I Was Invited to Speak at the University I Dropped Out Of

My full circle moment when I spoke on alternate careers at the IIT Guwahati Alumni Conclave 2025.

The author pictured at the IIT Guwahati campus (Image from Anangsha’s Instagram)

I dropped out of IIT Guwahati in 2021.

I was a PhD scholar, working on building safer houses on hill slopes in earthquake-prone areas.

My research had impact. More so because my hometown is nestled in the hills, and it’s one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the country. I dreamed of making a difference, of touching lives. Every day, I’d wake up and go to the lab, excited to see how my models had fared.

But then, the pandemic hit, and everything was shut down. From experimental, my PhD thesis was converted to simulation-based. Unable to visit the institute often, I tried to install the expensive simulation software on my personal laptop. I even borrowed a desktop computer for academic use, but to no avail.

The software had multiple glitches. I wasn’t able to figure out how to use it all by myself. The results I got were inconsistent and made no sense.

Time was ticking by, and I made no progress. The frustration was at an all-time high.

This was also the time when I was making good money from my writing. I discovered the Medium…