Humans of IIIT Delhi

"I learnt about self sufficiency a long time ago. I had a very limited upper cap on my pocket money. There were things I wanted for myself that I couldn't get with that constraint. I saw my friends going out, partying and having fun. All while wistfully longing for these luxuries.

Somewhere down the line, after coming to college, the environment at home became very restrictive for me. So I decided to shift to the hostel. My parents did not approve of this at all and I was entirely on my own in college, paying on my own for my hostel fees and food.

However, money was not a problem for me, the sudden isolation and stark necessity of self reliance was the daunting part. Confronting life all by myself was intimidating. There were times when I regretted the decisions I had made in life.

I was difficult around people as well. I learnt a lot about trust and loyalty through friendships. Unfortunately most of these were failed friendships. My relationships were strained by a lot of instability during this period. Over time and in retrospect I've realised that I had been equally immature and at fault in some cases.

Moreover, rumors always had a way of finding their way back to me. Times were tough and I most certainly feel that it was the biggest learning phase of my life. I was barely holding on, all I could do was believe in my work and keep going. My parents gradually understood my needs, my work and my caliber.

Things are still on and off but I guess, we all have our family issues. As of today, I've got a contract with a good company and I intend to focus on this part of my life. Obviously, I'm just over 20 and there's a long way to go, but I certainly believe that those times in college have made me who I am today. I took an unconventional path and I am still figuring out my way through it.

I want the people reading this to know that it is your own responsibility to find yourself, carve your niche and stand by it. Money may not be everything, but everything I've learnt about myself and my aspirations in life, I owe to my maniacal chase down this unconventional but authentic path."

~ RDK, IIIT Delhi

“I came to IIIT Delhi following the universal trend of engineering, getting a good placement offer. I didn’t know anything about the IIITD culture then. I was a part of Odyssey ’18 towards the end of my second year here. Standing backstage at the Nirvana Night concert, seeing the sea of people ahead, feeling the intensity of the audience, all of it felt surreal. Watching the months of hard work culminate in this one great night spurred me to continue working to create such experiences. Building up from this, I became the Operations Head of Esya ’18. I did a lot of work in Odyssey too, handling everything related to Nirvana Night. A lot of effort and dedication goes into organizing fests. Despite running on four hours of sleep and Redbull-fueled mania, you still want to work. All the motivation, dedication and hard work is justified when you feel the crowd’s energy. Witnessing a great fest unfold, seeing the crowd of thousands and knowing that you made this possible is a great feeling.
With each event, each fest I built my name in the college.

People today know that I do this work, and I do it well.

My biggest takeaway from these experiences has been the insight into the working of collaborative processes. I now know how to talk to people, how to manage people. I have a sense of what people want to hear and I’ve learned to be modest.

In my years here, I have also been the coordinator of the volleyball team. We trained as a team, and beat IIT BHU in their home ground. Recently, I got the opportunity to become the Cultural Secretary of IIIT Delhi. With every new event, there is growing confidence in the Cultural Committee. In my last year, I have a vision for Odyssey crossing the 20,000-footfall mark. Together as a team, we have made a name, a legacy for Odyssey, Esya, Cultural Committee and above all for IIITD.

I would miss these moments, college life, hostel life. Watching these buildings change from the time they were in green barricades to the opening of the Sports Block, it feels as if a lifetime has passed. In school, I never would have thought that I would become the person I am today. Doing so much co-curricular work, taking up so many responsibilities seemed far fetched in school. But today, I am here, doing everything I never thought of. I’ve met many people in 4 years, made a lot of friends here and a lot of connections. I’m currently placed in Adobe and I’ve seen the corporate life. The appeal of my glimpse into the management world might lead me to an MBA ahead, I don't know. But for now, all I can say with certainty is that I’ll obviously return to witness the next Odyssey, that my juniors set up.”



