Experience at IISc in one sentence

The best you will have in your lifetime.

Expectation Vs Reality:

1. People studying there will be geeks: But the reality is just the other way around. People there are no doubt good in studies but they are equally good in having fun in different activities.
2. The study life will be very difficult: But the reality is that you will have good support of peers, and it will not feel very difficult (but still it will be difficult).
3. Competition among peers: At IISc you don’t compete with each other, rather you grow together.
4. Exams will be serious: Not at all, Your prof will ask the class when do you want to give exams. And even if you get ill, you can take permission of your prof to give exam later in his cabin.
5. Will not find Hardcore Gamers: You will find hard core gamers in your labs. Research in day time and DOTA during night. This was the routine.
6. No time for Cultural Festivals: People from all around India make sure that all the festivals are celebrated with the same vigor and enthusiasm.
7. Hostels will be bad: But they are nice, and food is also respectable as compared to other institutes.
8. After classes you will go to hostel: But after classes you go to your lab and remain there till midnight or late. Even sometimes sleep in lab.
9. Hostel will be fun: But in reality, labs are fun. Maximum time of students goes in labs. Hostels are only to sleep.
10. Life will be boring: But the life is way to exciting and beautiful inside the campus.

To summarize, IISc is a different world. A world of dreams.

Picture Credits: CSA 2011–2013, IISc

-Nikhil Panwar

IISC or IITB?

I will have a totally different perspective in answering this question.

First of all both the institutes are the top notch institutes of India. And if you talk about quality of education, placements, package etc., then both of them are more or less equal.

The real difference which is there is the culture. One of my professors used to tell us that you are not here just to gather the knowledge, it can be gained from the books, online lectures etc. Rather you are here to learn other important life skills, and learn from your peers. Academics is just a path towards your social development at this institute.

Taking forward from the statement of my professor, I will tell my own analysis about both the institutes.

If you are talking about the Bachelors course, then IIT Bombay is a better choice because IISc is still developing its UG course which is considered to be a new feather in its hat (9 years to be precise) as per IISc standards.

But if you are talking about M. Tech or PhD course. IISc will always win hands down. I am not making this statement out of thin air or just because I am from IISc. Let me explain this to you.

The importance of the degree within the institute is the first parameter on which the institute has to be judged for a particular degree.

There is no doubt that UG students of IIT Bombay have cracked a tougher exam than the PG students. It normally gives them a sense of superiority. Even the professors know this reality and they also act accordingly.

Now, it will not be wrong to mention that in IIT Bombay the most valued course is B.Tech. M.Tech people there have to fight for their existence. Also, UG students outnumber PG students by a huge margin. In IIT Bombay, M.Tech people are nick named as “Matka”. It clearly shows the sense of superiority among the UG students.

Now lets get straight to the point that how IISc wins hands down over IIT Bombay:

Each department at IISc has limited number of PG and PhD students. No UG students at all. IISc admits only one batch of UG (60 nos) students every year and they have completely separate department and building for them. That means UG and PG don’t share any resources.

PG and PhD students are more in number than the UG students at IISc. Hence, unlike IITB, PG people are the king of the institute.

Talking about the student-professor ratio. In IISc it is around 7–8 students per professor. which is around 25–30 in IIT Bombay. Hence, in the most important resource for any institute i.e. Professors, IISc is a clear winner.

Talking about the lifestyle. IISc doesn’t restrict its students in any way. Dining halls are common for both men and women. Women entry is allowed inside the boys hostels. There is no late night entry restrictions in women hostels. The freedom you get at this institute is incomparable. Whereas in IITB, PG students will also be treated like kids coming out of school.

Every department has a huge building infrastructure. M. Tech students get a desk for themselves with a desktop PC, just like you get in a corporate MNC. Even all the PG students spend most of their time in their department labs. We used to go to our hostel rooms, only to sleep. This kind of luxury life, you may not get in IIT Bombay.

I have a lot of other things to say as well, but cutting short to conclusion, if you want to spend your 2 years in PG living like a king then you should definitely join IISc. And it is confirmed that you will be second to UG in IIT Bombay. But you will be second to none at IISc Bangalore.

Last but not the least, the best thing you get at IISc is the peace of life. If you are a peace and nature lover, then definitely IISc is a better place to be at.

PS: Since you are making a life decision. I really advice you to visit both the places before taking any decision. And I hope you will yourself get your answer.

