IIT Bombay’s official Student Media Body July ‘16
www.insightiitb.org 12 pages
Branch Change Page 02 Adapting to Life at IITB Page 04 Laptops: To Bring or Not to Bring Page 08 Unwritten Laws of Insti Page 10 Fresher’s Newsletter is a property of Insight, the Student Media Body of IIT Bombay. The views expressed herein do not necessarily state those of Students’ Gymkhana, IIT Bombay
Branch Change Getting the branch you want at your preferred IIT is a luxury only a select few can afford. Many end up having to pick between the two, specifically those who wish to study in Mumbai- fascinated by what the city has to offer. It is perhaps to cater to these students that Branch-Change rules were significantly relaxed in 2011 and changed, if at all, for the better. This article takes you through the reasons to think about changing your branch and the factors you need to consider before making up your mind.
Branch-Change 101 In a weird Russian reversal, IITians don’t choose their branch- their branch chooses them. Some make do with the branch their AIR enables them to enter, while others have to face societal pressure to choose branches that are more “in demand” and “evergreen”. However, IITB offers students after their first year a provision to move to their preferred branch(terms and conditions apply). While you can’t try out the courses to get a feel of the branch before choosing it, you can always ask your seniors for fundae to find out what their branches are really like to help make up your mind. Changing your branch potentially gives you the opportunity to redefine your stay in the Insti, and in some cases, your entire life. This procedure is your final chance to get into a branch you are passionate about, or into a stream you are more comfortable with. In short; this is not a decision to be taken lightly.
The Rules of the Game While the entire list of rules is pretty exhaustive, it can be distilled down to a few points: 1. No backlogs at the end of your first year. 2. CPI above a certain threshold is necessary to effect a change of branch. The cutoff is 8 for the General Category and OBCs and 7 for the SCs, STs and PWDs. 3. All Branch-Changes happen strictly in CPI order.
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4. Generally speaking, a branch can not expand to more than 10% of its sanctioned strength, nor can it contract to less than 85% of its original number.
Picking The Right Branch The most important criteria that one should consider before opting for a Branch-Change is his interest in the field. The most common criteria that people do consider, however is the placement opportunities and the possibilities for higher studiesdepending on whether they have an inclination for core jobs, non core jobs or research after graduation which are transient opinions for many of us in the first place. Attractive internships and astronomical pay packages blind a large chunk of the students to chase CSE and EE departments without giving much thought to where their interests actually lie. Similarly there is a tendency among some students to Branch-Change, just so they can move from their perceived “lukkha” stream to a more “socially acceptable” one, irrespective of their inclination towards the new subject. What complicates matters is that students at the end of their first year have no real inkling of what their Department actually has to offer. One or Two DICs are not enough evidence to judge one’s Department; but without any other objective parameter to gain insight, one has to resort to approaching seniors and/or just winging it.
Does It Really Matter in the Long Run? Yes and No. The answer is purely subjective to the person concerned.
help you enjoy your education- a feat rarely achieved in the Insti. Moreover, being interested in your courses reflects positively on your CPI- a number that matters. The magnitude of its importance might vary according to the profile you’re looking at, but it’s best not to get too influenced by the “moh-maaya” memes around this number. On the other hand, if you are planning to BC just based on the JEE cutoffs, then this decision could backfire for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, you may not be interested in the topics taught in your new branch, and even though you might not be a fan of what is taught in your current branch now, you might be more likely to do better - CPI wise - in your current department due to less competition. The same competition will inevitably ensure you dedicate more hours to studying, thus limiting the time you wish to dedicate to any extracurricular activities or position of responsibility(PoR) you wish to take up. This could hinder any non core aspirations you might have. TL;DR? While it should not be explicitly assumed that managing your CPI along with extra curriculars efficiently is next to impossible after a Branch-Change into an academically loaded branch; you should prepare yourself for an interesting challenge that increases significantly in difficulty if you are uninterested in your new branch in the first place.
Testimonials
Ritwick Chaudhry EE Dual to CSE BTech
For instance, if you are a person who’s crazy about machines, robots, cars, levers etc. and should, in an ideal scenario, have taken up Mechanical Engineering, then BC-ing to Mech might just be the right choice for you. At the end of four years, even if you decide not to pursue higher studies or take up a job in the core sector, you would not only have gained immense knowledge in the field you like, but pursuing your passion is likely to
My decision to Branch-Change from Electrical Dual to Computer Science was not something I had planned right from the start. I started coding early in the Autumn semester and developed a huge crush on it over the first two sems. I didn’t study just because I wanted to BC, but later on, near the end semester exams, I realised that if I’d step on the gas, then I could do it.
For the freshmen, I have some things that I would love to share. Branch-Change might appear to be a “Leap of Faith” but it is actually a very important decision that needs to be taken after a lot of thinking and taking into consideration all the factors. A word of caution to those interested in BC-ing to CS - if you are a person who wants to be the best in a room, Computer Science is probably going to give you a hard time. But yes, it is a branch which teaches you a lot of lessons and all in all, I feel it was a good decision to change to CSE.
to do to justify the prefix of ‘Engineering’, my response hasn't changed much over the past two semesters. Long story short, Branch Change needn't be another round of shooting in the dark - it helps if you enter a branch you actually would love to be a part of.
