Break the IIT spell

Aakash Chaudhry 

The pain of being defeated in a battle like IIT-JEE is quite agonising. Every year lakhs of students compete for a woefully inadequate number of seats. As a result, the dream of getting into an IIT remains a dream for a majority of engineering aspirants. The task of getting through the IIT-JEE is an uphill one; however, failure in the exam does not make one worthless. One should learn to take rejection as a motivation to prove oneself and regard it as the grist for the mill. Students should not get discouraged and opt for an alternative college. Instead of being stuck in a limbo, they should change gears and move on to the next level by looking for other possible options.

Remember that one can attain success even without the IIT tag. What is of significance is how you follow your dream to pursue an engineering career. 

There are plenty of examples of people who have made it big but are not IITians. One such example is Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, better known as "the Missile Man of India", who was not from any IIT but did his engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT). Nonetheless, he became one of the finest engineers in the world inspiring many aspiring IITians. Another example is of Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, famously known as "the father of the Pentium chip", the legendary Vinod Dham was also not an IITian. 

There are numerous institutes such as the IIITs, NITs and BITS Pilani, along with a number of private and deemed universities that are renowned for delivering first-class engineering education. Apart from that, there are also a number of private and public sector colleges that have carved a niche for themselves. Hence, students should not lose all hope and see it as a chance to turn the tide. 

Zeroing in on a college is often a stressful experience for students.While finalising a college, students should prefer recommended university over an affiliated college that enjoys autonomy in the curriculum. Besides that, they should map their aptitude for the types of courses available. It is also imperative to stay abreast of internship and placement record of the institute/college. 

Students should also carry out an in-depth analysis of the facilities provided, admission criteria, class size and apply wisely to the college that meets their needs the best. 

Parents, too, should motivate their children to look for alternative colleges/institutes and keep a tab on their interest and aptitude for the course. Students should always have a plan B ready so that they don't have to frantically explore options after the results are out and compromise on their choice of course. They should not develop a lax attitude and work on developing an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day what is of significance is how well you do in life. In the course of time, it will be your job knowledge and professional skills that would bear fruit for you. 

In other words, if you aspire to be successful in life, what matters most is your determination, dedication, and strength to get past your failures and find alternatives, and the will to work hard.

— The writer is Director, Aakash Institute