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EES Interview Series

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    Abhinav Kalra

    Bain & Co

    2020
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    Sankalp Garg

    Quadeye

    2020
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    Hritik Bansal

    to be added

    2020
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    Siddhesh Gandhi

    to be added

    2020
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    Harshit Jain

    to be added

    2020
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    Aditya Abhishek

    Microsoft

    2020
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    Shweta Meena

    to be added

    2020
avatar

Abhinav Kalra

Bain & Co Batch-2020

avatar

Sankalp Garg

Quadeye-2020

avatar

Hritik Bansal

to be added 2020

avatar

Siddhesh Gandhi

to be added 2020

avatar

Harshit Jain

to be added 2020

avatar

Aditya Abhishek

Microsoft 2020

avatar

Shweta Meena

To be added 2020

  • What were your most memorable moments at IIT? Could you describe any moments when you felt low at IIT and what you did to get back to normal?

  • The most memorable time I spent at IIT was hanging out with friends- roaming around ex-hall late at night, going to night mess, playing with them, having introspective conversations with them. Any time spent with friends in IIT is memorable for me. I also had a great time when I went to South Korea for my foreign-exchange program. I got a chance to meet a lot of new people there and got to know about their perspective of life, that was a whole new learning experience for me. I didn't have any such low-moments but there were a lot of challenges which I had to overcome. It often became a daunting task to balance time between extra-curriculars and academics. These challenges are a part and parcel of life and usually it becomes easier with time.

  • What changes did you notice in your personality before and after IIT? How have your extra-curricular activities and internships been instrumental in causing the change?

  • When I first came to IIT I was humbled, everybody in IIT is smart and an average student in IIT might be a genius outside the campus. My experience at campus has certainly helped me in making better decision. There are a lot of things to explore in IIT especially in IIT-Delhi, you can join any cultural club, sports, technical club and the college provides a lot of opportunities to compete at higher level. One can only do as much in a day. So basically when you chose what to do, it helps you understand yourself and eventually helps you make much better and rational decisions. My summer-internship at Goldman Sachs was again a great learning experience. I got to know how these big companies work, their internal structure and how I can make a contribution in the industry.

  • What words of advice would you give to your juniors- some things that they should do, some changes in the way of thinking, etc. Any specific advice for students of any particular year?

  • The first advice that I would like to give to juniors is to never underestimate the importance of CGPA. A good CGPA opens the door for a lot of opportunities. Hence, it becomes clinical to strike an important balance between your academics and other ECAs. Another advice is something that I have mentioned previously, IIT offers you a lot of opportunities be it research work, sports, cultural activities, managing fests and events, technical communities. It is a great platform to experiment. I encourage everyone to explore more or less most of these, as it will help you understand yourself, your talents, likings, dis-likings.

  • What projects did you work on during IIT? Any favorite research stream?

  • I experimented with robotics during my second year summers where in I worked on quadrotors. Specifically it was based on formation control for the quadrotor entities. The experience taught about the huge difference between planning something and actually implementing it on hardware and what comes out of it. I also did a project in named inclusive classroom wherein we were trying to build a tech based solution which would aid visually impaired in lectures/classrooms by leveraging their mobile. My project experience was mostly implementational in nature, but surely I always enjoyed the mathematical and problem solving aspects of these and several other assignments/projects that I have done.

  • Did you find the Electrical Engineering branch exciting? Any specific advice for your juniors in this branch?

  • I didn't like the Electrical core courses as much. I on the other hand had an inclination to computer science, mathematics and management courses (very different things). Electrical engineering is a really cool branch but unfortunately not my cup of tea. I would advice the juniors in EE to not have any bias against/in favor of EE courses. Would encourage them all to actually try out the courses before they give up to the hype of CS. I always advice to explore and sample options before finalising your choice.

  • Have you found your passion? Many people face a dilemma over “what is that they would love to do in life”. How did your time at IIT help you realise your future goals and what is it that you want to do in life?

  • I love playing football. Apart from that I like problem solving and interacting with people. I have not as such found my passion yet, really hope my experience at management consulting would help me do that. I am really optimistic that problem solving would be an integral component of whatever I pursue in future.

  • If you could go back in time, what is it that you would like to change (regrets) ?

  • I don't have any such regrets but if given a chance might have focused a bit more on improving my CGPA. Other than I tried my best to make most of opportunities that I got at IIT, at some I succeeded, at some I failed, no regrets!