Vaibhav Goel, B.Tech Class of 2020

“It was always very intimidating for me to see people have such clarity about their goals and expectations from life. I am the kind of person who lives in the moment. In school, I focused on my studies and only did what was required of me. Back then I never participated in any extra-curricular activities. This is also how my first year in college went. But with time, I realized “padhai toh ho jayegi", now I need to do something that interests me and makes me happy. Hunt It was the first extracurricular responsibility I took. We worked day and night for months, came to college during vacations, traveled a lot to get work done and of course, spent many sleepless nights. It all paid off at the end when the success of the event was way beyond our expectations. Recently, I was chosen as the convener for Esya (the technical fest), there are times when I really doubt if I am the right person for this responsibility but gradually I overcome that feeling, especially with the motivation and support from the people around me. I've been lucky enough to find these amazing set of people always by my side from the very start of college. I'm also a model for Muse (the fashion society at IIITD) and trust me, auditioning for Muse was the first time I ever walked on the ramp. There wasn’t a single practice that didn’t make me nervous, but at the end of the day, it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Life gives you many chances and opportunities, just take them up. It doesn’t matter if you’re good at it or not. Sometimes, you need to take risks. Two years ago, it was unimaginable to see myself where I am today and coming so far, this is the most important thing I’ve learned.”



Priyanshi Jain, B.Tech Class Of 2021

“I'm responsible for the music club of this institute and I’m heading the startup, Tweek. It’s about athlete performance profiling and scouting.
I came into this institute from a musical background. I used to be in the school band and used to play hard metal songs on my guitar. It was all about me. When I came here I found more people like me. In my first year, I went to Mood Indigo where I was introduced to the concept of Acapella. And it really blew my mind. I started looking at music as a collaborative process. Most people try to outshine others but this is a form of art where you're supposed to produce something good collectively as a team. That’s when the acapella journey started. We started with nothing. We know nothing. We have loads of deadlines. We have loads of assignments. But whatever we can do, we are doing. We didn’t stop dreaming here. We started our band. We made our own music. And we actually won two leading musical competitions in Delhi. Today we stand at par with the Delhi University crowd, who are actively pursuing music professionally.

This gives me hope that regardless of who you are, where you are, no qualification, no degree could ever stop you from trying to achieve your dreams. And that's why I'm doing this startup. I don't need an MBA degree or even an undergraduate degree or job experience to try and find the skills that would be necessary to actually pursue this. At the grassroots level, the complications that an entrepreneur has to deal with cannot be perfectly packaged in a theoretical course. Perhaps the learning curve is steeper while starting out absolutely on your own. But in totality, tackling specific problems and simultaneously expanding your skillset will ultimately save time.

*A profound Dark Knight Rises analogy*
We should embrace our fears and make them our shield so we can actually give 100% to our solitary passion.
Don’t chase glory, chase your passion, glory will follow.
On a parting note, I’d say that the industry demands a lot. Maybe you don't need to change yourself according to what the industry wants, but there may be ways that you can change the industry itself.”



Anant Sharma, B.Tech Class Of 2020 @ Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi

"Perfect endings unfortunately, aren’t a common phenomenon. Every story isn’t perfect.

I would describe my time at IIIT as a rather bittersweet experience.
I’ve learnt a lot in my 4 years here. I learnt more about myself as an individual, my true inclinations and my future plans. I now have a clear vision of my aspirations 20 years down the line. Sadly, engineering didn't turn out to be something that I saw myself pursuing. I had been struggling through college. Towards the end of my second year, I started drifting away from studies and heading towards an unexplored passion of mine. Later I ended up being really good in this domain. It was POKER, I found myself getting deeper and deeper into the game. I reached a point where I had become a millionaire in under 6 months. I still accredit exploring this passion and learning about life to this institute. I believe it was the journey that guided me to the untravelled and unexplored.

I wasn't able to complete my degree in time so I decided to drop out. I had already learnt a lot about life and I didn't want to continue putting effort into something that I hadn’t been able to develop an interest in.

