Vox Populi

As We Leave #18: Four Years at IIT Kanpur: A Journey Through Screens, Stages, and Self-Discovery

Vox Populi — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:34:07 +0000

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In this 18th edition of As We Leave, Rohan Virmani, a Y21 student from the Department of Chemical Engineering, takes us through a deeply personal and candid reflection on his IIT Kanpur journey. His story begins with the silent struggle of JEE preparation during the COVID lockdown, leading to an online first year that gradually transitioned into vibrant campus life. Rohan chronicles his experiences through the highs and lows of balancing academics with diverse extracurriculars, from national-level tennis to leading the Music Club. He shares moments of self-doubt and broken friendships, alongside the triumphs of major projects, a challenging corporate internship, and the profound bonds forged with friends and mentors. Rohan’s narrative is a testament to perseverance, the importance of trusting one’s intuition, and the transformative power of finding one’s purpose and community, ultimately concluding with the bittersweet farewell to a place that gave him “a voice, a purpose, a family, and a story”.

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.

Before IIT Kanpur, there was a dark, uncertain stretch. I prepared for JEE in the middle of the COVID lockdown—a time of silence, screens, self-doubt, and survival. There were no classrooms, no coaching centers, no fixed schedules. I often found myself wondering: Am I really good enough for this? The isolation tested me in ways I hadn’t expected. But I made it. I stepped into IITK not with full confidence, but with quiet hope—and that was enough to begin.

First Year – From Screens to Scenes

My first year at IIT Kanpur didn’t begin at a campus gate or a hostel room. It began on a laptop screen. We were the COVID batch—Y21—and for the first few months of college, home was the classroom, and Zoom was the auditorium. There were no corridors buzzing with chaos, no lecture halls to get lost in, no canteen chai at midnight. Everything we were told college would be… was on hold.

Still, I wanted to feel something. So I showed up to everything I could—orientation meets, random batch calls, informal student interactions—just to get a sense of what this community might be like. As a singer, music became my gateway into connection. I sang at meets, open mics, even casual chats. Soon, people started to recognize me. “That guy with long hair who sings.” The support I received online was something I hadn’t expected. Instagram became my stage, and it felt like I was becoming part of a shared identity, despite the distance. Even seniors knew me by name—thanks to the power of music and social media.

But academics? That was another story.

Online classes didn’t feel real. We were told about strict proctoring. It made exams feel like landmines, and yet, a strange casualness crept in. I couldn’t get myself to focus. Lectures blurred into each other. Motivation came in waves and disappeared just as quickly. I was “in IIT Kanpur,” but I didn’t feel like I was in college. Still, I began to learn -not just course material, but how to manage myself in a world without structure. More than that, I began to understand just how incredibly talented and brilliant the people around me were. From Olympiad rankers to kids who’d built startups before arriving here, IITK was a different league altogether. That realization was humbling. It stripped away the comfort of being a “topper” and replaced it with quiet awe.

And yet, we made space for fun too.

I still remember the prank mail someone sent—pretending to be from the EC, accusing people of cheating. I fell for it. We all did. And we laughed about it for days.

We had midnight gossip sessions, theories about when we’d be called to campus, and emotional support group-style venting about classes. We found friends in people we hadn’t even seen in person. It was strange, beautiful, and confusing—all at once.

One of the most comforting structures during this time was the Counselling Service. It wasn’t just an orientation program—it was a system of support. Every fresher had a Student Guide (SG), who we called our Baapu. Their SG was our Dada, and we even had to find our Amma. What started as jokes and memes eventually became real connections. These seniors helped us navigate everything from course selections to random emotional breakdowns at 2 AM.

And then it finally happened.

On April 2nd, 2022, the Y21 batch arrived on campus. After months of online guessing, I was finally here. The sun felt different. The buildings, real. The people, alive. The offline orientation began, and I performed on stage for the first time—singing and beatboxing in front of a real crowd, feeling the weight of real applause. I still remember the rush, the nerves, the silence before the first note. That performance marked something for me. It wasn’t just a song. It was a transition.

That orientation period was full of moments. I participated in CS events like “Reel to Real”, which I ended up winning. I made more friends, explored more corners of the campus, and stepped deeper into the cultural life here. I even took part in the freshers’ dance showcase—a performance that would go on to cross over 10 million views online. It felt like a strange mix of virality and vulnerability, but it made me feel seen. Academically, I was able to maintain the CPI I had secured in the online semester. But now, with offline life in full swing, time management became real. Between rehearsals, hangouts, assignments, and figuring out where Lecture Hall Complex actually was, I learned how to juggle chaos. I also started playing tennis again, slowly reconnecting with the sport that had once made me a national-level player back in school. That first hit of the ball on IITK’s courts was pure nostalgia.

By the end of the year, I wasn’t just adjusting—I was living. I had my friend groups, a growing sense of identity, and a feeling that I had space to grow. It wasn’t perfect. I had bad days. I had moments of doubt. But I was starting to believe that I could build a life here—not just pass through it.

“If you’re a fresher reading this—know that it’s okay to feel lost. We all do, even if no one says it. But if you give yourself the chance, this place will give you people, memories, and meaning you didn’t know you needed.”

Second Year – The Grind, the Grief, and the Glory

If the first year was about arriving, second year was about becoming—and also, about breaking.

The year kicked off with what felt like a storm of expectations. Every club was calling for secretary nominations, the councils were recruiting, and people were beginning to shape their college identities. And me? I was everywhere.

I applied—and got selected—into the Music Club, the Finance and Analytics Club, and Vox, the journalism body. I was also involved in Techkriti(our tech fest) and simultaneously resumed playing lawn tennis, where I got selected for the Inter IIT 2022 team. But with all that excitement came an impossible question: How much can I stretch myself before something snaps?

One of the first big choices I had to make was between Dance Club and Music Club. I wasn’t formally trained in either, but I’d enjoyed both. And while I could move decently on stage, I couldn’t ignore the feeling of singing—that rush. I chose Music, trusting that I could dance anytime in life, but music at this scale? This was my window. But the joy of making it into all these spaces quickly collided with schedule clashes, pressure, and sacrifices. That hit me the hardest when I realized I wouldn’t be able to represent the Music Club at the cult meet. Why? Because of tennis commitments. That moment stung. It felt unfair. Like I was being punished for being involved in too many things. Seniors helped me navigate the emotions, explaining how club dynamics, selection processes, and internal politics work.

That’s when I learned: sometimes, you don’t get rejected because you weren’t good enough. You just didn’t fit the puzzle that day.

Still, I gave my best to tennis. We went to IIT Delhi for Inter IIT, and even though we didn’t win a medal, we fought hard and reached the quarterfinals. The training phase brought back that old sporting discipline—morning practice, controlled routine, eating right, sleeping early—all while still juggling club meetings and deadlines. It was intense. But it reminded me of who I had been once, and what I was still capable of.

Meanwhile, I was also functioning across three student councils.

● Under SnT, I was a Finance Club secretary.

● Under MnC, I was active in Music Club.

● Under GnS, I was repping tennis.

It was insane. My calendar was packed beyond logic, and I was running on fumes most days. But I was learning—about how IITK works, about how people work, and about how I work under pressure.

And then, life threw its first really tough test.

Some of my closest friendships began to crack and fall apart. Misunderstandings. College differences. Hurtful things said, unsaid, assumed. I felt like the ground under me was shifting. For someone who had always been surrounded by strong support systems, this was hard. And to make it worse, I had started getting mocked and criticized. Not by strangers—but by people I had shared things with. People who once cheered for me.I started becoming the topic of side jokes. I felt watched. Judged. And for the first time since arriving at IITK, I felt alone in a crowd.It shook me. I began to overthink everything—every word I said, every event I performed at, every time I raised my hand in a class. It was like my confidence had slipped through a crack I didn’t notice forming.

But here’s the thing: I kept going.

Somewhere in that phase, a few people reminded me of who I was. They sat with me, listened, laughed, challenged my spirals. They helped me breathe again. And slowly, I found newer friendships, deeper connections, and more importantly—a better version of myself.

But then came another hit.

I had applied to become a Student Guide (SG), I wasn’t selected. When I found out why, it felt deeply unfair. That night was a quiet one. Not dramatic. Just… heavy. I again doubted myself and did not feel motivated to continue and apply for any 3rd year Por, but with a lot of self thoughts I rose and thought of not letting down myself and my 2nd year struggles. I was not very confident but what I didn’t know then was that something big was coming. After a long chain of events leading to a very emotionally draining interview, I was selected as the Coordinator of the Music Club. The very club where I once nervously auditioned for a small spot in the line-up… I was now going to lead.

That feeling? Unmatched. I still remember sitting in the club room after it became official, looking at the walls, thinking about all the times I had sat there frustrated, inspired, angry, or in awe. And now—I had the keys. The rest of the semester passed in a strange combination of exhaustion, growth, and closure. I wasn’t everywhere anymore. I had my focus, my people, and a clearer understanding of what mattered.I could have gone on to become the Tennis captain—I had a shot. But once again, I chose music. And my tennis captain didn’t just understand that—he supported it. That moment of respect meant more than any selection letter.

I ended second year with fewer people, but stronger bonds. Friends became family. My wingmates, my club teammates—we had all been through our own versions of chaos, and now we stood together, wiser.

“This year taught me that you will lose people. You will be misjudged. You will doubt yourself. But if you keep showing up—with integrity, with passion, and with patience—you will find your place. And more importantly, you’ll find your people.”

The Summer That Changed Everything – From Isolation to Impact

The summer after my second year was not a break. It was a battleground—with three fronts: Music Club leadership, a SURGE research internship, and the most stressful thing on campus at the time—internship preparation.

On one hand, I had just stepped in as the Coordinator of the Music Club. That wasn’t just a title—it came with legacy, pressure, and expectations. I began reaching out to the juniors, setting the tone, building systems, and shaping a vision for the club. I launched new initiatives—small event ideas, experiments to test how we could revive our presence. But it wasn’t all strategy and spreadsheets. I remember nights spent in the club room—sitting with secretaries, cleaning the space together, getting familiarised. We celebrated the clean-up with treats, stayed back to watch movies, cracked jokes, and started building something real.

It felt like more than leadership. It felt like home.

But that was just one side of the summer.

I had also taken up a SURGE research project under a Chemical Engineering professor. The topic was exciting—self-propelled particle motion—and it sounded like something that would challenge me. I worked under two PhD scholars. One helped me with the code—we worked on data analysis of particle trajectories. The other had me do actual experimental prep in the lab. It should’ve been a fantastic experience. But the professor, unfortunately, was almost entirely absent. We didn’t even meet him properly until the last day. That lack of engagement left a bad taste, and I made up my mind not to continue the work post-SURGE. Still, I learned a lot—about how research happens, about how to work with teams, and most importantly, about what kind of work doesn’t excite me.

And then came the real mental war—internship preparation.

I knew one thing with certainty: I didn’t want to do coding. Not long-term. Not even short-term. But in IIT, especially during internship season, coding becomes the default religion. So I followed the crowd—learned DSA, did competitive programming, solved problems, sat for mock tests. And while I could do it, I just… hated it. The pressure got worse when I wasn’t even shortlisted for the top three consulting firms I was aiming for. I had genuinely believed I had a good shot. And when those doors didn’t open, I panicked.

“What if I’m not good enough for the other firms too? What if this was my one shot?”

The frustration grew. The stress mounted. And one day, I just cracked. I broke down on a video call with my family—told them I couldn’t do this anymore. That I didn’t know what I was doing, and that I was scared. Their response? Unshaken trust. They told me they believed in me—whatever I chose, whatever I failed at, whatever I tried again. That gave me the strength to finally listen to myself. I dropped DSA. I pivoted to analyst and techno-managerial roles—roles where I could speak, ideate, analyze, present. It felt more natural. I began preparing for resumes, interviews, group discussions. I stayed up late practicing stories, building frameworks, understanding what made me different—not just employable.

And then, as summer reached its end, the internship tests began. The atmosphere on campus shifted—tense, electric, desperate.

I gave a few tests. Waited. Then came ITC.

I cleared the resume shortlist. There was an online test a few days before Day 0. And then came the big night.

Day 0 – The Night I’ll Never Forget

On Day 0, I was slotted for a Group Discussion (GD) round with 8 people. We entered the room, gave our best in that 10–15 minute chaos of ideas, buzzwords, and speaking-time politics. It ended at around 9 PM.

And then came the wait.

We were told the callback list would be out by 11 PM. At 11:30, I wasn’t called. I assumed I was out. Disappointed, I walked over to the Music Club. Just wanted to sit, maybe distract myself. Then headed back to my room around 3 AM, ready to sleep off the sadness.

And then it happened.

3:15 AM. My phone rang. It was my POC.

“You’re on the waitlist. You have your technical round in 15 minutes. Be ready.”

I was in shock. I had no prep materials. No suit laid out. I splashed water on my face, ran out, and headed to the interview venue.

I was tired. But alert. And when I entered the room, I did the one thing I knew best—I told a story. I steered the conversation to my SURGE project, broke down the logic, and explained how I handled problem-solving in a messy research environment.

They nodded. Asked smart follow-ups. I handled them.

That round went from 4 AM to about 5 AM.

We were told that a second technical round would happen in the morning for those who cleared the first. The next shortlist would be released around 7 AM.

I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t.

Instead, I revised my core chemical engineering concepts and prepared for the final battle.

At 7 AM, the list came out. I was in.

The Final Interview – Structure, Story, and Silence

At around 8:30 AM, I reached the ITC office. There, I was met by the HR Ma’am, who casually asked about my music, my tennis, and everything that wasn’t academic. It set the tone for what was to come. Then I walked into the second technical round—a formal interview in an oval office. I was nervous, but ready. They threw a few trick questions at me. I didn’t get flustered. I pulled out a sheet, drew structured diagrams, built a logical flow, and talked them through my approach—not just my answers.

I could see them nodding. Interested. Engaged. I stepped out knowing I had left it all on the table. And around 11 AM, the results were announced.

I was selected.

That moment still feels unreal.

From the waitlist to the final selection—from the edge of self-doubt to standing among the first to get an intern on Day 1 morning—it was a journey I’ll never forget.

“That summer taught me many things. But above all, it taught me this: Trust your discomfort. Your intuition. Your chaos. Sometimes what breaks you is only making room for what defines you.”

Third Year – The Rise and the Realizations

The fifth semester started with a strange mix of emotions. On paper, things were going well—I had just finished my Day 1 intern and had a solid chance at a PPO later from ITC since they had a good history for it and so I felt a little secured. But around me, things were different. A lot of my closest friends hadn’t gotten internships yet. They were deep in prep mode, focused, grinding. So while I was free academically, I couldn’t celebrate. It just didn’t feel right.

