Got into a new IIT because of a few mistakes in those crucial 6 hours of JEE? Time to cheer up. You are going to travel on a ‘road not taken’, and it is a unique experience. Why not, I have a lot to say from my experience at IIT Tirupati so far.
Before explaining, I would like to make it clear that if you aspire to get a degree from IIT just for those hefty packages reported in the media, then a new IIT may not be the place you want.
Now, what are the problems faced or, in my words, said to be faced, by students in a new IIT? Many say “Infrastructure.” I agree: you may not have an auditorium, a swimming pool, or a synthetic athletics track. A majority of the students who have all these facilities say that they spend a negligible fraction of their time there. Not having multiple canteens inside your campus doesn’t seem to be a serious problem, as you are always allowed to go out of the campus.
Classrooms and labs are good and more advanced in the new institutes. Reports say that Rs. 40 crore is being spent every year on each of the new IITs at Palakkad and Tirupati for these facilities.
Another large proportion of people raise questions about the faculty. Until a new IIT is completely on its own, its mentor IIT provides faculty support. Hence, many professors at a new IIT are already highly experienced and from established institutes. As both experienced and new professors experience freedom here, they introduce innovative changes to the courses being taught and shape the institute’s progress.
Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are supported and encouraged here at the new institutes. Yes, your college may not be hosting a mega cultural or technical fest or a sports event yet. But you are always welcome and supported to participate in such events at other places by representing your institute. As the student strength is less, you also have a better chance of representing your institute. Thus, better exposure.
Established institutes, too, were once new. A few years back, the pioneer batch of IIT Madras had a reunion after 50 years and remembered the days when they crossed the Coovum river (which was cleaner back then) by walking through the water with books in hands.
I have to admit that a “complete campus life” is not guaranteed. You cannot wake up 10 minutes before the first lecture of the day and make it to the class on time. You may not have the chance to roam around campus during a night-out. That is also why the experience at a new institute is different. And the unique thing here: everyone here is bonded to this friendly and family-like environment due to the less number of students.
It is always easy and normal to cross a river by walking on a strongly built bridge. But there is more fun in crossing the river and strengthening a newly built bridge simultaneously. And, very few people get this opportunity in their lifetime. So, welcome aboard!
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