  • Did you use any goal setting strategy or time management strategy which can be beneficial in crafting a career that we want to?

  • I always believed in exploring and tapping the opportunities we get being in IIT Delhi. I think one should step back and see what s/he wants to do in life and then take step in the direction you think is fit for you. Nothing is perfect just like tea where everyone has sugar as per their own taste.

  • What were your most memorable moments at IIT?

  • The Robotics competition at the end of the first year is one of the most memorable moments at IIT. Our team created a robot from scratch using the theoretical knowledge that we gained; we went to IIT Madras for the competition and it was great exposure, indeed. Other than that, I enjoyed spending time with friends. They were instrumental in having my life at IIT. Be it random chatting or project ideas, or academics, they were always there for me. The trips to the night mess and even moolchand etc are to be cherished. The long thought out trips and treks and even unplanned trips were always an excitement which were made even more memorable by my amazing friends.

  • What changes did you notice in your personality before and after IIT? How have your extra-curricular activities and internships been instrumental in causing the change?

  • My stay here, at, IIT Delhi was significant in improving my communication skills. It helped me overcome my inhibition to start a conversation with people I wasn’t familiar with. Being in Robotics and EES was greatly helpful as I connected to more people At EES, I improved many skills like event organization, pitching to people, negotiating,etc.. My 3rd-year internship in the USA contributed the most in bringing the changes; I interacted with many people, exchanged ideas. Finally, I would say the diverse people at IIT helped me improve my personality aspect of life and I learned to open myself to strangers also.

  • What words of advice would you give to your juniors- some things that they should do, some changes in the way of thinking, etc. Any specific advice for students of any particular year?

  • For the Freshers, I would advise them to explore and take up extracurricular activities that interest them. The activities can be anything like dance and music or even technical like robotics. Also, it's equally important to maintain a decent (maybe put in a little more effort) C.G.P.A throughout. Doing something outside the routine university academics will give you a different perspective about life and if you pursue a technical hobby, you will gain in-depth and practical knowledge. Also, try connecting and interacting with new people. That would help forge lifelong friendships and will help you at all the steps, be it exams or projects. Awesome friends will always make your life easier in this competitive world.

  • What projects did you work on during IIT?

  • I have been very involved in Research Projects throughout my undergraduation and my seniors were really helpful for the same. I did a project with Prof. Deepak Joshi, which was suggested by one of my seniors; it involved Machine Learning. I have also worked under the guidance of Prof. Mausam, during my third year. The project was based on planning problems using reinforcement learning. It was quite a learning experience because it was the first time we identified a problem from the scratch, did mathematical analysis for it, made a small prototype, and then worked to solve the advanced problem. It was a great experience.

  • Did you find the Electrical Engineering branch exciting? Any specific advice for your juniors in this branch?

  • The Electrical Department is probably one of the most diverse and therefore the most interesting too. It gives you a broad overview of various possible fields. Further, you can build upon any area of your interest be it electronics, power systems, signals, and even computer science. It helped me explore various available options and opportunities. I would definitely advise them to manage their time efficiently by prioritizing things so that they don’t feel overburdened and can also pursue other activities. Try exploring different options given by the department and carefully choose the subsect of your interest.

  • Have you been to any other IIT in these 4 years? How was it different from IITD? Can we bring that change in IITD if the change is for the better?

  • Yes, I went to IIT Madras at the end of my first year for a Robotics Competition that we were a part of; and enjoyed a lot there. I felt that people there are more proactive and take initiatives for various technical interests and therefore, there are a lot more active technical clubs. Also, they have well-equipped spaces for innovation in Technical aspects. I believe that we should also encourage this at IIT Delhi which would help us achieve even more.

  • If you could go back in time, what is it that you would like to change (regrets) ?

  • My stay at IIT Delhi has been quite memorable, as such I do not have any regrets. If given an option, I would have been a part of more events organized at my hostel as that was something I couldn’t do much. I realized this later that those activities were also a fun engagement if I had managed my time better. It would’ve helped me connect more to the seniors of my hostel.

  • What were your most memorable moments at IIT? Could you describe any moments when you felt low at IIT and what you did to get back to normal?