While my friends stayed buried in coding sheets and prep groups, I spent more time at the Music Club, now as the Coordinator. That was the one role where I could truly give my all. I’d just finished one of the best semesters of my life with a 9-point SPI and a CPI around 8.4, but this time, my priorities shifted. I let go of the academic push and focused more on making sure our club’s legacy stood strong.

We had a packed semester—three to four major club events, preparation for Antaragni in October, and the Inter IIT Cultural Meet coming in December. Days became a routine: waking up, attending a few classes, rushing to the club room, staying there till midnight or later, planning events, training the juniors, figuring logistics, fighting over song parts, and trying to hold it all together.

But leadership comes with its price. Somewhere during that stretch, I started having fallouts with a few seniors. Some of those bonds—ones I had respected deeply—got complicated. I also realized that leading people isn’t about being liked. And in a creative club, where ego, passion, and politics run high, things can get messy. With secretaries, too, the equation varied. Sometimes it felt like I was carrying everything alone. I tried acting tougher than I was, but it drained me. Amid this, friendships I held close started to slip. College differences, misunderstandings, ego clashes—things I thought would never change, did. I began overthinking everything. For a while, I was just functioning. Managing events, attending meetings, planning competitions, keeping up appearances—but inside, I was worn out.

And then came Antaragni. Despite the chaos, the club came together for it. We practiced like mad. The energy was high, the expectations were huge. And somehow, we pulled it off. For the first time in years, Music Club won third place at Antaragni. I still remember standing with the others, looking at the results and realizing: We did it.

That event happened around my birthday, and in a strange way, it felt like the club had given me a gift. All those hours spent learning, scolding, mentoring—it meant something. I had also worked with some seniors to compose an original song for one of the competitions. That process gave me more confidence as a composer and collaborator—it taught me that creation can happen even amidst chaos.

But success came at a cost. All the work took a toll on academics. My attendance dropped in a couple of courses, and I ended up with my lowest ever SPI—7.5. That one hurt. Since school and through JEE prep, I had always been proud of my discipline. I’d kept it together. I had held the balance between passion and academics. And now, I felt like I had let myself down. That sting stayed with me. And it gave birth to a silent resolve:

“ I will work hard in the next sem. I will fix my CPI.”

Because I wanted to graduate with First Division Distinction, that 8.5 CPI. I was sitting at 8.4. So close. But it felt far.

This was also the time I found someone special. Alongside all these hardships, the club gave me someone to share my thoughts with , to share my time with and to feel complete after a long time since I lost most of my closest people last semester. She started off as my secy but that bond grew stronger.

And then came the Inter IIT Cultural Meet in December. This time, things were different. We weren’t just some team—we were a unit. My batchmates, my juniors—everyone I’d grown with was now performing at the highest stage for our club. It was personal. It was emotional. We trained with insane discipline. Weeks of rehearsals. Planning every transition, every note, every lineup. Everyone questioned everything. The pressure was brutal. But we believed in our sound. When we arrived at IIT Kharagpur, we knew we weren’t just representing IIT Kanpur—we were representing ourselves, our club, and our journey.

And then—we delivered.

We won overall second position. A historic moment for the club. I was part of the medal-winning band performance, singing on stage, watching the crowd light up.

I’ll never forget the moment my former Coordinator—who had mentored me in my early days—saw me perform live. Afterward, he came up to me and said he was proud. That hit different. Because I had once stood when he was performing—watching, learning, dreaming.

Now, I was living it.

We returned to campus exhausted but glowing. The club had achieved something big. The juniors had grown. The seniors were proud. The bonds we had built, especially during those long practice nights—they became family.

“That year taught me that even when everything seems to be slipping—academics, people, peace—if you hold on long enough, something will bring you back to yourself.”

The Summer of Pollachi – Where Work Got Real

By the time I stepped into the actual internship phase, I thought I was ready. But nothing truly prepares you for the real thing—your first experience in a corporate, industrial setting, with real people, real expectations, and no comfort zone.
When I received my posting, I was skeptical.
Pollachi—a quiet town near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
I’d expected remote locations; we all knew the ITC Foods division often posted interns at factory sites. But still—going there alone, not knowing the local language, made it feel daunting. I couldn’t shake off the uneasiness. Before that, though, came the corporate induction. I landed in Kolkata for the main ITC induction, and it blew my mind. We stayed in a 5-star hotel, suited up, surrounded by peers from across the country. For two days, we walked through ITC’s history, legacy projects, work culture, and impactful internships from previous years. It was grand. Inspiring. Intense. And in its own way, a reward for having made it here. But just as I was settling into that feeling, I was on the move again—this time to Bangalore for the division-specific induction for Foods. It was more grounded, more technical, and gave us a preview of what our roles would entail.
And then—I flew to Pollachi.
From metropolitan hotels to the foothills of the Valparai hills, the contrast was sharp. But the place was stunning. Green. Serene. Alive with nature. The air felt different. My stay was comfortable, well arranged, and the ITC team ensured I had what I needed. But there was one thing no one could prepare me for what came next. I was alone in my location. I had no batchmate, no close friend around. And the language barrier made even small things—like ordering food—an adventure. Most meals were sambar-rice, and north Indian food was barely available. Communication with the shopkeepers, auto drivers, and even the factory staff was an ongoing effort in gestures and guesses. But soon, I found rhythm. My posting was at ITC’s candy factory, and I had been assigned three projects—each requiring technical understanding, analysis, and problem-solving. Unlike many internships, this wasn’t shadow work. I wasn’t fetching data for someone else’s spreadsheet. I was expected to understand the entire production line, identify areas of improvement, and work hands-on with 2–3 dedicated machines.
I spent long hours in the factory—six days a week, often 10+ hours a day. I had only 2–3 off days throughout those two months. I got my hands dirty. I stood next to machines, observed processes, took notes, questioned operators, made modifications, and interacted directly with the ITC team on-site. This was real engineering. Real decision-making. And it came with
freedom. That was the most surprising part—I wasn’t micromanaged. I was trusted. And that trust made me push harder. But the weight of the work wasn’t just physical.
Every night, I’d come back to my room—alone. There were no friends to decompress with. No late-night wing talk. Just me, my notes, and my phone. I stayed in touch with my family and a few close friends. Video calls kept me sane. I’d hear about their cities, their projects, their fun weekends, and I’d quietly note how different my internship experience was. Not better or worse. Just different.
And somewhere in that quiet, in that distance, I grew up a little.
My lens changed. I started to see things differently. The way teams worked, the real-world challenges, the stakes of even small changes on the floor—it all felt more serious, more meaningful than any classroom problem I’d solved. The wait for PPO results would stretch on. And I was anxious. But no matter what the result would be, I knew this much:
I had shown up. I had delivered. And more than anything, I had proven to myself that I could walk into the unknown—and come out stronger. At the end of the internship, I underwent six rounds of PPO reviews. Each review pushed me to justify my work—not just technically, but in terms of impact. I had to think like a professional, not a student. And that shift… it changed
everything. This wasn’t just a project. This was a preview of life after college. Of real work. Real people. Real constraints. And real contribution. By the time I wrapped up and left Pollachi, I wasn’t the same person who had nervously googled “where is Pollachi” two months earlier. I came home tired, tanned, but fulfilled. And just the next month my manager
there contacted me and told me that my work actually really helped. I felt proud.

Fourth Year – The Last Lap and the Long Goodbye

I returned to campus after the summer internship in Pollachi with a head full of questions and a heart full of hope. I had given it my all. Six PPO reviews, three full-fledged projects, solo living, factory floor hustle—I believed I had a chance. But I didn’t know for sure. That made the beginning of seventh semester… strange. Around me, people were preparing for placements like their life depended on it. The stress was everywhere. Notes were being passed around. Juniors were huddled with seniors, and even the chai guy knew which company was visiting on which day.
But I was in this weird limbo.
On one hand, I hadn’t received my PPO yet. On the other, I didn’t want to do coding, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to grind like that for a fallback role. I had already made up my mind—if not ITC, I would only go for analyst or consulting roles. So while others ran to classes and mock tests, I found myself in the Music Club, trying to stay grounded. A part of me felt guilty—watching my friends drown in anxiety while I stayed away from the heat. But I also understood that guilt wouldn’t help anyone.
And then came August.
It was intern season for my juniors now. I had taken so many mock interviews and sessions during my own summer—sharing tips, clearing doubts, reviewing resumes. Now, I watched my juniors go through their own versions of the Day 0 grind. I was there when some of them
cracked it. And I was there when some didn’t. Their journeys reminded me of my own breakdowns, my own panic calls to family—and how I came out of that storm.

And then, on August 23rd, it happened. I got the call. PPO confirmed.

I still remember staring at the screen for a few seconds, just absorbing those words. I deleted all my resume drafts that night and had a sigh of relief .But the journey wasn’t over—not even close. Because now came the time to be there for others.

The Placement Season – Chaos and Closure

As placements neared, campus changed. You could feel it in the air. People walk faster. Eyes more tired. Friendships turning tense. Everyone became their own island—focused, driven, scared. I helped where I could. Reviewed resumes. Held mock GDs. Offered company-specific insights from my internship. But the emotional part was heavier. Some of my closest friends hadn’t secured PPOs. And they were now staring into the abyss of Day 0 with all its uncertainty. We tried to keep each other afloat. And then December came.

Placement Week.

No sleep. Constant refreshes of interview lists. Running between Hall-13 wings. Group chats exploding. Seniors being spammed. People getting ghosted mid-process. People breaking down. People hugging after selections. People walking alone after rejections. It was madness. And even though I wasn’t in it—I felt everything. I had friends across the
spectrum. And I saw all of it—success, bitterness, redemption, guilt. There was no space for grudges anymore. Old fights dissolved.
The batch came together.
I still remember the nights when my closest friends got placed. Some cried, the others just sat still. Those nights, we didn’t sleep. We just sat in the wing corridor, talked about our journeys, and realized that the scariest part was almost over. One week later, most people were sorted. Some still had interviews coming. But the peak storm had passed.

We made plans for Goa, laughed again like old times, and for the first time in months—breathed freely.

One Last Inter IIT – One Last Song

My musical journey wasn’t over yet . Because one last Inter IIT Cultural Meet remained. And it meant everything to me. This time, we had the best team I could have hoped for—my closest batchmates, juniors I mentored, friends I had fought and laughed with. Everyone was fully involved, and we wanted to give it our all. We trained like never before—complex songs,
difficult transitions, high-risk arrangements. We questioned everything. But we trusted each other. And when we reached the host campus, we walked in knowing—this would be our last time representing IITK together.
I performed a song I had written myself—my own lyrics, my own emotion, poured out in front of 22 IITs. I held the mic with every ounce of presence I had. I had become the guy who holds the stage. That was my role. That was who I was.
We didn’t win this time. But that didn’t matter.
The respect we received, the cheers we heard, the pride we felt—it told us everything. Our juniors had grown. Our team had bonded. Our legacy was in good hands.
“Sometimes, you don’t need validation to know you’ve done something right.”

Eighth Semester – Letting Go, Holding On

The final semester came quietly. Almost everyone was placed. There were no real classes anymore. People were chill. The masks had dropped. The race was over. But I still had one unfinished promise—to graduate with a CPI of 8.5. I was close. Very close. I got my highest ever spi of 9.4 last sem.I just had to maintain that. So I carefully picked 4 courses and a UG
project with a professor I had worked with before. I stayed focused, not paranoid.
And the Music Club still remained. I wasn’t Coordinator anymore, but I was still performing. Still guiding juniors. Still living it till the end.
In January we had our second last event. I was supposed to perform “Bandeh”—a special performance with my former co-coordinator. It would’ve been our first duet. A final send-off. But due to time constraints, we couldn’t perform it. That hurt. It felt incomplete.
But fate had other plans.
In April, just weeks before farewells, we finally performed “Bandeh” in our last music club event ever, The ME’25.
All four Coordinators—together—for the first and last time.
And that one line—
“Arre ruk jaa re bandeh”—
echoed inside me like a goodbye.
I also performed “Bheegi Bheegi” with my closest friend from the club—the same friend who had been my anchor all these years. It was the song we had dreamt of singing together since first year. It wasn’t easy. If you know, you know. But we pulled it off. Our juniors stood, clapped, and honored our journey. The club paid its respects.
And then came the year-end villa party. It was wild. Emotional. Chaotic. Perfect. (Details? DM me. That night belongs to us.)

The End

March brought the Goa trip—our Ache Launde gang of seven. I was one of the planners, and I even got us custom printed T-shirts with our silhouettes and a tagline that ended up going viral among the batch. The trip itself? What happens in Goa… stays in Goa.

April brought closure. Old first-year friends came over. We celebrated Holi at my home with my family. It felt like all timelines—past, present, and future—had converged for a moment of stillness.
The last fest.
The last class.
The last walk
And finally—Endsems. These felt different. We all knew somewhere that this will be the last time we are studying here in this campus, the last time we will go to the library. The last time we will put in all nighters to study peacefully yet in a hurry. So many mixed emotions, I don’t think I can ever explain to myself even what I felt in that week of studying.
I gave my project presentation after the last written endsem and remember being frustrated since all of my friends were free while I was there completing this project. But then that was also over. I packed slowly over the following week. Slept on the floor with all my friends, all the beds pushed together. These were heartbreaking times. Some heartfelt conversations, times of actually meeting and sorting out fights with old friends.
Then came the goodbye to my closest person. She was there with me through all my highs and lows and knew me the most at that particular point of time. It was such a great feeling of having someone like a family, away from home. I will be always grateful . Realising that I could no longer spend time with her within the campus, broke me.
Alongside all this was Scribble Day, Graduation Dinner, Dance Extravaganza and of course the batch photoshoot. The batch video, I remember doing with the music club and my Ache Launde. Just some lazy seniors, 7am in the morning, full suits and shades, dancing in the middle of nowhere. All these things were just some ways to actually be together for the last time.

Then the last week went by so slowly, it was so hard to pass every second with the thought of leaving all this. Just the night before leaving , I had received my final SPI—8.8.

Which meant…I had done it.
8.5 CPI. First Division Distinction. For which I worked so hard. It finally paid off. A full circle with second year Rohan who wanted this.

And on May 14th-2025, I stood at the main gate. Hugged every friend. Every junior. Every memory. And I cried for one last time and left this humble abode and along with it every memory I made and cherished here.
“IIT Kanpur took a lot. My energy. My comfort. My certainty. But it gave me back far more. A voice. A purpose. A family. And a story.”
Thank you, IITK.
Virmani
signing off

Written by: Rohan Virmani

Edited by: LAnikait Dixit, Amoghsiddhu Ninganur.

