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IITB Insight's Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2

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Page 1: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final
Page 2: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

Freshmen Newsletter

Aerospace: Important Second Year Courses:The curriculum is mainly divided into four basic fields namely Aerodynamics, Control Systems, Propulsions and Structures/Designs. The second year covers one important course from three of these fields - AE 209 (Solid Mechanics from Structures), AE 214 (Thermodynamics from Propulsions), and AE 216 (Fluid Mechanics) from Aerodynamics. Electives and Minors:If you have an interest in Control Systems, SysCon (System and Control Engineering) would be a good Minor choice. Minors in Mechanical (for Propulsions) or Electrical also prove to be helpful in the long run. The Department also offers some fascinating courses like AE 755 (Engineering Design Optimization) and AE 625 (Particle methods for Fluid Mechanics), which could be opted for as electives. Future Opportunities:Aerospace is an upcoming sector and there are good paying jobs at par with others if you go for post-graduation in the field. The department boasts of some highly experienced faculty members like K. Sudhakar and Ashok Joshi. Most professors are extremely helpful and are ready to float projects, if shown willingness to contribute.

Civil: Important Second Year Courses:Important sophomore courses include CE 205 (Fluid Mechanics) and CE 222 (Structural Mechanics). Fluid Mechanics is particularly important due to its varied applications in Hydraulics. Electives and Minors:CS, Environment, IDC and CSRE minors are some of the good minor options available for the students. Future opportunities:The Civil Department includes some of India’s best civil engineering faculty like S. L. Dhingra (transport engineering), Alok Goyal, Prakash Nathagopalan (famous for the projects under him), Tarun Kant, Gopalrao Patil (transportation). Interested students can contact the respective faculty member for research opportunities. India’s only Centrifuge model, Sudarshan, is located in the IITB Civil department under B V S Viswanadham.

Chemistry: Important Second Year Courses:The second year in MSc Chemistry mostly revolves around two basic courses in Organic Chemistry - CH 221 and CH 222. The first covers frontier molecular orbital approach for several reaction schemes and spectroscopy, whereas the second covers carbonyl chemistry. Other important courses include a thermodynamics course, CH 211 and a course on inorganic chemistry, CH 210. CH 210 is an interesting course which goes into the applications of Quantum Mechanical concepts in reaction mechanisms and spectroscopy. Electives and Minors:CH 576 (Statistical Mechanics) is an advanced course which covers the chemical applications of Statistical Mechanics and can be taken as an elective. Future Opportunities:Pradeepkumar P I, Anindya Datta, B L Tembe, Suvarn Kulkarni, R. B. Sunoj and Arindam Chowdhury are some of the popular professors from the department. Chemistry is a highly research-oriented department, with applications in molecular biology, biochemistry, drug design and several industries. As a standalone degree, an IIT- MSc is an excellent way to secure a good PhD. However, for a good core job, one definitely needs to have a PhD.

MEMS (Meta): Important Second Year Courses:MM 202 (Thermodynamics of Materials), MM 204 (Fluid Dynamics), MM 203 (Mechanics of Materials) and MM 201 (Structure of materials) cover all the important concepts required for future courses. Electives and Minors:No electives are offered in the second year. Colloid and Interface Science MM 409 is an interesting Honors course. Future opportunities:Research at undergraduate level is highly encouraged by the Metallurgical department. Undergraduates can get actively involved with a research topic and even go on to publish research papers in the field. The department includes stalwarts like N.B. Ballal and N. Prabhu, who are working on a variety of cutting edge research projects.

Electrical: Important second year courses:The Electrical second year has two important courses - EE 204 (Analog circuits) and EE 214 (Digital circuits). While EE 204 focuses on explaining the Analog part of EE 112, EE 214 gives a greater insight into Digital circuits design using a hardware description language.

Electives and Minors:CS and Statistics are good minor options for Electrical students. Interested students can also take up Math minor to strengthen their mathematical basis. Microelectronics DDs can take up Physics minor in order to get a better idea of the physics involved in semiconductor devices. EE 432 (Special Semiconductor Devices) is an interesting course which gives more information about semiconductor devices in general, and can be opted for as an elective. Future Opportunities:The department offers various opportunities for students to be a part of the ongoing research. Juzer Vasi, Vivek Borkar, H. Narayanan, D Manjunath are some of the veteran professors of the department. Newer faculty like Swaroop Ganguly, Dipankar Saha, Udayan Ganguly, Pradeep Nair are involved with some exciting research projects in the department.

