Fresher's Review 2019 (IET Lucknow)

(An approximately honest survey of the 2019 batch) It wasn’t the best of times, it wasn’t the worst of times, it was just a regular time when IET Whiteboard decided to conduct a survey on the freshers, like it does every year (since 2018).

Inspired by the Harvard Crimson survey, this survey was conducted to perceive the backgrounds, basic ideologies and motivations of the Class of '23.

Giving in to the winds of change, with the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything, the freshmen now look forward to the most crucial four years of their lives.

‘Tis been many a winter since this prestigious institution was established, however the freshmen are still clean-shaved chipper beings and are yet to wade through the many novel (replace that with funny or complicated or simply preposterous) experiences that the college has to offer. But for now, why not try wading into the freshies’ minds instead? Before you is a brief summary of the responses we received from 300 or so students. Let the feast begin!

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Branch So, the feast is here. Branches, for starters (Because we just aren’t that good at deriving nutrition from maggi). Anyhow, the branches which participated in the most active manner were the Computer Science (CSE) and Information Technology (IT) branches, whereas, the least participation was from the Civil Branch (CE), the percentage being just 6.9. Getting to the technical details, the participation levels were somewhat as such: 1.

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Computer Science (CSE): 18.5% Information Technology (IT): 18.2% Electrical Engineering (EE): 12.5% Chemical Engineering (CHE): 11.5 Mechanical Engineering (ME): 11.2%

6. Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE): 10.8% 7. Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering (EI): 10.4% 8. Civil Engineering (CE): 6.9% Gender Only 25.6% of the people who gave responses were females as opposed to 74.4% males. This might as well be the ratio of girls to boys in real life. Also, have all the girls been suffering from the Cinderella complex, as in, ‘who am I without my Prince?’ or rather, ‘what can I achieve without his assistance?’ We adamantly hope not. Maybe in the future we will see more of the other sex in this field, but till then, let us hope that equal opportunities (and not more privileges, mind you) are continued to be given.

Region of Uttar Pradesh you belong to?

Life on the campus, with your fellow mates belonging to different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, is an experience poles apart from the culturally congruent high school life. Pursuant to the same, is the diverse crowd at IET. We have 44.7% of the population from the Eastern Uttar Pradesh (those who say they live in Delhi when they are from NCR, we know you exist), 23.1% from Western Uttar Pradesh, 18.9% from the heart of the state and around 6.3% hail from the Bundelkhand region. The remaining come from other parts of the country.

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City of Residence: Most of this year’s batch is from the big cities, which are not yet considered as metros. And by most, we mean around 40% of the whole fresher population. The rest reside in metropolitans (21.1%), small towns (22.9%) or villages (19.1%).

Your take on the English language and the need of professional training In a country where the knowledge of the English language is given a decisive nod of approval and ignorance with reference to the same is laughed upon, it takes guts to admit that you don’t know how to speak or write English that well. We were glad about the responses we received in which 47.9% people confided that although they were fluent in the language, they were hesitant and under confident, 34% could read and write but were not fluent. 5% of the fresher body was either not able to read English or only knew how to do so partially. The rest claimed they were excellent orators, speakers and writers.

Further, a large percent of the people (74.8%) said that they did indeed require professional training in English.

How important was school education for you?

“The worst thing about prison was the Dementors. They were flying all over the place and they were scary and they’d come down and they’d suck the soul out of your body and it hurt!”

School life was different for each and every one of us. Some went for the crowd and some actually went for the education. Kudos to all of you! Anyhow, we all ended up, some way or the other, at IET Lucknow. The thing is, we were interested in knowing how many were there for the lessons. 59.7% of the people gave moderate importance to school in the education sector whilst for 26.9%, it was their only source of learning. Dummies accounted for 4.6% of the responses and 8.8% never gave any importance to school.

Did you join any coaching academy for the exam preparation?

75.6% of the entire fresher population joined coaching academies while preparing for the engineering entrance examinations. The remaining 24.4% of our newest IETians did not find the need to do so.

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Are you a dropper?

Freshers, with the majority of 75%, dropped a year or two before finally settling for this college. The rest of them took the road fairly less travelled by and ended up at IET, fresh out of school.

Did you move to any other city for JEE coaching?

The cramped up quarters of Ramanujan and the tiny abodes of Sarojini do not come as a surprise to 145 i.e, 61% of the total people who responded, as they have lived in different cities before for JEE coachings. On the other hand, it’s probably their first time far from home for the other 39%.

Why Engineering over other fields?