--Nikhil Panwar

Does not cracking the IITJEE make me smaller than those who actually did it?

Does not cracking the IITJEE make me smaller than those who actually did it?

There are a lot of occasions in life where you can feel absolutely worthless.

1. You cracked JEE and joined the best IIT but got 5–6 CGPA.
2. You managed 9+ CGPA but didn’t get a high paying job.
3. You got a high paying job but the work is absolutely boring.
4. You got challenging work but the manager is a tyrant.
5. You got a great manager but the company is laying off.
6. You escaped the layoff but you are unable to find a partner.
7. You found a partner but they can’t stop comparing you with their ex.
8. You found a partner without ex but they don’t love you for what you are.
9. You found a loving partner but have a hard time conceiving.
10. You have a child but they are not healthy.
11. You have a healthy child but they won’t listen to you.
12. You have a lovely, obedient child but you get laid off.
13. You escaped layoff again but your child couldn’t crack JEE.

Life is a giant cycle of ups and downs. The lows teach you humility. The highs teach you thankfulness.

Can my future be brighter than those IITians?

My mother isn’t very educated. She has been a house wife throughout. She managed the limited household budget very well. She nurtured and took care of her children to the best of her abilities. She monitored them during their teenage. As a result, she produced 3 (three) IITians. I think she is more successful today than all 3 of us IITians put together.

Be THAT parent if you want to beat IITians. You will literally become the “mother/father of IITians” :-)

For now, love, respect and obey your parents who have been there for you all along. Their prayers and blessings can take you far far higher than what you and I can imagine.

-Imtiaz Mohammad

Changing the World

Lock in Brain

While clearing JEE is definitely not a clear sign of success in life................

 When I had started my JEE preparation, there were a few students who used to perform exceptionally well in the mock tests. By the time of actual JEE, the set of high performing students had completely changed. Those two years of JEE studies were enough to prove that you don’t need to be a high performer from the beginning to succeed in life. JEE preparation taught me that life is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to consistently work hard to finally succeed in life.

There were times in those two years when I had been extremely frustrated, either because of the increasing stress or because of the difficulty in managing multiple things together. Many of my friends decided to quit in between. JEE preparation taught me to believe in myself and never quit in between. Everything will eventually sort itself out.

JEE preparation is the time when there are multiple distractions in life. The school life is about to end, and there are farewell parties. It is also the time when you start becoming mature enough to go out for movies or outings with friends. It is not easy to say no to such distractions, but JEE preparation taught me to always keep my goal in mind, and never get distracted from my ambitions.

While my teachers and mentors had helped me a lot by explaining the concepts to me, most of my JEE preparation had been through self-study. I had coaching classes only once a week for three hours. The rest of the week was spent on self-study. JEE preparation taught me that while there might be mentors to guide you in life, you have to completely own your goals. You, and you alone, are finally responsible for your performance.

The JEE preparation time was extremely stressful. However, I found a medium to release my stress through badminton. I used to play for a couple of hours every evening, and that helped me relax my mind. JEE preparation taught me that however busy you are, it is important to maintain at least one hobby that you really enjoy. A hobby not just relaxes your mind, but also helps you perform better in life.

I really respect the students who have cleared JEE, because they have gone through two intense years of struggle. While clearing JEE is definitely not a clear sign of success in life, it surely imparts immense learning to the candidates undergoing that journey.

-Rohan Jain

Do IITs Take Only Very Intelligent People ?

One of the easy jobs in India which ensure a decent salary is......

 Software Engineer

I guess there is no question about Software Engineers getting a “decent salary”. The question is whether it is an easy job or not. Having studied Computer Science and Engineering myself, I think I am well qualified to talk about that.

Let’s first understand the (wrong) perception that most people carry:

1. When it comes to Software Engineering, most people only know about IT Services firms. People talk about Infosys, Wipro, TCS, CTS, etc. These companies hire Software Engineers at a certain price and staff them with clients at a higher price. That’s how they make money. To make more money, they can’t randomly increase the prices for the end clients. So, the only way for these companies to make more money is to pay less to the Software Engineer that they hire.
2. Most people have faced a terrible Computer Teacher in school and so, they fear Programming. It is sad and unfortunate that Computer Science is seen as an inferior subject in schools. It is taught as a memorization subject where you cram the full form of CPU and ALU and get marks. In the name of Object-Oriented Programming, people are made to learn the definition of Abstraction, Encapsulation, and Polymorphism. That’s not how programming is.
3. Most people think that programming is taught rather than learned. This is an extension of my point above - people think that their teacher will teach them to write code and because their teacher is bad, they never learn the right approach to learning Computer Science and Programming.
4. Most people fear maths and so, they think that they cannot be Software Engineers. Definitely, some portion of Computer Science involves mathematics, but the maths that maths requires and the maths that Computer Science requires is not the same.