After spending 4 years in college I think the most important thing that I’m taking away is more than just the education. I have learnt that the journey matters, the experiences matter, the effort in maintaining relations matter and the approach of tackling situations in life matters.

I can easily say that college is a 50:50 experience of education and defining yourself as a human. I don't regret being unable to accomplish the first 50 as much as I am thankful and grateful for learning the other 50."
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Mohd Azhar Tak, B.Tech Class of 2019

@ Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi

“Since the start, I have been into gaming and sports rather than books or movies. I’ve been the extrovert at parties and love to interact with others. After a year here at IIITD I’ve that the great CS courses at IIITD come along with a hectic academic oriented workload. I found myself leaning towards perhaps switching colleges. It became especially challenging when I faced a serious setback with a basketball injury, which took months to recover. I had to struggle my way out through little things like walking down from one class to another. Besides, it reduced my energy levels and enthusiasm to a great deal. Physical dysfunction takes a toll on mental health, affecting every sphere of life. I’d advise everyone out there to take up a workout activity and follow it religiously, this is the best way to prioritize health amid the uptight schedule here.
By the second-semester things started settling down, now I’ve learned how to manage and follow a routine. I've joined the Weave lab under Professor Parnami where I've been researching to upgrade my Electroadhesion project to an entrepreneurial level. It is a great place for me since I had been drawn to the managerial side of events early on and maintain a clear view of getting into the Business field. My choice of pursuing science and engineering is based on creating a strong footing in technological fields which is what I plan my business ventures to build on. It’s just been three weeks in the Weave lab and I’m starting to see why they call Parnami sir ‘Meethi Choori! Although staying at the hostel even though I live just 20 km away is a tough decision, Weave lab is fun because you get to work on the project you want, on your terms.”


Pranay Jain, B.Tech Class of 2022 @ Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi

What words of wisdom would you like to leave behind for the students of IIITD?
“Through my years here, I’ve been trying to build an entrepreneurship culture in IIITD. For this, we’ve formulated E-Cell and the Incubation centre. I would like to encourage students to start their own ventures and not get trapped in the norm of wanting jobs and internships.” “Jo karo khud ke liye karo, kisi aur ke liye kaam mat karo.”
From your years spent in these halls, what do you take away? “I have learned a great deal from my batchmates, seniors and juniors. When I first came here I was quite an introvert. Observing the college ambiance and the confidence of those around me,
I too grew in confidence. The experience of constantly learning and trying new things made me
self reliant. As time went on, with each new initiative, I acquired skills and gained confidence.

At the end of these 4 years, I stand before you a changed man and the CEO of my own company, GoBikes. Rent your own bike hassle free!”


Siddharth Chandra, B.Tech Class Of 2019

“I’ve lost a lot of friendships here, I’ve gained a lot of friendships. Despite this, there were people who stayed with me through my ups and downs and today I value them the most. I’ve spent time with a lot of people here and each of them has given me something or the other. Be it what I learnt from, Shagun’s nature to go out of her way to help someone, Gaurav’s practicality towards life or Akarsha’s determination to get what she wants. Ismeet’s “cool” nature or Pathak’s carefree attitude with classes, each and every person I have come across has influenced me in some or the other way and made me what I am today. I never found bad people here as such. Today each and every bond might not be as strong as it was yesterday, but I have all the positive parts of this journey to carry with me forever and I am happy to be here.“


Devishi Kesar, B.Tech Class Of 2019

“I’ve spent four years of my life in IIIT Delhi. It’s been quite a journey. I’ve realized how lucky I’ve been to always have had people anchoring me who kept me from being overwhelmed by the competition here. Whenever I needed assistance, even at midnight, my seniors were always there for me. I distinctly remember Shubham helping me with DC at 1 am and Keswani explaining even the minutest detail about coding to a complete beginner. I remember the long nights before exams. I remember being the young girl who was lucky enough to find herself in the reassuring company of incredible people. People who became irreplaceably integral to the path that I have since taken. Even those who may have wronged me helped in shaping who I am today. This has been my life at IIITD in a nutshell.

