Shubham

Tell us about your journey coming here. Why did you choose IIT Bombay?

 As early as the 6th standard, I had decided to aim for IIT-JEE. Also, I was interested in finance, so I put BS Economics, IITB, as my first preference in JoSAA. I joined IITB in 2021 during the pandemic. But I wanted to explore insti, so I got the authorities to believe that it was nearly impossible for me to attend online lectures from my village due to the lack of IT infrastructure though this was not the reality ;). My plan worked out and on 6 February 2022, I came to insti, through the RC (Resource Constraint) route. I was given a room in the H15 B wing, along with the other students.

What were your expectations before coming here, and how well were they met?

As far as academics are concerned, I did not have many expectations. But I like playing cricket, and I wanted to hone my skills and learn it professionally during my time at the institute. After improving my game at the institute, I got to represent the institute as a part of our cricket team at Udhgosh. So, I did meet my expectations to a satisfactory extent. 

Brief us about your journey through the insti over these four years.

During my first few months at the insti, I bonded well with the other students who had come due to resource constraints. I also started making connections with seniors. 

I was not that academically oriented and focused more on extracurriculars. My second year went mostly into cricket practice, with the aim of Inter-IIT. I was the only sophomore selected for the cricket team for Udghosh, IIT Kanpur’s sports festival. Unfortunately, I did not make it to Inter-IIT for cricket. However, I utilised my vacations to develop my expertise in operations and services. I worked in this domain as a coordinator for Mood Indigo, Techfest and E-Cell. I also worked for Abhyudaya and Aavhan. 

Then, I got involved with elections and hostel affairs. I became the ISHA (Institute Secretary of Hostel Affairs) towards the end of my second year. During my tenure, I spent a lot of time interacting with the dean and the other authorities. In the sixth semester, I contested for the position of GSHA (General Secretary of Hostel Affairs). Campaigning for elections taught me a lot, including persuasion skills. My experience in insti has also helped me develop a helping attitude. The election results were not in my favour, and I was disappointed. However, I resolved to focus on placements after that. I started apping, gave interviews and got selected in Covacsis as an intern. During the recruitment, they were extremely impressed by my work in the institute administration as the ISHA. They also offered me a PPO in June, and I am currently employed there

Are there any changes that you have noticed in the insti culture as your time here progressed?

Insti has a segregation, with a ‘proper’ and clever layout. I do not know whether it is intentional or unintentional. H16 and H1, where most freshers live, are located near SAC, the hub of events and student activity. For the first, second and third year students, SAC is nearby so the frequency of visiting it remains the same and they get involved in the activities more than the final year students. When I was shifted to H18 in my fourth year, it was even more distant from SAC, and I rarely went to SAC. Insti does this subtle thing where you get less involved in the insti culture as you progress through your undergraduate degree, and that gradually decreases your sadness about leaving insti, which is a good thing.

How did competition affect your mental health?

Applying for the ISHA (Institute Secretary of Hostel Affairs) was a very competitive procedure. My first round of interviews did not go well. However, I focused on the assignments and performed well in the second round of interviews. That gave me confidence. It did not affect my mental health, as such. Only academics impacted my mental health not to that extent. But overall, economics is a chill branch, so it was not very stressful, and I managed to secure good grades by studying a few days before the exams. I personally never found myself to be overly stressed out, though, because I believe that whatever happens, happens for a reason. There are only two moments in insti life I remember when I was sad– When I did not get selected for inter IIT sports, and when I lost the GSHA elections. Throughout my insti life, my friends played an important role by acting as my go-to stress relievers and helping me pull through difficult times.

If there was one experience from your insti life that you could relive, what would it be?

It would be the time from my first year when I came to the institute under the RC (resource constraint) provision. It was a limited number of freshers and the entire insti was filled with seniors, all of us living on four floors of the hostel. And I had some great interactions and experiences. I made good connections with seniors and got involved with insti elections.

If you could turn back and change one thing, what would it be?

I feel that already, the best things have happened, and I don’t think I could have wished for anything better. I am very grateful to the institute for whatever it has given me.

If you could swap places with any faculty member for a day, who would it be and why? 

I would like to swap places with the Associate Dean, to implement certain amendments in the rules for student welfare. During my ISHA tenure, I pitched some reforms to the Dean, but they were not implemented. For example, I wanted to remove the time restrictions imposed on delivery boys during nighttime, as our college has a lot of midnight activity. Another issue I wanted to address was regarding the restrictions imposed on girls and boys on entering each other’s hostels.

Moving ahead, what are your future plans?

I want to make connections in the corporate world. And I am interested in the agricultural sector and building my own business. I will explore opportunities related to it, like working on a start-up.

Any message you would like to give your junior batchmates?

Remember that whatever happens happens for a reason. All the ups and downs are for a reason. If you are at a low point, something good will happen soon.

Rapid Fire Round 

Favourite hangout spot?

Rahul Bajaj Terrace

Favourite food joint?

H6 canteen

Fav Professor

 Prof. Surajit Bhattacharya, Department of Economics

Fav Course(s)

ENT 603

Even sem or odd sem?

Odd semester

Will your little self from the past be happy to see you where you are today?

My little self will be proud to see where I am today. I have developed a lot of competencies which I never thought I would have developed, including strong interpersonal and managerial skills, thanks to my diverse experiences throughout insti life, especially the hostel affairs council and elections.