  • It is hard to choose one specific memorable moment at IIT. I had many memorable moments at IIT. 7th Semester was one of the craziest semesters for me as I had to prepare for my job and complete my core courses which I could not do in 5th semester because I went to foreign-exchange program. I am a very social guy and I have a lot of friends both in the hostel and in the department, so I never had a low moment as I was always surrounded by friends.

  • What changes did you notice in your personality before and after IIT? How have your extra-curricular activities and internships been instrumental in causing the change?

  • There were a lot of changes I could feel in my personality. In school times, I was essentially an introvert, always absorbed in studies. But, after coming to IIT, I got involved in activities which I liked. In the process, I met a plethora of new people and made lots and lots of new friends. Be it debating or NSS, each activity I undertook, taught me something new and there were a lot of changes in my personality that I could.

  • What words of advice would you give to your juniors- some things that they should do, some changes in the way of thinking, etc. Any specific advice for students of any particular year?

  • My advice to my juniors would be to make good friends, enjoy whatever you do and at the same time, actually try to learn what you are studying. Try to delve deep into the concepts and understand how things are working. Initially, you’ll all think that the professors aren't available but that is not the case. Most of them are available and are actually very willing to remove the doubts that you are facing. I would say that college life is the best time to explore what fascinates you. Try to do all the things that you ever wanted to do. You’ll meet new people, try to make new friends and learn from them. Every single person at IIT is unique and definitely everyone of them has something or the other to teach you. Also, in terms of career choices, I would suggest everyone to keep an open mind. Don't let others' opinions affect your decisions. Try to explore things on your own and find out what actually you are passionate about.

  • What projects/interns did you do during IIT? Any favourite research stream?

  • I tried to explore as much as possible during my IIT life. I did my DISA projects under Prof. Kushal Shah. I did my 2nd year internship in Singapore. It was a very good experience. Research has always fascinated me, so I started a research project in my 2nd year winter break and I did that project for almost 2 years, it got published in January, 2020. I tried everything before deciding what I want to do. I never knew what stream I should go for, finance, research or technical job so I tried everything before finally making any decision.

  • Did you find the Electrical Engineering branch exciting? Any specific advice for your juniors in this branch?

  • Yes, I found the electrical engineering branch pretty exciting. It had amazing things to offer. I really enjoyed certain courses like ELL205- Signals and Systems, ELL 888- Advanced Machine learning and Deep learning. My advice to my branch juniors would be to enjoy whatever they do. I would tell them to actually realise and enjoy the beauty of the subject and discover what fascinates you the most. If you treat studies as a burden, then it would definitely become a burden. But learn to enjoy them and you’ll not regret a single second of your time that you spend on them.

  • Have you found your passion? Many people face a dilemma over “what is that they would love to do in life”. How did your time at IIT help you realise your future goals and what is it that you want to do in life?

  • I wouldn’t say I have found my passion but I would say that I have narrowed down the things I want to do in my life. I am not as lost as I was in my first year and second year or third year. With expereince I have a clearer goal in my life and if I had 10 things to do in my life, now I have to do 5 things. I would suggest juniors that they should spend some time doing something before deciding anything.

  • If you could go back in time, what is it that you would like to change (regrets) ?

  • I do not have any regrets per se. My life at IIT was perfect, just as I had dreamt it to be. If I were given another chance, I would do it the exact same way, all over again. The time I had spent at IIT was blissful. The only regret I would carry is how few things could not happen in my final days due to the COVID Pandemic. I regret not having a proper farewell, House Day, and other fun stuff in the last semester. But, apart from that, the things were simply perfect.

  • Did you use any goal setting strategy or time management strategy which can be beneficial in crafting a career that we want to?

  • Normally, I did not have to use any time management strategy as I was able to cope with the things as and when they happened. It was only in the 7th semester that I really felt the need to use certain strategies to manage my time as I had to juggle between a plethora of things. I had to complete the core courses of the 5th semester which I had missed due to my foreign exchange. At the same time, it was the Job Semester and I had to prepare for the coding tests. Also, I was applying to foreign universities for masters at the same time. So, the things were indeed very crowded. I therefore used to write down my daily goals and work on them. Writing short term goals and completing them regularly and then changing the goals dynamically allowed me to manage my time better and cope with the huge amount of things that were going on at that time.

  • You spent 4 years at IIT, if you had to pick the best day in these 4 years which one would it be?

