, no need to do anything else now. The advice wasn’t wrong, but somewhere along the way I forgot that one of my actual goals was to do a foreign research internship. No one knows you better than yourself.
During the vacations, I realised that I had slowly started replacing my own goals with other people’s expectations. So, to rectify that I began applying for foreign research internships. The process came with its own complications. I already had a corporate internship, and people told me it is not advisable to leave on-campus internships. Later, when I accepted an off-campus foreign research internship, it extended 4–5 days beyond the late registration deadline of the next semester. Once again, I was told that getting approval would be nearly impossible and semester-drop will happen.
This time, however, I decided to find out for myself instead of accepting what everyone else believed. Things eventually worked out, I did get approval for coming late for the next semester and things also did work out in placement season as well. Looking back, I realised that many things at IITK seem impossible not because they are actually impossible, but because very few people try them. Most systems are run by students and administrators, and if your request is reasonable, things can often be worked out.
– Keep Your Friends Close. Campus experiences feel incomplete without close friends. Fests, events, trips, and celebrations are all more enjoyable when shared with people who genuinely care about you. But more importantly, you realise the value of close friendships during difficult phases. One thing I learnt during placements was that nobody is more invested with you than your closest friends and wingies. They are the people who will actively help you, guide you, and do everything they can. Before one of my interviews, Naman (Wingie) walked me through what the company would likely expect, the kind of questions they might ask, and how the process usually worked because he had already interned there and secured a PPO. That kind of help rarely comes from distant acquaintances.
Outro
If you’ve somehow made it this far, thank you for reading.
Before ending this AWL, there is one thing I genuinely believe about IIT Kanpur. IITK has almost everything a person needs to become good at something. The difficult part is rarely the lack of opportunities; it is taking the first step. One thing I learnt over these four years is that action matters much more than intention. Without action, everything remains a simulation in your mind.
Most of the experiences I wrote about here happened simply because I decided to get involved, even when I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. I have seen many friends arrive at IITK as one person and leave as a completely different one, in the best possible way. And I genuinely believe anyone can do the same. Lastly, understand the value of helping others and If you are fortunate enough to learn something useful, pass it on. Be the person who shares opportunities, guides juniors, and helps others avoid mistakes you have already made.
Turns out, some “Yeh toh mere AWL mein jaayega” moments made it into this AWL and many didn’t. But they still happened. Maybe that’s what leaving means, not fitting four years into one blog, but choosing a few moments and trusting the rest to stay with you.
Lastly, thanks to Vedika (Y25 POC) for helping me and, more importantly, for extending the deadline multiple times :)).
Written by: Nischay Patel
Edited by: Vedika Mimani, Lavanya Srivastava
