A Second Chance?

ExperiencesSome fourth years

Some fourth years were asked what would they do differently if they could go back in time and do B.Tech again. We asked another fourth year to react to these responses. Was it a toast or a roast?

DISCLAIMER: The one who compiled this piece was in an extremely cranky mood, so please keep that in mind before reading any further.

In a sincere effort to spark imagination (spread regret), my team and I went around asking the B.Tech senior year students the following question - “If I could go back in time and get a chance to do my B.Tech again, what would I change?”. Some of them had the gall to take a shot at it, and if you want to know what they answered, keep going, you!

Oh no, you’re not alone, dear. I haven’t read their responses yet either, so I’m coming with you.

For all of my beloved batch mates who feel too overwhelmed to continue reading this, here’s our piece on Quarter-life crisis. Cheers!

Before we start, you might want to understand why this is such a big deal. I’m a fourth year, and if you’re a fourthie too, you can safely skip this paragraph with no additional emotional investment. But if you’re a hopeful younger kid, here’s a piece of unsolicited advice for you: don’t grow up. Waking up one fine day only to realize that your time at college is almost over feels like going for second helpings of your favorite curry with roti, only to find that it’s over. It sucks, I must’ve made that pretty clear by now.

If I haven’t, no problem. You’ll understand eventually anyway.

I’m going to read the responses one by one. I don’t think any of these will catch me by surprise, but I can’t guarantee your safety. If you’re ready, then let’s go ahead!

Soumitro

Right, so if I could go back in time, I would probably like to retain all my memories. This way I would know all my batchmates before, but they won’t know that. Won’t that be fun? 🙂 Coming back to the serious question, I would study less (yes less, not more. I already remember some of it, right? 😉) from my course work, read some novels, do a lot of projects, and would definitely not miss the Inter IIT as I have done for the past four years.

He’s right… I’d totally love to retain all the memories to live 4 years of B.Tech only to go through this phase again. With all my memories still intact, so with twice as much pain. Lovely.

If I somehow get the ability to give the time travel power to someone, it would most certainly not be him. This guy can scare the hell out of grades, so much so that the bad ones run away on the spot. It’s relative grading, for god’s sake, we’ll all fail!

The Anonymous Jack of all trades

Well, if I could go back in time and get a chance to do my B.Tech again, I would want to change a few things, just a few. The first off would be the time I spent trying to get to do everything around me, rather than focusing on a few good things. I tried being the jack of all trades, but you know what? Sometimes it's better to just be perfect in one and then try doing other things. The other thing would be never giving an excuse for failure. I did not get good marks in a course because I did not study well, and not because I did not like the subject. Though if given a chance, I'd do my B.Tech again because I did miss quite a lot of hostel time due to COVID.

Here’s our first anonymous response. The word ‘anonymous’ was an instant trigger, but after reading this… I think I sympathize with this person. Don’t you worry, jack of all trades! A professor once told me, “B.Tech is all about exploration”, and I think you nailed it!

Ajay Meena

No I don't want to change anything. जैसी भी यात्रा थी बहुत रोमांचक थी, हां थोड़ी बहुत कठिनाईया आई लेकिन उनके बिना खुशी के जो पल दोस्तो के साथ बिताए वो पलों की मिठास कम हो जाती। इसलिए कुछ नही बदलना जैसा था वैसा बहुत अच्छा था।

For all those out there who can’t read Hindi, here’s the essence of what he’s saying: “There were hardships, but without them, all of my happy moments with my friends wouldn’t be as sweet as they are now”.

You’re absolutely right, my friend. Absolutely right.

The Silent Repenter

Every incident, scenario and phase in life have learnings of their own. Going down the line and reviewing my journey, I do have some regrets that I wish could have been different.

In the race with time and trying to find out what my final goals are, I had forgotten what I had with me in the present. Rather than exploring the skill set I could’ve developed in my B.Tech curriculum, I spent some time preparing for UPSC and CSE. I missed the joy and thrill of learning more about my branch outside the curriculum, by trying to enhance my coding skills, and doing something "hands-on". Being a student of the pioneer batch of my branch, and adding the effects of the pandemic to it, I realize now that I am on the verge of graduating after hardly doing any innovative projects and with minimal technical know-how.