  • It is hard to pick the best day in IIT but I had many memorable moments in IIT. I had great moments with my friends. I used to go to SUBWAY for lunch with my friends and I loved going to SDA market and I almost used to go there everyday. And the time spent there with my friends, make few of my fondest memories of IIT life.

  • What were your most memorable moments at IIT? Could you describe any moments when you felt low at IIT and what you did to get back to normal?

  • There have been many wonderful memories at IIT, especially the little joys of making friends with amazing people or having an interesting course that you look forward to every week. One of my fondest memories is from my first semester when I worked with the Rendezvous decoration team. It was extremely enjoyable working on art projects with so many passionate people, and the friends I made during that time, both from my batch as well as senior batches, are still some of my closest friends. I think having such a positive experience right at the beginning of my journey at IIT made me have an optimistic outlook on things, apart from teaching me the value of teamwork and time management. I also had the pleasure of working on most of my projects at IIT with my close friends as partners, and during the times we felt like we were not making progress, it helped when we put our heads together and tried to come up with new solutions. Also, an invaluable experience has been seeing the people around me achieve the things that they worked for and also seeing their support for you. I guess seeing yourself and your friends go through ups and downs and celebrating every success, big and small, not just with others but also having an introspective appreciation for how far you’ve come is the most valuable thing in maintaining a positive but also constructive outlook towards the many challenges that IIT life throws at you.

  • What changes did you notice in your personality before and after IIT? How have your extra-curricular activities and internships been instrumental in causing the change?

  • I think a substantial change that I noticed in myself is that I have not only become more outgoing and sociable but also more confident, rather, more comfortable presenting and discussing my ideas with people. I would still consider myself an introvert, but there was a time where I would even be too uncomfortable to ask doubts to professors and TAs. Over the course of my research internships and lots of valuable interaction with faculty at IIT, I think I am more comfortable with presenting my ideas to other people. I was quite nervous before going to my orientation at Columbia University for admitted students, but it was just two days later that I realised how well I had interacted with all the students and the faculty members. Another aspect that I think everyone experiences is that of learning to make time for the things that mean a lot to you. It is indeed challenging and moreover the burden and ennui of IIT academics can get to you. I learnt how to take care of challenges one at a time, while still having a better outlook on the bigger picture. My internships at foreign universities encouraged me to interact with different people in an academic setting and also learn to manage my work independently. It is important to be able to keep up your work even without constant outside supervision.

  • Have you found your passion? Many people face a dilemma over “what is that they would love to do in life”. How did your time at IIT help you realise your future goals and what is it that you want to do in life?

  • I actually loved the electrical engineering branch and the courses offered to us. I had the chance to change my department after my first year, but to me, there was no question because I not only enjoyed the fields of circuits and electronics but also had a variety of future options within this field. What also gave me a broader perspective was speaking to seniors in diverse fields who were academically inclined. I think there are so many different areas within EE and I feel like there is something to suit everyone’s tastes. I think you should find an area that you are interested in and try to engage through courses and doing projects under faculty. Most of the faculty in our department are very cordial and will not only guide you but also be willing to discuss things that you need guidance about. I will be pursuing a Ph.D. in electronic circuit design and I think the experiences I had at IIT were instrumental in me loving this field. After the Analog Electronics course with Professor Shouri Chatterjee as the instructor, I went on to take the CMOS RF IC course that he instructed in my sixth semester. The course was very exploratory in nature, we discussed many landmark papers in class and having the context of how these lead to technological inventions that revolutionised communication made me love the field of circuit design even more. As part of the course, we were assigned a project to design a Low-noise Amplifier and the project groups were such that I got to work with Masters and Ph.D. students who gave their insight on the hands-on skills required for completing our design. I also worked on several projects related to circuit layout under Prof Chatterjee, as well as my B.Tech. project in which we worked on the baseband circuit of a Radar transmitter. Additionally, one of my internships was related to Injection Locking in oscillators. I think it was a combination of my general interest in the methods and skills required for electronic circuit design, excellent and insightful teaching from faculty and the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects that led me into this field. Circuit design in itself is both, highly diverse and highly specialised, so the curiosity of all the things that I am yet to learn makes me very excited about the field in terms of my future plans.

  • Have you been to any other IIT in these 4 years? How was it different from IITD? Can we bring that change in IITD if the change is for the better?

  • I have never been to any other IIT to engage in any academic or co-curricular activity, so I do not think I am equipped to answer this question substantively.