As We Leave #17: Chasing Memories-A Timeless Dialogue Across IITK

Vox Populi — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 13:51:27 +0000

In this 17th edition of As We Leave, Talin Gupta, a Y21 student from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, takes us through a whimsical yet heartfelt reflection on his IIT Kanpur journey told through a conversation with his past self. What begins as a moment of indecision between IITK and IITD unfolds into a vivid exploration of campus life: the thrill of fests, the chaos of GPLs, long cycling nights, and unexpected friendships forged over random club meets and shared projects. Talin’s story is a reminder that college is more than just courses and deadlines, it’s about showing up, getting out of your comfort zone, and saying yes to the little things.

“Beta Josaa ki deadline hai parso, kab karega decide?” my father says as I sit beside him for breakfast. “Dekhte hain,” I give the same response as the last three times, and he is clearly irritated.

Hey guys. This is Talin, and I just cleared JEE Advanced 2021. The results came a couple of days back, (Ab toh life sorted hai). I have been confused between IITK CSE and IITD integrated (5-year) CSE. “Okay, IITD it is,” I think, after hanging up from a long discussion with my coaching mentor.” Something doesn’t feel right, though.

Anyways, I have decided to sleep on it. “Good night, sweet dreams,” as I enter the world of dreams.

…

Hey, where am I? Is this a dream? I haven’t seen this place before.

It is night time. Under some lights, I can see a stage, a set of big stairs in front of it, and the night sky. Someone is coming. I should ask him. As he comes closer, I realize it’s none other than me! He looks like a grown-up version of myself.

I step away in shock. “Relax, listen to me,” he says politely. “How is this possible? Is this real? No, I am dreaming. It’s just in my head,” I stammer in utter confusion. “Of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?” I’m now pretty sure this is indeed me. I would never let an opportunity to quote Dumbledore slip away.

Older Me: I am the version of you that decided to go to IITK, and I thank my past self every day for that decision. I will tell you how great it has been, and you can decide for yourself if you would like to do the same. The place you are standing right now is one of my favourites, the OAT. I spend countless late nights here with my friends — during fests, GC events, and whatnot. You don’t know these lingos yet; let me tell you: [… (skipped details) …]

(I could sense some heaviness in his voice. His expressions as he talked about college were similar to mine whenever I talk about my school. It was a mix of sadness, for it was coming to an end, and happiness, for it had been good enough to make him feel that way.)

Me: Damn, IITK has some really crazy stuff going on. And it seems you’ve loved your time here. However, I’m curious about whether anyone is able to explore every aspect of IITK, given its heavy academics (which I have often heard about) and the ongoing lockdown?

Older Me: Acads are heavy everywhere, it’s all about getting that sweet spot of balance where you can enjoy your time with friends, get involved in clubs without compromising acads. As for me, I started exploring different clubs in the online semester itself. In the beginning, I tried to attend every single club meet, eventually leading down to choices more aligned to my interests. I believe it was easier to explore more in online, you could just join another Zoom meet if the current one doesn’t interest you. I ended up joining a lot of meets, more than I had initially planned!

Me: Was it worth attending so many events and meets, though? How exactly did it contribute to your experience since you wouldn’t be able to continue everywhere for long?

Older Me: Absolutely. The events that I was a part of gave me the earliest friends in IITK, and also some of the best. Aditya and Shwetank were in the same team as me in a GameDev Club 7-day game-making project. Fast forward to 4th year, we lived in the same wing in Hall 1, with our rooms side by side. I may never have met these awesome people had I decided to skip the meet (I remember having a mild fever around that time). I met Saket and Mihir through Aditya, and we became trip partners. We started with Banaras and Agra (6th semester), and eventually, the legendary Malaysia + Thailand trip. I will tell you more about that later. We cracked a lot of bakchodi goals in Abot, along with Methi, Rishabh, Shishir and others. Some people are bound to cross your path to make the journey better, and that is why you, the smaller me, should always greet them with a smile.

To add to it, I believe that attending those meets, interacting with so many new, different kinds of people opened me up, as a result of which I was able to make friends easily when things started offline.

Me: Oh, so this dark age of online semesters comes to an end!! (My excitement now reached a new height). What was the first offline sem like?

Older Me: Yesss. It’s the best thing ever, offline experience is so much better. I arrived on campus during Udghosh, and by the time the rest of the batch arrived, Antaragni had started. It was during those days that I met my support system in CSE: Geetika, Tokas and Apoorva. We used to cycle every night around campus and explore different corners, then end up with bulla sessions right on those stairs (he pointed towards the top left corner).

Me: You miss those days a lot, don’t you?

Older Me: Every day (a sigh). It was in this semester that I met my awesome wingies (Prajwal, Shashank, Havi, Harshit, Prassun among others). We would sleep outside in the summers, exchange GPLs and a whole lot of masti. It is often a matter of luck how good your neighbours are: my luck in terms of my wingies would be equivalent to getting a Royal Flush in poker. I played a lot of Squash that semester (kudos to Utkarsh) and stopped only after getting my shoulder dislocated. Fun fact: On Prassun’s birthday, I used the full force of my just-recovered shoulder for his GPL and dislocated it again. Though Prassun also ended up with problems in the same area and had to undergo bedrest for 15 days: it was one lethal GPL, indeed!

Me: Umm, not sure if I’m ready for that (holding my right shoulder). So where did you eventually end up?

Older Me: I was a secy in ELS, PClub, and a team member of Vision (RIP :(). I eventually became a coordinator of ELS, and the experience was really mind blowing. I think I learned most of the life lessons from college in my 3rd year when I was a coordinator. ELS stays close to my heart; it gave me a family and great many gossips. My first offline friend, my first relationship advisor and my co-coordinator, Aviral was there with me during ELS fresher auditions, and also when I bid farewell to the club. My N-word bro Ridin also met me through ELS (though we had too many other PORs in common: Pclub, Vox CGM, and even a common project under a prof). A fun story: One of our first offline coordinator-only meets for ELS started in RM and ended up in Ravemoti watching Oppenheimer, since the main topic brought up was that we need more team bonding, and a good place to start would be coordinator bonding.

See that room over there, that’s the Litsoc room, our club’s place. Let me show you the rest of the campus too. I think you should be able to roam around in your dream.

As for Pclub, many of my existing friends also became secys (Tokas, Geetika, Hamza, Sahu, Ridin, DJ). The Pclub bullas were always great and often ended with Deven chasing a dog in Hall 3.

You know, it is these small, random decisions about joining a meet, going for a walk even when tired, approaching someone you barely know, which lead to big endings. The comfort zone is one’s real enemy and hindrance, and I hope you will learn to get out of it too.

Me: I was misinformed about IITK it seems, it really is a damn fun place. I don’t believe academics wouldn’t hinder the fun. It has to be challenging after all.

(We are now walking through the college. Older Talin has shown me different Halls, the swimming pool, e-shop, and a whole lot of other stuff. Is this how a college is supposed to be like? It is a whole f*ing city!)

Older Me: You are correct again. However, acads are tough when dealt with alone, but you bring an entire army of collaborators, and it becomes manageable. My frontline warriors were Geetika, Tokas, Aditya, Apoorva, Paras and others. Here we are what you see in front of you now is the KD building. We were the KD gang, as that was our adda. I proudly claim to have broken every rule possible in RM, and still never have been fined, as my actions were never documented — others have been fined, though, especially Geetika. My friends helped and motivated me throughout. Profs at IITK are of all sorts, and it is best to learn as much from them as possible (at least the cool ones). You won’t get to meet these awesome minds after college that much.

Me: Ha, I knew I’d make a great team player. I hope we did well in acads. Those are really important after all. You may have realized some tips and tricks during these years, if I’m correct?

Older Me: Yeah, don’t worry about that. It was pretty good. You currently seem to give a lot of weight to it, but you’ll soon realize that there’s a bigger picture: there is so much else to campus life. Something that helped me was realizing that attending classes made it a lot easier during exams, even though I would sleep through half of them. After some semesters, you also get an idea about what the exam may be like, based on what topics the prof focuses on and is passionate about during class. But again, attending classes has always been a pain, and my phone and ability to sleep anywhere, anytime helped me through. Our seniors are pretty helpful too, so it makes it a lot easier.

Hmm, why do you look so stressed? Worried about something?

Me: Ah… I’m not sure about the senior-junior culture. From what I’ve seen in movies, it seems pretty rough.

Older Me: Ha! (laughing) They over-dramatize everything. You can get a sense of how close the interactions are from the Amma-Baapu system. I still remember getting the first call from Jasjot and calling him Baapu in that call itself. “Jasjot ko call kar, Jasjot ko call kar,” was what Shashank was telling everyone while panicking, in the aftermath of that fatal GPL. I met different seniors through different sources; all of them had a diverse set of gyaan to share, and I tried to incorporate as much as possible in my life. I think my campus journey would have been a lot different (and less adventurous) if I had not met KPS, Prem, Ayush, Rose, Piyush, Naman, and many more amazing seniors. Everyone here has a different story to tell, different experiences, different tips and tricks to handle situations, and ofc, some legendary stories to tell. I hope you, too, get to know about these, wherever you decide to go.

Ofc, there’s another side to that coin. I am currently a Par-dada and have had an amazing time with my juniors. My bachas have always been hard party animals, and I’m proud that they hardly ever hesitated to share any problems. I also share a special bond with my juniors from ELS, whether it’s going to RDV and roaming Delhi, or going to IITKGP for Inter IIT Cult Meet.

Me: These sound like some really interesting competitions. You know I’ve always wanted to represent my institution: school, college, whatever.

Older Me: Yes, and they are worth every effort. Inter IIT Tech Meet ’23 was maybe the most intense period of my college. Me, Teju, Tokas, and Aadvik would stock up with Sting, and each of us drank at least five each night. Tokas and I had a CS220 lab during those days and were partners in it. That’s when the legend of the ‘Heart’ Module began. During Wednesday’s lab, with each code Sir saw after ours, he was repeatedly reminded of his youth by the ‘Heart’ module present in every code.

For Cult Meet ’23 and ’24, I participated in multiple events, as a secy and as a coordie respectively. I could feel how the entire council became one, leaving aside our differences as separate clubs (I won’t name our arch nemesis, iykyk). The lessons I learned through these will stay with me forever. After all, the journey is often worth more than the effort.

You know, the craze for these competitions is further increased through the GC. I’m really happy that the Nawabs won the GC more than once during my three years here, and I was part of it every time.

(We are now in front of a tall, red building that seemed more modern than others. I just saw some sort of medical school a couple of buildings behind. I now understand why Sarthak, my coaching senior, sounded so excited whenever he talked about going to campus.)

Older Me: The good thing about IITK is, you will never get bored of anything. There are so many recreation options. I used to play cards with my wingies, especially in the final year. A major highlight of my campus life will be the rooftops: DJAC, design building, Technopark 1 & 2, ESB, Admin building, Chemical building, and many more. What you see in front of you right now is the Technopark building, the first whose rooftop I was on. My partners in crime were often Geetika, Atulya, and Snehal. We were often caught by sis guards on inaccessible roofs; I even asked one to take a selfie with us (he refused, ofc). Being on the rooftops gives you a different perspective of the campus, telling you how much there is still to explore as you discover different corners of the campus. And ofc, doing ‘chicken banana’ is a good way to make things funny, and Aayush, Tejas, and Ridin will concur.

Another wonderful thing I liked about IITK is its excellent sports facilities. I had given up on sports after dislocating my shoulder in the squash court in 2nd semester, as a precautionary measure. However, when I got it dislocated again in Malaysia, I realized that no matter how many precautions I took, it ain’t getting healed. Hence, I went all out and spent a lot of time playing badminton and squash in the final semester. It took a lot of courage at first, but I refused to just sit around in fear and compromise on doing what I loved. It was a risk I was now ready to take, after all, in the worst case, it would just be a couple of hours of intense pain and a week of wearing a sling, then I could be back on court after that.

Me: Great! You must be missing it all quite a bit, I understand. To be honest, I’m noticing a lot of things about you that are unlike me. Maybe you have grown a lot over these years. This place, by just walking through it, I can feel the energy, the vibes, and the memories here. Goodbyes have always been tough for me, and I’m happy that I still retain that characteristic. You were going to tell me more about your trip to, umm, Bali?

Older Me: Yeah, the one to Thailand and Malaysia actually, with Adi, Socket, and Shwetank. It was a fun, long trip, and we carried our pool wrestling moves thousands of miles away to the infinity pool of Kuala Lumpur. We also stepped on the tiger’s tail, well, to be more precise, we used the tail as a moustache. Clubs in Bangkok were the best. I know your dream of seeing the world, well, we’re definitely making progress. You’ll be happy to know that we visit Singapore and the UK as part of our summer internships and make long-lasting friendships there too.

Me: Oh, oh, tell me all about internships and placements.

Older Me: I won’t reveal much; something has to be a surprise for you after all, though I’m pretty sure you’ll remember very little from this dream. But rest assured: we end up well. Though there was a bit of a dark phase when I was expecting PPO from TRC and didn’t get it. I would thank all my friends for standing alongside me and motivating me through that phase, especially the COWS, Geetika, Tokas and Aayush. I think this is a good place to see you off for the night.

(We had now reached the airstrip. We walked inside and stood on one of the ‘H’.)

Me: Why this place in particular?

Older Me: It was this place, where three years ago, the spark of love for IITK’s culture ignited within me. The story of HR Kadim, whether real or not, switched something inside me that still runs ablaze. I realized back then that it was up to me to make the coming years wonderful, to live life to the fullest, and to carry the culture forward. This place gave that sort of positive vibes. I now carry the pride of being an IITK alumnus and cherish all my memories here. There are regrets, of course. But there need to be regrets in every story; that’s what makes us human. One thing I will never regret is choosing IITK, and with that, bro, I will say goodbye to you. I hope you now have some clarity about what to do. Also, you are pretty lucky I came for you, had it not been for Lavanya and the Vox Team, I would have completely forgotten about it .

…

He vanished into thin air. I looked around, then up at the sky. I felt a unique tranquility there. I closed my eyes and was ready to go back.

“Chal, bhar le preference ab,” mumma says as I take my laptop in hand. I feel something different this morning, like I had been somewhere last night, someplace wonderful, someplace that felt like home. This is a strange feeling; it must have been some weird dream. However, I keep getting this urge to put IITK at the top, not sure why. All the confusion seems to have faded. “I am going to IITK. There are some awesome people waiting for me there, people I am destined to meet, to call my friends, and to make memories with.” I still don’t understand why or how I said these things, but I am feeling satisfied.