My journey has been more of switching boats and sometimes trying to do a stunt of traveling in both simultaneously. Ideally, the fourth year is a time when you must prepare for any exam that you want to give, otherwise, you may encounter several tradeoffs in the journey as I did. Try to plan your goals in separate levels, i.e. something you want to learn and accomplish in B.Tech, and the thing you want to achieve in your lifetime.

Lastly, the poem below shall try to summarise my journey:

Zindagi ke ek naye mukaam ki taraf chala tha,
Auro ki umeedein, apne khwaab le chala tha,
Aage kya karna hai wahi pehle karne laga tha,
Haasil ko darguzar kar, kuch aur hi zid karne laga tha,

Waqt toh bahot tha magar,
Haath mai rait sa fisalne laga tha
Kaha ja raha hu ye toh maluum tha,
Magar kyu? ye sawal bada mushkil tha,

Bhari mehfilo se band kamre mai din guzarte,
Naya karni ki chahat, ko chahat hi rehne deta tha,
Mohabbat ka bhi shauk chadha un dino,
Uss Ek tarfa ehsaas ko unse begaana hote bhi dekhta tha,

Agar puchte ho kya koi ranj hai apne maazi ka?
Shukr hai, kehkar aage badh jaunga magar,
Naseehat dene mai toh mai accha hu,
kuch haal-e-dil bayan karta chala jaunga,

Har inayat ka apna waqt hota hai,
Uski baarkion mai na padna,
Tumhara aaj bahot gehra hai bas,
Use hi samajh lena,
Dilagi, Usi se kar lena

Ah, fellow repenter, yours is a tale as common as it is old! We get so fixated on chasing the perfect future that we end up losing our present, kinda ironic, huh? Well, as they say, the first step towards change is acceptance, and I'm happy you've started on this journey!

Also, the poem is beautiful. I've read it thrice now, and with every read, I relate more and more. We just might not be that different, my friend.

Vijay Kumar

I would've started learning how to code early.

I generally look down upon one-line replies, but this erudite person just represented the majority of our batch with just one goddamn line. I bow down to your wisdom 🙇‍♂️

Akanksh

We all know that the end target of each and every student is to get a good package by the end of B.Tech. If not everyone, this is the situation in my case, coming from a non-CSE or IT background (where the packages are pretty good actually XD). I should have practiced coding. I should have made a few friends who are with the same mindset and do peer coding. Also, I should have made use of all the opportunities which came in my way, like participating in all kinds of events. It’s okay even if we don't win competitions, but it is best to have at least participated. Also, I want to be more open with all the faculty.

Most of the faculty members are like friends they are here to guide us, so there is no problem if you go and ask them about what projects you want to do that are in line with your interest, in your leisure time. Also, participating in events will help you make memories. You will remember how you have worked to complete the particular task along with your teammates. Try to join clubs you are interested in so that you can meet others who share the same interest, and you will always get to know new things by talking to other club members.

Finally, I would try to do all the assignments and listen to the classes. (I bet most of them try to do it but fail 93.1415% of the time, so I generally never mind doing this at all.)

But I intend to do all the previously mentioned things.

Good package, I understand. Early coding, I have received my wisdom. Peer coding? Are you sure about this? You do realize that other people wouldn’t have known how to code back then too, right? Peer programming with them is like performing ballet with an orangutan. With you being a crocodile, that is. Just kidding, you should totally try out peer programming!

No matter what anyone says, I wholeheartedly agree on the faculty part. We have some of the coolest faculty over at our institute. If you’re a junior, and you’re interested in doing some projects, you should definitely try approaching a faculty member who can help you out!

Anyway, let’s move on before I overthink about what convoluted thought process he had gone through to arrive at precisely 90+pi.

Umaeshwer Shankar

I am currently in my final year of B.Tech, and it has been three and a half beautiful years since I first set foot on campus. I had an opportunity to meet some wonderful people and learn life lessons that will stay with me throughout my life. This will remain my biggest takeaway from college. But sometimes, I wonder if I could have known more people had I taken the initiative to speak up. There have been times in the mess or while strolling on the campus roads when I accidentally overheard some exciting discussions and wanted to join in. But not wanting to be perceived as an intruder, I went about minding my own business. In hindsight, I feel this was indeed very foolish, and I am in the process of correcting myself. College is a great time to be open-minded and absorb new ideas, some of which may change how you perceive the world. Make the best use of your time here!

