IIT Bombay alum recalls feeling ‘intimidated’ in college, shares advice 10 years later: ‘Don’t get stuck in rat race’
An IIT Bombay alum recently opened up about her college days, saying that she felt intimidated after going from being a topper back home to being surrounded national-level toppers and extremely intelligent people at the institute.The alum said she had returned to the institute 10 years after joining it as a student in 2016. (Instagram/@misackermann)Sharing a video from the IIT Bombay campus, the alum said she had returned to the institute 10 years after joining it as a student in 2016. “I remember I used to feel extremely intimidated everyone around me because back home I might have been a topper, but over here, I was surrounded national-level toppers and extremely intelligent people,” she said in an Instagram video.She also recalled feeling conscious while speaking in English and academically, adding, “I was not special anymore.”However, reflecting on her journey a decade later, she said that she had grown in several ways and had also experienced failures along the way. “Today I can speak with anyone confidently in English. I also am doing better than a lot of my peers professionally, financially,” she said.IITian’s advice for young professionalsIn the clip, the IITian urged students and young professionals not to compare their journeys with those of others. “Don’t beat yourself up too much comparing your journey with others. You will find out your own way in your own pace, and everyone is unique. You have your own unique talents,” she said.She added that the field she currently works in has nothing to do with her degree, noting that this is the case for many IIT graduates.The alum also cautioned against putting excessive pressure on oneself and getting caught up in the “rat race”.”Be patient and don’t put too much self-made pressure because we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” she said. “Don’t get stuck in the rat race so much that you lose sight of who you are authentically, what you want from life, and the things you want to do outside of what the society expects from you, what your parents expect from you,” she added.The alum concluded her message on an optimic note, saying, “Enjoy life and figure things out. It’ll all work out.”(Also Read: Founder says IIT Bombay gave him more than a degree: ‘No algorithm can replicate’)Social media reactionsThe video, shared with the text “Advice from an IIT Bombay Alumni,” struck a chord with social media users.Reacting to the post, one user wrote, “And I was doubtinh myself right now and this video pop up in my instagram. Thanks for sharing your journey. Now i am fine and somehow feeling confident.””I had similar experience at IIM .. suddenly I was not even in top 1/2 of my class .. and yes when I look back now I realised I was stressing the small stuff .. was trying to walk someone else’s path thinking that’s the way it should be .. when I figured out mine I found peace n success and happiness. Much love,” shared another.”It takes courage to lose the topper spot and choosing to be surrounded the best brains. But in the process, it polishes your potential in remarkable ways,” wrote a third user.
