From dream to reality: 9 things an IIT aspirant must go through

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) remain the ultimate mecca for science students around the country. The competition to walk through their hallowed halls is cutthroat and students preparing for their IIT-JEE know the kind of mammoth obstacles they must navigate through to make it.

Here are some of the things that give IIT aspirants sleepless nights.

Competition

Aspirants know that to get to these prestigious institutes, they have to stave off competition. And the final results have the kind of nail-biting finish that would give many a third umpire sleepless nights!

Pressure

If a thousand pretenders to what you ‘know’ is rightfully your throne are not enough, parents and relatives pile on the pressure like only they can just before that crucial exam. You cringe every time you hear them tell that gossipy neighbor:  ‘My child is preparing for the IIT!’ Visions of mockery in the light of failure loom large before all those equations that suddenly refuse to enter your head.

Prioritizing and planning

You, like every other aspirant out there, feel you belong in one of the country’s top 5 IIT institutes. This leads to some heavy-duty strategic planning and prioritization. Everything from your choice of books, coaching classes, learning techniques and problem-solving techniques are all crucial as you execute your master plan.

Group learning

So you like studying with friends. Yes, it is fun and a lot of IIT students have recommended this highly as long as  it doesn’t compromise your focus. In fact, group studies have assisted IIT aspirants in revision of key points and angles they never explored. And let’s face it, you get to suss out the competition. Are they worthy?

T minus 1 to test day

So, this day you have been waiting for most of your student life is palpably close. The last 10-15 days are crucial. It’s imperative to get some rest along with all those mock tests you are doing to stay on top of things. We know you are on tenterhooks, but it’s a calm head that holds steady above the competition.

Percentage/Percentile

So, the test is done and you are awaiting the results. If you thought the stress was over, you could not be more wrong. The fact is, no one knows the magic number that you have to cross to get in. So many have missed the mark by a whisker. And all you can do is wait and hope that your best was enough!

Decisions, decisions

As an IIT aspirant, you know it isn’t over after the exam. What lies ahead is a gruelling schedule of counselling and information gathering on the courses available for you. Which of the IITs is your stepping stone to your dream job? The game is on…

And then there is failure

And while many will be celebrating, there will be heartbreak in many homes across the country. While some know that failure is just as likely as success, when it finally comes, that offers small comfort when failure finally comes.  Perhaps it is time to reassess your plans.  Did you do the test just because everyone else was doing it or was IIT your dream?

When all is said and done

So your dream is to be an engineer and IIT was your dream, but it was not to be. That does not mean giving up on your dream — just your destination.

Just because you attended another institute does not mean you are doomed to failure.

Ask a certain Sabeer Bhatia of BITS Pilani who went on to sell his company to Microsoft for $400 million in 1997. You may even hire some of the lucky few who made it to the IITs.