They say engineering is not everyone's cup of tea, but with stars in our eyes and toy motors in our hands (that we would plug directly into the main switch and short circuit the wiring), we started our pursuit to become inventors. At least 41.6% of us did.

But soon we understood that lighting up an LED with a 9v battery is just not enough. After all, we have to solve complex mathematical equations of energy conservation to make an arc reactor. Time travel cannot be done willy nilly either. So we hit the books while navigating a maze, the Indian education system. And we were good at it, at least 28.6% of us were.

By the time we grow up a bit, we start to understand the complexity of the world and realise that money won't make itself. But jobs were plenty in engineering (or so everyone thought), the world needed us. That was enough of a reason for 20.6% of us.

When you were a tiny little thing, you were probably unaware of the fact that in India you are either born an engineer or a doctor. Even though that is only somewhat true, it was the story of 2.9% of us.

The rest 6.3% are the clueless kind. They didn’t know what they wanted to do. But when everyone else was going for engineering, they did too.

What exactly made you choose IET and how do you feel about it?

After all, the go to question of your Whiteboard seniors will be "how many of you have heard about IET before doing a last minute google search?" And only 13.33% (that's a random small number, no context) of us in the class will raise their hands. What does that mean? That our college is not that well known. Most people only come to know of its existence when they fail to get into IITs.

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But that does not make our college 'a last resort'. In fact 50.4% of the students proudly chose the top AKTU college and became a member of the IET league. The next 26.5 % sealed IET as the best deal available. For some, their passion for a particular branch was of utmost importance, thus another 14.3% joined IET. 8% of IETians were supporters of 'Weekend at Home' and were lured by the proximity to home.

Everyone in their life strives for better. And in our lives we've always been told that IITs are better.

19.3% of us are not satisfied with what they've seen so far. There are always layers to everything that make it unique and 65.1% of us are determined to do just so, i.e. explore. And then there are also 15.5% of us who fell in love at first sight and think that IET is made just for them. But for all of us who are stuck here, just keep swimming. Find your nemo.

Are you planning to give JEE Mains next year?

Everyone dreams of one day being in IIT. But not everyone is selected (even though they fight tooth and nail to drop an year), and have to settle for the next best thing. And then there is also the over used running gag (let's face it, all engineers can't become comedians) of changing I to E in IIT(oh my god! that was so funny, ages ago).

But there were 13.33%(still a random number) who knew what IET was. Those combined with some who think IIT is overrated and are happy with their choice, make up 87.3% of our fellow peers.

Then there are those who believe they still have a shot and decide to pursue it to the bitter end. They make up 12.7% of our population.

Was the Induction program all you made it out to be?

First day in a new place is filled with nervousness and anxiety. New place, new people and no friends. But our college decided that this is not how it should be, so they decided to make it easier for us to mingle. So-hum in the morning and creative arts and dance in the evening is a great way for us to know each other. At least it helped 21.8% of newcomers.

But there are those who had higher expectations from such an idea. 47.1% think that the program could have been executed better.

And then there are those who exist but are seldom seen and never heard. If you couldn’t guess, we’re talking about the introverts who are in a one-sided

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love-hate relationship with every other person. They make 10.9% of the freshers.

However, 20.2% first year students did not attend, whether because of certain circumstances or they just did not think that induction is that important.

How do you spend your time here?

Everyone is different, so are their hobbies.

From 9.2% who would rather sleep on a sunny day to 24.4% who would be with their friends, painting the town red. 29% play sports and do extracurricular activities while 27.7% complete their assignments in their room (yes, they exist). It's a whole spectrum of people doing a spectrum of things. Some worry about their future and some just like to live in the present.

Everyone is a part of one giant body that is our college.

How many hours per day do you use social media platforms?

I think there are some things that every millennial should relate to, and that is that our parents are always complaining that we are always stuck to our phones doing things they will never understand. After all when they were our age____ (fill in the blanks).

Whether it is looking at BB Ki Vines on YouTube or hating on Justin on Instagram (or stalking your ex). Social media has become an integral part of our lives, our new central perk. And 4.6% people totally agree, using 6+ hours a day on social media. Then comes 8% who are social butterflies having a life both in and out of their phones and spends 4-6 hours online. Then there are 30.7% who feel like social media is not that important, so they are active for only 2-4 hours a day. But the vast majority that is 56.7% only comes online occasionally i.e. a couple of hours at most.

Which club has made the biggest impact on you?

We at IET Whiteboard do not consider ourselves to be a club. We are first and foremost a media body. Term us as a family if you must. But not a club. And we will sate so even under threat and pain. So is our morale. Enough of our awesomeness and love between comrades.

