My SIH’23 Journey
The journey began when I returned from Mumbai after completing my internship, marking my first solo experience in a new city. Little did I know that life had more challenges in store for me.
In August, the SIH registrations were announced, and I knew I couldn’t miss this opportunity. Anticipating a busy 2024 with job placements, I recognised this as my sole opportunity. Assembling a capable team amid some chaos, we delved into the hard work ahead.
Our initial task was to identify a feasible problem statement with significant scope. Categorizing them into three segments—technically feasible, innovative, and conceptual—I meticulously planned our approach. Selecting a problem statement (PS) proved to be a time-consuming endeavour. We engaged in a thorough process, presenting our individual ideas to the team. In a collective effort, we meticulously scrutinized each proposal, aiming to identify any potential flaws. The goal was to ensure that the finalized idea stood out as the best among the options available.
Following that, the internal hackathon took centre stage. Devoting just over a week to the task, we crafted a basic prototype for the judges, complemented by a comprehensive presentation. Delighted with our performance, we received highly positive feedback from the judges, securing the second position in our college’s internal hackathon.
So, after our internal hackathon success, we went all in and crafted a working prototype in about three weeks. We spent a solid two hours daily on Google Meet grinding it out. Feeling pretty pumped, we submitted our idea to the portal, complete with a demo video, thinking it’d be our secret weapon. But then, YouTube dropped a bomb on us—they took down our demo video, citing some community guidelines violations. I was like, “Whaaaat?! It’s just a demo of a software prototype, seriously?” Anyway, there was no time to figure out the YouTube mystery; we had to hustle and find a quick fix. Talk about unexpected twists!
So, we’re in a tight spot with YouTube taking down our demo video. We talked to our mentor, sent messages to everyone, and even tweeted, tagging YouTube for support—no luck. Same with the SIH officials; their replies were as rare as a blue moon. That’s when our SPOC, Dibakar Sir, suggested applying to the Open Innovation Scheme on the portal. We jumped on that suggestion and then played the waiting game.
Man, that waiting period was pure torture. Every day brought news of SIH dates changing, adding to the chaos. And to top it off, the final dates were crashing head-on with our end-semester exams. Talk about a double whammy. We were stuck in a dilemma—even if we got selected, we’d have to pick one: finals or SIH. I figured we’d cross that bridge when we got to it. These SIH dates seemed like they were planned in a hurry, adding a whole new layer of stress to the mix. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions!
On November 30th, during our SDP end-semester exam, the first batch of results dropped. I must’ve scanned through them a hundred times, but no sign of our team’s name. Cue the heartbreak and disappointment. As the team leader, I felt like I let everyone down. Facing my team the next day was daunting. When I broke the news to them, though, they were unbelievably supportive. They reassured me, reminding us that more result batches were on the way and not to lose hope.
Then, on December 2nd, at 01:14 am, a notification lit up our college WhatsApp group, congratulating us for making the cut. With end-sems looming on December 4th, I rushed to the website. Team Geek6 had secured a spot. I couldn’t contain my excitement, so I called up the team, and we all shared a moment of pure joy. We were in for the Open Innovation Track for AICTE!
We were deep in endgame mode. Even during our end-of-semester madness, we dedicated two hours daily to refine our prototype and fine-tune our solution. It felt like smooth sailing, right? Nope. The finals clashed with our end-semester, and with just two weeks left, no tickets were in sight. Like crazy people, we booked every possible journey, thinking we could cancel the extras if one came through. But, alas, none were confirmed.
SIH itself turned into a daily challenge. New forms bombarded us regularly, demanding a quick turnaround of 1 or 2 days for signatures and all. We expressed our concerns to the college, and, thank the stars, they swooped in to save the day. Subhabrata Sir , our SPOC, had a chat with the college to arrange flight tickets. Sanghamitra Ma’am and Debika Ma’am even pushed back the exams for us. So, we’d tackle those after SIH.
I was stoked about the thesis but also a tad worried—the expectations were sky-high. Exams done, bags packed, we landed at Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology for the Grand Finale in Hyderabad. 📍
The clock started ticking after those intense 36 hours. The first evaluation round, though? Total chaos. Our entire idea got axed. The judges weren’t holding back—they criticized it and called it too horizontal, touching on many problems but not fully solving any. Cue another round of heartbreak. Four months of hard work went down the drain in an instant. Ouch.
But hey, we knew what had to be done. Back to square one. We dove into a deep analysis of the problems we were tackling, pinpointed the gnarliest one, figured out what was holding it back, and brainstormed a solution.
Next evaluation round? Nailed it. We gave the judges exactly what they wanted, and we bounced back stronger. After the last round, the suspense was killer. We all waited on edge for the results. Then, the big moment arrived: "The Winner: Team Geek6.” That announcement? Forever etched in my heart. Cue a collective sigh of relief and an avalanche of congratulatory messages. Our hard work had finally paid off. 🏆
After the triumph, we indulged in some Hyderabadi Biryani that night, but between you and me, Kolkata Biryani still takes the crown. 🍛
The train ride home was a blast, packed with laughter and games. I can’t even imagine how it would’ve gone down if we had lost. Would all this effort have gone unnoticed by the world? To them, we’d just be a team that did nothing and lost. SIH 2023, though, is a treasure trove of learning for me. It’s etched in my memory, and I’ll carry those experiences forever. ✨
Anyway, 3 exams left... better go study for those! 🥲