Deepanshu Kush
Metallurgy BTech to MSc, Mathematics
Rishi Vanukuru Civil Sophomore
Well to begin with I probably wanted to make the switch to a “better” branch early on in my first semester. I had notions of what each branch offered (albeit very coloured and incomplete ones), and I was of the opinion that I'd be doing what I was interested in, equally well in another one. And back then, reading pieces like this, of people who wanted to change their branch initially but didn't and then went on to say that it was the best thing that happened to them - I always thought that that was just everyone trying to see the bright side of life. And now I'm here writing this. And yes, I'm glad I didn't switch. Hypocrite, you may say. But by the end of freshman year, I realised that what I was really interested in didn't fit any branch description. So staying where I was would give me the time to pursue my real interests to a much larger degree - be it spending more time on my Design minor or learning and making music. I really was averse to leaving the friends I'd made in my branch too. And now, a year later, looking around and seeing how things panned out for everyone, I don't think I could have asked for much better.
Basuhi Ravi
Aerospace BTech to EP BTech
For a lot of us, JEE-AIR based branch allocation is a shot in the dark. Needless to say, mine missed its mark. I knew I was interested in Physics before, it certainly held more allure than anything else and I think that was reason enough to try again, this time through Change of Branch. Reflecting over my decision a year later, it seems like a very natural thing to have done. Now I love almost all my courses and find them interesting and worth studying for, which I believe justifies any decision pertaining to Academics on my part. Earlier last semester, in a rare moment of acknowledgment of my Change of Branch, I used to get asked why I didn't choose B.Tech Electrical Engineering, when I could have: to which my reply was usually a noncommittal 'Why would I want to?' and judging from a couple of the five odd Electrical courses EP students have
From an early age, I discovered that I had a penchant for mathematics and that penchant grew into a passion as I got involved in the mathematical olympiad in high school. As soon as I finished my 12th, I decided to take the JEE and despite my inclination towards mathematics, after consulting some of my seniors and family members, I decided to give engineering a shot. I spent my first year here and when I realized what to look forward to as an engineering student, I was a tad disappointed. Subsequently, I decided to quit the B.Tech. programme and join the Chennai Mathematical Institute the following academic year. It was during my summer project in the math department here when I first heard about the 5 year Integrated M.Sc. Mathematics programme. I met with Prof. Ravi Raghunathan, who is the faculty advisor for all students in this programme, and he convinced me that if I am passionate enough about learning math, the department here could provide me one of the best undergrad math educations across the country. I looked no further. I joined the programme the following academic year and the experience has been exhilarating! While this programme is certainly not for the light hearted, I’d heartily urge anyone with an ardour for mathematics to consider it.
Aakriti Varshney
Aerospace BTech to Mechanical BTech
Having followed the herd in the AIR-based choosing of a branch, a change-of-branch was always lurking in the back of my mind in the first year. I was one of those people who did not have a very clear inclination towards a particular branch though, so when the time came to fill the Branch-Change form, talking to seniors from all prospective branches helped me decide. I guess you could say I was lucky in ending up in Mechanical since I've found a love for most of the courses we have. I'm also realising now that I did have a preference for all things Mechanical over other branches after all. Apart from the curriculum, the general aura and the perspective of people around you towards academic as well as non-academic affairs affects you a lot. That is something I'm grateful to have found in Mechanical. Eventually, to me, it didn't matter that I
didn't have a definite liking for a certain branch. It turned out well for me anyway.
Raunaq Bhirangi Mechanical Sophomore
Choosing a branch was not too hard for me. I had always been enthusiastic for Elec or Mech Engg. And when I saw I could get IITB Mech with my rank, it was a straight forward choice. When I came in I hadn't thought about a Branch Change. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Preferred branch, preferred institute, I was set. CS 101, though (yes ,the same CS 101 which people accuse of killing any enthusiasm for programming they might have had), nurtured in me an inclination towards CSE. This increased with time, and by the end of my first year I was considering CSE as a Branch-Change option. After giving it sufficient thought however, I felt Computer Science was more of a hobby of sorts, and not something I'd like to pursue as a career, and hence I did not fill the Branch-Change form. A year down the line, I have absolutely no regrets about not changing my branch. I have thoroughly enjoyed the courses in Mech, and a minor in CSE has reaffirmed my ideas of it being more of a hobby and less of a career option.
Aakriti Varshney, Chirag Chadha, Manasvita Vashisth, Rishabh Israni, Sagar Sheth, Shreeyesh Menon
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Adapting to Life at IITB Excerpts you do with your time at IIT, matter most. And especially as a ‘category’ student, the sooner you realize this, the more motivated and enthused you feel to make the most of the plethora of opportunities you have in I was SC (Scheduled Castes) front of you. rank 1 in JEE 2007. I did what most ‘category students’ consider at least I slowly told people during my second or third year that I was in once, give their ‘general’ rank or lie fact a category candidate. Their opinions or reactions towards me were about it when asked about their AIR. unaltered. They accepted it just as another fact about me. Given a 2007 was a time when the reservation chance to do things again, I wouldn't lie about my AIR. I had nothing to issue was very fresh and so, it some- be scared of. Quite a few category students choose to only mix with how made sense to not disclose my their own community. To them I’d say, please venture out and talk to ‘actual’ rank. others. People are more accepting than you think.
No reservations once inside
I realized that barring a few times within the first few weeks on Anasuya Mandal campus, and that too only some of my Graduate Student fellow freshmen, no one really ever Massachusetts Institute of Technology cared enough to ask about my AIR. There’s an unspoken acceptance of the fact that everyone, regardless of background, starts off with a clean slate. Your achievements, what
Born to be an IITian?
Atulit Khanna
Alunmus Ex-Insight Editorial Board Member
You must be proud of being in IIT and why shouldn’t you be? It’s a big thing! You’re in the top 0.2% of the smartest students in the country and have just defeated (no mincing of words here) more than 4.5 LAKHS students in a highly competitive exam. As soon as you cleared it, you must have received calls after calls – from relatives, friends, parents of friends, friends of parents and, of course, coaching institutes trying to buy your rank and print your photos. Ah, the Glory! The One-of-a-Kind feeling. Well, for most of us anyway.
