From Lucknow to the hills: IIT Mandi BTech student's story of curiosity, campus life, and confidence

Indian Express

a day ago

— Aryan Singh
I have always been fascinated by how things work, and during my school years at City Montessori School, Aliganj, Uttar Pradesh, that curiosity slowly morphed into a deep love for Physics. It was this interest that nudged me towards preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Cracking JEE had been on my goal list for a while, due to all of the amazing things it could lead me to in engineering and research. I appeared for JEE Main twice. The first time was alongside my Class 12 board exams, in which I qualified. However, I was still not satisfied with my marks and wanted to improve, so I gave it another try the next year.
The preparation was definitely challenging. The sudden jump in difficulty from school-level to JEE-level concepts was tough to cope with initially. Also, I personally struggled with chemistry, which made things harder. But consistent effort and staying motivated helped me get through it. Physics fascinated me the most during my JEE preparation as well. That love for the subject naturally guided me to choose Engineering Physics at IIT Mandi.
I am doing BTech in Engineering Physics at the School of Physical Sciences in IIT Mandi now. I'm in the fourth year of the course. I joined IIT Mandi in 2022. It was the first time I moved away from my hometown, Lucknow, but the transition was harder for my family. At IIT Mandi, all first-year students share rooms, so you're never truly alone. It's a very supportive environment.
My daily routine is quite simple. I wake up, have breakfast, attend lectures and labs, and in the evening, I usually hang out with friends or take walks around the campus. As for hobbies, I enjoy watching anime and sitcoms during my free time. We mostly hang out at the campus canteen. Given the amazing weather in Mandi, having tea or coffee with friends is always a great idea.
During my first year, I explored many clubs and took part in a range of activities from microcontroller workshops to art and design sessions. One memorable experience was participating in Utkarsh, our intra-college tech competition. I stayed up all night to build a line-following robot. It may sound basic now, but back then, it gave me a real sense of accomplishment. The academic pressure is manageable if you follow lectures and complete assignments on time. Beyond academics, IIT Mandi has helped me grow in confidence and has instilled in me a positive approach to tackling challenges.
One major lesson I have learned here is that you can learn anything. The environment here constantly encourages self-learning and experimentation. I participated in the University Rover Challenge (URC), an international competition for undergraduates. We built a Mars Rover as part of the challenge. The entire project was funded by the institute, and it was an incredible hands-on learning experience. It feels amazing to be able to say, 'I helped build a Mars Rover.'
The professors here are extremely knowledgeable and approachable. Many of them are open to casual discussions outside the classroom. One great thing about IIT Mandi is the smaller batch sizes, which makes it easier to connect with the faculty. I've had meaningful academic conversations with many of my professors beyond the classroom setting.
Another very important part of my IIT Mandi life is the students' gymkhana. I have been mostly involved with the SnTC (Science and Technical Council) of IIT Mandi. Also, the culture is such that learning is promoted – it doesn't matter if you have prior experience or not. I never thought that a student-led body could make a car or a Mars rover. Being a part of these activities has helped me a lot to meet seniors and learn from them.
Life at IIT Mandi is calm and peaceful. The institute is located in the mountains, so unlike urban campuses, we don't have a bustling city atmosphere. However, we enjoy clean air, beautiful weather throughout the year, and a very tight-knit campus community, which is rare in most cities. Locals all over Himachal are friendly and loving. One very interesting experience was when I was roaming around with my friends and suddenly Director Sir appeared. Well, you don't expect to see the institute's director roaming around on campus, but at IIT Mandi it's quite common. He is also interested in interacting with students.
I mostly manage my expenses with financial support from home. Occasionally, I earn a little extra by working as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for some courses.
As a child, I never had any issues with academics or sports activities, although I had a major injury during one of my football matches, after which I stopped playing.
I expect to continue in interdisciplinary research, although I am not sure in exactly which field – I am hoping to figure that out in my last year at IIT.
Mridusmita Deka covers education and has worked with the Careers360 previously. She is an alumnus of Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University. ... Read More