‘It all started easy and fun, but got tense during internships, placements,’ IIT Bombay student shares | Life in an IIT

JEE Main experience

My JEE preparation began in Class 11. I joined a local coaching institute in my hometown at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Appearing for mock tests helped me gain confidence. I think mock tests should be given from the very start to build up temperament, time management, problem-solving abilities and coping with exam stress. 

The pattern of JEE mock tests can vary, like at the start I gave topic-specific weekly and biweekly tests. But, as JEE Main neared and the syllabus was almost complete, I started giving JEE mock tests which covered the full syllabus and questions were a mix of multiple concepts from different topics.

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Life in IIT Bombay

Although I joined IIT Bombay in 2020, however, due to the pandemic and its lockdown, I came to the campus in August 2021. It was my first experience staying away from home and family. I had many friends from my coaching institute in Jabalpur who joined IIT Bombay in the same batch. We came together and were roommates for a semester. I used to hang out with them and also made several other friends on campus.

The food was indeed good at the start and soon we got used to the taste of the mess food of IIT Bombay. Everything in the beginning was a lot of fun and easy, but things escalated quickly and it was time to think about future aspects, internships and placements. 

Clubs, societies and my start-up

During the start of my IIT days in the online semesters, I was associated with E-Cell, Mood Indigo and Techfest. I also participated in multiple events including the Institute Technical Council (ITC) in the Institute Technical Summer Projects (ITSP), XLR8 and RC Plane competition. We did most of these activities in Tinkerer’s laboratory at IIT Bombay. 

Since my fourth semester, I started working on my startup, so I only had a little time for clubs and societies. The start-up is dedicated to covering the latest developments, success stories and insights from the dynamic world of startups and entrepreneurship. It aims to inspire, inform and connect the entrepreneurial community, fostering innovation and growth. I would like to continue building after I complete my integrated programme.

Managing studies is very crucial in the IITs. I did not want to miss out on the fun and sacrifice studies. CPI or your grades matter a lot in selecting courses, internships, projects and placements. You need to learn to manage your time, prioritise what is important at that moment and complete assignments on time and study enough for your quizzes and exams.

My calling discovered at IIT Bombay

It has been a terrific experience here at IIT Bombay. I got a lot of exposure to how things go about in the real world. I have gained confidence in myself living alone and dealing with everyday challenges. My biggest achievement throughout this journey was to discover my calling and interest. I am passionate about building stuff, entrepreneurship and startups.

IIT offers students a vast range of courses for students to pursue their interests. Apart from core engineering, you can opt for courses in entrepreneurship, design, management, AI/ML, digital healthcare and biosciences.