Because of all of this, people think that Software Engineering is difficult and is not meant for them. The reality is quite different though.

1. There are amazing product-based companies that pay quite well. These companies do not staff you at the client site. Product-based companies have a Product and Engineering team that works on building a scalable Software Product that can be sold to multiple end customers. Selling an extra copy of the Software Product involves almost negligible Engineering costs and so, the gross margins of these product-based companies are high. Accordingly, these companies are able to pay quite well to Software Engineers. The starting salaries at Product companies are quite high as compared to IT Services firms.
2. Because of the gazillions of educational resources available online, it has become extremely easy to learn programming on your own. One can spend literally ZERO money and learn programming as per industry standards. There are so many online courses on Web Development, Android App Development, Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Crypto, Web3, Blockchain, and whatnot. To learn to program, one simply doesn’t have to rely on teachers or even college professors.
3. There are so many domains of Programming that do not require a deep knowledge of mathematics. A high-level understanding of some of the basic concepts along with skill in problem-solving is sufficient. These things can be developed with practice. If one simply picks up an online judge like CodeChef, SPOJ, Codeforces, etc., and solves the first 100 or so problems, they would be 70% there. If one isn’t able to solve a specific problem, there are 100s of tutorials, explanations, and solutions available online. All it requires is a sincere effort of 3 - 4 months.

The best part of all? Most Software companies, especially product-based companies, do not care about your educational background. You crack their interviews and they will hire you. They don’t care whether you are a male or a female or a CS grad or an Electronics grad - you crack their interviews and they will hire you!

So, getting into Computer Science and becoming a Software Engineer has become easier than ever before. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection and sincere efforts and you can change your life forever. It is arguably the best time to be a Software Engineer. The demand is high, the resources to learn programming are infinite, and the pay scale is excellent. On top of that, most companies today are offering work-from-home to Software Engineers so, you can travel the world and keep earning money and doing something you love.

-Aman Goel

Btech to Msc in Physics ( IITB ) and then Phd in Physics via IIT JAM

Yes, it is certainly possible. I have exactly been in this situation and I have seen the struggle, especially when your engineering college’s rigid policies give you no freedom of taking physics courses outside your engineering branch and next to nil research opportunities in physics and a research reputation abroad.

I have been fortunate enough to be offered admission to a few top PhD programs in physics in US and consequently, I will be joining the physics department at Cornell University for my PhD. I can advise on how a transition can be made even when your undergrad engineering college has no resources to offer in physics. Clear information was not available in my time and I hope can change that thing.

I had already lost most of my interest in mechanical engineering near the end of my second year at Delhi Technological University. I instead enjoyed learning physics and continued doing so, when at the end of my third year, I realized that I wanted to become a physicist instead of an engineer. I had two options in front of me, one was to apply for PhD programs straight-away and the other was to instead do a master’s degree In physics and then apply for PhD. I chose the former though ended up doing the latter.

I decided to get some research experience in physics. Since my college wasn’t the right place for getting physics research experience, I started applying to internship programs for the summer, both via official portals and by mailing professors. I was rejected by almost all places (lack of physics coursework maybe or not enough marks?). Finally, some luck landed my way when I was accepted by a professor at IISER, Bhopal to work during the summer. I ended up spending my summer there and came back even more excited to pursue physics.

Now, my college had no provision of taking any electives outside my department and thus I had no official physics coursework. (A hat tip: If you are from a college where you are allowed to take courses in any department (like IIT), definitely take physics courses and build up a physics profile) I then took the general GRE, the physics GRE and the TOEFL, and did pretty well on them. Since US allows you to apply directly after bachelor’s for a PhD, I naively thought my credentials are probably good enough to get into a good program directly (mostly on the back of my GRE scores).