Let's take a look at the clubs that have impacted the lives of our fresh green freshers.

Spending time attending numbered classes every week and competing on various platforms it comes as no surprise that nearly half (still 4.3% to go) of them chose Fractal as their response. Competing with them are the Tony Starks of our institution who dream to build bots, hopefully not to drop on cities. One in every five students was given a path for this dream, Robotics.

Working hard for the betterment of the underprivileged, you may find one such Robin Hood in every group of eight, Parmarth.

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The worshipers of Ares who focus more on brawn than brain are no less than 4% of the crowd, the members of the Sports Club.

A similar number miss their moments to capture ours, under the lens of Mirage. Either on the path to be nightangels or practise the shadiwala dance, 6% have joined Aurora, Swaranjali or Insaniax. 3% were the ones ready to scream at the top of their voice be it day or night, they who live to hear “lights camera action�, the members of Josh.

Challenging Majnu Bhai with their brushstrokes 2% do colour the world in the shades of Kalakriti.

The remaining were the ones who find it better to spend their evenings in their rooms watching a slow fan rotate.

May you be a part of a fraternity soon enough. Live long and prosper.

Why are academics important to you?

We don't know when that fun and mysterious world of science gets plagued by proofs and mathematics.

But it does. Soon, the love dissipates and desperation of completing assignments takes over. Only a few people care. For example 43.7% of freshers study in college only to get a good GPA. On the other hand there are also few blessed souls whose thirst for knowledge never dies and they make up 28.2% of freshmen. And 19.7% of fresher's have found their calling that is making money and following the path of corporate, so they study for good placement.

Do you plan to switch your branch?

Everyone has a dream. Everyone has something they are good at. But everyone doesn't get what they want. 22.3% of fresher's are not satisfied with the branch they are in. What we've got here is the failure to get into the branch we wanted. On the other hand, 45.8% of the newcomers are satisfied with what they have. They got what they wanted and they will not give it up for anything. But 31.9% of opportunists that make up the first year believe in destiny.

They are happy with what they have but also will take the leap of faith if they can.

How will you rate your understanding of college lectures?

Lectures. The bane of all student kind.

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Out of almost 240 responses, only 3.7% believe to have an excellent understanding of their lectures. These are usually the ones who occupy the front-line benches, watch the grains of time fall while surrounded by shelves of books and have proven themselves to be above the materialist pleasures of gaming, surfing and multimedia. The majority at 67.6% believe to have moderate understanding. These are the ones who pick up their Quantums a week before the exams and are happy in the long race. 28.5% responded by stating poor understanding. The esteemed batch which spends more time on their cells in the lecture halls than they do on their notes. One can't help but notice a golden trio in this. (they ended up being pretty successful in life, worry not champs.)

Any suggestion to make lectures more interactive and engaging?

Then there arises the question of whether the fault lies with those that impart this knowledge or those that stand to grasp it. Or maybe like most things in life we may state that it is the system at fault. Taking a step we asked our enthusiastic freshers on their suggestions to improve the scenario.

14.6% had nothing much to say. Quite literally in fact considering they responded with NO. 3.8% believe that the key to understanding a teacher more is to not attend their classes. These are the ones advocating their opinion about mandatory attendance even when not asked to. 7.7% state that the teachers spend the majority of the lecture monologuing like a film character. All talk, no information and boring to boot.

3.9% did try to express their issues with the linguistic barrier.

Remember those teachers that used to yell at us while in school?

Well turns out 11.5% of our comrades do not. They demand the inclusion of mikes and speakers and whatever else it takes to raise the volume to their teachers.

On a similar technological note, a further 11.6% wish to be taught “in a digitally smarter way� by using projectors to include video lectures and other such sessions which we obviously have no other means to access. None at all. 13.7% responders do blame the system. They believe that the course must be more practical oriented and focus less on the mugging of theoretical aspects. They may just be right. The remaining 28.7% are suffering from an overall gap of generation between students and teachers. Interaction and friendly behaviour are what they expect from those that spend a considerable time scaring us in an effort to motivate us to study more.

Responses are confidential. We will ensure they do not affect your internals. Much.

What excites you the most in life?

It looks like 38.4% of the first year loves the smell of books in the morning as they proudly admitted that studying is what excites them the most in their lives. Well, whatever you're doing, keep doing it. Hopefully, what you do today will echo back to you in the future. The next 7.1% didn't shy away from saying how gaming makes the adrenaline run through their

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veins. PUBG, Counter-Strike, Assassins' Creed, GTA, you name it and these geeks will narrate any mission to you. So, the next time you are caught up in an uphill mission, you know which chum to look for.