Here’s a response that should make sense to everyone. If you’re a junior and love sitting in a room watching Netflix all day, very good. I wish you the best of luck in your future career in the couch potato industry.

But what about all of you programming people who stay locked up behind closed doors 24x7? And all you shy folks who think the world is going to end if you talk to someone you don’t know well? What’s the worst that could happen, huh? They could realize that you’re somehow fully vaccinated despite being holed up in a room all day and decide to eat you whole and absorb your antibodies, big deal!

Seriously though, listen to Mr. Umaesh and open your mind. Thank you.

The Anonymous Believer

The amount of time I have stayed inside my hostel in my first year! I would love to mingle with more groups/societies in the college during that time. Especially have more interaction with seniors; I never had a strong bond with seniors during B.Tech. Also, I would focus on effective utilization of my time. I was lazy during my whole B.Tech, and I would love to change that next time.

“I would love to change that next time”. This person seems to genuinely believe what we’re providing time travel services, and now I feel helpless.

I feel you, anonymous person, but all is not lost. Go talk to your juniors, they’re pieces of gold. Don’t let them have the same no-interaction-with-seniors experience that you had! Do that, and you get to strike off another regret you might have on your list after you finish your B.Tech!

Shubhankar Bhadra

If I think that I want to change something, it would implicate that I want to change my current situation now. Any state of the present is guided by actions done in the past, and I proudly accept whatever I am right now and because of all the experiences, I gained in my B.Tech life.

Though as the question asks, even if I were to change something, I would like to reduce the time I gave to academics and spend that time with my friends. I said this because somehow covid took away my third year from me in terms of college life, and now I feel like I need more time with my colleagues and friends. Coming to academics, I could still manage by studying just one day before the exam as well (this is what almost everyone does).

I don't think I would want to change any aspect of my past though, as that is what makes what I am in the present, and I am happy about that. Even the bad parts helped in shaping up myself mentally and physically.

Here’s someone who is content with the past, despite covid. Here’s some respect 🙇‍♂️

Also, did he really say that almost everyone studies just one day before the exam? Who’s telling you this propaganda, dude? To all you juniors out there, read between the lines and understand that this guy studied way too much for his own good. That’s why he’s content with the past and writing this piece while maintaining sanity. (To know where a person would likely end up otherwise, kindly check out our piece on Quarter-life crisis)

I sincerely request you to normalize sincerely studying. Peace.

The Anonymous Procrastinator

Increase confidence, reduce postponing tasks and explore new stuff.

Pardon me, but can’t you do this now as well? Did you just use potential time travel as an excuse to not get better? Also, is it just me, or does your response look like an itinerary of an infatuated teenager whose hormones are just kicking in?

Thank you for submitting an anonymous response, buddy, I could finally go cranky without restraint.

Kaushal Dhaingar

If I could go back in time and get a chance to do my B.tech again…

Firstly, I would change the medium in which I have studied till my 10th grade. Because when I joined IIT Tirupati, I have faced so many problems understanding classes and writing exams, just because of my previous medium of study. During my exams, I couldn't get any idea about what to write, but somehow I managed during my first year.

Secondly (this is for a special one) I had a crush on a beautiful woman and I tried talking to her, but she never gave me chance to talk to her. I don't know why, but If I could go back in time, I will tell her how much she attracts me and how much I care about her. And I would like to meet her in the first place, knowing about her like everything. I know It's weird, I can do that now also, but things have changed now.

Thirdly, I made lots of friends during my four years of engineering and that's one of the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me, but there are some of them I really care about and I thought we will be together or BE in touch after having a close relationship with them but that never happened. Maybe that's my mistake because I thought the other person is also the same. They are also having the same thought process.

So in going back in time, I want to tell them that we will be together. No matter what will happen in our life, I'll always be there for you. I want to make more friends because I love talking to strangers and talk about some weird things.