  • If you could go back in time, what is it that you would like to change ? Do you have any regrets?

  • I think one experience that I missed out was working in a corporate/industrial setting. Now that I am continuing my studies at a doctoral level, I think it will be a while before I get the opportunity to work in the industry. I think there is a lot of conventional knowledge that goes around in IIT which is very peculiar if you take a step back and think about it. I thought that because I will be applying for further studies, I should try to get a research internship rather than an industrial internship. However, I think we should try to get many diverse experiences, rather than trying to build an ideal CV. The skills and experience you gain in any task is valuable and indeed, no recruiter or admissions office is going to discredit your experience in a field outside their domain. In fact, I think it becomes a point of interest for them and they may want to know more about what you learnt in said field and how you wish to apply that knowledge in your present domain of interest.

  • What words of advice would you give to your juniors- some things that they should do, some changes in the way of thinking, etc. Any specific advice for students of any particular year?

  • I cannot speak for everyone, but for me, the most valuable aspect in terms of thought process has been to really align yourself with the things you like and enjoy working on. Of course, IIT offers myriad opportunities and future avenues, but more pragmatically, it’s important to know what are the things you love working on, and then figuring out how you can best have a future in these fields. There is value in working on stuff you enjoy, rather than doing things that are expected from you. Of course, it is important to take advice from all the people around you, including your peers, and making an informed decision about what are the things you want to achieve. It is crucial to strike a balance between the two. You need to believe in your passion and your instinct regarding your goals while also being ready and willing to make changes along the way.

  • What were your most memorable moments at IIT? Could you describe any moments when you felt low at IIT and what you did to get back to normal?

  • I went for foreign exchange in my 5th semester. I got the chance to spend a whole semester in IMT Atlantique. I stayed for around 4 months in France. I got novel exposure to their food habits, their culture, and how colleges work in France. I had the opportunity to meet a whole lot of new people from different nations and cultures. The most beautiful part was that I travelled a lot through Europe. Europe is a lovely place, and I got to travel to no less than 11 different countries and see beautiful places like Switzerland, Germany, which I had just seen in movies. It was indeed a surreal experience, and I have a lot of memories from my time spent there that would remain etched in my forever.

  • What changes did you notice in your personality before and after IIT? How have your extra-curricular activities and internships been instrumental in causing the change?

  • There was a stark change in my personality after coming to IIT. During my 2 years of JEE coaching, I was completely cut off from the world. I had always been an introvert, but the JEE phase made me more reserved. But after coming to IIT, I got out of my shell, and now I can generally interact with anyone. The foreign exchange, in particular, played a very pivotal part in shaping my personality. I was in a completely new world and had to look out for things on my own. I had to learn to understand their language and communicate with others who did not share a common language with me. It was a very enriching experience, and I feel lucky to have experienced such a thing in life.

  • What words of advice would you give to your juniors- some things that they should do, some changes in the way of thinking, etc. Any specific advice for students of any particular year?

  • The time you spend at your college is one of the most important ones, and my advice for everyone out there would be to spend it wisely. Try to build up your personality, improve interpersonal communication skills, pursue a hobby while staying good at academics at the same time. College life, especially at IIT Delhi has a lot to offer and try to make the best of it.

  • Besides academics, in which all activities were you involved in during your time at IIT?

  • In my first and second year, I played volleyball for my hostel in the inter hostel general championships. I used to play a bit of cricket, badminton and table tennis with my hostel friends. Especially in the last semester before the pandemic took over, we used to play daily for about 3-4 hours. We did not have many courses then, so we used to have a lot of free time in the final semester.

  • What are some of the most memorable courses you took in IIT Delhi?

  • Though all the courses had to offer something of its own, one course that I would never be able to forget is MCL142. This is because of the effort I had to put in this course. The course was pretty loaded with lots and lots of quizzes. I did not find the course very interesting, but the amount of hard work that we had to put in in this course would be something that I will never forget.

  • What projects/interns did you do during IIT? Any favourite research stream?

  • I did not do any project/ DISA after my first year. In my second year (4th semester), I took a course COP315- Embedded System design project, in which we had to do a project in the course. I continued working on the project in the summers between my 2nd and 3rd year, even after the completion of the course . I also took up another project in the summers of my second year under Professor Arun Kumar in Centre for Applied Research in Electronics(CARE, IIT Delhi). It was based on developing a solution on Raspberry Pi. I also did another project course COP290 under Prof Rijurekha Sen in my 6th semester.