Written by: Talin Gupta

Edited by: Lavanya Srivastava, Aaryan Maheshwari

As We Leave #16: Not a Goodbye, Just a Thank You

Vox Populi — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 13:14:38 +0000

In this 16th edition of As We Leave, Akshay Choudhary, a Y21 student graduating from the Department of Electrical Engineering, reflects on a journey that began in the quiet isolation of online classes and slowly unfolded into a vibrant, purpose-driven life on campus. From eSports to Prayas, he navigated IITK with steady steps—building meaning in the everyday and strength through consistency. What began as a digital blur became a deeply human experience, stitched together by connection, service, and sincere gratitude.

I was told to write AWL, so I started looking at my gallery to remember the memories stored in 30k photos of less than 4 years.
Being a part of the Y21 BTech Electrical Engineering batch at IIT Kanpur has been nothing short of transformative. From day one, the campus became more than just a place to study—it became home.

When I joined IITK, I came in with the ambition to explore every domain – academics, extracurriculars, and everything in between. But reality hit quickly: getting a decent CPI was not optional but essential. The journey began during a pandemic, with classes held online.

Bootstrapping the Circuit

Online classes didn’t feel real. It made exams feel like landmines, and yet, a strange casualness crept in. I couldn’t get myself to focus. Lectures blurred into each other. Motivation came in waves and disappeared just as quickly. I was technically ‘in IIT Kanpur’, but mentally, I was just a confused Wi-Fi signal floating somewhere in cyberspace.

MTH101 was a nightmare—proof problems we’d never seen before, and no idea how the prof taught. But turns out, while I couldn’t follow him in class, I couldn’t follow his smashes on the court either – played badminton with him in my last sem and got absolutely wrecked.
Did everything from online dance classes to online campaigning for elections.
Despite the distance, I found joy in the chaos: Bulla sessions that stretched late into the night, heartfelt family meets, department orientations, club meetings, and the thrill of joining college fest teams. Behind all of these, though, was a daily struggle—dealing with quizzes that wouldn’t load, and somehow managing to submit assignments at 11:59 PM with 2% battery and 0% clue.

After doing random experiments on Phyphox by hanging our phones and then finally stepping onto campus and seeing real faces instead of pixelated boxes on Zoom. In April 2022, the Y21 batch arrived on campus. After months of online guessing, I was finally here. The sun felt different.

But with offline life in full swing, time management hit like a truck. Between spontaneous hangouts, overdue assignments, and getting lost between OAT and LHC.

We got free Wi-Fi too, but were immediately told: “Use it for kaam, not Kamasutra.” Welcome to IIT Kanpur.

We explored the campus like tourists. Explored it so much that we kind of forgot to study. Volleyball, badminton, TT, cycling day and night, nonstop. Somehow, we still passed the semester. We picked up IITK lingo on the go, played way too much BGMI, and discovered the joy of late-night chai and unnecessary deep conversations. The treasure hunt was great fun in itself.

Orientation started, and seniors would storm in every morning, waking us up with classic lines like “Gap cover karo!” as we stood half-asleep in messy lines. Hall 13 was home for a while, pure madness and fun, until 3rd sem hit, and we were all scattered to different halls

Of course, exploring campus wasn’t complete without discovering Student Search. With wingies beside me and questionable curiosity in our hearts, we dove in.

Oscillations and Overloads

I got involved in eSports, joined the Finance Club, and somehow ended up becoming an SG. I still don’t know the criteria. One of my friends still does the occasional rr just because he didn’t make it. But if I’m being honest, the SG/AM scene has its fair share of problems. Many SGs I met couldn’t explain academics to save their own lives, and a surprising number have never even seen their bachhas.
Somewhere along the way, I also witnessed the madness of impeachments. IITK politics? Stay as far away as you can.

Then came my first bappu party, which was a blast! I also had the opportunity to work in Udghosh, which was an experience in itself. Among all of this, I started volunteering with Prayas, teaching 11th-grade math.

Then came the first winter on campus, it was freezing – but unforgettable. I still remember basking in the sun outside L19 and L20, books in hand, trying to make sense of both academics and life. Around the same time, I started working as a student marketer with Red Bull. The work was light, the fun was plenty, and the cans? Endless.

I became the leader of the Esports Society, and it turned out to be one of the most fulfilling chapters of my journey. Late-night scrims, strategy calls, and the adrenaline rush of tournaments forged bonds rooted in shared passion. Organizing events, working with an incredibly dedicated and lovely team, and even jumping into the tournaments myself – it was all pure joy.

Focusing on Prayas

What began as a volunteering stint soon evolved into something far deeper – a source of purpose, grounding, and joy. While I initially dabbled in multiple clubs, I eventually chose to focus solely on Prayas. And that decision changed everything. From the moment we stepped into the classroom, we were greeted with bright smiles and a chorus of “Namaste Bhaiya,” spoken with such sincerity and warmth that it would instantly lift my spirits. That simple greeting, filled with respect and love, reminded me every single day why this work mattered.

As a Manager at Prayas, I took on the responsibility of ensuring our classes ran smoothly. We conducted not just academic sessions but also a variety of extracurricular and awareness programs, ranging from Fine Arts classes to Sexual Awareness workshops. These initiatives weren’t just about education, they were about giving these kids opportunities to dream bigger and experience more.

Some of my fondest memories are from celebrating festivals like Diwali, Holi, and Raksha Bandhan with the children. We visited the students’ homes to distribute sweets and celebrate with their families.
Beyond the classroom, we worked to address the kids’ needs holistically.
Home visits gave me a deeper perspective on their challenges and made the bond even more personal. I still remember how the children would plead, “Bhaiya, aaj mere ghar chaliye khana khane,” and sometimes even argue among themselves about whose home I’d visit next. Their innocence, affection, and excitement were truly humbling. I still vividly remember the day before my end-semester exam, when the students I used to teach did a vc, warmly asked, ‘Aap kaise ho, Bhaiya?’

No matter how many years pass, Prayas will always hold a special place in my heart. The tiny excuses kids made to talk to us, their mischief, their wide-eyed questions, all of it stays with me. Prayas wasn’t just about teaching. It was about learning – learning to lead with empathy, to serve with love, and to believe in the quiet power of community.

The summer after my second year was far from a break. It wasn’t just about handling responsibilities. While internship preparation kicked off in full swing, I found myself juggling multiple commitments: managing Prayas, coordinating activities for the Esports Society, and completing a summer course I had enrolled in. It was a packed schedule, but I genuinely enjoyed every bit of it. I still remember those frantic days, sitting in the library, Hall 2 reading room doing DSA.

Peak Current and High Resistance

I gave 6-7 interviews during the internship season and faced rejections. It was disheartening, to say the least. Eventually, in the second phase of campus internships, I finally received an offer.

Around the same time, the campus went through something far heavier. In my sixth semester, we witnessed protests and dharnas following student suicides. The atmosphere turned somber, reflective, and charged with emotion. For the first time, I truly saw the power and the responsibility of the student body.

Summer break had started. This time, it felt real. I knew it was time to buckle down—update my résumé, practice deck-making, revisit DSA, and finally dive into machine learning. I cut out the distractions: swapped Instagram for LinkedIn, traded leisure for late-night prep sessions—it almost felt like getting back into JEE mode.

In mid-June, I received a call from an alumnus working at a startup who offered me a role. I accepted immediately. Since my campus internship was remote and relatively light on workload, I managed to juggle both the startup experience and placement prep. It was intense, but in the best way—productive, focused, and driven by purpose.

August came quickly. With our internships behind us, everyone returned to campus—excited, anxious, and slightly more grown-up. The pressure was on. Placements were around the corner, and all of us were quietly hoping we’d done enough.

Operating at Breakdown Voltage

This semester started off differently—no academic pressure, but plenty of DSA practice. I spent many hours tucked away in a quiet corner of the library, grinding through problems to prepare for placements. If you look closely, you might still find some handwriting left behind on the ground floor tables—a small reminder of those long study sessions.

I missed my last Antaragni because I had to travel to Mumbai for a Red Bull conference, which was an incredible experience in itself.

Before I knew it, mid and end semesters flew by, and placements arrived.

Five busy days, twenty-one interviews, and then I got placed on Day 6. It felt strange and surreal, and I’m still processing how it all unfolded. But that time taught me lessons beyond academics, and I’m grateful for the experience.

Discharging Gracefully

Then began the final and most memorable semester – a whirlwind of variety, unexpected moments, and unforgettable experiences.

Academics? Hardly anyone paid attention, after all, it was the last semester.

I traveled to Goa with wingies, they were there for every chai break rant, every pre-exam panic, every rooftop talk, and every shared silence that didn’t need words. They’ve seen me at my best and my worst and stood by me through it all.

Spent entire days playing cards, and tried a variety of new stuff. The photoshoots captured some of the best memories of this time.

Amidst this, campus buzzed with events – Scribble Day, Dance Extravaganza, Graduation Dinner, batch photoshoot, etc. I still remember shooting video with “ALs”, suited up and wearing shades, dancing at 7 a.m. in the middle of nowhere. These moments weren’t just fun, they were our way of being together, one last time.

There were also Indo parties, bachha parties, club nights, farewells, each event adding its own flavor to the final chapter.

Slowly, people started to leave, and the reality sank in: some of the most cherished faces would never be seen again. And just like that, college life came to its close.

I won’t be mentioning any names – because all of you, in your own beautiful way, have left a mark on my life. And if you’re reading this, know that you impacted my college life in a good way.

One of the biggest lessons I’m taking from IITK is to have a big heart. Learn to take rejections, handle the ups and downs. Someone will always have more than you – marks, PPOs, CV points, achievements—but instead of letting that break you, let it motivate you.

The ending won’t always be perfect. It won’t always be what you dreamed. But it’s still your ending. And that’s reason enough to keep moving forward.

This AWL isn’t meant to inspire you. I just hope that if someone somewhere is living through the same experiences I did, they’ll feel a little less alone reading this.

No need to learn much from it, merely read it as I wrote.
This isn’t a goodbye to one person; it’s a thank you to everyone.

With a heart full of gratitude and memories,
Akshay Choudhary

Written by: Akshay Choudhary

Edited by: Namrata Chavhan, Disha Singh

As We Leave #15: Memoirs in Red Bricks

Vox Populi — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 14:09:07 +0000

In this 15th edition of As We Leave, Medha, a Y21 student from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, walks us through her time at IIT Kanpur—a journey marked by unexpected lessons, quiet realizations, and the people who made it all worthwhile. From navigating a tough second year filled with labs and resume checklists to finding clarity through Surge and finally discovering her own pace during placements, Medha’s story captures the many shades of student life. Through it all, what truly stood out was the role of friendship—those constant, grounding presences that picked her up on the hardest days and celebrated the smallest wins. Her time here wasn’t perfect—but it was real, and in the end, it was enough.

As we leave.. I can’t believe that it’s now time to leave. For just days before, I was reading my senior’s awl, and now I’m writing my own. Fleeting memories flash by so fast … So fresh that I could pick any of them from my library and relive it but yet so far away. I have come so far. I think I have experienced what they call growing up. I came in as an introvert girl wanting to create an extrovert college life, laaaarge group of friends, and fantasizing about every other Bollywood college life movie. I had made up my mind that enjoyment, not studies, would be my priority. Little did I know what life holds for me.

The first semester began with the usual chaos — the formation of countless groups, endless bulla sessions, and making a bunch of new friends, some of whom would become my closest circle. I had officially stepped into a whole new phase of life, and I was loving every bit of it.

By April, the long wait was over — we were finally called to campus. The excitement was unreal. I was actually going to live with my friends! I had never experienced hostel life before, and I was looking forward to it with all my heart.

But amidst all that excitement, there was a lingering worry. I wasn’t sure how people would react to meeting me offline. Ever since childhood, I have been quite conscious of my body and appearance. I had gone through a health condition during my early teens, and the treatment led to significant weight gain. I became the chubby “cute” kid whose cheeks everyone loved to pull. But now, it was college — and let’s be honest, especially in those initial days, looks do matter, more so for girls.

So, with a heart full of anticipation and a little bit of self-doubt, I set off for Kanpur.

What I discovered, though, was something truly unexpected. People here were genuinely kind. No one cared about how you looked or what you wore. The freedom that IIT Kanpur offers is a sanctuary — you feel completely unrestrained, yet deeply safe. It was in that environment that my love for the campus truly began.

Every night after dinner, we’d hop on cycles and explore different corners of the campus. We’d stumble upon new spots, admire the beauty of IITK, and when we were too tired to pedal anymore, we’d land up at OAT. We’d grab some food, sneak it past the dogs, climb the OAT stairs, find a comfy corner to sit, and spend the rest of the night talking, laughing, clicking pictures, and listening to music.

Even when I got sleepy, I wouldn’t go back to my room. Somehow, those warm, slightly rough stairs — softened by the gentle April breeze — felt more comforting than my mattress. We’d stay up to watch the sunrise, head straight to breakfast, and only then go to bed.Those days were nothing short of magical.

As I stepped into the second year—the most challenging year of Mechanical Engineering—with heavyweight courses like ESO209, it felt like a sudden jolt. After a relatively relaxed and light first year, we were hit hard with the academic rigor of the second year. With 3–4 labs, weekly quizzes, and a string of trailing zeroes, the pressure was intense. Mechanical Engineering wasn’t pulling any punches.

To make things harder, I had also involved myself in several clubs and councils. Instead of being a refreshing break, they turned into an additional workload. I was a part of the Robotics Club, the AnC Council, and the Stamatics Club—not out of passion, but because I believed I needed as many PoRs as possible to make my resume stand out. I had been told that these would play a big role in getting interview shortlists. Looking back now, I realize how misguided that approach was.

My entire second year was consumed by this chase. I neither worked on improving my skills nor focused on my CPI. All I did was collect things to “decorate” my resume—projects, certificates, and PoRs. Meanwhile, many of my peers had started practicing DSA. At the time, I considered that a waste of time, thinking their resumes would be too empty to get noticed. How wrong I was.

When the summer break came, I was convinced I needed some work experience on my resume, so I decided to pursue a SURGE project. Although my reasoning wasn’t solid, SURGE turned out to be a blessing. It gave me two things:

The clarity that research wasn’t the path for me.
A strong foundation and domain exposure that later helped me during core company interviews.

Still, for the rest of my time, I continued the same old pattern—focusing on collecting resume points rather than building any solid base.

