When you prepare for JEE, it seems like the toughest time of your life. But the truth dawns upon you as soon as you set your foot in the IIT Campus! Let’s have a look on what scares the smartest and the most genius students of the country during their college lives:

Ragging: This is the biggest fear of anyone who has just walked fresh into the IIT campus. The fresh IITians walk into their new life with heads held high, gleaming hopes in their eyes, excitement of creating new experiences, meeting new teachers, making new friends, anxiousness about the new syllabus and curriculum, about coping up with the new life on campus, and anticipations about how the new life in hostel would be. But above all this lies a fear of- would I be ragged? What would I do if caught unexpectedly by a bunch of seniors? Would it be safe if I complain about such a thing? Though the life in the campuses is safe from past couple of years with the Anti-ragging laws in place, but still there had been cases of ragging reported. One can’t be sure right?

Asking Questions: Students in IIT come from different ways of life. They come from different schools and different social strata. So while in the first year of college, IITians find it really difficult to raise questions to the teachers. They think that the question may sound stupid and they would end up making fools out of themselves. This mars the self-confidence of many students big time and stays with them throughout the course of their stay in IIT and for some it becomes a lifelong issue.

No personal time: Students spend all their time preparing for the JEE while they are in classes 11^th and 12^th. This practically leaves them with no time for leisure. Holidays would mean just more studies. They would compromise on their hobbies, social activities and sometimes even proper food and sleep. So while they gear up for the IITs, they think that this hardship would ultimately come to an end in the college. But that doesn’t happen. After loads of studies, they have to get ready for even more studies. So personal time crunch is one other thing that IITians are scared of.

Bad mess food: You may think how bad the food can be? But it is a punishment for many students who come directly from their homes and who have never been in a hostel. Sometimes it is plain tasteless but at time it even gets substandard which is really scary. As the students can’t afford the luxury of going out and eat because of limited time, they can’t help much but eat this food unwillingly. Students say that sometimes when they see the food they find it better to stay hungry rather than having it. It’s indeed a scary battle the IITians have to fight every day.

Time Management: Another thing which is very frustrating for the IITians is the need to make a schedule and abide by it forever. They have to attend classes, practical’s, tests, do tutorials, assignments and then there are projects also. An hour lost haywire is gone forever. Over long periods of time one gets used to it, but the frustration remains!

Mathematics: It is a notion seen across the IIT students that if one is good at maths, then he or she is very smart. It also means that if you are good at maths that would mean better prospects for you during the campus selections. So maths doesn’t stop to haunt you even at the IITs!

Internship: Internship is a big struggle at IITs. Where many companies come and maximum students gets placed, but to cut the competition and being placed in the company of your choice becomes a big fear. Internship for many means a permanent placement opportunity, so to grab the one which is of your interests and suits your needs may give you many a sleepless nights.

Campus Placements: Just like Internships, campus Placements is also high pressure times. Your friends become your competitors, and family and everyone else who knows you keep a track on your developments. Every minute seems like an age and the interviews become like do or die situations. You have to be your best but still a lot depends on your one-day-luck!

Your IIT journey will be a roller coaster ride from inception till its end, but nevertheless it is the most prestigious institute of India so remember that your life and prospects are much better than lakhs of students in the country. Also, this journey makes you a much responsible and a better resource for the future companies you would be working for, thus ensuring a great future for you. So just relax, believe in yourself and go for it; rest things will automatically fall in place.