  • Have you found your passion? Many people face a dilemma over “what is that they would love to do in life”. How did your time at IIT help you realise your future goals and what is it that you want to do in life?

  • I loved coding, and I started doing LeetCode and Interview Bit towards the end of the second year for internships. I did my internship in finance at World Quant. Though I liked what I did there, I wanted to explore some technical side as well because I liked doing core software work. I had the clarity that I don't want to go for consulting or management kind of jobs.

  • If you could go back in time, what is it that you would like to change (regrets)?

  • I can say that I regret not being a part of the cultural clubs of IITD like BRCA or BSP. However, I was convinced that these clubs require a lot of effort which I didn't want to put in. Still, being a part of Rendezvous or Tryst can give you life skills.

  • Did you use any goal-setting strategy or time management strategy which can be beneficial in crafting a career that we want to?

  • 7th semester was a bit of a tough nut for me as I had gone for foreign exchange in my 5th semester, so I had to complete my core courses in this semester. And also, it was the job semester. But, as things went on, I was able to cope with them. What I would like to say is that if you’re persistent and honestly put in your efforts, you’ll be able to tackle any challenge that your IIT life throws at you. Also, I’d like to add that it’s not like that if you go for a foreign exchange things would become unmanageable once you come back. It’s definitely manageable, and in my opinion, if you get an opportunity to do a foreign exchange, you should certainly take it as it teaches you a lot more life lessons that your regular semester in IIT does.

  • Which are some of your favourite food joints/ food items in or near IIT Delhi where you used to go a lot?

  • I liked momos from the stall in front of IIT and used to go there a lot with my friends. Also, the Aloo parathas of Satpura night mess were very delicious, and I would certainly remember them down the years.

  • You spent 4 years at IIT. If you had to pick the best day in these 4 years, which one would it be?

  • My best day at IIT was the one in my first year when I had gone to a restaurant and after that our group went to Sanjay Van, and we returned late in the night. But this was not yet over. After this, I went to India Gate cycling with my other group of friends. And I could sleep only the next day, but it was all worth it. That is my most memorable day at IIT.

  • Congratulations on being placed at Microsoft, Hyderabad! How have things changed around you since your graduation?

  • Thanks! I currently work from home, so I couldn't experience Hyderabad's culture, but talking about the inner work culture, it is completely different here. It is indeed meant to be from a professional point of view. Now, I can't procrastinate things until the weekend like you do in college, but there is still no overload as people here are quite benevolent.

  • You must be missing your college friends now. Are you lucky enough to meet any of them also placed there?

  • In fact, around 20 college mates have been placed here, but they work in divergent segments. In offline mode too being even in the same building, one doesn't get to interact much as all work apart in their respective fields. People here are amiable so it's not difficult to accommodate in a new environment, but yeah, it's always better to have acquaintances around you.

  • From a mere volunteer in the first year to becoming its general secretary in the last year, how was your experience of NSS in these four years?

  • In the beginning, I used to work more at the ground level. I was so deeply involved in social services that I ended up with around 200 hours at the end of my first year. Later my work shifted more towards the administrative end like managing teams and organizing events. Either way, my journey in NSS has surely been memorable.

  • You were also an EES executive in your second year. What other positions you held in these four years and didn't they affect your academics?

  • Being an EES executive, I learned a lot from my department seniors and due to which I'm in contact with ten years older alumni even today. Apart from being involved in the NSS, I also mentored in my third year. These all didn't affect my academics much; instead I learned to manage time and things better than before.

  • Did you ever feel low over the span of four years here? If so, how did you manage to cope up with that?

  • Frankly, I didn't feel such during these wonderful years of my life mostly because of the kind and tender people around me. Everyone experiences the ups and downs in academics, and so did I. I once got a zero in a subject but these little things don't last long. We need to keep stepping ahead. I could luckily manage several extracurricular activities alongside excellent academics. Overall, my journey has quite been smooth.

  • You'd attended DAV School in IITKGP campus. Have you ever visited the other IITs too? If yes, how different was your experience as compared to here?

