IIT Roorkee: What should you know before joining?

So you have cleared the JEE? You think you are the among the greatest minds of the nation. Well, that may be true, but there are a lot of things that you are thinking which are not related to this. For example, you might be wondering what to expect in one of the best technical institutes of the country.

Note: For a detailed post on the department of Earth Sciences at IIT Roorkee, click here.

Compromises:
Well, I have listed them here in detail. Have a look.

Food:
Think of the worst food you have ever had. Now think of something worse. Yes, that is exactly what you must expect at the mess. That is what you are gonna be served day and night.

Professors:
Don't think that as you're joining an IIT, you'll get the best ones on the planet. Well, you get bad ones everywhere, even places like Harvard and MIT. So, it's good if you just stop thinking about them. Having mentioned that, there are very good ones there as well, who are really helpful. For example, there was once this prof who, in spite of being really busy, filled a recommendation letter for me on the day he was to leave for Singapore, as there was no one else available that day. He had a very good reason to refuse, but he did not. There was also another one who developed my interest in Biotech (a bit, not much, but then, I didn't like Biology much anyways.)

Activities:
There are loads of things to do here. If you can sing, you have the Music Section. If you write well, you have magazines like Watch Out, Kshitij and Geek Gazette. If you are the geekiest of the geeks, there are places like IMG and SDS Labs. If you are a photographer, join the photography section. Anything you do, you have a place where you will feel that you truly belong.

CGPA and Academics:
This stands for Cumulative Grade Point Average. See, everyone here would be smart as hell. So, the professors have come up with a method of pitting the best against each other. And that was the birth of relative grading. Remember, as long as you are studying more than your classmates, you should be okay. Your seniors might tell you that CGPA is not important. Well, here's the deal. If you wanna sit for placements, there is a cut off CGPA (about 7.5 or at most 8). If you wanna go for higher studies, the first criteria universities look for is the CGPA. What does that leave you with? Entrepreneurship? Well, good luck with that as it is the only option if you have a low CGPA! But getting a perfect 10 is not the solution as well. So, balance the acads and the fun. This is probably the only engineering college in the country to have seven subjects in the semester and three tests: two mid terms and the customary end terms. To successfully handle these, even I don't know what you must do, except maybe study. Well, one week of preparation before exams is sufficient (to be above average).

Do not bring a laptop on your first semester:
Laptops in the first few days are extensively used. That being said, you really don't want your machine to get the wear and tear, do you?

Homesickness:
After about 1-2 weeks, the homesickness starts to settle in. If you are lucky enough to be from a nearby place, you can make a quick and short trip back home during an extended weekend. But, in the other case, you have to wait patiently for the mid semester break to get home. But, the happiness that you feel cannot be compared to anything else.

Politics:
If you're in places like Lucknow, you would know the real face of politics. However, in the case of IIT Roorkee, there is noticeable amount of politics. You just gotta deal with it.

General people:
This is the best part. This is what makes an IIT an IIT. You meet people from places of India which you have never heard of. You meet people who react to situations in a way you least expected. People who are crazy and weird. People who are rich and poor. People you like and people you don't. You get to know them. You learn from them. Some of them end up being your best buddies.

Lingo:
No idea about the words Chapo or Ghissai? Don't worry. Here is a link which explains most of the terms used here. Have a look.
http://iitbakar.com/enpunch/iit-roorkee-lingo/ (link dead)
http://shaumikthinks.blogspot.in/2012/10/iit-roorkee-lingo.html

College days are the ones you are gonna cherish for the rest of your lives, so make these count. Have fun. Don't just keep on living like a bookworm. On the other hand, do not devote all your time to fun. Make it balanced. Secure your future. And have fun.