For some of us, we’re just the next ones in a long line of IITians from our family. There are celebrations for us as well but there are no dhols (excuse my Punjabi-ness), no grand parties, no get-togethers of the entire society (I’ve actually seen this happen elsewhere). For us, there is a small celebration followed by an extremely serious get-together of all ‘JEE-pass’ relatives to decide the branch that would be best for their protege’s future. Take my case for example. Present there were three of my ‘mamas’ from IIT Kanpur, two more from IIT Roorkee, my elder brother (Elec @IITK) and, of course, me. As you can guess, it wasn’t easy for me. In more ways than one, my life as an engineer from an IIT was pre-decided by my family’s success in this particular field. While no one ever explicitly told me to
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JEE, finally, is just a line on your resume. All of you earned your right to be at IIT which is largely an understanding and sensible community that notices you when you perform, be it in whatever sphere academics, sports, cultural, entrepreneurial, anything you choose to excel at. The person you are and aspire to become is what you will be recognized for. Your background doesn't dictate your future, your actions do.
become an engineer, it was always implied that if I do choose engineering, there is only one methodology I must follow – 6 hours of schooling followed by 5 hours of dedicated JEE coaching followed by 6 hours of dedicated JEE self- study. For a 16-17 year old, that’s a lot to deal with. Additionally when you’re from an average middle class family, the 2 LAKHS (you guys have probably shelled out twice the amount to be here) your family invests to see you in IIT is a huge burden. I failed in my first attempt at JEE. Though I got a decent rank in every other exam, I could always hear people drawing comparisons. It’s not easy. To be constantly reminded that well you didn’t make it, you will have to settle for something that’s not considered a success in your family and also that you just happened to waste a lot of money, well that’s some pressure to cope with. To decide between a really good college and giving another attempt at JEE to get into the “best college of our country - IIT” was a huge decision. Looking back, I think I did choose the latter simply because I wanted to meet my family’s expectations more than anything else. What followed was a no nonsense approach to JEE ’10 and I finally did clear it, but, then again, that’s something all of us have achieved. The achievement of being counted as another IITian in the family, however, is something I value far more than being in the top 0.2% of the country and I am sure there are quite a few readers out there who did it purely to make your family proud. You should all be proud of being at IIT-B, for you have all cleared JEE. The fraction of us who already belong to an IIT-family might not get that King-of-the-World feeling, but be very proud anyway - because you have ensured that your family’s name continues to be associated with IIT in the years to come.
Excerpts
Low (High?) AIR Four thousand, three hundred and eighty four. I don't think I'll ever forget that number. What it meant, how much it hurt, such things will lose relevance. The impacts it had on my life will change from being completely negative to things that defined me and gave me occasion to rise to the challenge. But the number itself will forever stay etched in my mind. The first few days were the worst. People around me use the Anubhav Mangal Former Chief Editor, Insight branch you were in and the AIR you got in JEE as the parameters used to describe you. Being in MSc. Chemistry and having a fairly horrible rank, I bore the brunt of all of it. No one ever says anything bad to you. There's just a sort of casual dismissal. A nod to the fact that you're not worth their presence. This kind of treatment, augmented by the battered self-esteem I held for myself, left me in pretty bad shape, loathe to who I was and my "failures". The good thing about IIT is that after a while, no one really cares about your AIR. People look to what you are as a person and what you can do with your time here as the way to define you. So even if you had a bad JEE rank, that will not follow you around beyond a limit of time in a place like IIT. But I don't think that’s the way to look at the situation. I
Competing with the Best Minds in the Country Having been in the race to make it to an IIT, we’ve all been conditioned to prove ourselves. I know that for me, making a point was important; that yes, I’ve got what it takes to match my peers and even surpass them. Surely everyone, or well, almost everyone, goes through the same thought process, and it definitely isn’t easy on the mind. For a large part, I was anxious in my freshman year, having topped (some) charts back in my city, and under pressure to continAbhinav Garg Fifth Year Undergraduate ue the streak. I managed well, but Ex-Insight Editorial Board Member trust me, things could have gone sideways. I saw it happen for many people; and now four years later, as a mentor, I’ve seen freshmen go through the same. All competition is
Looking beyond the IITB Brand Many of you must have come here for what you call the ‘brand value’ of IIT Bombay. If not the prime reason, this definitely would have been one of the factors determining why you chose to come here. So what is this brand? Is it the promise of getting high-class education and a good paying job? Well, no. If you ask me, it goes well beyond that.
know that the real judgement on my rank was not coming from outside, but from within. It was me who hated me. That was what needed to change. I think a time just came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself. I realised that while my past had been written in a way I did not really like, there was nothing that could be done about it. It was time to move on and make the most of the opportunities here, instead of spending my life trying to make up to myself for that number. I realized that my intelligence or dedication was not defined by that number, but rather my commitment and prowess at the tasks in my life at hand. In fact, now that I look back, the debacle called JEE actually made me more determined to ensure that I always give any task at hand my best, so overall, it actually turned out positive. 6 years have now passed since JEE 2010. I won’t go and say that I'm proud of my rank, but I no longer feel like it was something truly bad that happened to me or it's something to be ashamed of. The episode taught me a lot about myself, and without going into details since they're very specific, I think was one of the best things that ever happened to me. To those of you reading this with similar issues, those vying for a branch change simply because you're in Meta or MSc. Chem or those lying about their ranks to their peers - Don't let a number run your life for you. You feel bad about what happened, that's cool. But give yourself the opportunity to forgive yourself. Realise that you still have a lot in hand, and you still have a lot to lose. Don't let that one day, that one number take the rest of your future from you as well.