Then came the intern season, and reality hit me like a truck. It was harsh, surprising, and disheartening. I didn’t receive a single shortlist on Day 1. The reasons were clear:

My CPI wasn’t good enough.
I didn’t perform well in the aptitude tests because I had never really prepared for them.

I lacked both resources and knowledge. I cried, cursed the system, and blamed everything on luck to cope with the situation. Even when I did get a few shortlists in the later days, I couldn’t get past the first round of interviews—because I simply wasn’t prepared.

The only interviews where I performed decently were with core companies, thanks to the actual experience I gained during SURGE. Eventually, in October, I got an internship at JSW, and although that brought me some relief from the constant trauma of rejections, I couldn’t rest easy. I knew I had wasted too much time pretending to be someone I wasn’t—chasing achievements that didn’t truly matter.

For anyone reading this, here are a few lessons I’ve learned the hard way:

Only get involved in things you’re genuinely interested in. Everything else is just a waste of time and energy.
Your CPI matters. It’s not a myth. It plays a crucial role in getting you shortlisted.
Focus on developing real, tangible skills. They’ll always be more valuable than a fancy resume.
Don’t blindly follow advice. Do your research, think critically, and make informed decisions.

I was now determined — truly determined — to push my CPI above 8. No more wishful thinking, no more excuses. I committed myself wholeheartedly: consistent effort, relentless discipline, and slowly but surely, I began to see a shift. I started scoring well, more often than not. But of course, not everything went as planned. There were moments of faltering — unexpected lows, disappointing results — and they felt unfair, like betrayal after all the effort. I was disheartened.

But I was never alone.

Each time I broke down, my friends picked me up. They reminded me that no one achieves great things effortlessly. That effort, not ease, defines success. And they were right. By the end of my sixth semester, I had done it — my CPI was finally above 8.

The grades came in while I was standing in a shopping mall. My heart raced as if I were about to receive a final verdict. I nervously opened the email, sneaking a look at one grade at a time. With each course, my spirits climbed higher, until I couldn’t hold it in anymore — I screamed, jumped, and yes, embarrassed myself publicly. But I didn’t care. For the first time in college, I felt proud of myself. That moment — it felt like triumph. Like redemption.

Then came the internship phase.

I’d always believed that my internship experience wouldn’t be as enriching as those who’d landed offers at their “dream companies.” I carried this stereotype about JSW — that I wouldn’t learn much or grow meaningfully. But I was wrong. I had chosen my projects carefully, aligning them perfectly with my passion for machine learning.

And that changed everything.

Because of my past projects and coursework, I found myself ahead of the curve. While others were just starting out, I was already building. I made an impression — not because I was trying to, but because I had quietly prepared for this moment all along. I ended up receiving the Best Project Award.

It struck me then: ML didn’t help me get the intern, but it made the internship mine.

And that’s when I realized — the company you go to doesn’t matter as much as what you do once you’re there. I had once envied others for their glamorous offers, but now, I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything. Destiny has its own timing. Eventually, you see how every piece fits — how it was all justified, all deserved.

Then came August. The placement season.

A time of relentless grind. A test of patience, resilience, and will. I knew what was coming, and I braced myself. This was another chance — maybe my last — to prove myself. This time, I couldn’t afford to falter. I poured everything into preparation. Between classes, during classes, in the early morning hours — every spare moment went into prep. I made a calendar, broke down daily goals, and didn’t sleep until I ticked every box.

It was grueling.

But still, I kept going. I’d already decided I would face the worst, and I wouldn’t look away. I stopped expecting anything. I focused on giving my best, trusting that whatever I received would be right for me.

And then came November — a storm.

Quizzes. Company tests. End-sems. PPTs. All crashing down at once. Nights blurred into test after test, mornings into lectures, afternoons into more evaluations. There was no time left to even breathe, let alone prepare. My targets drifted. My results disappointed. Shortlists came and passed without my name. I felt invisible. Rejected. I cried — not once, but for hours on end — out of frustration, fear, exhaustion.

It was unbearable.

But once again — my friends were there. Reminding me that I wasn’t alone. That I had prepared. That things would change.. Without them, I wouldn’t have made it through. Slowly, things turned. I began to see shortlists. I started managing my schedule again. Hope returned, fragile but real.

Then came the D-Day.

I still remember it like it was yesterday. Imagine this: in twelve hours, it would all be over. Either victory or another heartbreak. I had studied hard. I was scared, but not paralyzed. I knew this time was different — I had prepared. Maybe I would stumble, maybe not ace it all, but I would not blank out. I was ready.

First came ITC. I had cleared five rounds and was told the last would be informal. I comforted myself — even if everything else failed, at least I had this. But then came my Microsoft interview. It had gone well, and my hopes were high — perhaps too high. Within hours, I received the news.

ITC had rejected me.

Microsoft too.

It felt like my world collapsed.

I was numb. I felt like I was reliving the internship pain all over again. I cried. I broke down. I cursed myself for not doing more, not being enough.. My confidence turned to ash. I felt like a failure. I just wanted to go home. Still, I dragged myself through the last few interviews. One was Finmechanics — where I thought I’d surely been rejected after a shaky first round. But surprisingly, I was called for the second. It was 4 AM by then. The atmosphere around was chaotic — some crying, some celebrating, most just stunned. I gave my final round. It went well. Strangely well.

But I was done. Empty.

I didn’t even think about Day 1.2. I just crashed. I didn’t call my parents. I didn’t think. I slept. And then — at 8 AM — a call.

I had been selected.

Finmechanics had made me an offer.

I cried. This time out of joy. Shock. Relief. Gratitude. I had always visualized getting placed on Day 1.1. And it had come true. Every single failure suddenly felt small, every heartbreak perfectly timed.

I had finally succeeded.

That moment — that fleeting, beautiful moment — is forever etched in my heart. It gives me goosebumps even now. Because yes, hard work does pay off. Maybe not instantly, but always eventually. And the people around you — the ones who cheer you on, cry with you, stay up late with you, believe in you even when you’ve stopped believing in yourself — they are everything.

Lavesh, Deeksha, Dwija, Princy, Tavishi, Ashish, Shubham, Ishan — thank you. For your love. Your support. Your truth. You helped me become who I am.

And to anyone reading this: Rest assured, if you have been true to yourself and sincere in your efforts, you will be justly rewarded. The reward may not be exactly what you hoped for or worked towards, but it will be what is best for you — something that will benefit you the most in the long run. Do not worry or dwell on the outcome. Embrace it wholeheartedly and strive to make the most of it. Success is not always linear. It’s chaotic, painful, unpredictable. Many times, you will feel hopeless, stuck, and cheated, but if you hold on and keep showing up, you’ll get there.

THE LAST LAP.

As I write this, having just left campus, a whole whirlwind of emotions rushes through me. I’m in tears. I miss the campus — its people, its pace, its way of life.

The last semester was the most eventful one, and perhaps the most beautiful too. Somewhere in the middle of it all, it suddenly hits you — this is the end. The place that once felt so permanent is slowly slipping away. And then, instinctively, you start capturing everything. Every moment. Every face. Every corner.

I did so many of my firsts in the last semester — went on trips, lived each day to the fullest, and studied the least. Life suddenly became so happening, so full, that I didn’t even get the time to pause and feel that it was all ending.

Batch photoshoots, Dance Extravaganza, farewell, jamming sessions, testimonials — everything came flooding in, one after another. And I made a conscious choice: not to feel sad just yet, but to soak it all in. To relive my favourite memories, visit my favourite places, and create new ones.

It felt easier to pretend it wasn’t ending. To pretend we’d still bump into each other in corridors. That we’d still barge into rooms unannounced, rant endlessly, laugh uncontrollably, and share even the silliest thoughts like it was the most important thing in the world.

But deep down, we knew.

We knew that we wouldn’t be waking up at 7:55 for an 8 AM class anymore, or skipping breakfast just for ten extra minutes of sleep. We’ll no more be having shared wardrobes( ahh the joy of perfectly fitting into each others’ clothes), No more get ready together sessions for fests, No more late-night tea breaks at DOAA canteen. No more casual all-nighters at the library just because you were “kind of” studying with friends.

IIT Kanpur is home.

The most beautiful place I’ve ever known. Every corner, every road — it holds a memory. A story. My story. This campus has a kind of comfort that’s hard to describe — a deep, quiet acceptance. It takes you in just the way you are, and slowly, gently, makes you its own.

This final semester was a rollercoaster. From feeling like I wouldn’t perform in DE, to ending up giving one of my best performances. From waking up at 6 AM for photoshoots and hunting for bougainvillea-filled spots, to exploring untouched buildings and revisiting old ones — just like I did in my first semester.

And then there’s the OAT. The OAT is a vibe in itself. Calm yet buzzing with life. With the most surreal sky view, it became a favourite spot for late-night reflections and conversations that never needed to end.

Leaving this place is painful. But more than that — I’m glad it happened. Grateful, beyond words.

IIT Kanpur gave me everything I could’ve ever asked for — a great beginning to my career, life lessons I’ll carry forever, the confidence to embrace myself, and the kind of friendships that feel like family.

To my people — I will continue to love and cherish you always. To this place — I will miss every bit of you. To everyone still on campus — soak it all in. These days, this freedom, this space to grow — it won’t come again in quite the same way. Don’t hold back. Explore every corner of who you are and who you could become. Don’t let fear or doubt put fences around your choices. You are made of infinite possibilities. Dream boldly, fail bravely, and rise stronger. This is your time — live it fully, deeply, unapologetically.

Thank you, IITK. You were everything.
You are everything.

Written by: Medha Srivastava
Edited by: Sumit Yadav, Sanchit Arora
Designed by: Pragya Puri, Pankhuri Sachan

As We Leave #14: The Ride With The Moon!

Vox Populi — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 12:26:15 +0000

In this 14th edition of As We Leave, Utkarsh Agrawal, a Y21 student graduating from the Department of Mathematics, reflects on a journey shaped by gradual transformations, fleeting moments, and the shifting nightscape outside the window. What began in stillness unfolded into memories, friendships, and a farewell that lingers gently—much like the quiet scenery he leaves behind.

A Goodbye in Four Phases

Writing this on my ride back home, lying on the bus seat, a cold breeze rushing in and the full moon over the window sill; all of it making the ride nostalgic in itself.
The moon, shifting in and out of sight, seemed trying to personify my college journey; and mirror the thoughts of leaving in stages – nostalgic, clouded, dim, and glowing.

I was quite okay at the thought of leaving the campus. Like every other phase of life, here too, there would be people withdrawing; you aren’t happy with it but that’s life. Made me wonder, what would be different this time?
That’s when I turned towards writing this piece which has slowly turned to be more emotional and reflective, than I anticipated. The weight of “milte hai soon…” texts kept growing heavier with the realizations of never returning to the college phase, ever.

I was never into talking much, and with due fairness my social skills, in particular, are something that have evolved deeply over the years. I initially tried, but in the online sem lagged behind for a lack of acquaintance with contemporary social trends. I could get a good start in the offline phase because of my fondness for interacting with strangers but I continued to struggle to form meaningful bonds with people.

A due credit goes to my wing, and the people I found thereafter, who took in extra efforts to give me company. I got to talking with people and learning to turn acquaintances into friends. My short stint at HH, where I quickly realized my lack of talent for comedy, got me to talk out myself, without the need for overthinking. The late night bullas, participation in multiple clubs, random political arguments, wing pranks unsuitable for public acceptance, which finally got me the social butterfly in farewell (though credit to MTH fam’s hooting too!). Nonetheless, I am still to get comfortable sharing my personal life, something left for future UTkarsh to take care of!

Accompanying me on the ride, the moon had changed its elegance, peeking in and out of the hammered clouds. Another notification pops, “It’s a weird feeling to see your room open nd not finding you in it, miss u :/”. On the already quiet night, the eyes welled up, not so rare on campus but rare for campus.

One of my memorable experiences in college was participating in TechMeet. Something that pushed me over & gave some best friends for life. Quite a trenching time putting in effort, but all was worth doing with such a great team. It was a perfect roller coaster experience, with sitting clueless a week before midterm submission, to being super excited with our idea, to questioning our life choices on a possible shift in the set of seniors. I remember breaking down, back in hall when a senior dismissed our idea two days before the presentation. But in the end, the stint was golden!!

My journey with Vox was a distinctly wonderful one. Joined in for the idea of journalism, stayed in for the amazing people and culture, and ended my stint with it for something I liked most about it. It was a place to be a great junior, approachable senior and fun team member and is a part of my core campus memories. The article meets at CCDs, continuous texting on messenger and endless contemplations over petty sentences are gonna stay forever. It gave me many great friends and a thing I kept getting identified by throughout my college life. Though it was harsh seeing it lose sight of what it stood for (atleast for me), many lessons were learned and a place in heart reserved for it and its juniors always.

Beyond these core journeys, the campus offered innumerous unexpected experiences. I played squash, enjoyed humanities more than my core courses, role played the PM twice despite regularly bashing him in the wing, and once argued solo at length against eight over a Takneek penalty we didn’t deserve. But if I had to pick my most dramatic one – it’d be this train story.

So a group of friends (including two well known Y19s) left campus at 8:00 in night for a train that departed at 8:40. At 8:30, I started getting calls, “Pull the chain! We’re almost there!”. So after repeated calls, panic, and a promise to pay the fine later; I pulled the chain! Great, yes. Except… they weren’t even close. What followed was chaos: judgy eyes, arguments with staff, police interventions, and finally, the train started moving again. And here comes the climax: four kids sprinting across the platform, chased by their auto-aunty yelling for payment (because none had cash), all chasing a moving train. Finally someone pulled the chain again, and they made it. I never got the promised treat, but surely a story for life.

This ride’s scenery had unfolded another mood. The moon has disappeared again, this time behind these rising mountain breaks. Barren and dusty with some thorny risers resting the terrain. Lit and glow, yet dark and loomy.

Entering the premises an immature, I had just like any average kid, a hunch to be popular. Somehow, this reciprocated into an idea of wanting to be liked by everyone. I would take extra steps even if it meant doing things I don’t like. It took a long while to realize that this in turn just drained me emotionally. It’s perfectly fine to not like some and not be liked by everyone. It’s fine to say no, argue or not be able to care for some. What matters is to have some whom we can deeply care for!

The more I think about it, the simpler my college life feels. For me the campus acted like a mirror – reflecting what I threw at it. When I locked myself in my room, it quietly held the silence with me. And when I let myself loosen up, the campus opened up too, with noise, chaos and fun.
IITK, at its core, gave the freedom to choose. To take a class or miss it, get an opportunity or just lie low. But choice is tricky. Sometimes it works. Often, it doesn’t. It’s hard to know whether the decisions we make will age well. And maybe that’s what makes life hard to pin down. Especially for someone like me, who likes to plan down things to the minute.

