– Dewaansh Vijayvargiya
Seeing my friends join a Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) coaching institute after Class 10 motivated me to also check and enroll in the institute. Although I was fascinated by numbers and problem-solving, the motivation to delve deeper into the stream was further nurtured by the suggestion of my father, who is himself a civil engineer.
JEE preparation, coaching
I joined FIITJEE in my hometown Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh after my Class 10 in 2019.
In the beginning when I joined the FIITJEE, I was among the bottom 20 or bottom 30 students in my coaching institute.
For JEE preparation, I initially relied on self-study with some support from the coaching institute. Later, when Covid hit, I started to search online for more information on the internet and came across Unacademy, Vedantu and other online channels.
It was not easy to stay at home during Covid, cut from the mainstream and focus on studies alone, but I refused to give up. The Covid period came as a respite for me and became a boon. I remained consistent in my studies and began putting in more effort. I started studying efficiently and shifted my focus to JEE Advanced instead of JEE Main. This indeed helped me in enhancing the problem-solving skill and the critical thinking ability. I started enjoying my preparation.
Choosing between a branch and college
Aware of the significance of the JEE exams in gaining admission to prestigious engineering institutions, I embarked on a gradual preparation journey. After cracking JEE Advanced in 2021, I got admission to B Tech in Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay). I am also enrolled in a minor degree in Machine Learning and Data Science at IIT Bombay.
I was not much inclined to civil engineering, however, I thought rather than taking admission in a second or third generation IITs, it would be better if I took admission to a lesser demanding course in a first generation IIT. After passing the Class 12 exams, I was also not very aware of how well I would fit in any branch of engineering – be it mechanical or civil.
Also, you do not have much flexibility to choose your own branch unless you are in the top 200 or top 300 in JEE. Therefore, the decision is narrowed down to picking a branch or picking a college.
After getting enrolled in one of the best IITs and choosing college, I feel I have made the right decision in picking the college (IIT Bombay), instead of a branch.
In most IITs, including in IIT Bombay, there is a push for interdisciplinary education. We are not restricted to one branch alone and therefore students can pursue their subjects of interest as well.
‘Absence of parents, transition to new environment’
I came to IIT Bombay after the restrictions imposed by Covid were eased. While this was my first experience studying at an IIT and being away from home and living independently, I did not feel homesick or missed home in general. Moreover, we came to the institute with over 1,000 more students. Staying with them, learning from them have been altogether an enriching experience.
The initial first two semesters were online amid Covid restrictions. After coming to the institute, we were engrossed in so many activities including academics that I rarely got time to miss home.
The canteen here provides almost every dish, right from rice and noodles to roti and pasta.
Daily routine at IIT Bombay
In my first year at the institute, there are five to six credit courses and one-two non-credit courses per semester. My day begins with waking up at 8 am, followed by morning activities and breakfast. Classes usually start between 8.30 and 9.30 am depending on the schedule, with a break for lunch from 12.30 pm to 2 pm. Afternoon classes begin at 2 pm and continue till 5 pm, followed by a snack at the hostel mess.
Clubs, societies
At IIT Bombay, I immersed myself in a diverse range of clubs and societies. Since my first year, I have been associated with the Tinkerer’s Lab. I have mentored students with their projects in Tinkerer’s Lab and in the process have developed engineering skills including 3D printing and laser cutting. I also won the Institute Technical Summer Project by creating an automated model of a hydroponic system.
In my second year, I was the counsel at the Tinkerer’s Lab and in my third year, I am working as a manager in it.
Tinkerers’ Laboratory (TL) is a student-managed 24×7 lab that aims to provide technical facilities to all IITB students and is under the Maker Bhavan Foundation (MBF).
Prioritising academics, balancing everything
No matter how much we get involved in clubs and societies, academics should be given priority. In my three-year stint at the IIT Bombay, apart from improving my interpersonal skills, building myself, and communication skills, I mostly learned time management skills. I am gradually improving on all fronts.
It took me time to balance everything.
‘Confident, sense of responsibility’
After coming to IIT Bombay, I have become more confident. It was during a project, that I was in the sponsorship team and I pitched my idea to get a hefty sponsorship.
I am also into a start-up. I have also started a club – Quantitative Finance Community in the institute. I might enter into a career in the financial industry and in the few years, I intend to come back to my start-up again.
After cracking JEE Advanced in 2021, Dewaansh Vijayvargiya got admission to BTech in Civil Engineering at the IIT Bombay. I am also enrolled in a minor degree in Machine Learning and Data Science (Image designed by Angshuman Maity) 
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