centred around a number, the infamous Cumulative Performance Index. Experience tells you that while it’s important, it’s somewhat over-rated, and even may be deceptive. It is sometimes very easy to learn little and yet score top points. The thing is that you are an ensemble. There are so many components to who you are, and whatever you accomplish in life will need all of these parts, that this tunnel vision deprives many from discovering their true potential. You’re here, you already are among the best, and your only obligation to make a point is to yourself. This is a brilliant learning opportunity — to learn technical stuff you hadn’t imagined, to get your hands dirty with circuits, chemicals (take this with a pinch of salt), even the wind — and that is what should be the focus of your time here. This objective alone can relieve you of a lot of futile stress, and on top of that, there will always be people to help you out no matter what. Confide in your close friends, of course your family, your mentor; and if you feel no one has good advice, go see the counsellor! I’ve been to them, and they give stellar advice, trust me. This is the time for you to grow, and while you will stumble, and hear a hundred different things that may make you think less of yourself - know where your obligation lies. It is to you.
that I wasn’t even aware of! Things that I thought were unique about me turned out to be extremely commonplace, and while I had sailed through my school years, I was struggling to keep my head above the water here. I know this sounds dramatic, but I was blown away by what I experienced here. I think the biggest change that has come in me is that I have humbled down to an extent that had never existed earlier and my ability to think has expanded multifold (and it still doesn’t match the majority here!). This institute gives you the freedom to explore an ocean of opportunities, and the learning that you gain from it is immense. My advice – don’t worry about what awaits you after these four years. Make the most of the time that you have got here; trust me, you will never get this amazing a time to bring out the best in you!
Before I came here, I felt I was the best in almost any field imaginable. I Anukriti Chaudhari Ex-Insight Editorial Board Member was an academic scholar, and had excelled decently well in non-academics as well. After coming here, I realized just how farther away I was from reality. I saw excellence in every possible field, even fields
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Mumbai Suburban Map
Map data from OpenStreetMap.org July 2016 Map to scale; landmarks plotted are approximated. Prices indicative.
Tip N Town Thane | Rs 180
Water Kingdom | Malad Rs 800 per person
Zaffran Mulund | Rs 500
Mini Kashmir Aarey Colony | Free
Cinepolis Bhandup | Rs 80–150
5 Spice | Saki Naka Rs 250
Prithvi Theater Juhu | Rs 150–300 Red Box Café Juhu | Rs 400
IIT Bombay Powai
Sigri Global Dadar/Powai | Rs 800–1500
Road House Bluez Andheri | Rs 700 Global Fusion Andheri | Rs 500 Sardar Pav-Bhaji Matunga | Rs 100
Irish Pub Juhu | Rs 500
Candies Juhu/Bandra | Rs 300
Mysore Café Matunga | Rs 200 Madras Café Matunga | Rs 300
Phoenix Market City Kurla
Ram Ashray Matunga | Rs 80 HardRock Café Parel/Andheri | Rs 500 per person
Bandra–Worli Sealink Worli
Smaash Parel | Rs 1000 per person
Worli Sea-face Worli | Free
Blue Frog Pub Parel | Costly
Landmark Entertainment
Narayan Dosa Grant Road | Rs 100
Cafe SoBo South Bombay
Relish | Nariman Point Rs 300 NCPA | Nariman Point Variable Delhi Durbar Colaba | Rs 400
Bade Miya CST | Rs 200 Fort Area Mumbai Leopold Colaba | Rs 200
North That Way
Juhu-ParleAndheri Zone Matunga-DadarParel Zone Bhandup, Mulund, Thane and Above Goregaon, Malad and Above
Hello there! New to Mumbai? Think you need a guide to help you go exploring this winter? We might just have the perfect solution for you! Here is a list of some of the most beloved hangout spots around the campus. Whether it be the perfect place to eat or a spot that promises a daylong adventure with wing-mates - this guide has crowd-sourced the most epic locations worth paying a visit to.
SoBo (South Bombay) Delhi Durbar Mughlai food experts. You just can’t miss the Biryani. Please note; be sure to make reservations, there’s a chance that you’ll be waiting for a good 40 minutes if you don’t. Relish A perfect date place. Calm, quiet and beautiful. The must-order list includes garlic bread and at least one Fondue. Narayan Dosa People might tell you to keep a few medicines handy, all false claims. This place serves the best street dosa you’ll find in Mumbai. Bade Miya Open night and day. This place redefines wraps (especially chicken wraps). Perfect for night out food down in South Mumbai. Leopold No matter which city they hail from, everyone has heard about this iconic tourist attraction in South Bombay. Though expensive, they serve the best pasta for miles. Also note, if you want to go up to their exclusive first floor lounge, you should be accompanied by a female “friend”. NCPA Iconic, Historic and Amazing are just a few adjectives for this place. This place should be reserved for one of those days when something legendary is going to happen here. Bhandup – Mulund – Thane and further up Rasna Cheap and Cheesy. Unbelievable quality, quantity and unexpectedly cheap prices. Brilliant place for wing treats and when you’re bored of the usual Dominos/Pizza Hut. Tip N Top Veg Buffet that includes everything from South Indian food to sandwiches. Reaching this place will require you to change a couple of autos but it’s worth it if you have to treat more than 20 people. Zaffran Zaffran is THE place for Mughlai food. Open till late this place is worth a visit if variety in cuisine is what you’re looking for. At par with ‘Apna Dhaba’ if you’re looking for dinner at 2am, though it is expensive. 5 Spice The quantity they serve is unparalleled across Bombay. You will be full but be sure to save some space for desserts (plural is intentional). Be sure to order a Mission Impossible and a Death by Chocolate – you shall not regret it. List of locations was complied by: Atulit Khanna, Devendra Govil, Rahul Maganti, Sagar Sheth, Sahil Vaidya
Matunga-Dadar-Parel Zone
Juhu-Parle-Andheri
Sigri Buffets don’t get better than this. Many IITians are already huge fans of this place and quite rightly so. They claim to serve Greek food but well who can tell, though whatever they serve is a must-have. One slight problem – the price tag.
