The First Few Days

The predominant feeling after getting into IITK Ph.D. was of relief. I was finally out of the unemployment trap. The scholarship was small, but it felt like kings ransom at that point of time and it was a great feeling that I would not be taking money from my parents anymore.

I think for one year at least I remained in awe of that place, frequently I would think, “Wow, this is IIT Kanpur!” It is another matter that the feeling later changed to, “Oh God Is this all to IIT Kanpur? But after working at other “academic” institutions, once again I feel, well, there is a lot to the IIT system.

Two things you learn very fast at this place. One is the presence of the swear words, feels better if I say gali, in Hindi and of the worst kind that keep flying in the normal conversations among guys, and I feel part of it to show off or shock if a girl is passing by.

Two, there are very few girls on the campus (must be changing slowly?) and you constantly have a feeling of being watched, and you have to learn to live with it. I later developed a philosophy that even if I do nothing, people will discuss my behavior, so why not go ahead and do whatever I please?

Three, that post graduate students are the lesser mortals and the under graduate students Einstein.