Last but not least, we guys never had a good relationship with our professors, This is one thing I'll be regretful in my entire life. So, I want to have a good relationship with every professor in IITT.

I was looking for desperately looking for something to roast, but boy what a response that was. This guy thought about everything and wrote it down so boldly!

To be concise, he summarized all of B.Tech into 3 sections: friends, crushes and professors. Wow, what a… I’m sorry I can’t get myself to say anything sarcastic, that was an amazing response! 😢

The Anonymous Optimist

I will probably try to have more fun. I would have enjoyed hanging out with friends and trying new things. Furthermore, I like to listen to new genres of music. Read more novels. Be more social and participate in group activities. Learn sports. And definitely, focus more time on academics. Try to prioritize work accordingly. Spend less time on social media. But then again, I am who I am. Even if I tried to change the things I wished went in the way I desired, it would have been a lot better, and I would not have to regret it later on.

But I am fine with the way things have been in the past. Certainly, there will be things that I seriously wish had gone in a different direction. Still, it's what life is. B.tech actually gave a lot of meaning to me personally. Not only from academics but also from people outside of academia. New people, new experiences, new personalities, new places, and new vibes. After a few years down the lane, it will definitely be a question to ponder again, I wished to change something. But as of today, it's cool and fine. And I hope my peers have enjoyed their 4 years of life at this college and have shared happy memories.

Peers, huh? Do you mean those people who vanished in March 2020 and were replaced by imposters that obviously didn’t look the same, 17 months after they vanished? They obviously don’t want to be with you, that’s why they vanished! I’m sure they enjoyed four years of their life!

The narrator suddenly got up and walked away, making weird noises with his face covered as he left. Please read the next response, and he’ll be back by the time you’re done.

Jayyyoooooo

"First of all, If I had the chance to do B.Tech again, I would shoot it down so hard that even others will have a tough time finding it again! So, why would I do that? I felt that uneasiness and irritation; in and around my surroundings, which irritated me more than anything. So, “what was this uneasiness and irritation?”, you ask, eh? "Good amount of the sheep" that choose engineering are those who have no idea where they want to go, what they want to do, and why they want to do engineering? But the thing they know for sure is that they want a guaranteed, legitimate way of earning money. For some, this need is situational and unavoidable; for some, this need is to prove to others that they are better than others; for some, it is show off that they are engineers; for some, it is the wish of their loved ones; for some, they are in a flock of sheep, and various other reasons. It's probably these dimwits in the majority that have changed the actual meaning of engineering. These days, engineering has gained ‘n’ number of definitions; and one among them I would like to point out is this: a general degree for any and all other applications. It's probably this kind of misguided definition that is influencing the present generation to get an engineering degree for the wrong reasons. You probably think I'm just imposing my way of understanding things on everyone, but then, what is engineering? Why do we need engineers? How much have we deviated from the actual engineering path? These are probably some questions I would suggest you think over! So, is it wrong to learn other skills despite being an engineer? No, obviously not! But should we become engineers because we require money? I'll leave the answer to that question for that brilliant brain of yours. I wonder if there will come a time when people realize that money and material things are not the ones they should be chasing, but their dreams and knowledge.

So, probably after hearing these words, the me who was given a chance to choose B.Tech again would definitely consider other options, and to be frank, scratch that... there is a high chance that the me who was given an opportunity to choose B.Tech again, will definitely choose something other than B.Tech 😂

I thought I was the most frustrated person in the room until I read this. I think I’ll do nothing and stay put, like a lower potential battery put for charging. Yes, that was a nerd joke. Smart is the new- Oh, am I not supposed to say- Fine, alright then! Chill!

Oh, you want to know about where I went a little while ago? Some stupid insect flew into my eye, so I went to wash my face. Believe me, I’m being serious!