Candies 3 Outlets in the Bandra Juhu area alone, this place can serve club sandwiches one night and switch to Sushi on another. Do check out their ‘Angry Birds’-based cup cakes.
Sardar Pav Bhaji The name has it all. Pav Bhaji place open till 2am. Just find its location and go. Enough said. Ram Ashray Authentic South Indian food. The place is always busy – always. We’ve given you a lot of places that open till late, this one is open as early as 5. Do not miss the coffee. Madras Cafe If South Indian food is what you crave and you’re not packed with cash, just grab all the change you can and head on down here. Dosa is their speciality. Order one even if you’re full and you will not regret it. Mysore Cafe To rival Madras cafe, there is the Mysore Cafe. Similar in quality and price, but they serve the better filter coffee. Even huge foodies find it hard to distinguish between the two, but you’ve got to decide which is better for yourself. BlueFrog For the best music in town. Get a taste of the Mumbai rock scene. Always check what’s playing before visiting. Filling up before leaving is advisable. Hard Rock Cafe The second best place for music in town. Marginally cheaper than Blue Frog though their setup is marginally better. Smaash Everything you wanted in Gaming Zone is here, including a special surprise for IIT Bombay students which is something we’ll let you to explore by yourself.
Red Box Cafe Good Music, good food and a great ambiance. When your friends from other cities are visiting and want a lounge to chill, this is the place to be. Irish Pub When you need a place with loud pumping music with a DJ who knows his stuff, this is the place to be. The theme and ambiance are pretty good too but be warned – this place is on the costlier side. Road House Bluez The name should be enough to pull you there. Anyhow, if you’re free on a Thursday or a Sunday, just go there and sing your heart out in this small cozy place. Food and other things are decently priced, making it a place worth going to. Global Fusion/Barbeque Nation Buffet-Buffet! If you have a bit of extra cash on you, then starve yourself for a day and just GO! BBQ Nation offers the finest grilled food (Veg and Non-Veg) while Global Fusion has one of the best spreads you’ll find in Bombay. Prithvi Theatre If you ever feel the need to embrace something intellectual, Prithvi Theatre will give what you seek and more. Worli Sea Face If you haven’t checked this place out yet, you’re missing out on something really good. The best time to do so would be the half Mumbai Marathon but in case you can’t go for that, there are a lot of places from where you can appreciate this creation. IMAX There are two of these now in Mumbai. TWO!! The IMAX experience is unbelievable and watching a movie like ‘Gravity’ there earns you serious street cred in the movie buff community. Goregaon – Malad and further up Water Kingdom You were told about this place by your aunts/uncles back home. If you’ve not been there yet, it is strongly recommended that you go soon. Mini Kashmir Chilling place. For the minor-out of-Bombay experience. It’s free and has boat rides but you’ll probably be going here to chill with someone special.
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Laptop: to Bring or Not to Bring To Bring or Not to Bring Whether or not you chose to read it, all your JEE acceptance letters came with a message warning you not to buy personal laptops for at least a year. Even if one completely ignores the philosophical problem with an Institute trying to dictate the buying habits of its students, there is still the matter of them dictating the correct habits. As someone who bought a laptop in the first month at IITB Anshul Avasthi (and did not end up completely ruining his life) I’m going to try to convince you that not buying one is a terrible, terrible idea. The traditional arguments for not buying laptops have always been that students tend to waste too much time gaming, watching movies, etc and end up not participating as much in on campus activities (academics included!) First things first, checks are in place to prevent students from engaging in online gaming / general lukkhagiri all night long. There is no reason to believe that methods that are supposedly sufficient to keep in check seniors who are barely a year or two older (and allegedly, a little bit more mature) will not suffice for freshmen. When faced with this argument, most people respond saying that freshmen have to adjust to a completely new lifestyle and are far more likely to be led astray since they’re probably unused to the freedom accorded to them in IITB. Fair enough. But, if one were to take that stance, they’d have to concede that all extra- curricular activities should be discouraged in a similar fashion. On the contrary, active participation is heavily encouraged. Why the double standard? Eventually, I am not going to claim to know more about you than you do. All I’m asking is that you try to weigh the pros against the cons objectively and make up your mind, assuming that no semi-authoritative figure had picked your side for you.
Okay, you have now left home at the ‘tender’ age of 18 and already given your parents sufficient reasons to worry about your well-being. On top of that, the request of bringing a laptop is only going to make their blood run cold. But, believe me, as someone who brought a laptop in his 3rd week, it was a salubrious decision. Almost all of your academic notes, answer keys, mark lists and lecture Shreerang Javadekar updates are posted on IITB’s online forum, Moodle, and it is expected that a student monitors that forum regularly. Having a laptop helps a lot in that sense. While group study is useful in its own way, I personally preferred studying on my own first, and my laptop came to my aid there. Moreover, I found out that most of my batchmates who didn’t bring a laptop would rely on the few computers in our library making it all the more difficult to study as per one’s conducive timings. Eventually, a course demanding a great deal of practice in writing code will pop up in your curriculum and easy access to a computer shall be vital. Your freshman year is filled with a glut of fun activities and new experiences. I did not spend time in my freshmen year watching some TV series or gaming; rather never had the time for it as some or the other event in insti kept me engaged. The remaining free time was spent travelling around the city with my newly made friends. The institute has also instated measures to curb excessive and unwanted laptop usage. With a little bit of self-control, you are good to go.