My branch here was MTH, though I still have contacts saved as MnC. Mathematics was never my strong suit, though I didn’t dislike it. The subject offered a number of eureka moments. Just the problem is the courses in literally every semester featuring a pursuit to evade degree extension. But with friends so wonderful, I survived. Notes and papers from over the four years left behind in haste or consciously?

This moon is back high and the scenery has elevated again. It’s like a painted frame on the wall, with the essence of life somewhere far deep.

The final year was a complete contrast to my earlier three years. I was a part of multiple clubs in my earlier years, with days on end when I would return room only to sleep. But suddenly with my final year, I had nothing to do. Initially, this did not reciprocate well; with me staying in my room most of the time, getting bored and sad. I was in a new wing, compounded with a low social energy to make new friends. With time, I painted, decorated my room, attended random gymkhana events only to slowly discover people who were gonna be part of my best campus memories.

Post the placement season,the last sem passed quicker than I could have imagined and undoubtedly as the best one. The sem was lit with parties and events, with a complete absence of any routine. The room had become a community space and the wing kept buzzing with delightful experiences, forming everlasting bonds and memories. The two awesome HSBC trips, movie nights, random night outs, appearing at doors in H9 C-bot, filmclub shoots, DE prep and so much, all culminating to this day. The day to leave campus.

Last night on my final walk on campus as a student, the campus had magically become much more beautiful. It was more vibrant, more nostalgic, more worth every ounce of missed sleep. Yet there was something missing, a kind of dead silence engulfing it tightly like one pulls its blanket on a chilly night. Every corner had memories, once made so unknowingly only to come back, give an uneasy smile and leave wondering in retrospect.

IITK is not a utopia, fair but it acts as an equilizer. An exception to other social institutions, who solely contribute to the illusion of meritocracy in our capitalist society. Many have been part of my journey, contributing in its making. This piece is a thank you to them for all the memories made, bonds forged and emotions shared. However small our stint was, post college we might meet or not, the togetherness will always be shared and cherished. Ending with this from Irfan Khan: “Aur akhir mein jane dene ka naam hi zindagi h…”

Adios !

Written by: Utkarsh Agrawal

Edited by: Mannat Shrivastav, Disha Singh

As We Leave #13: MemoryLog.zip – No Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V this time… Just Ctrl+Emotions

Vox Populi — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 06:35:44 +0000

In the 13th edition of As We Leave, Shruti Goyal, a Y21 student from the Civil Engineering department, shares her IIT Kanpur journey through a diary entry, filled with scribbles and thoughts. She writes about the people who helped her grow, the friendships that made it all bearable, the PORs that shaped her experiences, and the campus spots that brought her peace. She ends with a sweet note to her future self, probably reminding herself that how she made it through IITK.

Dear Diary,

As I sit here getting ready to leave IITK, it finally hits me that another chapter is coming to an end. This one was special, unforgettable in every way. It brought both joy and sadness, wins and wipeouts, but above all, it brought growth. It’s hard to sum it all up, but I’ll try my best to write it down before the memories begin to fade.

I’m leaving this place with a bag full of memories. Some made me smile like an idiot, some made me cry in the middle of the night, but each one taught me something. These four years weren’t just about books and lectures; they were about long Zoom calls, silly fights, surprise friendships, heartbreaks I didn’t see coming, and academic comebacks I kept planning but never quite nailed.

There were times I wanted to punch the wall and yell, “Why did I even choose IITK?” But today, when I look around and realize I’m packing up my last few days here, my heart gets heavy. I know now that in order to start something new, you have to say goodbye to what once felt like your whole world.

Even though I only got to spend three years on campus thanks to the online start, those three years were enough. They made me who I am — one fall and one lesson at a time. So I’m writing all this down for future me, for that rainy evening when I might want to walk down memory lane. I hope when I do, these words remind me of how I lived through it all — how I laughed through the pain, held on during the chaos, and kept growing into someone I’m proud of.

Faces That Made the Ride Worth It

Someone once said, “Things don’t feel half as scary when you’ve got your friends with you.” I didn’t get it back then, but I do now.

From awkward “Can you hear me?” moments on video calls to dancing our hearts out during fests, I met people who slowly became my family.

Prachi, Vrinda, Komal, and Sneha, these girls are my solid ground. Whether it was getting me dressed for an event or picking me up (literally and emotionally) when I was drunk or broken, they never let go. We’ve had our share of fights and cold wars, but real friendship isn’t about being perfect; it’s about always finding your way back. These girls taught me what ride-or-die truly means, and this page will always remind me of all the madness, love, and unfiltered support we shared.

When I think about civil engineering, the first name that pops into my head is Sandipan. Without him, I honestly don’t think I would’ve made it through those back-breaking courses. He wasn’t just a batchmate, he was my human diary. Someone I could rant to, cry to, and yet still laugh with. He stood by me quietly, never asking for credit but always showing up. To every junior stepping into civil, find your Sandipan. It’ll make all the difference.

And then there’s my crazy travel gang, Sandipan, Shrey, Shishir, Shambhavi, and Vedant. With them, every road trip felt like a mini movie. We fought over playlists, got lost more times than I can count, but somehow always ended up somewhere beautiful. That’s what happens when the company’s right, even the wrong turns feel just right. Those late-night talks, silly jokes, windy drives, and offbeat detours, they’re all locked in my heart.

Some people weren’t around all the time, but their little gestures meant the world. A kind word, a random hug, or just being there when I needed them — Gagan, Sonara, Sumit, Suraj, Srishti, Saumya, Aditi, Nikita, Rishwitha, Ashish, Harsh, Pandey, Rishi, Ravi, Prix, and Gaurish, you may not know it, but you made this journey brighter. Thank you.

And oh, my seniors, Yuvraj, Harshal, and Yash — what started with respect turned into comfort and so much laughter. I never expected such friendships, but I’m grateful life surprised me.

Last but not least, there’s Devansh. He deserves a whole chapter, but I’ll try to keep it short. Through the mess, madness, and quiet moments, he stood by me. Steady, calm, and always just… there. He became my peace when everything else felt like a storm. Some people don’t need big words; their presence speaks loud enough.

POR Chronicles

“Took a POR to add a line to my resume… ended up writing an entire drama instead.”

Looking back, I can’t help but giggle at how I tanked my grades because of my PORs. Okay, okay… maybe also because of my poor time management skills.

In my second year, I went all in. Civil was already a mountain to climb, and I decided to hike with extra baggage: Udghosh, Techkriti, E-Cell, GnS, EC, and SoCE. Each POR came with its own circus — midnight calls, planning that went sideways, and meetings that could’ve been emails. But it also came with friendships, inside jokes, free merch, and lessons I’ll carry forever. Somewhere along the way, I landed in the Udghosh Core Team, and that, truly, became one of my favorite chapters. PORs gave me the backstage pass to campus life. They taught me to lead, to pitch, to manage people and chaos, and most importantly, to pretend I had it all together when I very clearly didn’t. To every junior reading this, join a club/cells/fests. You’ll make friends, you’ll learn things Google won’t teach you, and you’ll mess up a lot. But you’ll grow. And trust me, it’s worth it.

Sure, my CGPA took a few hits (okay fine, more than a few), but what I gained was far bigger: confidence, people skills, and memories that make me smile when no one’s watching. If I had to go back, I’d still choose the chaos over a few extra marks any day.

If These Places Could Talk…

“In every corner of this campus, there’s a version of me that learned something new.”

I found myself lost in memories and places, and I wonder what they’d say about me. About the versions of myself I left behind at each turn.

Skywalk
It wasn’t just a bridge between buildings, it was a place where time slowed down and thoughts found their way. Lined with trees and lit by warm LEDs under the moon, it became my favorite spot to unwind. Night walks over scattered flowers, soft conversations under the stars, it felt like the campus was silently listening. Skywalk taught me that in the quiet walks between destinations, we often find the answers we weren’t even looking for.

OAT
This place was freedom in its purest form. No permissions needed, no questions asked, just the open sky and endless conversations. It was the spot for late-night chills, crazy cheering during events, and those loud laughs that echoed way past midnight.
Whether it was a group of friends lying on the stairs, gossiping about everything and nothing, or couples whispering under the stars, OAT saw it all.
OAT taught me that sometimes, the best moments are the unplanned ones. That you don’t always need a reason to be happy, just good company, open skies, and the freedom to be yourself.

Lecture Hall
The place where “attendance was low, but hope was high.” I bunked more classes than I attended, made peace with the back row, and somehow still showed up on exam days confused, underprepared, and secretly dreaming of decent grades.
There were days I zoned out completely, and others where I scribbled nonsense just to look busy. Lecture halls taught me that showing up late doesn’t mean you’re out of the race. Everyone has their own way of learning and growing, and that’s okay. Sometimes, learning from the back is all you need to survive and even shine.

DJAC Rooftop
Whenever life felt messy, this was my escape. Watching streetlights in silence, feeling the breeze, and sometimes catching a shooting star, it somehow made things feel a little clearer. And good company only made it better. This place taught me that when things get too loud inside your head, you need to climb a little higher. Sometimes, clarity comes from simply looking at life from above.

DOAA Canteen
The only place on campus that never sleeps—just like us during submissions. Their fried Maggi and that perfect cup of chai after a night out hit different. Even the army of mosquitoes couldn’t drive us away. It wasn’t always about comfort. It was about the people, the late-night hunger, and the little joys that turned into unforgettable memories.

Hall 6
Three years. Three rooms—B602, B313, C418. Each one holds a piece of my heart. These walls witnessed everything: late-night breakdowns, endless laughter, quiet dreams, loud heartbreaks. The basketball court, the connector, even the rooftop solar panels knew my story. I’d lie there under the moon, sometimes with my girl gang, sometimes just with my thoughts—looking up at the sky, hoping for answers to the chaos in my mind. Hall 6 taught me that healing doesn’t always come from running away. Sometimes, it comes from letting a place hold your chaos until you’re ready to let go.

These aren’t just places. They’re pages of my story. Every corner of IITK holds a fragment of who I was, who I became, and the quiet in-betweens I didn’t even notice at the time. And if these places could talk, I think they’d smile and say, “You’ve come a long way.”

What IITK Left Me With

I came here as a noob, but I’m leaving with lessons that shaped me for life.

Consistency is a key – No matter how much I struggled, just showing up every day got me through. Even with a low CPI, I made it to Day 1.1 and cracked it.
It’s okay to feel lost – There were days I had no idea where I was heading, but somehow in the chaos, I always found my way back.
Peace is personal – Whether it was the DJAC rooftop or a quiet walk on Skywalk, I found calm in the most unexpected corners.
Friends made it magical – The all-night talks, sudden plans, and shared struggles made this place feel like home.
Growth happened quietly – I didn’t realize when I started changing, but looking back, I know I’m not the same person who walked in.
The art of letting go – Holding on to memories is easy, but letting go of fears, doubts, and regrets is what truly sets me free.

So, here’s to you, IITK—more than a campus, you were a chapter of my life I never wanted to end, but am grateful I lived.

To the Future Me

When you read this someday, remember this: life is messy, beautiful, hard, and amazing. You’ve got scars and stories, but you also have strength and dreams. Keep chasing what makes your heart sing, never forget the friends who stood by you, and always make room for new adventures. And if things get tough, just sit down somewhere quiet, breathe, and remember where you came from. Because every ending is just a new beginning.

So, IITK Goodbye for now, but not forever. Because no matter where I go, a little piece of me will always be wandering your halls, under your skies, and dreaming by your rooftops.

Till we meet again,

Signing off – 211016

Written by: Shruti Goyal

Edited by: Abhinav, Divyanshi Agnihotri

As We Leave #12: दास्ताँ – ए – तरन्नुम

Vox Populi — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 14:30:01 +0000

In this 11th edition of As We Leave, Havi Bohra, a Y21 from the Mathematics and Statistics department, walks us through his journey at IITK. He made choices, made friends, explored, tried new things, succeeded, failed – and through it all, never stopped making memories. Memories that capture not only the good times but a spectrum of emotions.

Hi, I’m Havi Bohra from the Department of Mathematics & Statistics. If you’re a Y21, you probably remember me as the guy who used to ask a lot of questions during the online sem– or the one with less age.

“MTH is the toughest branch of IITK,” I was told by teachers at my coaching during counselling. But as always, I thought, “Dekhi jayegi.”

Fun Bit Flips / गुलों में रंग भरे

As the first sem was online, I thought everyone studies as they did in JEE, I used to be that serious and as said I asked a lot of doubts. Through online sessions by CS and clubs, I realized that here I’ll be meeting a lot of different minds and I’m going to have a lot of fun. But as the sem progressed, my enthu decayed. It revived the moment I received the mail about coming to campus!!!

I started making friends—barely had any during the online sem. For a while, I had a routine: attend classes, sleep there in the front rows, do nothing during the day, and explore rooftops with friends at night.

Aromatic phase / झिंग झिंग झिंगाट

First monsoon at IITK presents itself and seeing lightning strike to block next to us with naked eyes was a next level thing to me. I joined Udghosh Hospi, Hindi Sahitya Sabha, PPOC. Out of which Hindi Sahitya Sabha really interested me the most —and one of the best things it did for me was that it got me into reading books.. Third sem passed similarly to the second sem, doing academia, exploring things, places, clubs, etc. —and having fun overall.

As the sem ended, I realized I had no technical skills, so I started mailing profs to give me something to begin with. Only one prof replied positively and gave me a task to fine-tune a LLM. Obviously, I said yes (sikhlenge-krlenge kya hi chij hogi). And guess what I did for the next 3 months? — I learned python basics, created a basic html-css website and then watched basic ML Andrew NG videos.

The most memorable thing I did in fourth sem was a Wing trip to Manali– Kheerganga– Shimla, the longest trip I’ve ever had!

Fun takes a downfall / मैं किसी पुल सा थरथराता हूँ

Like most people, I had nothing much on my resume except for CPI. Stayed on campus for SURGE in the scorching summers to fill there something and learn DSA. I didn’t get many interviews on the day 1 but almost every company’s interview in the week for which I had applied. I got rejected in the first round of almost every company and in companies where I cleared all rounds with a good impression, I didn’t get an offer. I struggled with how to explain things and I was giving answers as I wrote in a doc for many questions related to my projects, even intro. Probably, I gave the most no. of interviews in the entire campus and got an offer finally 4 days before the endsems. Throughout the fifth sem, my only focus was to get an internship. Continuously giving interviews, getting rejected, not focusing on acads, bad decision to not drop HSS (near to fail), facing two worst profs and courses combo of MTH- Complex Analysis and Several Variable Calculus, was almost how the sem went. I tried improving my technical skills, soft skills, applying off-campus interns, research interns, using contacts, referrals, everything that could get me something, but I was losing confidence in myself and almost stopped meeting anyone. But the good part was I never stopped trying and I did realize after this that – it is only trying your best that matters and nothing else, prepare for the worst and face whatever comes without fear. I must thank Viplav Patel (Y19), Fahad (Y20) and some of my MTH friends who believed in me.