Hatens z varnaiD

Go back in time! LOL, I probably will just run as far as possible from B.Tech and JEE coaching 🤔🤣. But if for some reason whatever weird kind of time travel you guys invented doesn't allow for it, then, let's see… I would've certainly changed my BTP to something where I actually could've got some creative freedom rather than finishing up the mess created by my seniors. I might've tried to be a bit less lazy overall, or strategically plan when to be lazy and when not to be. I would’ve joined a few clubs as a member and attended all the workshops. Actually, there are 4 clubs that I really regret not being a part of. And what else? I could've used the opportunity to learn more languages from my friends. Also, I probably might've tried to tone down my ambivert nature a bit 🤣. Well, there's a lot more that I could think of, but at the end of the day, life's chaotic. There's no real assurance that flipping a few bad decisions to good ones will ever lead to a better or worse place than it is now. To be any more confident, I probably would have to make decisions not just for myself, but also for many others who directly or indirectly influenced my path! (does your time travel machine allow for that? 😵). Anyways, if this all felt like some deep shit philosophy for you, then I guess you probably already slept through the quantum mechanics course. So good luck with the rest of your life, and I'm one hundred percent happy to say that I don't need your time machine. 😐😑😐😑 maybe just to change my BTP! Just one try 😁

Someone, please get this person a time machine ASAP! I’m not going to the next piece until he changes his BTP today. No, I’m not moving until he does- Wait what? You don’t know who he is? You don’t know if he’s a he? You should’ve told me sooner, I thought that was an actual name!

Ahem… I apologize for getting distracted, dear reader, where was I? Please ignore the earlier text, there was an unexpected issue with the script. We really don’t have a time machine, I swear. Please don’t come after us, or our fictional time machine.

Anyway, moving on to the last response for today!

Shreyansh

If you had given the first year me an option to go back in time, I doubt he'd ever do B.Tech. The "JEE prep years" were my personal hell, 3 years of drudgery just to end up in an institute I had never even freaking heard of! I was at my lowest point. Little did I know then that this far away institute, full of strangers, would be the fresh start I needed.

The past 4 years have been amazing in so many ways. I got to experience new food and culture, meet and work with incredible people who taught me so much, who believed in me and pushed me to be better. I got to participate in events, be on the stage, be part of some remarkable teams and even lead some! I picked back the confidence and self-worth that was dropped somewhere during the JEE rat race, what more could I ask for!

Well, I'm a human after all, and we humans have an amazing tendency to always want more, so I do have a few regrets, a few things I would (like to think that) I'd do differently if given the chance. Let's start with academics. I think I'd try to give courses a fair chance instead of just straight up relegating them to 'learn for exams and forget afterwards' status. I would try to spend more time exploring different fields, going hands-on to not just upskill but identify what excites me and have a clearer path for the future. Now I'm not so sure whether my lazy ass would actually get all this done, but what I'm sure of is that I would’ve started with programming sooner, you need it for the job.

What I regret most, though, is every opportunity I missed, to have even more fun with my friends. COVID taking away such a big chunk of our campus life really highlighted the times we didn't do things we wanted to, the parties we deferred, the trips we never went to, all the while thinking we had so much time in the future, how wrong we were! I'd also lose a few of my inhibitions and go and talk to those people I found interesting, or ask out the woman I liked.

Okay, I feel like I've gone on for too long. So let's end this with one final gyaan. College is the time to learn, explore and discover yourself. So make the best of it, and if you still have some regrets, it's fine! Just learn from them and move on :)

What is wrong with this person? Why is he saying so many sad things with a positive attitude? Why are all these responses so hopeful?!

This wasn’t what I expected; I wanted to see some tears! After reading the responses, I thought I wouldn’t be surprised, and now I don’t know what to say. I guess I might as well speak my mind out.

To all you juniors out there, we might’ve not talked to you at all, and you might not even recognize our names. But everything we’ve built is a foundation for you folks, just like everything our seniors worked on helped us during our 4 years. These responses are regrets on the surface, but they’re pieces of history that you all can learn from. That’s what we do at Udaan, and we hope it helps y’all.

To all my lazy batch mates who haven’t responded to this, and to all those lovely ones who did, I hope this piece was valuable. We keep running forward in life, but it helps to occasionally stop and look back to see how far we’ve come. We all have regrets, and only when we understand them can we make suitable changes to ourselves and grow as a person. Don’t let yourself feel the same regret twice, folks. Take control of life!

Now’s the time I must thank you all for reading this compilation, but I will instead apologize for being nice. I know I promised crankiness, but you don’t always get what you expect in life, so deal with it! 😉

Narrated by,
Prabhat

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