50 Things You Must Do at IITs

The four years at the IIT are something you will never forget. Make sure not only to benefit from the study experience an IIT offers but also make best use of these four years by carving IIT memories that will always remain etched in your heart.

Top 50 things you must do at IITs:

1. Appreciate people for what they do well. Give suggestions in things in which they are not doing well. Always talk in a positive manner. Don’t criticize others.
2. Be an active member of at least one club or organization at your IIT. Choose something that matches your interest area.
3. Be the gourmet guide for others. Try out the food of roadside Dhabas and gather info on the best and most affordable places to eat. It will earn you brownie points with your friends.
4. Choose a college project to build something you have always dreamt about. Immerse yourself in it fully. The joy of working on your ideas never fades away.
5.  Despite all those talks about poor girl-boy ratio, there can still see many budding couples inside the campus. Just make sure that your beloved does not cut you off from the rest of the world. Learn to prioritize and do not forget to live or breathe.

1. Discuss your dreams and things you are passionate about with your friends. Know more about what they want to do in lives too.
2. Do something that just relaxes you. For me, it was climbing on the hyperbolic roof of IIT Delhi, lie down on it and look up at the stars while listening to soft music. Tap into your creativity and make your own plan.
3. Eat proper food, exercise, and get regular sleep. It will keep you from falling ill and will keep you alive.
4. Enjoy your freedom while it lasts, responsibly. Once you graduate, do something to bring glory to your alma mater.
5. Find a mentor. It can be a senior or even a Professor. Befriend your mentor and nurture your ties with him or her.
6. Give a surprise visit to your parents or close relatives with whom you bond well. Invite them to your campus during a major festival and introduce them to your friends. Let them have a glimpse of your college life and be part of it.
7. Give love to freshers or juniors and respect them too. You never know how they will turn out in a few years.
8. Give proxy for your friends or write an exam for them. Do not get caught or you are gone!
9. Go to the local markets and try local food. In Delhi, don’t miss the chaat, parantha, lassi, sweets and kulfi at Chandni Chowk.
10. Help someone who really needs your support. He or she will be your friend forever.
11. Here’s a tip I have just for IIT Delhi students: Sneak in the door to the right of the IRD Conference room. It leads to the Insti Roof of IIT Delhi, which is largely unexplored. But make sure you don’t get caught or you may land in hot soup.
12. Hunt for home-cooked food. Day scholars are easy preys and so are your roommates.
13. Indulge in some of the highly competitive sports activities – be it basketball, hockey or water polo. Play soft and rough and explore which emotions affect you in which way. Find where you stand as a team player.
14. Know the family and siblings of your close friends. Visit their homes and dine with them. Make them a part of your life too.
15. Learn to bear social responsibility. Work with an NGO and visit slums.
16. Let your hair down at least once. Make a fool of yourself and let your control dissolve.
17. Maintain a journal or a blog about your experiences, ideas and feelings. Add photos in action wherever you can.
18. Make a pen friend or a Facebook friend at a far away IIT and try to understand their perspective of things too.
19. Make friends with people from different corners of the world and try and understand them too.
20. Make sure to write a long personal mail, straight from your heart, to each and every person who touches you, impresses you or helps you in any way during your four years at the IIT. Thank them for such wonderful IIT experiences.
21. Make sure you fall in love with at least one course. Be the master of that course. Build a passion for it. And be on top of it – always. Eventually, talking about that course should make your eyes twinkle.
22. Make sure you go on at least one challenging trekking expedition in the Himalayas with your IITian friends. It is the best medicine to strengthen your friendship.
23. On your convocation day, when you are going to leave IIT forever, decide one day when your closest friends will meet and go on a vacation trip. Be sure to make it happen.
24. Participate in an essay competition on any topic you like – be it Literature, Environment, Technology, or even Indian Politics. It helps you with introspection
25. Participate in high-charge cultural activities at the rendezvous, in the hostel, or wherever you get a chance. It is a good opportunity to learn to face your fears and overcome them.
26. Photography and camera are a must at IIT. Capture all good moments and have at least one friend who can click you well too.
27. Play pranks – harmless ones. Try something that no one has tried before.
28. Play your childhood games with your friends or children in nearby parks – be it Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Oonch-neech, Vish-Amrit or Chain Chain.
29. Question everything. Be polite but be curious.
30. Sit out on a breezy night and read a book you like.
31. Sleep on the roof of your hostel when it’s raining or it is just too hot. But it’s risky and you have to make sure that you don’t get caught!
32. Sneak at a good point with your girlfriend to watch the sunrise or sunset.
33. Sometimes, let others lead and just do what they tell you to do. Let go of the responsibilities at times.
34. Start your day with deciding your goals and priorities for the day. Reminisce about the mistakes of the day at the end of the day and the good moments too.
35. Surprise your roommate with a gift he or she really wants. It should translate into a good day for both of you.
36. Talk to your juniors. You will have good time comparing them to your past and some good topics to discuss with your batch mates.
37. Try and see India from the eyes of people around you. Ask them about their religious beliefs, their city, problems India is facing and their probable solutions.
38. Try to do more group activities. Watching TV or movie in groups is much more exciting.
39. Visit other prestigious institutions nearby. For us, it was Delhi University. There, we made friends and talked to them. It helped us gain different perspectives to look at things…
40. Visit the local attraction where you can sit with your friends, play guitar and sing songs till wee hours.
41. Visit your school once in a while. Talk to the Principal and your former teachers. Being an IITian leaves good impression over your teachers and you will enjoy the recognition.
42. Watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Other college life soap operas should also be explored.
43. Write a letter to your Professor – anonymously. Critically review his teaching methods. Add your feedbacks. Notice if there is a difference in the way he or she teaches in class.
44. You just can’t be a recluse or a book worm at IITs. It does not work that ways. You have to make friends. Get over your ego, build trust and understanding and accept them as they are. Be close to your friends and share your true self with them.
45. You may try an interesting part-time job as an intern, teacher, stringer or even marketing executive. Do something where you can interact with more and more people and interact with them. However, try this only for one or two months and do not let it distract you from your studies.

We received these excellent tips at our email address blog@askiitians.com.

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This post was published by Nishant Sinha, co-founder of askIITians.