The IIT Disenchantment
This month we bring to you a taste of what several students have been missing- the initial year of their college life- and invoke nostalgia to those with the days far behind.
Engineering does not seem to be about the passion or the drive of the student anymore. This is the opening statement of the documentary Alma Matters- Inside the IIT Dream. A stark statistic, highlighting an acceptance rate of ONE PERCENT, out of the twenty-odd lakh people who give the exams each year, flashes on the screen, with a backdrop of the students of IIT lamenting that they still cannot do what they want to.
This strikes a chord in me, for I was in the same place, for two years, toiling away in preparation for the mammoth JEE exam, with almost no social life. Constantly questioning my intelligence and capabilities, I cannot help but call them the worst two years of my life- and what a waste!
Episode 01- Chapter 01
The camera focuses on the gates of IIT Kharagpur for a few more seconds than necessary, and immediately I think how unimpressive they are. The gates are open, allowing a steady stream of traffic in and out, thus emitting an aura of accessibility, but ask any JEE aspirant, and they will tell you how utterly inaccessible those same gates are.
Placed far from the city, the students live for the duration of their course in a 2000+ acre campus, lush with greenery. But that is where the camera decides to no longer focus on what is beautiful. With a gurukul form of environment still employed, the students are confined to this space, and though it seems like a sprawling distance, in their minds it is moving to one jail from another.
The opening testimonies from students all share the same tone: that
- They chose IIT for the brand, despite not getting into the course they aspired to get into, and
- They do not like what was given to them based on their rank and are unsatisfied with how the system is.
The selection is allotting departments in a randomized process, for loss of one mark in the entrance can push a candidate 2000+ rank below. Nobody has to even give an SOP, or have any relation to what they want to pursue, because, let's face it, there are several more who would almost do anything to even have been given a call to join the prestigious institute.
And to get such ranks, students are put in literal hellholes. Coaching institutes might as well be called a human factory, and a moment’s respite might mean the difference between being offered a seat and failure.
Episode 01- Chapter 02
Slowly, like the coaching centers, the IITs are also becoming human factories, with the number of freshers inflating from 3,000 per year to a whopping 12,000. And the student-teacher ratio, inevitably going from 1:7 to 1:250. It is as though the whole existence of the student does not matter, he can go unnoticed, blending into a huge crowd, and I cannot help but acutely feel a loss of identity.
When asked about this to a professor, he spreads his hands, saying it is not something they can do anything about. Yearly rates of students going “astray” is more rampant than ever. He says they lack interest and passion in their studies. For people, out of a living hell, doing courses they never wanted to, this seems like an understandable series of events.
The students claim not to understand anything going on in class, and inevitably begin rote-learning. Obviously, those who memorize best and can reproduce content seem to score the highest CGPAs.
Episode 01- Chapter 03
Here comes the question of discovery of identity. Usually, an individual explores and learns his areas of interest during the first few years of college. And these students seem to have found it in inter-hall events. The hostel hall they live in becomes an integral part of their identity.
The competitions are heated, and an impressive amount of effort is put in, ranging from drama and music to quizzes. The winning hall’s position is craved, and the trophies are often very marginally won.
The post of Vice President for Gymkhana is obviously a coveted one, for the committee is responsible for the conduction of these inter-hall events. Hence, their campaigning is nothing short of a political campaign.
Episode 01- Chapter 04
All of these candidates, though, are male. So far, the condition of student life had been highlighted, but now it shifts to a social commentary on sexism. With one girl per nine boys on campus, the gender rift is evident.
There has never been even a single rumor that suggested a girl might be standing for the elections for Gymkhana, with an exception of ONE, in the 2017 batch, who stood and won the post of sports secretary. ONE in the 69- year history of the institution. The campus is predominantly male-dominated, and it reflects on various aspects of their college life.
There is a strong sense of entitlement among the males. It is ironic that even though these students are considered the “cream” of the nation, the most intelligent, they still conform and actively propagate sexism. There is a fear of them, as pioneers, not influencing society for the better, but being influenced by the society in the worst way possible.
The episode ends with the scene of a hall winning the trophy- but there is much to be debated: can this paltry win be of any consequence while all else is so backward?
End of EP01 and Takeaway Thoughts
It is hard to cope up with failures, and not getting into an IIT after two ardent years of preparation is shattering. And till now there seems to be a small part of me that yearns, that wonders what sort of life I might have had lest I had actually gotten into one.
Alma Matters was such an eye-opener: highlighting the harsh realities of a life much idolized. Maybe it was a way to appease my “What if” thoughts, maybe it was to show me how much better off I am, doing what I please, but overall, just watching the first episode of the series has changed my outlook drastically.
I believe that whatever happens, happens for a reason, and this not only applies to those students within the IIT campus, but also you, reading. Sometimes, closed doors remain closed, but also instead open another altogether. Judging what pace your life has to go at, looking at those around you, helps none, and I hope that you attain self-acceptance.
About the Author: Supraja is just a first-year college student trying to maintain a semblance of sanity by writing: Mostly poems and occasionally stories to intrigue. You can find her on various social media sites under the pseudonym @_kairosclere_ (Youtube, Instagram, Hello Poetry, Blog).