Sixth sem started with the Banaras trip. I was still recovering myself from last sem, and messed around trying out various things together. Summers in Bengaluru were great, coz it’s monsoon there. I also went on Chikmagalur Trip, a 10/10 place for riding and natural beauty.

Before I leave / ढल गया दिन होगयी शाम

As the final year began, I focused on placements, but this time with less fear as the previous year had taught me a lot. All went right. Best feeling after getting placed comes when helping and seeing friends getting placed.

Final sem came, I was again pumped up with energy– not missing any chance to make memories and complete all the checkboxes of this campus. I went back to the rooftops, azeez yaaro ke sath bakchodi aur awaragardi. The Final trip with Wing for Goa, was again 10/10. Dance Extravaganza, Hall-1 Baarat,… all the things .

It’s impossible to mention all the experiences I’ve had here, but two things are definitely worth mentioning: MTH guys and Hall 5-Wing 9. Most of my friends are in these two groups, MTH guys have been super fun-super collaborative, those times in classes–library–group chats and wherever we met, made me never doubt my “Dekhi jayegi” decision. My wing has been the hub of all my bakchodi, with every kind of personality you can imagine hanging out there.

Lastly, I can’t stop myself from borrowing a line from Jha’s AWL, “…Stories like mine are only fun when they work out…”.

I tried a lot to write this AWL in Hindi as suggested by one of my azeez Vrinda Sharma, unfortunately couldn’t make it to. Thanks to Mudita, CGM assigned to me, for being too patient as I always said to her “kal likhta hu”. Also, thanks to azeez Utkarsh Agrawal for motivating me to write this AWL.

Written by: Havi Bohra

Edited by: Mudita Jalan, Divyanshi Agnihotri

As We Leave #11: Around the world in 1260 days

Vox Populi — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:15:36 +0000

In this 11th edition of As We Leave, Pratham Sahu, a Y21 from the Computer Science department, traces a journey of uncertainty, resilience, and rediscovery. From online friendships that turned into lifelong bonds to leading the Programming Club, interning in Korea, and navigating the internship and placement seasons — his time at IITK was filled with detours and defining moments. Through breakdowns and breakthroughs, he found meaning not in titles but in people, passion, and perseverance. His story reminds us that there is no fixed formula for IITK — just a campus, a community, and the courage to keep walking.

As the start of every other AWL goes, it “is” hard to try and summarise your time at IITK and impart some wisdom to juniors in a single blog of 2000 words. This institute just gives and gives, it may be good times, bad ones, stressful ones, high ones and even the lowest ones. Reflecting upon the past 3.5 years, it’s been one hell of a journey. It’s a journey where you’re supposed to find yourself, but you have never been more confused. It’s a journey where you are supposed to keep walking, but you don’t know where to. It’s a journey where you meet hundreds of people and each of them tells you about a different destination. Sitting at the end of the road with 1200 others, some have found their destination, others are still searching. In this blog I am going to write about the stories that have shaped the version of myself I am today. At places I will give my 2 cents about important aspects of campus life like joining a club, placements, internships, etc.

First Semester

December 1st 2021: This was the date we were supposed to be joining “IIT Kanpur”. Yes, covid. Online classes, online bulla sessions, among us and sitting on zoom calls just talking about ourselves for 7-8 hours straight had become the norm. This was the time when I made friends who have stayed with me through the entire duration of four years.

Around mid-February we received notifications that we would be on campus in April. This was one of my happiest moments. You dont join IIT for the academics, you join it for the campus, the people, and I was about to see the campus I had heard so much about.

PS: We also pulled off a trip to Rishikesh just based on our online interactions. Here are some pictures.

We joined campus in the first week of April in 2022. We were greeted by Antaragni, and dancing to the songs of Sunidhi Chauhan and vibing to Ritviz in the very first week of your campus life has got to be sick. This semester was hybrid and hence a lot of it passed in roaming IITK, random bulla sessions with seniors and others.

Second Semester:

During the second semester, One night I woke up with excruciating pain in my abdominal region. I somehow managed to cycle to the HC, where I was misdiagnosed with gastritis and given strong painkillers.When the pain returned, this time they referred me to Madhuraj. I reached there to find no doctors available. Called the doctor, went to his clinic. There I was advised to get admitted to the hospital immediately. Won’t go into further details, but I had gall bladder stones and was to get them removed. The state of medical facilities in Kanpur(including the HC) is pathetic. It took them 5 days to find out the cause and schedule a surgery for me. Until then my condition had worsened. My father made a decision to fly me to Delhi, where all the tests(which took 5 days in Kanpur), would get done within 30 minutes and they were to place a stent(temporary fix before surgery, since I was adamant to not take a sem drop). I was out within 2 days and after spending a few days at home I was back on campus.

Unfortunately for me, the stent did not hold up and after 2 weeks, the pain was back, and this time surgery was necessary. We decided to get the surgery done in Bangalore, (from where I hail), as it would be easier to recover. I missed multiple quizzes, and as always there were professors whose first questions would be “Why didn’t you mail me earlier?”. How could I? I was high on painkillers most of the time and in excruciating pain the rest. This is not a generalisation, since on the other hand there were professors who genuinely cared and helped me catch up.

However this was the time when my friends came to help. They would visit me at the hospital, submit my TA101 homeworks, assignments and what not to get my sem going. I will always be in their debt. Came back to campus with my mother 2 days before the end sems and tried to catch up. Ended up getting a decent CPI.

Third Semester:

This was a calm semester. I met someone who would go on to be my best friend on campus, my companion and someone who I could always trust in. This is a story for another time. This was also the time I joined the Programming Club as a secretary, and became a student guide. Being a student guide was one of the most fulfilling experiences of campus life. Guiding bachas through the ups and downs of college life, when you don’t really know how to navigate them yourself was fun. At the end of this semester, I had started applying for research internships as corporate internships are hard to find. I still remember that a bunch of us had gone to Mumbai for a trip at the end of December, to attend MoodIndigo. Whilst we were there, we took a day trip to Imagica, and my interview got scheduled for that very day. I still remember taking my interview from Imagica, and getting the internship offer there. Those were some good days.

Joining a Club: Have enthu, but not too much. Stick to 2 or maximum 3 places where you think you would actually enjoy working. Don’t do it for the PORs, it’s really not worth it and it adds very less to your placement/intern. I think a very wrong notion that joining more PORs adds to your resume, trust me it does not. Not even if you want to be a consultant. Don’t be a jack of all, be a master of some.

Fourth Semester:

This semester I became much more involved with the Programming Club, and started taking more interests in the club’s working. I decided to apply for a coordinator and was selected to be one. I have had some wonderful times at Programming Club as secy and a coordinator and have developed some of the closest friendships here. Sitting nights to develop PuppyLove, setting up problems for FPC, teaching stuff I love to juniors, were some of the best times.

I personally believe this semester is one of the most toxic semesters you will face at IITK. I think a lot of people will agree with me. You start getting into a race for internships because it is the first time you face such a thing. However, personal opinion, you are not going to get anything by not sharing. I think it helps you more in the long run if you are someone who shares, and helps others.

Summer at Korea:

This summer, I went to Seoul, South Korea to pursue a research internship under Prof. Jonghyun Choi at Yonsei University. I had applied to machine learning roles, as I had explored only that apart from courses in my second year. Who would know, I would completely shift my field to Systems. This is what IITK is about, you get to make mistakes, find yourself and do it all over again. Coming back, the trip to Korea was amazing! Prof Jonghyun was one of the best professors I have ever met who made me accustomed to his lab and helped me with every aspect of moving to Korea. There is a language barrier in Korea, however if you love to travel(like me) it really doesn’t matter. I didn’t go anywhere outside Seoul, but Seoul was a beautiful city in itself. I wish to go back some time again.

Landing Summer internships in second year: You can read my blog here https://prathamsahu52.github.io/post/research_intern/ .

Fifth Semester:

Internship Season marked the beginning of this semester, and being a student from the CSE department made me overconfident about securing an offer on day one. I had only prepared for quant roles, neglecting competitive programming entirely. My overconfidence led me to take tests for just a handful of companies, and I didn’t even consider applying to day two companies. Reality hit hard—I ended day one with no offers. Devastated, I took a quick flight home to clear my head but returned after three days only to face rejection again on day two. Finally, on day three, I received an offer from Adobe Research. This period became one of my lowest points; I felt isolated, thinking I was the only one facing such struggles, especially when most of my friends had secured placements effortlessly on day one. I used to cry myself to sleep in my room for multiple weeks after, asking god why me? I had completely different plans and ambitions from this, but time always does change. But through this challenging phase, I learned a critical lesson: there will always come a moment when everything seems impossible, the burden feels overwhelming, and quitting appears logical. Yet precisely at that moment—when you most want to quit—is when everything begins to change.

After being placed for internship at Adobe, I told myself I will change, I will focus on what I love, Programming Club, Systems programming, among others. I also took a trip to Goa with my closest friends. I started working on puppylove 2.0 where I worked with some of my closest juniors, Gill, Shreya, Sameer and Yash.

Sixth semester:

This semester I picked up some of the toughest courses of my department, as I was determined to learn from courses and further my interests in systems programming. I also participated in the ISC Student Cluster Competition, where we were the first team from India, and were competing against top universities like ETH Zurich, NUS. Our efforts were fruitful as we ended up 8th of 22 teams and we were one of the only few first time participating teams in the event. This semester was what we call “Apne pair par kulhadi maarna”. Compilers, ISC, Linux Kernel were only the start of my concerns. Running PClub, elections, etc were the rest. But I was determined to do what I loved.

Courses: Pick your interest and pursue it. Don’t chase easy OE’s and DE’s for grades. IITK can give you knowledge if you desire it, so don’t waste that opportunity because you wont get it again. Be thirsty for knowledge and everything else will follow.

Summer Internship:

This summer, since I hail from Bangalore, I decided to travel to and from home as AdobeResearch was based in Bangalore. I used this summer to go to the gym, get back on doing a little bit of competitive programming and focus on placements. I had moved on from the coordinator of programming Club, however as I said, it wasn’t just a POR for me. I talked to folks from LinuxFoundation and Canonical to hold an open-source conference at IITK. Without realizing, I was leading a conference and handling its logistics with Rahbar. I think this was also some experience, dealing with the DOSA office, dealing with organizers, etc, teaches you a lot.

CP vs no CP: I personally have never been a fan of doing competitive programming, but I am aware of how necessary it is for your internships and placements. However, I was determined that learning the algorithms is more important than blindly solving on interview bit, hence with that maturity, I focussed majorly on systems knowledge and algorithms, with bare minimum implementation practice. I believe this strategy worked for me, however everyone learns differently.

I also used my intern money to travel to Amsterdam and Belgium this summer with my mother.

Seventh Semester:

This was the semester when the placement season took place. I had also planned to apply for masters and PhD programs in the US(and Europe) depending upon the university. A lot of my time went into applications, as I was more inclined on pursuing higher studies. This semester, almost every night we played 3-4 hours of poker(just coz recover karna tha), ignoring the placements completely(insanely stressful but fun times). I have made some of the best friendships of my time at IIT Kanpur in the final year at B-mid(x). Sharing ups and downs with these folks has made me what I am and I am indebted to them for it.

This time I was confident of my skills in computer systems and algorithms, as I had spent a year actually focusing on learning the concepts, rather than doing it just for the placements. I decided to sit in the placements as a backup to my plans for higher studies. I was very fortunate to get a placement on day 1 session 1 at Graviton in the systems role, the one that I was passionate about. On achieving this, I decided not to apply to my safety schools and only applied to top schools and funded programs in the US. However this season was very bad especially for cse students due to funding cuts , and I ended up getting rejected from all of them. I also attended the SC’25 conference in Atlanta this sem.

As I may have mentioned before, I am a travel freak, and a group of us took a trip to Vietnam in December. We went to Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Da nang, partied, and had loads of fun.

Eighth Semester:

This was more or less a chill semester. I had very few credits left and I picked up a part time internship at a US based startup of IITK alumni who graduated more than 20 years back. Here I worked on what I loved and ended up getting a very attractive offer from them. However I decided to stick to graviton, due to my very hazy future plans and what my gut told me. We also took a trip to Thailand and it was one of the craziest trips of my life. I did every sort of water sport possible, failed in some of them, but enjoyed every single one of them. Koh Samui’s, “Full Moon Party” is something you must definitely attend in your 20’s. Poker didn’t stop. I also spent time with my wing mates and juniors. Parties didn’t stop and neither did “All on me”(iykyk).

The last few days at IIT were very tough. You were going home, but you were leaving another family and home behind. How do you let go of someone whom you’ve cried with, laughed with, studied with? They will no longer be 2 rooms away or even in your same city. I think I will always have very fond memories of this place and IITK will hold the most special place in my heart.

I think IITK is confusing. Everyone will tell you how to live, what to chase or what is success. A good placement? Good grades? Higher studies?. Their blueprint isn’t your map, they haven’t been through what you have gone through. Stop trying to fit into someone else’s formula. Go all in on what you think is right. It’s your life on campus.

Written by: Pratham Sahu

Edited by: Shruti Sahu, Manya Dixit

As We Leave #10: The No BS IITK Survival Guide

Vox Populi — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:51:13 +0000

In this 10th edition of As We Leave, Kapu Nirmal Joshua, a Y21 student from the Electrical Engineering department, shares his journey through a rollercoaster of memories — from arriving post-COVID and mentoring juniors, to battling FOMO, finding purpose, and cherishing the quiet beauty of campus life in moments often taken for granted.

Hey everyone. As Vox Populi brings back “As We Leave” — I wanted to share a bit of my own journey through IIT Kanpur. Every journey through this college is different, and it teaches us different things and there are a lot of such lessons that I’ve recently introspected on quite a lot. As I write this on my last day at IIT Kanpur, the nostalgia that I am going through is something that is quite an experience in itself.

