I decided to be an engineer in either Class 7 or Class 8 since I had an interest in Science. While I did not enjoy studying Biology, Mathematics was my favourite subject. In school, I developed an interest in Computer Science as well. I got exposure to computer languages such as C, Python, Scratch and Lua. It was then that I decided to pursue Computer Science Engineering as I enjoyed coding so much. I worked hard to secure a good rank in Joint Entrance Examination. I bagged an all India rank 16 in JEE Advanced 2022. I was ecstatic when I got admission into IIT Bombay. I have just completed my first year and right now I am on semester break. The first year was about more common subjects, our core CSE hasn’t started yet. It would begin in the third semester. My schedule at IIT-Bombay During the first year, my day used to begin at 7 or 7:30 am. I would have breakfast and then rush to classes. While the first semester was pretty easy, the second semester is hectic. Our classes would begin at 8:30 am and get over by 12:30 pm and then from 2 pm to 5 pm, we would have to go to the labs. Once all the classwork is done, students can study, go out or just hang out with friends. During the first semester, I would hang out with my friends and would be up till late but in the second semester, I focussed more on getting into a routine, and maintaining a proper sleep schedule. Solving real-life problems and future plans I am a part of the Developers’ Community (Dev Com) and I really enjoy working with it as it is mainly web development. It played a major role in digitalising things for the institute such as the mess system, online portal for courses, digitalising past years’ question papers and more. It is what I love the most about engineering — solving real-life problems. As for future plans, a lot of students are sure that they want to pursue higher studies so they won’t be appearing for placements. But, I am not too certain about it yet. As of now, I want to gain some experience before I decide to study further. Home and the home-cooked food When I went home after the first semester, I really missed the IIT-Bombay. It was at one point I was like, “It’s time to go back to the institute.” But since the second semester was really hectic for me, I missed home and the comfort that comes with it more. The other thing I miss is obviously home-cooked food. I have grown up in Ahmedabad but my family hails from Rajasthan and at home we savour Rajasthani cuisine. Though, we get a chance to relish some delicacies of my region in the mess every now and then and it is pretty nice but nothing comes closer to what my mother cooks. Institute is my favourite place in Mumbai Back in Mumbai, the campus is my favourite place to be. It is very beautiful and has so many things to do - from sports to spending some time in the lap of nature. During the initial days, there was this craze to explore the city but now it has kind of faded away. Living alone here in a city like Mumbai has taught me many things — how to save money, manage my finances, how to travel from one place to another and more. Back at home, I have lived quite a guarded life, so it feels nice to become independent. Living by yourself is a challenge however, I am preparing myself for the life ahead.