  • My school was indeed within the campus of IITKGP but I really didn't care much about it during my school life. Theirs is a huge campus, mostly empty space though, but I still find our campus a lot better. Talking about the other IITs, I got a chance to visit IITM at the end of my first semester. Being a member of the Robotics Club, we designed a robot from scratch for which we used electrical and mechanical labs during the vacation. As a team of four, we competed and fortunately, bagged the first prize home :p

  • What projects did you take up and how hard was it for you to get it?

  • To have a project in hand, you should know which professors are giving projects in the field you want to have. In the beginning, they generally give something to study and analyze. I myself have done projects in various branches of Electrical Engineering. I remember a particular one when I badly wanted to do something on drones, and luckily, I found a professor who was working with drones. I got to grab the project. The results were not very convincing but I got to learn a lot. In online mode, I would suggest you do various assignments as projects to keep your learning at pace.

  • Could you share your Intern experience? How difficult was it for you to get that? What would you suggest to your juniors regarding that?

  • I decided not to go for a research internship as I would have to invest significant time in mailing the professors. During the first day of the intern season, I got shortlisted for five companies but couldn't get any. The next day, I got selected in Texas Instruments, Bangalore, which luckily was my first preference for the day. I had previously done a whole semester project on embedded systems and had a digital system profile that got me selected. My internship was of 2 months of which around the first 3.5 weeks were for studying and then I was involved in some abstract and design work. I couldn't achieve much but the experience was quite convincing, got to know how the electrical industries work closely

  • So you interned at TI, a core company but you're now placed at a tech one. How did this change occur?

  • Haha. I am placed in a technical company but my work revolves around the software and hardware both. I have always loved electrical engineering and so I interned in the core itself. Now I'm satisfied as I get to work on something that involves the electrical stuff too.

  • You're from Ranchi; people there admire MSD and fight for a cricket career. Was there a hobby of yours too that you wanted to pursue but you eventually couldn't?

  • I didn't have such a hobby in which I have thought of pursuing later. I have always been quite inclined towards academics and after coming to IITD, I started to love it more. I have also regularly been involved in extracurricular activities and so I desired to participate in dance and drama clubs which I couldn't. Sometimes you have to let such little things go due to several other commitments.

  • Is there something you would not want your juniors to repeat during their college life? Some fundae?

  • Above all, a good CGPA is a must. That is necessary but not sufficient; try to have a well-balanced life here. Do explore and involve in extracurricular activities like cultural clubs and sports. You'll get to interact with people outside IIT and that'll surely develop your social skills. The more diverse is your experience, the better is your personality.

  • How exciting did you find Electrical Engineering? Is there any department specific advice for your juniors?

  • Ever since I came to IIT and gained electrical engineering exposure, I've really loved it. I like to work with electrical equipment and the best way to learn is by working on small projects. Since I was left with only three credits in my last semester, I served as a TA for ELL100. Having an amazing experience there, I even remember the technicalities of the experiments today too. One crucial advice you should take away with you is 'The more you assume EE tough, the tougher it gets' . Enjoy electrical engineering and you'll be loving it.

  • If you had a time machine, which one memory in your life you'd want to relive?

  • It's really difficult for me to choose one but I really wanna relive the moment which, for most of the junta, remains only on paper . Yeah, we went on a trip to Goa just two weeks before Corona came to India. That was one hell of a moment and luckily, we came back two days before our college shut down. Another one is POLTU, which is something I really like. In my first year itself, there were some rumors so, people started approaching me and gradually I started to love the interaction I was having with the people from various hostels.

  • What is the thing you love about IIT?

  • The people, from different backgrounds, peers and professors, the lively feeling of campus and independence, and the beautiful and warm atmosphere.

  • Did you have phases when you felt down? How did you make a comeback?

  • I came to IIT with a lot of expectations, and a sense of achievement, having been among the toppers in my region. However, then I realised that in IIT, everyone is a topper and some people perform better than me in courses as well as ECAs. So, I started to feel tense, which led me to miss out on the fun and ECAs in my first year. I used to maintain a routine, sleeping early, and I was scared of a few courses like PYP. At the end of the first year, I didn’t perform to my satisfaction, and my friends had high CGPA and did well in ECAs and events. Several seniors told me that my CG would only go down in the coming years, for that is the trend in EE dept. However, I decided that I would give my best and not worry about the results. Also, I was lucky enough to have some good friends who kept motivating me throughout. Thus, I worked hard without thinking about the results and managed to continuously improve my CGPA from 7.8 in 1st year to 8.88 finally.

  • What shift in strategy did you make for a good result?

