Life in an IIT | How a call at a pani puri stall changed this Bihar student’s life forever

Life in an IIT: A Bihar student’s transformative journey

The afternoon a mentor called, I was at a pani puri stall in Darbhanga. Unbothered by the released answer keys, I was enjoying my free afternoon when the call came. My mentor, who had calculated my score, informed me that I had become an IITian. Standing at the roadside stall, eating pani puri, I was entirely unprepared for that phone call.

Coming from Madhubani, Bihar, I have always considered Darbhanga my home. After joining IIT Guwahati, I am now a Mechanical Engineering student, 21 years old. I spent most of my life in Darbhanga and consider myself to be from Darbhanga by heart.

Growing up in Darbhanga, my father served in the police force, and my mother was a homemaker. I completed my schooling at an English-medium school, the only ICSE school in the area. Though I miss the place and the people, their company is what I have missed the most since coming to college.

My JEE journey started at a coaching institute, Super 100, in Patna. Though the two years were important for learning to be independent, the marathon of preparation was the real challenge. From being a shy boy from Darbhanga to a more confident individual at IIT Guwahati, I have learned to focus on showing up consistently every day of preparation.

Securing AIR 7,457 in JEE Main and AIR 3,863 in JEE Advanced, I chose Mechanical Engineering, as it felt like real engineering where I could see, touch, and understand what I was working on. I am not driven by a lifelong passion for machines but study because I believe I have no extraordinary talent, and by some grace, I am good at it.

On my first day at IIT Guwahati, I felt a sense of warmth and belonging. No homesickness, as I had already spent two years in Patna. The scale of everything around me was new, with people from different languages, cultures, and backgrounds. Joining the Athletics Club, Literature Society, Automobile Club, and TEDxIITGuwahati has shaped me into the person I am today.