The rest of the folks gave a gazillion other interesting replies to this question. We have some party animals here too. "Why is the rum gone?" The only Jack Sparrows you will find here to ask this question are the 10.1% who have tasted alcohol at least once in their lives. Whilst some swear that their reply lies at the world's end.

Some of the responses which popped up were downright hilarious, including “arguing that Jurassic Park can happen� and some even chastising WB for asking that obviously offensive question.(We apologize). Sports, fitness, singing, novels were just a few other toppings on our pizza, IET. If given a chance which field you think would have been more suitable for you It was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious to know that 50.6% of the IETians say that they are born to be engineers. Looks like their motto in life is, "If we didn't do what we loved, we wouldn't exist". So three cheers for our future technocrats.

The remaining admitted how a career in sports, music, politics, administration etc would've been a key to a whole new world to them. For them, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Fate is twisted and has a weird way of taking you to your desired destination. Maybe this is what was meant to be for now.

What are your plans after graduation Warning - Cliche yet popular question ahead* "Where do you see yourself in 10 years"?

Most of the freshers have already decided what they wish to become. The maximum percentage, 24.2% of the freshers are inclined towards the IT sector. Still wondering, is it Fractal's influence or IET's placement?

20.3% of the freshers have still not decided what to do with their life. They are still in an extreme level of doubt.

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Leaving it to destiny, we move on to the 19.9% of people who chose civil services. Craze for the administrative posts has still not been mitigated for IETians. Then come the "insatiables" who are still not satisfied with their education and wish to go for higher studies. They make up to 14.4%.

Then come the core job seekers who are just 11.9% of the total population. They love their branch and wish to work in the same field.

The next greater percentage contains CAT aspirants, who aim for IIMs. IET is not lacking in youth with great startup ideas. Not more than 10% are interested in entrepreneurship for now.

Then, there are young "Tony Starks" who create, build and discover and wish to go for research.

Moreover, there are ESE aspirants and DRDO seekers.

Relationship Status “Hello, do you know me?� texts a person (who aspires to be committed) to the one who is the apple of their eye. And that is why exactly half of our population is single. After that comes the Sakht Squad covering 28.1%. The Sakht Squad lives for themselves not for relationships.

13.9% are waiting, hearts on sleeves, for their chance at epic love.

The losers in the pie-chart are the real winners, as under love’s heavy burden do the 8.6% of freshies sink.

To those of you who desire, hope that next Valentine's Day, your Elizabeth has a Mr Darcy by her side. Godspeed.

Past Achievements IET is full of talented, enthusiastic, young wizards. From coding enthusiasts to orators, from talented hip hoppers to awesome vocalists, memers to professional writers, we have them all.

For most of the freshers, getting into IET or giving UPSEE is one of their biggest achievements.

Then come the Navodayans and CHSians. They regard cracking J.N.V. or CHS entrance their biggest victory till date.

Then there come the true legends who proudly say they have achieved nothing. Hats off to your truthfulness. We also have hard workers who cracked JEE Advanced and smart workers who didn't and still landed at IET. They are followed by sporty national, state, or district level chess, lawn tennis, badminton, swimming, table tennis champions.

Bagging other notable achievements, are the academic toppers.

Some have cracked olympiads, some with 10 cgpa and some with under 10 ranks in state and country level competitions.

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Whiteboard in your view The last and most sassy question demands suggestions for the Whiteboard team. More than 50% of the freshers have no suggestions and believe we are doing nice work. Definitely, we love to be complimented, and it was wonderful reading so many of them.

Some far-visionary students have a dream of making IET popular in India and believe Whiteboard can do that. “Not a suggestion, but a dream: To make IET Lucknow a brand in India”.

Somebody wrote, "I’m nobody to comment on that...u guys r doing great..!!( PS : loved the freshman's guide)”. Special thanks to all those who read and loved the freshman’s guide. It is one of the Whiteboard’s best creations.

“Best of all. Loved the different events organised by whiteboard like Tedx, Fresher's video, Freshmen guide and this survey. “Whiteboard is very thankful to all those who notice our small efforts and help us in building this college into a better place. We love you 3000.

“Please stop using bad puns”, point to be noted. We will surely look into it.

“Good work at organizing TEDx event. Also, the graphics work are mentionable.” This gives us a chance to ask for a party from the designers in the team.

There were many other compliments and suggestions, and after reading the whole lot of them, we’ve come out more enthusiastic and determined. It keeps us going.

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