  • I think regularity is a good starting point. Being regular in class and clearing doubts are the best ways to tackle a course. In the first year, I used to study in my way, without taking note of the course policy and implicit criteria set by the professors. Then I began to realise what the professors were aiming at and the hints they dropped on scoring well. I also used to look at the previous years’ question papers which gave me an idea of the exams. This not only gave me practice but also made me more confident. Besides that, your attitude during the exam makes a huge difference. That way, I was able to maximise my score.

  • How did the IIT journey impact you? Who came in and who came out?

  • When I came to Delhi, I was quite timid, introverted and shy. The journey of IIT has completely transformed me. Initially, I focused on academics only and did not interact much with batchmates, nor participate in ECAs in fear that it would affect my grades. The four years in IIT taught a plethora of things, and through experience, I came out of my comfort zone, became explorative and grew more confident, independent and ready to deal with ups and downs of life.

  • What ECAs did you participate in?

  • I have participated in events of the literary club, performed in the group dance competition once, became Hindi Samiti Representative of the hostel, was part of various NSS activities and a BSW Mentor.

  • Why did you choose Electrical Engineering, and how did you find the branch?

  • My parents wanted me to take up a stream that has a scope of a government job, and I was fascinated by electrical circuits in my school days. I used to help my father in setting up the fairy lights during Diwali. So, electrical engineering came as a natural choice although I had little idea what I wanted to do in future. Throughout my college life, I enjoyed studying EE, maybe for I didn’t start with any expectations, and thus I derived the maximum out of every course.

  • What projects did you do in IIT?

  • I did my first formal project at the end of the second year under the label of SURA in the field of Free Space Communications. Although this project wasn’t very successful, it gave me first-hand experience of research and taught me a lot. It became clear to me that doing a project is very different from studying theoretical courses, and is the best way to explore an area. I enjoyed doing the power engineering course in 6th sem and subsequently did my BTP in Power Systems in the 7th semester. At the mid of 8th semester, I got a PhD admission. Following my interest in power systems, I did two more mini projects in the 8th semester in the same field to develop a base for future research.

  • When did you have clarity about the future: job or research?

  • After my internship at AB Inbev, it became clear to me that I do not fit in the corporate world. In my internship, I had to implement the stuff I learnt in college mostly, but I didn’t learn or create something entirely new. The profile did not interest me to the level of pursuing it as a career option. I enjoyed doing my curriculum at IITD and developed the desire to become a good professor like the ones who taught me and inspired me. I felt being in academia will not only help me to continuously learn in my field but also to pay back to society by encouraging more people to be part of academia. Thus I decided to opt for a PhD. Now, I am an incoming PhD student at North Carolina State University, USA starting from Spring, 2021.

  • How was your ForEx experience?

  • I managed to get into a Forex program at IMT Atlantique, France, for my 5th semester. It was the first time I boarded a flight in my life and that too for international travel. It was a thoroughly thrilling and delightful experience, staying in France on my own and travelling solo on various occasions across Europe. I found travelling in Europe was relatively easy and safe. The academics in my exchange university were not as rigorous and in-depth as compared to IIT. We often don’t appreciate the efforts professors put in to teach us in IIT, for professors there would just touch on the topics, and the rest was to be done by students. Coming back to IIT, I had equally adventurous experience in my 7th sem to complete the credits missed. I had many core courses, labs, along with a Btech project while preparing for PhD applications and Job at the same time. But, I had some amazing forex peers to accompany me to classes and labs, which made it equally fun.

  • How was your experience in IITD as a girl? How is gender sensitivity on campus?

  • Being a girl has always been challenging, for a girl has to face an extra set of challenges unrelated to the task she aims to do, at every step. There were only 80 girls in my batch out of 800 students. The skewed gender ratio makes it difficult to form a study group inside the hostel. Also, in class on a few occasions, it was difficult to talk to boys even about academics because, immediately, it became a gossip among everyone. There have been times when my male colleagues have unintentionally made insensitive remarks like, “Girls refrain from doing challenging tasks in labs” or “They are favoured by instructors” or “ Girls get good marks in the lab because the professor only asks them how to cook”. A woman's achievement often gets downplayed by most men. Nonetheless, there are many people and initiatives on campus that promote equality and respect for both genders. Much gender sensitivity still needs to be incorporated in the campus community, and the initiative has to be from everyone.