Requiring three letters of recommendation (LOR), I managed to get two from physics profs at IISER, Bhopal and one from my engineering prof under whom I did a project. I applied to 8 places. The LOR from my college prof turned out to be the weakest and he did not even send it to most places, and as a result, I got rejected from every place. In hindsight, even without this fiasco, any top place would have rejected since I really had zero physics coursework and PhD admissions are much more stringent.

Lesson learnt: Physics coursework is important, choose LOR profs carefully)

I had already made a back-up plan of pursuing a master’s degree in physics from India, in case things do not work out. I gave the IIT JAM exam and was able to do well enough to be accepted to IIT Bombay’s MSc physics program.

(Common Misconception – B.Tech students are not allowed to take JAM or offered MSc physics admission. Well, IIT Bombay certainly allows B>tech students in their MSc Physics program)

This in my opinion, turned out to be the best decision I took. The academic experience at IIT Bombay was polar opposite to what I experienced in DTU. Not only were the physics professors awesome, but there was plenty of opportunity to get involved in good research. I took a variety of courses in physics, was allowed to freely choose courses, gained research experience in both experimental and theoretical physics (astrophysics, condensed matter, particle physics), collaborated and interacted with professors both from India and abroad of different institutions, and learnt more physics than I could imagine. It was here I realized how less physics I knew and how entrance exams are a terrible way to gauge your knowledge of physics.

This time I applied to the top PhD programs in US again. Not only did I know more physics, I was better prepared, had actual real physics coursework (good GPA) and research experience in hand, and amazing LORs from IIT profs. Needless to say, I was accepted to several places with fellowship (Cornell, UCLA, Penn, John Hopkins, Bristol (UK) ) among which I accepted Cornell’s offer for doing a PhD in physics.

PhD in India: India is also a great option to do a PhD, especially in theoretical physics. I was going to apply to Indian programs as well. TIFR, IISc, IUCAA, ICTS and HRI are among many top institutes where you can try for a PhD. For Indian PhD admissions, you need to clear entrance examinations. There are multiple exams to do that including the CSIR NET, JEST, and the GATE exam in physics. TIFR has its own entrance exam too. A good rank in these exams gets you an interview call from these institutes. One has to then clear the interviews to get admission.

My advice would to be gain sufficient experience in physics before going for a PhD. This includes quality coursework and research experience. PhD admissions are tougher and at top places, GRE scores do not even matter much. It’s all about coursework and research.

I feel that doing a master’s degree put me in a better position to pursue a PhD. However, if your institute allows physics courses to be taken along with engineering courses, and you can gain valuable research experience in physics, then you can apply for a PhD directly too after B. Tech. And for Indian PhD programs, prepare well for the entrance exams and study physics to be able to clear the grueling physics interviews.

You can also check out this blog where I have written about my experiences: http://physicsafterengineering.blogspot.com/2018/06/my-journey-into-physics-after.html

-Vaibhav Sharma Phd in Physics , B.Tech in Mechanical

You must concentrate and focus but How To focus and concentrate?

It’s no great surprise that we aspire to improve our focus. With so much to do and such limited time to do it, many of us are overwhelmed with responsibilities. As we try to balance work, personal commitments, and a million other obligations, we drain our mental resources. As a result, focusing and getting things done becomes even more challenging. It’s a miserable cycle that traps far too many of us.

How can we restore our focus? How can we preserve the mental resources that we so desperately require? How can we manage the multitude of responsibilities we face on a daily basis? The answer to these questions is to find stillness. To be steady while the world spins around us. To act without frenzy. To hear what needs to be heard.

Stillness is the doorway to focus, discipline, and self-mastery. It enables us to recharge our mental batteries, to avoid distractions, to suppress feelings of regret and anxiety, and to do our best work. It’s something that all great leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes, and visionaries have found a way to harness. It’s impossible to charge ahead in life without it.

Below are three ways to cultivate stillness in your life. If you can put these methods into practice, you’ll be more focused and more creative, and much happier as a result.

1) Limit Your Inputs

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” -Herbert Simon

Every day we face an ambush of unimportant messages, headlines, meetings, and notifications, each one of which we tell ourselves is of great importance. Downloading apps and subscribing to news outlets and widening our social circles, we’re always making ourselves busier and busier without ever considering what it costs us. 

Then we wonder where all our time has gone and why we can’t get anything done—as if it’s some great mystery. In order to think clearly, it is essential that each of us figures out how to filter out the inconsequential from the essential.

