WHY 23?

Hey, Y23s!

Congratulations on finally being accepted into “The Indian Institute of Technology”! A word that takes about two and a half seconds to say loud and clear and the exact figure in years to get in. But fret not, because we’re here to give you a sneak peek into the rollercoaster ride that awaits you!  

Let’s talk about engineers, shall we? They come in two vibrant flavors. First, the dreamers who aspired to be at IITs, and second, the brave souls who just wanted CSE. And as is the law of the land, here also the minority has to suffer—all day, on chairs in an air-conditioned room, doing the most common stuff. In contrast, the majority have the time of their lives with shovels, trowels, and hammers amid strange and novel equipment. Many of them come here with bags full of hopes for branch change to CSE, which you intelligent people would have known by now is a nursery of cacti piercing through the bag of dreams.

By now, you must have also discovered the fascinating Amma Bapu Culture at IITK. Some words of wisdom: This place is like a goldmine for “healthy” interactions with our beloved seniors. They’re like superheroes, always ready to lend a helping hand. And do not forget “Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it”.

Oh, and hold on tight because the GBM (General Body Meeting) is just around the corner. The wise old folks want you to proudly represent your hall in the Fresher’s Inferno and the mighty General Championship. They’ll go on and on about the hall’s legacy, expecting you to carry the torch forward. But fear not; all you need is a boatload of enthusiasm to dive headfirst into these shenanigans. And yes, you would also get the moment of your life to bring out the rockstar hidden in you through the chanting of the Hall Anthem of the Mighty Halls.

And Yes, how can I miss the “good life” of IITs, the thing for which you have come here. It’s time to relish it. Acknowledging that there is no collector to declare a rainy holiday, you would have learned to cycle through swamps, catching your attendance threshold. You would soon gain the extraordinary ability to go without a bath during the winter for longer than anyone thought possible. You’ll eagerly wait for the sun—not to get a tan, but for some hot water to end your long streak. Get ready to share your snacks, shoes, stationery, and your oh–not-so-precious personal space with your roomies. And let’s not forget those sadistic professors who seem to have a knack for giving out D grades. But amidst all these trials, there is something positive: the wifi works just fine!

Now, I know you’re all in agreement about one thing that haunts your every waking moment: time management. You’ll find yourself silently nodding, realizing that you’ve become a multitasking procrastinator. You can put off all sorts of things simultaneously! No matter how overwhelmed you feel with academics and chores, you always find time for the most captivating activity of the day: scrolling through those “relatable” reels on Instagram. After all, it’s comforting to know that we’re all sailing in the same procrastination boat. But young ones, the promises of a luxurious life after clearing JEE are finally fulfilled because… the wifi works just fine!

Freak not! There is actually a lot of really good stuff that IITK has to offer. From the freedom to roam through the campus at any time of the day to meeting people from different schools of thought, IITK will perhaps be the first place where you can choose your own path and your own destiny.

Fitness is taken very seriously here, and IITK leaves no stone unturned to achieve this. A carefully curated workout plan to keep you at the best of your physical capabilities will require getting half the batch up at 6:30 in the morning and walking around the field once a week. But the best part about studying at IITK is that you chose this. You finally get to learn courses that you actually want to study. All those useless subjects you were forced to mug up in school are finally gone! No more history, no more geography, no more bio… oh wait! 

And, of course, there are those among you who have come for the brilliant professors and their brilliant courses, hoping to shape your brilliant minds. Well, IITK surely will not disappoint. The top-notch labs here are sure to teach you many things. Amidst the labyrinth of instruments and expensive equipment, you will learn to be observant and wait for someone to complete the experiment for you to copy. 

Academics, club competitions, hackathons, and so many other activities can be extremely draining, and they will consume your entire day. So a natural question that you might ask is, “When can I have fun? When can I relax?”. Well, “whenever you wish”. 

You are peacefully working towards your project submission in your room, and suddenly your wingies storm in! They are there to help, ahh nope, kido. They are just inviting you for a ‘GPL’! After a long day, you might decide to take a walk around the campus, and just on the path from Hall 13 to OAT, you find random people you’ve barely seen before but end up having the most nuanced discussion on how ducks are practically water chickens. This campus is always buzzing with countless opportunities to let loose and have the time of your life.

Reading through all this ‘gyaan,’ your mind must be surging with many emotions. After all, so much information can be overwhelming, so here is the gist: You are away from home in a completely unfamiliar environment (and somehow it only gets crazier), but you are amidst family. After a few weeks, you’ll get more comfortable with this environment, form great connections, and inevitably fall in love with this campus. The only thing that you should remember is that you are not alone in this process. Feel free to share any problems you face, communicate openly with your friends and seniors, and most importantly, enjoy being an IITian now.

Yours <whichever adjective you write>

Seniors

Design By: Sachidanand Navik