I hail from Balurghat, a small, picturesque town known for its greenery and warm-hearted people. It’s a quiet place, but not the kind of place full of opportunities. Growing up, my father, a retired medical representative, and my mother, a housewife who once dreamed of becoming a professional dancer, sacrificed a lot to give me an English-medium education. My education at Atrei English Medium School – later Atrei DAV Public School – was their gift to me.
After school, my path felt less like a choice and more like a series of compromises. I did B.Sc in Zoology at Balurghat College under Gourbanga University, not with passion but it was the only real option available to me. I also took a year off to prepare for the medical entrance exam, but I missed the cut. At that point, I convinced myself that I deserved this life.
But life had other plans.
Gate: Leap of Faith
My first attempt at GATE during my MSc at Burdwan University in 2022 was the best. By 2023, I gave the gate another shot while working as a branch manager at the Indian Post Office (Khaspur branch office near Balurghat in West Bengal) – a stable, respectable government job. I didn’t think I had it in me; I was juggling a full-time job, a demanding exam, and my own doubts. But against all odds, I secured an AIR of 361 in GATE. I am currently in my final year of M.Tech in IIT Hyderabad Department of Biotechnology.
The turning point was a friend who cracked the gate and got into IIT Kharagpur in 2022. Till then, I never thought that the IITs would accept someone like me – a small town boy with a BSc-MSc background. My friend planted the seed, and from there, ambition took root.
A fresh start at IIT Hyderabad
In August 2023, I moved to IIT Hyderabad, staying outside West Bengal for the first time. To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. The campus, the culture, the sheer brilliance of the people around me – it felt like stepping into a new universe. Coming from a normal academic background, I felt like a 10-year-old at Disneyland.
It wasn’t hard to adjust because I didn’t see it as something to be tolerated; I saw it as an opportunity. The food, the people, the workload – it all felt like a blessing. I made incredible friends who supported me in ways I will never forget. Some motivated me, others inspired me to be better, and some saved my CGPA before the exam with their perfectly summarized notes.
Immersing in the IIT culture
I didn’t just dip my toe into the vibrant club culture of IIT; I dove in head first. I started with Sunshine, a mental health and counseling club, and soon expanded to ECell, FCC, EML, MILAN, TEDxIITH, Placement Cell, and even Cluj, where I became the overall coordinator for CyberCon.
All of this had to be balanced with academics that were, shall we say, “intense.” I sacrificed sleep, health and a social life off campus. My days started at 8 am in the lab and ended at 3 am after club work, placement preparation and self-projects. Coffee became my lifeline, and weekends were another chance to stir. It was exhausting, but it was worth it.
Finding yourself in chaos
IIT changed me. It removed my inferiority complex and rebuilt me into an unrecognizable person. I walked in as a small town boy with a lot of doubts and came out as someone who wasn’t afraid to dream big and work hard.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing. I often felt left out among peers with tier-1 graduate degrees, international exposure, and stellar resumes. Imposter syndrome hit hard. Still, I learned to embrace the discomfort, let it fuel me, and find my footing.
As I near the end of this journey, I am entering a career in healthcare consulting. I secured the role of associate consultant in a healthcare consulting firm in the first round of placements at IIT Hyderabad. It’s a path I wouldn’t have imagined for myself a few years ago, but that’s the beauty of life – it surprises you.
Looking back, my journey has been about defying expectations, breaking free from the “play it safe” mentality and embracing the unknown. From a small town boy who thought he had no future to an IIT graduate ready to take on the world, I have come a long way.
And anyone who feels like a “marked zebra” is urged to stand up and blend into a world – embrace it. Sometimes, being different is the first step towards being extraordinary.
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