Napoleon used to wait three weeks before opening any of his mail. He didn’t wait that long out of negligence; rather, he knew that doing so would give the unimportant issues time to resolve themselves. Surely this habit saved Napoleon time, but more importantly, it removed a trivial task from his day and cleared the way for his more important work.

While President Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office, he had a system not unlike Napoleon’s. To help manage the storm of information that came his way, he adhered to a strict chain of command regarding information, insisting that no one ever hand him unopened mail, or come to him with half-explored problems. Just as ignoring the mail allowed Napoleon to lock in on his higher priorities, this system let Eisenhower focus on what mattered. As president, his time was simply too valuable to get bogged down by all that meaningless stimuli.

Our time is valuable too. We should try to cultivate a similar attitude—give things a little space, don’t consume news in real time, be a season or two behind on the latest trend or cultural phenomenon, don’t let your inbox rule your life. It’s difficult to stay focused (to say nothing of being happy) when we are drowning in information. 

It’s not enough to be inclined toward focus and sober analysis; we have to create the time and space necessary for it.

We’ve got to be more judicious with what we decide is worthy of our time and attention.

2) Empty The Mind

“It is impossible to hit and think at the same time.” -Yogi Berra

Even after removing our external distractions, sometimes the biggest distractions of all come from within. Any time we try to focus on something, our own anxious thoughts can be a strong resisting force. If we’re ever going to have success at something—whether it’s a book we’re writing, a startup we’re launching, or a competitive sport we play—we have to block out that negative energy. All it does is complicate what we’re doing.

Take professional sports for example. In baseball, one bad plate appearance can put a player into a slump. One strikeout, and hitting a baseball becomes even harder and more complicated the next time—the ball starts to look smaller, the pitcher appears ten feet tall on the mound, and the batter no longer trusts his swing. 

What’s funny about a slump is that it rarely has anything to do with a player’s skill or mechanics. Or the pitcher’s, for that matter. A slump is just a closed loop of poor performance, memories of that poor performance, and diminished confidence. The more a batter thinks about the slump he’s in, the less focus he has during his next at-bat, and the further into the slump he falls.

When we worry too much about the results of something, or try too hard to control the outcome, we become distracted and our performance suffers. What used to be effortless is now a complicated mess of anxiety and self-doubt. D.T. Suzuki, one of the pioneers of Buddhism in the West, once said, “Man is a thinking reed but his great works are done when he is not calculating and thinking. ‘Childlessness’ has to be restored with long years of training in the art of self-forgetfulness.” Performing any task at a high level requires focus, and focus only comes with a clear mind.

The key to making anything look easy is to convince yourself that it truly is easy. To do that you have to trust your abilities and accept the outcome.

Don’t try to break the slump, don’t try not to strike out, just play baseball.

3) Become Present

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” --Buddha

To be present sounds so simple. It’s easy in theory, but in practice, it’s one of the hardest things in the world. We are constantly removing ourselves from the present moment. Whether we’re evaluating our past or trying to predict our future, either way we are neglecting what’s in front of us. Unsurprisingly, it inhibits our performance.

As we stand on the podium, about to give a speech, our mind is focused not on our task but on what everyone will think of us. When we face an obstacle, our mind repeats on a loop of just how unfair this is, how insane it is that it keeps happening and how it can’t go on. Even during a quiet evening at home, all we’re thinking about is a list of things we need to do in the morning or something we said earlier that we wish we could take back. What do these thoughts actually do for us? The answer is essentially nothing, besides fill us with crippling anxiety and regret.

We need to resist these urges that remove us from the present moment. Any time we’re thinking about the past or the future, we’re not focused; we have allowed ourselves to run away from something that demands our attention and focus right now. Who is so talented that they can afford to bring only part of themselves to bear on a problem or opportunity? Who is so certain that they’ll get another moment that they can confidently skip over this one? The less energy we waste regretting the past or worrying about the future, the more energy we will have for what’s in front of us.

This moment we are experiencing right now is a gift—that’s why we call it the present. But we try desperately to escape it—by thinking, doing, talking, worrying, remembering, hoping, whatever.

 We are not present… and so we miss out. On life. On getting things done. On seeing what’s there. There is no greatness in the past or the future. Or happiness. Or peace. There is only this moment. Be present.

And if you’ve had trouble with this in the past? That’s okay. That’s the nice thing about the present. It keeps showing up to give you a second chance.

-Ryan Holiday