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The laptop issue has popped up out of nowhere in the last few years. IIT Bombay has been advising new entrants about not bringing laptops to the campus in their first year through an advisory letter and also through the Student Mentors allotted to Students. Before blaming the institute about making a huge blunder and alleging that the institute does not understand the importance of social life, it would Chirag Chadha make sense to understand how and why this policy was adopted. When freshmen join IIT Bombay, a lot of things change in their life. They meet new people on campus, live in a wing with unknown people and have the opportunity to explore a huge and amazing city like Mumbai. Getting used to the new environment after coming from cozy homes might prove to be a tough transition for a lot of students. Also, most freshmen have this new-found sense of freedom after 2-3 years of rigorous studying. Since there is no control, some people might assert their independence in 'not so advisable' ways. Laptops are one such medium of getting involved in the wrong things. Most freshmen are fascinated by the fast Internet speeds and the plethora of movies, TV shows and videos (:p) that the institute network offers and it is very easy for them to get addicted to that. People tend to spend hours (in fact days) gaming and watching movies right from the start of their stay on campus. While this is a completely personal decision, chances are that you might probably regret this later, which is exactly the reason behind the advisory letter and your Mentor's advice. Since the academic workload in first year courses tends to be low and printed notes are easily available, it is advisable that freshmen leave their laptops behind for the first year and start spending more time interacting with people (especially their wing-mates) and exploring the city. You might also want to spend that time trying to do new things in your life or pursuing your hobbies/passions. I did not bring a laptop in my first semester. In fact, none of my wing-mates did (except one, who was a coding enthusiast and a computer was a must-have for him). The result - none of us would sit sprawled on our beds watching sitcoms and gaming all day. We would step out for a game of cricket/ football/badminton or go exploring the city (Marine Drive, Juhu Beach, Bandstand, hell yeah!) and whilst in our rooms, Niranjan Thakurdesai we would play Mafia until the wee hours of the morning (no morning lectures. Peace!). This is an extremely good way to connect with your wing-mates and strengthen your friendships. Believe me, these guys will be the ones whom you will stay closest to during your subsequent stay at IIT. And it is at least as fun as LAN-gaming if not more. What about notes? We would print them out and photocopying is cheap (at least at IITB). In addition, I did not have a computer programming course in my first sem, therefore the absence of a laptop caused me absolutely no problems. You can always check your mail on your phone (if you are complaining about data charges then there is a way around that too. Typically, at least one of your wingies will have a laptop. Create a Wi-Fi hotspot, and happy high-speed surfing!).
To Freshmen, Hostel 15/16, IIT Powai, Bombay 76 IITB is a blissful experience that you’ll cherish forever in life. Retrospecting about college, I collected a few thoughts that I’d want to pass on to freshly minted IITians. These are not necessarily the most important things freshies should know, but these are those which usually never get told.
Eschew Department Stereotypes
Ever since the day you came to know about your branch allocation, you must have been inundated by pointless, irrelevant and often wrong feedback about your department. It will worsen now that you are in IIT, with every other person commenting on your branch selection and passing along traditional wisdom. If you’ve taken a low-ranking branch despite getting a high rank, you’d be called stupid. If you’ve opted for Dual Degree when your rank allowed you to choose BTech, you’d be called stupid. If you let it be known that you intend to do research in ‘Meta’, you’d be called stupid. You will realize that, as a freshie, it’s very easy to be called stupid.
You will realize that, as a freshie, it’s very easy to be called stupid.
It’s also equally devoid of content. By giving in to department stereotypes, you not only straitjacket yourself, you fall prey to years of unfounded prejudice. Choosing Meta is not stupid—but whiling the first two semesters away because you were told ‘Meta is a lukkha branch’ is. Department stereotypes are self-fulfilling prophecies—people tell you there are no future prospects in X branch, and you spend your IIT life resigned to this fatality, while wiser people go ahead, pursue what prospects there are, and get them. Eschew Department Stereotypes.
Look for full disclosure
As freshies, you would find yourself at the receiving end of advice, suggestions, opinions, recommendations and what not from a wide variety of people (including, rather ironically, from me, through this post). Develop the judgment to figure out whose opinion to take on a particular matter. The guy who gives you excellent dating advice won’t necessarily give you great foreign-internship fundae. And the girl who you trust your deepest secrets with might give you lousy advice about which elective to take. Also, look for full disclosure. Often, a lot of what people would tell you would be tainted with what’s good for them instead of what’s good for you. Did the hostel sports secy just tell you it’s not necessary to study for next day’s Maths Quiz because he wanted you to go cheer for the Hostel Water Polo team? Did a CG/Manager just tell you CPI doesn’t matter? Did your neighbourhood 10 pointer just tell you extra-currics are useless? No one really wishes you bad, but that doesn’t mean you take in everything they say without scrutinizing it and looking for full disclosure. I find it funny when the only credential juniors offer about a piece of info/opinion is "Kisi senior ne bola hai". Avoid having "One Stop Seniors". At IIT, you’d find yourself part of a diverse group of brilliant people. There's a huge wealth of experience to tap into. Talk to everyone, but take a smart call about who you would trust best for what. Look for full disclosure.
Have Fun with Acads Like it or not, your CPI is the most reasonable objective metric there exists right now to judge how good you are at doing what you've got to do.
Joining IITB is going to plunge you into a pool of smart people. If you're used to being the class topper all these years, you may find the sudden shock of no longer being the biggest fish in the pond a bit unsettling and almost scary. If you can identify with sentiment, use your freshie year to calibrate how much effort you need to put into academics to perform at a satisfactory level.