“Based on your four years of IIITD wisdom what advice would you give to the people to follow?”

In these four years, I’ve grown a lot internally. One of the most paramount messages I feel I need to give out to a lot of people is to remain true to your values no matter what happens in your life. Always choose the right path even if it’s a difficult one.
Happiness is equally important and in this regard, I’ve realized that factoring in happiness in the long term is better as opposed to short term."


Syesha Girdher, B.Tech Class of 2019

"Before college my friend circle mainly comprised of people who took initiative to perpetuate the bond. It was only after coming here I realised friendship is a two way thing and we need to do our bit. I think that's one of the most essential things college has taught me." "And what is the one thing you'd like to tell your future self, about ten years down the lane?" "Hmm, that's a tricky question. Probably one thing I would want to say is that, I really hope I'm able to make a significant impact on the lives of atleast some people. I really wish it comes true." .

Hasan Kamal, B.Tech Class of 2019

"I made my first painting when I was five. I was in kindergarten back then and there was an inter-school painting competition I had to attend. My teacher prepared me for it for what felt like weeks back then. Time perception is peculiar when you’re a kid. So, I ended up bagging the first prize in this competition. I won my first ever prize in art at the age of five. After that people started acknowledging my art, as my “talent”. Honestly it is more like, if you do something for long enough, you start mastering the skill.

JEE preparation years added a new perspective to the meaning of art in my life. It became an outlet to get away from all that pressure. The first year of my JEE preparation made me realize it is not for me, and my grades are a proof of it (laughs). After the first year of preparation I started my art page on Instagram, put up two posts and then proceeded to not touch it for an entire year. It was right after boards when I re-started painting, an unfinished canvas which was left untouched for the last two years. It was that day I completed it and ever since then, I haven’t stopped.

When I joined IIIT Delhi I had one goal in mind, to be part of the art club. The club wasn’t like what I had imagined. It started last year, but in terms of what it has become in this one year, I like it. There is a very good culture of art appreciation within the club itself. So even if there are just 10 people in workshops sometimes, it is fine because there is a genuine appreciation of art. There is a long way to go before the club reaches its peak, a lot of changes to come about and things to improve and I have great plans for it. Change isn't easy, but when you're conducive to the change and with supportive people around, the otherwise unattainable targets seem more feasible."


Smera Goel, B.Tech Class of 2022

"It's time now to leave this place and move on to something new. A different place. A different environment. And all that is really exciting. But I also realise that you can never really *leave* this place. You know that nostalgic feeling you get when you move houses and you drive by the old one, that's how it'll be when I think about the hostel. It's not the same with high school, because as much as we have memories there, the building itself was nothing more than a building we spent part of our day at. But the college campus is different. I've spent most of 4 complete years here. And then when you add in the experiences and incidents, it's a really wholesome package.

The people I've met and the events that have happened over the last 4 years have taught me a lot. For one, I have learned that at certain times, all that matters is doing what pleases you. It might be not be something great that needed 4 years for me to realise, or it might be, but this fact is probably one of my takeaways from college life. Another one being the fact that two people need not have similar interests to be great buds. Similar interests and a matching wavelength help, but aren't necessary. And again, this is something that I didn't think of until college. If you asked me back in highschool or even first year of college, I would have said I'm an extrovert. Now I would say I'm more of an ambivert who tends towards the extrovert side of the spectrum. And I think this might be for the better. Although the extrovert in me dies of FOMO a lot of times. But given my changes over the past years, I can quite confidently say that there will be changes to come and I will be shaped a bit more differently by every new environment. I just hope it's all for the best."

Aravinda Kumaran, B.Tech Class Of 2019