‘Big mouths ruin my IIT experience!’ – Tirade by an irritated IITian

It has been six years since I have cracked IIT JEE and made it to one of the top IITs.

While I do not think that these government-run institutions are best in the world or the students from here are superior to others, it really ticks me off when someone comes and tries to put me down just for the heck of it.

This is not my arrogance speaking. I became an engineer by accident. Like 90% other students, I opted for Science stream just because I scored well in their Class X board exams. I had an interesting study experience at the IITs though and even if IITs are a lot over-hyped, they still offer the best quality education in India.

It is the unmerited criticism by people who have no idea what they are talking about that irks me most.

Have a look at some of the witticisms I have heard oh-so-often:

Witticism #1: IITs have no level these days. You should do engineering from private colleges instead. At least, they fetch you good jobs.

Reality Check: If IITs are so worthless, why did you let your kids sit for JEE exams? And why were they not able to crack it?

I hate how people have double standards. They can ask me about best IIT JEE coaching for their kids and tell me that IITs are good for nothing in the same breath.

When their ‘intelligent’ kids fail to make it to the ‘low-grade’ IITs, they would malign the institutes’ achievements. Have you heard of sour grapes?

Witticism #2: Getting into IITs is no big deal these days. They hardly make it to the Top 10 institute rankings. IITians don’t even get good packages these days.

Reality Check: This comes from people who have never even entered IITs. To whoever it may concern, IITs do not have a management quota. Students have to get selected through an exam which is common for all and is considered to be one of the toughest and most competitive exams in the world. Only a few thousand students, out of lakhs of students, get selected for the IITs.

Besides, IITs do not need to survey companies to feature in the Top 10 engineering colleges of India or big employers to offer placements to their students only to kick them out after six months.

IITs enjoy good reputation in India and abroad and have a strong alumni network. Their campus placements see some of the top companies worldwide that don’t even consider to pick up students from private engineering colleges.

Packages that IITians get vary according to their abilities and are still good enough.

Witticism #3: IITs are for poor students who cannot afford the fees of private colleges.

Reality Check: Do such people really believe what they say? No private college in India stands up to the IITs.

You just pick up the star achievers list of IIT alumni and it will take you years to understand the extent and impact of IITians in almost all the fields all over the world!

Witticism #4: Since this reservation clause, IITs have no seats for really good kids. Hence, I chose not to send my son/daughter to IIT.

Reality Check: What? IITs seats for general category students have remained the same for several years in a row. If your kid is talented enough, he/she should be able to make it to the IITs.

Will you really ask your kid not to take admission in an IIT even if he/she managed to get a good a JEE rank? This one merits introspection.

Witticism #5: “What IIT? It’s just a brand name. No one really studies there anymore.”

Reality Check: IITs have the best academic environment when compared to the other colleges of India. Of course, you learn only if you want to. If you really are hell-bent on not studying, other colleges actually facilitate you better than the IITs.

Disclaimer: I do not think I am the most intelligent person in the word or IITs are just perfect. But I feel frustrated when people aimlessly try to mock IITians and make fun of them.

We received this tirad from an anonymous IITian at our email address blog@askiitians.com.

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