For others who feel 'burnt out'—there's very rarely a good enough reason to compromise on academics. Like it or not, your CPI is the most reasonable objective metric there exists right now to judge how good you are at doing what you've got to do. It's not 100% representative, and it’s not always fair, but it's not as arbitrary as many like to think. If someone is trying to convince you to abandon academics altogether (I call it the 'drink beer, fuck fear' attitude), they probably don't have your best interests in mind. A lot of successes that people aspire for will be more accessible if you maintain good academic standing. Especially in the beginning, when you lack specific experience, a strong academic profile often gives you access to opportunities such as a change of branch, an edge in getting selected for internships and placements, being selected into a good university for higher studies et al. These experiences are often enabling—they pave way for further opportunities. Since CPI often ends up measuring the ability to work hard and persevere, it ironically also ends up proving to be useful in seguing into other fields that better match your interests. Try to look at courses and subjects as something potentially interesting. Obviously, neither all courses nor all professors will be fun, but you’ll be surprised at how much the quality of your experience would improve if you treat academics with a bit more openness. Trying to have fun with acads won't necessarily need a change in your schedule. Try to pay attention in class, read up a bit on the subject, interact with the professors, and you will likely find your experience significantly enriched Don’t suck up to profs. But carry an ounce of empathy. Have Fun with Acads. And have a great time at IIT.
(The above article has been adapted from a blog post; the original can be found here: http://www.antarikshbothale.com/to-freshies/)
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Insti Almanac Juvenile July Away from home, July welcomes you to a verdant campus amidst showers of heavy rains. And, you pray that the rain stays, it is for now the only friend you have in this woodland of chaddi-clad guys walking past. Running from one orientation to another, make sure you do not forget your umbrellas at the venues!
Obliging October Now that the rains have receded, the scorching Mumbai heat takes over. After exams, being Not-So-Obsessed with studies seems to be the way forward. It’s also that time of the year when you are introduced to the world of IBs. High time you began building an image amongst those seniors to become deserving organizers!
Judgemental January After showing off your college T-shirts back home, it’s time when you need to set some new sem resolutions, but you still haven’t recovered from the December hangover. Moreover, it is time you put your seniors’ needs over your own. Everyone needs a PoR. You are no different. Wait, what’s a PoR?
Ambitious April Here comes the Valfi season, where you’ll get high on the never-seen-before side of your seniors - sorry to say, your mentors included! But then, one last hurdle to fulfil your Branch Change hopes and before the summer holidays. You might want to get under the right branch to brave the scorching summer heat after all!
Aggressive August August brings in competitions from every sphere of activity one can try in the institute. Fight for Hostel glory in Freshiezza, a cultural and sports bonanza for freshmen while bracing up for your first examinations during your stay over here. Well, building the right bonds and breaking the right ones matter here ;)
Notorious November Your final exams are round the corner. But one leg’s already home for the long holiday. One leg is already home for the long holiday, but one is stuck in institute thanks to all the MI & Techfest work. Peeing on your exams in between seems very much a possibility. Ultimately, it doesn't matter who you are…. What matters is how you crib!
Friendzoned February Midsems are back. But so are a plethora of cultural festivals - be it your hostel or your department! Who said you were prepared enough to manage both? But, wait! Suddenly seniors are behaving all sugary with you. You are suddenly getting friend requests on Facebook from people you’ve never met. What’s happening?
Specialist Summer
Speculative September Get ready to go sanskaari and show off your kurtas! Teacher’s day is here. Go get their blessings, because you will need them. Just when you thought you are getting settled, Hey Presto, midsems are knockin’ on your doors! Gear yourself up to burn the midnight oil to umm.. distract others from studying because, after all… everything is relative.
Dirty-Great December Small – Medium – Large – Asia’s Largest. That’s how the magnitude of every other event in the institute increases as days pass by in December. We will leave you to uncover all the surprises - after all you’ve come here for living the ‘chaar din ka sapna’.
Multicoloured March While you brace yourselves for your first ‘Insti Vaali Holi’, at the same time, witness how an event drives almost everyone in the institute to bring out their cultural, technical, and diligent best to one platform in the institute - which can even give you a glimpse of god! Well, the less spoken the better :)
new freshies
Summers at IITB are full of activities. Utilize them to go trekking in the Himalayas or to learn that sport/musical instrument you always wanted to. One can fill in their coffers by offering services to coaching classes nearby or just show off your tech enthu, building gadgets murmuring, ‘It’s play time!’. Exploring academic research also looks like an option for some. But wait, home food is calling and you can’t resist, can you? Kewal Bhat, Karthik Sankaran
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Unwritten Laws of Insti
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Disclaimer: This is a purely satirical article, not meant to be taken seriously. In many cases, the exact opposite of what is written might be advisable.
