‘Can’t even jog in this life race’: IIT Bombay graduate opens up about pressure, expectations

A graduate from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has sparked a conversation online after candidly sharing her struggles with expectations and self doubt. Taking to Instagram, the woman named Parul posted a video originally in Hindi, where she spoke about feeling overwhelmed despite her prestigious degree.An IIT Bombay alum shared struggles with pressure and burnout. (Representational image/Unsplash)(Also read: Dog spotted standing on classroom table at IIT Bombay: ‘Finally Dogesh bhai got a table’)Translated into English, she says, “Yes, I’m a graduate from IIT Bombay, but that doesn’t mean my life is set. The reality is that my life is a huge mess, and I’m unable to sort it out. People have so many expectations of me, as if I’m a walking-talking NASA. Brother, I can’t answer all your problems. I’m just trying to survive the day here. My peers have moved so far ahead of me; someone’s starting a startup, someone’s going for an MBA, and I’m so lazy that I can’t even jog behind them. I can’t even jog in this life race.”‘Degree does not guarantee a perfect life’The video was accompanied a caption that further highlighted the emotional toll of constant comparisons and societal pressure. “I’ve got a degree that sounds like it belongs at NASA, yet my life isn’t even running normally. People assume that once you graduate from IIT Bombay, your life becomes all about rocket science. But the truth is, my life is such a mess that it would take a whole algorithm just to sort it out. Carrying the weight of expectations has started to wear me down. Everyone is running in this race, and I’m so exhausted and unmotivated that instead of chasing the finish line, all I can think about is going back to bed,” she wrote.Watch the clip here:Internet reacts with empathyThe clip has since garnered a wave of reactions, with several users relating to her honesty. One user wrote, “This is the most real thing I have seen today. Degrees don’t fix life.” Another commented, “IIT or not, everyone is struggling in their own way.” A third said, “The pressure after graduating from a top college is actually worse than before.”(Also read: Humanoid robot steals the show with FA9LA dance at IIT Bombay. Viral video)Others reflected on burnout and comparison culture. “Social media makes it look like everyone is ahead, but that’s not true,” one user shared. Another added, “Thank you for saying this out loud. So many of us feel the same but never admit it.”(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)