“Loser, why couldn’t you be an IITian”!

“Loser why couldn’t you be an IITian”! This is something very commonly heard by the students who are not able to make it to the IIT. But hello, could anybody tell me that does IIT ensure you of a bright success? Yes, to some extent I agree but does, not making it to IIT just finish your future? NO. You are an IITian, so are extraordinary, right? This is a notion prevailing in the minds of most of the people including the common students as well as the IITians. I too am an IItian and today I will make you face a reality of being an IITian. I am a senior of yours, well, not a bit but you may put it as super, super, super senior. In fact, you will get an idea from this that when I joined there were only 7 IITs. We used to feel on top of this world. We used to feel special like a prince and as a matter of fact, our friends and relatives also made us feel so. We thought that once we pass out from here, we will be the rulers who can bend things according to their will and the world will be on our fingertips. And yes, this was not unusual as most of the students who get the opportunity of studying in this elite institution believe like this only. Now, after 7 or so years, I tried to look back and see what exactly we have accomplished. Some of us started working after completing our graduation and are at various positions in their organization. But, wait! That’s not a big deal. Similar is the case with many of our buddies who could not make it to IIT. Majority of us went abroad for pursuing MS/ PhD. Many of us have even completed our PhDs from various illustrious institutes like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford…. and now work in industry. Some of us even went to IIMs and are associated with banks, start-ups etc. but then many of our mates at IIM did not go to IIT and still they have better jobs. We expected to get through GMAT and be welcomed by the US business schools. 8.2 CG with a 770 GMAT with a 4 year IT experience in an I-bank and so you should be better placed… right? No buddy, you will still be competing with Ivy Leaguers who interned on Wall Street and had a start-up besides having the same score in GMAT with overwhelming communication skills. By now you must have understood what I am trying to convey. You are considered and probably you believe it too that you are special, better than the most! But, my friend, once you exit from here and enter the real world, you will see that the scenario is quite different. In the race called life, the IIT tag matters, but it will get wiped off and you will start off on a clean slate. Do not think yourself to be the kings of the world because you are actually not. To be precise, what exactly is your contribution to the world? Ok that you have cracked a very tough entrance exam but so what? You want the world to give you a grand salute? No, my friend, in fact majority of you will not make any impressive contribution to the world. A few might even make but most will mint out the same money as the other non-IITians. Many of you will enjoy the same social status as your non-iitian mates or like those from less reputed universities. One thing is for sure that the moment you say that you are an IITian, the world looks back but that is all the IIT tag does, for rest you have to actually earn it in the real world!

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