Theory of Relativity You will experience the Theory of Relativity first-hand during your lectures; 5 minutes of lecture time will feel like an hour. And when there’s no wifi, two. Suddenly you will discover that there is joy in rereading your Facebook newsfeed every 10 minutes. Law of Conservation of Sleep It’s scientifically proven that the average IITian requires 9 hours of sleep a day to be able to change the world. It’s a fact. That’s science. Unless you’re the legendary one man cappuccino shot, those measly 5-6 hours at night are never enough, so it’s best that you make up the remaining 3-4 hours during lectures. What makes this much easier is that you’ll already be half-asleep when you enter the Lecture Halls. The AC does the rest. Love thy Neighbour Your neighbour is your best friend during labs, particularly during Engg Drawing labs. Who’re you going to rely on when you can’t figure out what that pistol shaped mini drafter does, when you forget your copy of ND Bhatt in your room? Your neighbour, that’s who. Caveat: Your neighbour probably has the same expectations out of you. Schrodinger’s Tumtum Tumtums are the biggest tease on campus - they’re always around, except when you need one. It always seems like everyone else catches one to class, but each time you wait outside H15 for one, it never arrives. Make peace with the fact that you’ll mostly be walking to lectures everyday. (For improved luck, every time you get a tumtum chant “Jai Tumtum Di” thrice or you’ll be cursed with walking for life. True story.) Breakfast? What Breakfast? Rumour has it that this mythical being makes its presence felt only during the end sem week. There are traditionalists who hope to make its acquaintance during the sem, but soon they too realise that this legend is bigger than all of us. Lunch, now lunch is a meal we can all get behind. (Protip: Whatever you do, don’t miss tiffin. You will be cursed with three consecutive terrible mess dinners. Three is quite the magic number) False Craxx Alarm If your mother calls to ask how you got married without her consent, learn to logout from Facebook before leaving your laptop defenseless to nefarious wingies. It’ll prevent you from sending fraand requests and ostensibly well meaning “Hi dear how is u” messages to random girls and from changing your sexual orientation.
MI/TF God Hota Hai Even if you don’t find Mood Indigo and Techfest remotely interesting, you need to come to terms with this. Your eventual coolness amongst your batchmates will be determined by how many celebs you picked up from the airport for MI & TF, and how many selfies you took with them. Elitism Ain’t Bad The most surefire way to enhance your elitist image among your peers is to actively participate in Literary Arts and Debate events; your friends will immediately start viewing you as the pretentious know-it-all you always aspired to be. For maximum effect, try to become a convener in either club. Source? The Imperial Great Big Book of Knowledge. Can’t Spell Power without POR Speaking of images/statuses, nothing adds to your image/status like a POR (Position of Responsibility). People will come to you to get their work done, they will start owing you favours, and next thing you know, you are the ringleader of your own gang in insti. Friendships will be destroyed, wars will be waged, people will be avenged and cronies will machao polt to get you elected to an even higher POR. Imagine Gangs of Wasseypur, in Powai. (Warning: None of the above will happen, and you will just end up putting up posters in H15 for a whole year.) Show Your Love Friendships, relationships and achievements mean nothing if there isn’t a status to commemorate it. The only true way to show your love for someone on an occasion is to post about it asap on their Facebook Timeline. Friend’s birthdays, wingies craxxing PORs and internships, Mother’s Day, Opposite Day, Pi Day, PIE Day - doesn’t matter. A senti post which has at least 100 words and 5 hashtags is necessary for the required 150 likes to make your post successful.
A Guide to Surviving Acads 1. When in doubt, mumble. Rare is the occasion that you know any of the answers to the Lab TA’s viva questions. Mumbling relevant jargon and looking far into the horizon while you pretend to recall JEE Chemistry is guaranteed to fetch you at least 0.5/2 marks, which is more than you would get anyway. 2. When in trouble, delegate. CS101 projects are meant to teach you the virtues of teamwork and responsibility. An essential part of that is knowing how to absolve yourself of work when your back is against the wall. Delegation makes you seem like a Steve Jobs-esque leader and exonerates you from writing any code. 3. When in charge, ponder. There may come a moment, eventually, in the fullness of time, when work actually needs completing. In the truest tenet of dynamic inaction, pondering for long hours over the work would mean staving off eventual discontent and criticism. Some would call such events end sems. Labs 101 Rule 1: Always keep a record of data. It indicates you’ve been working. Rule 2: Always draw your curves, then plot the reading. Rule 3: In case of doubt, make it sound convincing. Rule 4: Experiments should be reproducible. They should all fail in the same way. Rule 5: Do not believe in miracles. Rely on them
Law of Illusory Choices IITB loves throwing some curve balls at its students; however the ace up its sleeve is the illusion of choice. They tell you NSS and NCC are just as good as NSO. They send some inspiring speeches about discipline and service your way to sway opinion. They even offer flexible attendance. Ones with true resilience and strong spirit no longer labour under such illusions. Go play a sport. Nothing is more fun.
Abhishek Andasu, Tejas Srinivasan
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Editors’ Note Hello All! Insight, the official students’ media body met you in your initial few days here, through informal surveys, IITBBC videos among a myriad other initiatives. In the good few days that have passed since then, everyone realizes how your different your batch is from those before. Over the last couple of years, freshmen hostels have become a hub for cultural, technical and sports activities. It is therefore benefitting that this edition of the Freshmen Newsletter, an initiative started three years ago is in service of this particular batch. This edition of the Freshmen Newsletter brings to you a spread of articles we hope you will find both useful and interesting. From analysis of Branch Change trends across years, across branches, senior fundae on adapting to life inside the institute and some highlights of what this maximum city has to offer, we have striven to bring out a balanced read. While this edition has been created by our in-house team, the vision is that it soon becomes your newsletter. We expect you guys to create the next edition, write about stuff which matters to you, analyze trends which affect you, and trigger solutions to impact you. For more information on how to join Insight, just write to us at insight@iitb.ac.in and we’ll get back to you. Cheers! Shreerang Javadekar, Shreeyesh Menon Chief Editors
The Team Shreerang Javadekar Shreeyesh Menon
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Parimal Chahande Chaitanya Mandugula Tathagata Biswas
Abhijith Keyaar Shievani Upadhyay Rohan Jhunja
Aakriti Varshney Abhishek Andasu Akash Chikhalikar Avinaash Anand Chinmay Sankhe Chintan Savla Febin Mathew
Harshit Sahay Himani Mehta Jay Mardia Karthik Sankaran Kewal Bhat Pranjali Gupta
Pratyarth Rao Rahul Ramchandani Rishabh Israni Sapan Shah Tejas Srinivasan Yash Mehta