First day at IIT

Ask me whether getting call letter for admission in IIT was dream-come-true, I would say-“yes”. I had a lot of appreciation from the people, when knew me. The congratulatory words poured from the mouths of elderly people, while I had to read and delete a number of such messages in my cell phone from friends and relatives, heaping praises on me. When I left my small city to join IIT in Chennai, I felt it was as though I was making a trip to moon. I was sleepless throughout the night in the train. As the train reached Chennai central station, I was trying to break free from the thought of past. A pang of homesickness mixed with loneliness was all when I walked off the platform to catch auto-rickshaw for the campus of IIT. I stepped into the campus only to know that it was one of the most scenic places that I had ever visited in my life. Let me tell what were the things which I faced on the very first day?  I would list them down one by one. Here my intention is to prepare everyone who comes to the campus in future to study with earnestness in mind.

Encounter with Seniors

It was an encounter between “seniors” and “new-comers” that duly took place after the induction program. Should I say this was ragging? I wouldn’t! IIT is the only temple of learning, where you learn most from your seniors in higher classes. They teach you, guide you, and make you think differently. The encounter with senior students started off with questions and those were awkward enough to irritate me. Had it been somewhere else, I would have yelled at the top of my voice, shivering in choleric temper. Here I made myself an exception, smiling and facing the questions patiently. When my turn for the questions came, a tall guy among the seniors snapped at me, urging-“Would you show a little of your dancing skill? The girls would love to see you swinging your waist. I stood still for a moment and then asked them to switch on music and give full volume. I broke out with a fantastic rhythm and after sometime, I had everyone clapping. When I finished, there was silence for a-while. But after it thunderous applause swept over the hall. This is the spirit, every IITian needs to have.

Discovery of the world of attitude

I thought that the students in IIT were just book-worms. I had this image about the students of IIT in my mind, when I left my home. Now, on the first day and on the first occasion of interaction with the senior students, my ideas had gone through a complete makeover. I discovered that a true IITian is full of attitude and practical to the core of his being. Everyone among the students has some uniqueness. In fact, when you pass a single day in a four-year course in Engineering, you come across persons and things, which only teach you to a great extent about extraordinary things in life. I met persons I faculty and senior students, who looked really down-to-earth but I was amazed to see their extraordinary intelligence.

Interaction with faculty 

You need to become a leader, when it comes to interaction with faculty in IIT. You need to hone up your communication skill to interact with the teachers and seniors as well. First of all, you avoiding becoming over-conscious about giving respect to your seniors and teachers there. The faculty judges every student separately. The professors are quick to tap your intelligence quotient (IQ) faster than you imagine and rate you accordingly. When I interacted with my professors on the first day, I made sure that my fundamentals in the subject were strong and next thing that I followed was I played an active role in the discussion. I watched my words as the professors were listening. Every word in my sentence was important that would not undervalue me. It was a nice group discussion that took place with the members of faculty and students of the batch. I still remember the first occasion of interaction with the professors and the lively discussion that went on for more than an hour.

IIT-a house of tough taskmasters

I realized as I talked to the professors on the first day that all of them are tough task-masters. They would not compromise a bit with the assignments and other matters in study. The professors are really unfair while they deal with the students. You need to forget fully about your past achievements in study while you were in school. IIT is an institution, where every student was a topper in the school days. But  your meritorious past would not assure you success in IIT. Here your evaluation would go through different measures. This is what I learnt on the very first day in IIT.

Coolness and patience

IIT is not the temple of learning, where things would go the way you expect it. I learned it right from the first day. Things are so unconventional yet educative. When your sole motive is to learn, you need to nurture this habit right from the first day you go there to study. Coolness and patience are the true attributes in the nature of every student, who goes to study there.