Some of you reading this may possibly know me from the projects I mentored with EEA/ as an academic mentor, and that is because I believe that the number one, and in fact, the best thing I did here at IIT Kanpur was help people out, and I believe that’s the first message I’d like to give to all juniors as well – is to keep helping people out. My entire life here has been marked by a lot of ups and downs and as I sit here, introspecting, I realise that EVERYTHING that has happened here, be it the unbearable lowest of the lows, to the best highs, was all for my good. All the friends I made or had a fall out with, everyone, played such a key role and I’d like to appreciate all of them – from the bestest of my friends to whom I have written very detailed testimonials to even the people that I indirectly connected with. As I reminisce, I really hope I made an impact in somebody’s life through my mentorship roles.

I remember how I was as I first came to IIT Kanpur – the innocent boy that had studied all day while locking himself in his room for over a year. COVID-19 had basically taken away all of our social skills and there we were – on campus with over 1200 students by April. Looking back on this first year, I realised that when I came here – I was very socially immature and believed that I was always the best among whom I was around. Looking back on it, weren’t we all a bit immature as we came? And I think that’s one of the best parts of college. It’s about how you change as a person completely from the inside out. It’s about how that ego dies, and that ego death is something that has happened in my life personally over these four years.

There are a lot of really common issues that I’d like to address in this AWL as well. The first of which is when people feel an extreme FOMO in their first year over the meaning of the phrase “explore in your first year.” People always believe that their purpose/meaning in what they do in life, academically or non academically must be something that is found by putting yourself “out-there” as much as possible, by joining as many clubs as possible, societies as possible, and put as much time into extracurriculars and I feel this is such a major flaw in our reasoning here at IIT Kanpur.

Exploring is such a vague concept, and it’s such a word that can be taken in so many ways. This very vagueness leads to a lot of first years having a lower CGPA than expected, and this blunder ends up ruining potential future opportunities as well. There is a very special message I’d like to address to such people feeling such FOMO: your purpose and meaning in what you would like to do with your life, is not something to be hunted for. It rather just comes to you, through your time here. Instead of exploring, the best advice would be to be in a position to keep your CGPA as high as possible in the first year. This is a real fact, and you would thank yourself for doing this, because trust me, a high CGPA is the first thing that allows you to do anything you want to.

Another very important thing to start is DSA and competitive programming as well, possibly in your first year, because more the time you can devote to it, the better you get at it, and you always feel like you’re never good at it, so starting early is a very good choice to make. These two things are something that would carry you in all the seasons of internships and placements and if ever technical advice is needed over this, I’m always open for contact

As the famous Tame Impala song says, “all this running around, trying to cover my shadow” – is a line that I’d like to include in this AWL as a message to all those feeling stressed over the fact that they aren’t doing enough. Sometimes the best things in your life, such as finding what you want to do “just happens” and that’s the beautiful part of life.

As a college itself, IIT Kanpur has been one of the best places I have ever been, and as I write this on my last day on campus, nostalgia fills me a lot. Some of the best places I’ve ever been alone on this campus include very weird places from sitting alone on the stage at the pronite ground at 7AM, to the so convenient rooftops of our hostel and other buildings, and I wish everyone could go there and appreciate the beauty of the place in which you live. Which other college has so much freedom? Do you ever stop to notice the trees? The patterns they form against the sunset? Do you ever stop to appreciate your friends, the role they play in your life? I feel like we must all stop to appreciate these small moments, that we take so granted, because as we leave, you realise that, that is what makes you up.

I’d like to end this whole story with a really nice lyric from this one song by Kanye West that explains the entire journey of college – “everything I’m not made everything I am.” I could explain it to you, what it means, but I feel like it’s something you should explore yourself Please do explore for now xD.

Written by: Kapu Nirmal Joshua
Edited by: Anantika P, Vaishnavi
Designed by: Pragya Puri, Pankhuri Sachan

As We Leave #9 : A Local Train Called IITK

Vox Populi — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:22:47 +0000

In this 9th edition of As We Leave, Nishant Patel, Y21 student from the Electrical Engineering department, shares his journey through a rollercoaster of memorie, from online semesters and chaotic quizzes to wild nights in Hall 1, deep friendships, and the unexpected lessons that made his time at IIT Kanpur truly unforgettable.

I write this, now that I have somewhat accepted the very fact that my IITK chapter has been completed and this will be a way to tell you my journey. After many failed attempts, asking other people if they’d be writing or not and asking Zainoob multiple times to help me, here I am, on a Sunday morning, questioning if I’ll be able to complete this. I’m still not ready to bid goodbye to IITK people who made that place feel like home. I’ll take every chance to relive those moments, alas, we won’t be getting too many. Coming back to AWL, I’m doubting if I can write my college experience in some 2k words. But since we are taking this as a challenge, I’ll try to cover most of it.

Okay, so I think I did almost everything the campus had to offer. Maintained my acads on a decent level, took PORs (7 iirc in 2nd year), got very much involved in the elections (not directly), did every event in the GC with my beloved hall (Jai Bhawani, Jai Shivaji), got myself a decent intern, got a return offer, wandered and roamed around every corner of the campus and even got a fine in the last for partying so hard that the wardens got scared. I was never a guy who can only study or do something quietly, I’m glad that I found the apt peers to do the other things that made these 4 years memorable.

Toh chaliye shuru karte hai…. We started off as an online batch, had so many first year plans and expectations but ah, we could only wait. My first quiz happened, it was of PHY102, and I scored -2, yes negative 2 in that test when the class average was 11 out of 15. I was shocked, I realised ki padna toh yaha bhi padega. But thank god, I wasn’t alone in this situation. I got my first gem, Himanshu (aka chotu or mechanical), he had also scored similar marks. Our daddy wing warned us not to involve in any “malpractices” as the Y20 batch had gotten a lot of Fs for getting caught. But still, some day i got added into a small group for learning purposes obviously, lol. Till midsems, i realised that not everyone is scoring by studying, and mujhe bhi behti ganga me haath dhul lene chahiye. So, online sem was mostly around this small group only, sitting on zoom before every quiz or exam, random late night bulla sessions, thanks to saksham’s fitjee unlimited ZOOM links, some bullshit games by Zainab. I also met Rachit Gupta, who’d be playing valo during the quiz and would wait for me to finish my quiz and then give him my answers, such a bitch thing to do, to bully me like that.

Side note – Unpopular opinion but I liked TA101.

So after this monotonous online sem, finally we were called to campus, and I took my excited ass to campus on the very first day(2nd apr, 2022). After making my room a living space, I left for the campus exploration as all other Y21s were doing at that point. I remember Udghosh was being held, and we were not allowed to attend any of the events following the new batch on campus regulations. But as you can guess, we ignored that and went to cheer for our teams playing in that scorching heat. And what I experienced there, made me realise that saare engineering launde ek jaise hote, chahe iit se hi kyu naa ho. Moving forward, Chotu’s and Bitthal’s rooms became our adda. Everyday was full of new things. Before Midsems arrived, we had already attended Sunidhi Chauhan and Ritviz, completed our fun orientation, hopped on panchi banu udta firu iss gagan mein in acad area, went on all popular buildings’ terraces and got chased and eventually got caught by SIS guards for doing something stupid in the residential area. Then we had our first “offline” exams and everyone got serious. Rest of the semester was around acads only. SnT projects and recruitment tests are fun ngl. The vacation before our sophomore year brought me a surprise, you already know if you should know it. Curtains on my short but very happening first year!

First half of 2nd year brought many reality checks. You have to keep up with the pacy life, maintain your acads as your department courses had started, do projects, look for good PoRs and obviously do all this while being involved in all the bakchodis that your wing or other groups were doing. Till then, I had my core group formed, not a great name (Raands) but a bunch of goated people, had enough interactions in my wing, got my batti systumm people to pass my courses and some great friends. By the end of 3rd sem, everyone was prepping for their interns, and I was there with no plans of that.

Okay so let me tell you a side story-

I was a dropper with no plans of JEE in my 12th class. My main motive was to get a good board percentage so that I could get a good college in DU and then prep for UPSC, so I didn’t give that year’s JEE Mains. Moving forward, my last exam was held on 19 or 20th march iirc, and after that lockdown was waiting for me as a surprise. After almost 3 months of random shit at my dadi ghar with my notorious cousins, finally the result came on 13th of July, I had performed well and was happy that I’ll surely get a good college now. But DU admissions were getting late and late, and a close friend of my dad recommended me to start prep for JEE, why waste my time waiting when I can get the DU seat next year also. So, with not so much interest, I started the prep and now when I have lived the iit dream, I’m kinda grateful for covid to have given me that chance.

Coming back, so when all the other friends of mine were building their resumes, I was chilling as I thought to not sit for intern drive coz of upsc plans. But in December, when I told my parents about this, they answered back in typical Indian parents style. They said abhi ek sem hai, iit gaye ho toh backup lekar hi niklo na, sabke sath intern prep karoge toh ho hi jayegi. 4th sem started, I also started looking for some projects for my resume. Another weak point was I hadn’t done any coding other than esc101 (i had hindi in 12th L). I left it for the summer. I’ll be always grateful for the intern prep gang. I had people who’ll help me in literally every domain. Rachit, Monkesh, Srijan, Panjwani, Zainab, Sibtain, Panda brothers and Sahaj to name a few. Monkesh and Sahaj would literally teach me company specific topics one day before the interviews. I also had to manage the APC work along with this. In a blink of an eye, it was day 1. Intern drive was a little of a hard time, cried a few times but at last finally got one.

Once my intern was sorted, I had only 2 tasks to do – first, to keep my cpi>8.5, credits to Nitya who told me that you’ll get a distinction degree for doing that. Second was to do every other thing that the campus and the people here had to offer.

After coming back from intern, we had to shift to hall 1. That is the place where you live your best college life. Almost all your 1st year friends are back again in the same hall. I got a PPO but many of my friends didn’t. So, 7th sem was more about helping others in the placement preparation and making them pass the courses that I was doing with them. I would literally make 5 different copies of an assignment so that they can just submit on mookit. For the first time in college, I had gone to 9am classes and took notes and that was in this sem as all others were busy with prep and late-night tests.

Then came December, all my friends got placed, yay. We went for a small trip in Jan start. Came back to H1 and this is where peak engineering experience would start. There will be something crazy going on everytime. You’ll be randomly partying and dancing, go on a “legendary” trip, even wear black sunglasses on a random SOBER night and roam around all over the campus. Saksham and Palash would be there for the morning sutta and sesh, which will go on forever till we pass out. Akshay’s room would become dharamshala, Himanshu and wing for “gravity”, Sahil and Tejas for random gossips and dancing, Bitthal, Chad and Kausti for random booty squeezing, Arko and Teja for late night rolling paper and the list goes on. Everyday was so happening, you would just love being there. Play cricket, football, tennis, badminton. We also had a dunk fight, went to almost every wing and water water everywhere. I also got a fine for partying as some random ass person had complained to the warden with my room number. That night, we called it wildfire. Whole wing, dancing shirtless, most of them being bhand, and to top it all, bursting a cracker on the face of the warden and then running and disappearing from his sight. Crazy night. H1 is all bout getting high and moj-mastiing all the time. Surely the greatest time I had spent on campus.

I’ll put my college take-aways in the following one or two liner points but will let my emotional side take over for a moment and say – Kabhi kabhi lagta hai dosti ek local train jaise hoti hai — sab ek station se chadhte hain, ek saath safar karte hain, maze karte hain… par fir har kisi ka apna station aata hai, aur log utarte jaate hain. Main bas yeh chahta hoonki yeh safar thoda aur lamba ho jaye. Kyunki chahe yeh log zyada purane nahi hain meri life mein, par dil ke bohot kareeb hain. Aur main abhi unse door nahi hona chahta.

So, ending my AWL by listing my college take-aways and some personal facts, in no order-

People at IITK are the best people you’ll meet in your life. Make the most of it.
Tejas, Sahil, Rachit and Rishi are the closest ones. I’ll love to have them by my side all the time.
You’ll learn more from people than the profs.
Visit the residential area besides the old shop at night around 2-3am. It’s thrilling.
Go to as many terraces of the top building as you can go.
Have a bhindi fry+raita+cold coffee combo at H1 canteen before leaving campus.
Always and always keep your acads on a good level. You won’t be able to maximize your bakchodi without this.
Spray paint your room, it’s very cool. Write anything that comes in your or your friends’ mind.
Make those friends who’ll let you sleep in their coolers if you don’t have one. They are the sweetest ones. Miss you Chad!
Go to as many trips as you can. And try to include as many known people as possible, trips make your friendship stronger. I went on 6 trips with college people.
Goa jaroor jaana bc.
Vrinda Sharma is the perfect vice-captain for making a team to go for a trip.
If you smoke, have different groups for that. You’ll get to know a lot of new music.
Give respect to your hall, participate in the GC events. I have got some great friends and goosebump moments from there.
Vaibhav Kadiyan is the sweetest gensec.
Be good at atleast 1 mobile/Pc game so that you can experience that also. Great bonding time.
Will miss Bitthal’s medicine supplies whenever needed.
Take as many PORs you can take, given you can manage your acads.
College is the time to take bold steps, not play it safe. Everything you do here will make you learn something.
Visit the whole campus by the time your journey ends.
Talk to sis guards who seem to be alone. They can share some good stories/kaands.
Do cringe things if it makes you happy. I made dancing reels with Tejas and Sahil.
Wingies will be there from start till end. Make sure you remain one of them. It doesn’t imply that you should remain amongst wingies only.
Don’t go sober to pronites in your 4th year.
Batti is not tough, find the right group for you. I would not have completed it if there were no holy trinity of Sahaj, Satish and Swastik.
Always have one jugaadu person. I know none better than Rishi Jaiswal.
If there is any time or point where you can help others, fucking do it. Don’t think twice.
Placement time, people need you. They are vulnerable, please please be there with them.
Get a PPO for maximum moj masti.
Juniors are cute. Give parties to them.
R***ds was/is/will be my core group.
Always keep a late night sutta and a morning sutta.
Dance your heart out at the top of the water tank on H1 terraces.
Keep some crackers with you, burst them on your friends’ birthdays.
Saksham, Himanshu, Chuchu, Palash and Pandey- my wake’n’bake partners. Iykyk.
Be a good student in at least 3 prof’s books. They’ll help you a lot, more than you can think of.
Play cards in library at least once. Don’t go to lib without ciggs if you smoke.
I had 2 or 3 pseudo wings. I can spend the whole day with them. Great people.
Don’t make yourself small for anyone. Be the awkward, funny, beautiful person that you are.

Written by: Nishant Patel
Edited by: Abhinav, Divyanshi Agnihotri
Designed by: Pragya Puri, Pankhuri Sachan