Mechanical: Important Second Year Courses:ME 201 (Solid Mechanics), ME 209 (Thermodynamics) and ME 203 (Fluid Mechanics) are some of the important second year courses with lots of applications. Electives and Minors:A Minor in EE, CS or SysCon can complement the core Mechanical degree. Aerospace can also be helpful in the long run, thereby making it a good minor choice. ME 676 (Collaborative Engineering) is a fairly interesting course which requires extensive research work in product development and integrated design.

Future opportunities:Some of the eminent mechanical faculty members include Professors Pawaskar, Arindrajit Chowdury, SV Prabhu, RP Vedula, Asim Tewari and Milind Rane. A lot of the projects going on in the department are postgraduate projects. However, students can get involved in independent student bodies like IITB racing, UMIC, Solar decathlon or SINE lab, to get a better understanding of the department.

a small Sneak peek into your departmentAbhilash Kulkarni, Dhruv Nigam, Nanda, Pallav Chaudhary, Rucha Walawalkar, Sagun Pai, Shreerang Javadekar,

As the first year of stay in the campus comes to an end, many freshmen might be curious about what’s in store for them in their departments. While terms like Minors, Honors and Electives are often thrown around by seniors and some acad-enthu batchmates, most remain unaware about the exact details. The first year is more or less the same (academically speaking) for all departments, but the second will be all about getting to know

the individual departments in greater detail. Here, we look into the academic choices available to one when they enter their sophomore year - arguably, the most formative year of their stay in IITB.

Page 3: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

ISSUE 1.2

Engineering Physics:Important Second Year Courses:Classical Mechanics (EP222) and Quantum Mechanics (EP307) are some of the important second year courses.

Electives and Minors:Electrical and Maths are a good minor options as they provide a better opportunity to students interested in pursuing a Masters degree. Second year Honor courses are Non-Linear Dynamics and Continuum Mechanics. Many students take up General Theory of Relativity (PH 544) citing its exciting course content as the reason.

Future opportunities:The Physics department is known for taking many students as research assistants in its projects. Pradeep Sarin, Alok Shukla, P. Parmananda, Sadhana Dash are some of the faculty whom you can approach for research projects.

Chemical:Important Second Year Courses:CL 253 (Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics), CL 242 (Fundamentals of Heat Transfer), CL 203 (Transport Phenomena), CL 254 (Process Fluid Mechanics) are pretty important second year courses.

Electives and Minors:Electrical and Energy Engineering are good minor options and are opted by many students. Management is another good option for those who are willing to go for non core jobs.

Future opportunities:Mahesh Tirumkudulu, Supreet Saini, Jayesh Bellare, Santosh Noronha, Ganesh Viswanathan, Rochish Thaokar and Jhumpa Adhikari stand out as the most popular professors among seniors.

Computer Science Important Second Year Courses:Some of the core second year courses include CS 213 (Data Structures and Algorithms), CS 208 (Automata Theory and Logic) and CS 207 (Discrete Structures). CS 213 is an essential prerequisite for the upcoming CS courses. CS 208 is an important course from a research point of view. Electives and Minors:There are no electives in the CS department until the fourth year. Interested students take up electives in other departments. As far as minors are concerned, the general preference for minors is the following: Statistics, Management, IDC, Maths, HSS. Future opportunities:CS is a lab oriented department with a heavy course load. Freshmen should try to know more about the various parts of the department like Natural language and Embedded Systems which will help them choose their topic of interest. Interested students can get valuable hands-on experience through summer projects and research internships. You could also boost your coding skills by participating in international competitions like ACM-ICPC; however it would require extra efforts from your side.

Minors: What is it?Started in 2007 as a move to provide a wider exposure to the academically strong students, Minor is an additional credential a student will earn if they complete 30 credits worth of additional learning in a department other than their own. Each department prescribes a set of courses and/or other activities like projects necessary for earning a minor. A typical minor program will have you take 5 courses to earn the required 30 credits. Who can take up a Minor?B. Tech students who have not failed in more than one course are allowed to opt for minors. Dual Degree students are allowed to do minors only if they have an excellent academic standing (CPI greater than 8 and no active backlogs). How do I register for a Minor?Minor registration is done 10-15 days before the regular course registration(during the vacations). Students have to specify their preference order for the courses they wish to take, following which the courses are allocated based on the students’ Core CPI (due to limited seats). Will my Core CPI be affected if I take a Minor?No, it won’t. The grade you get in a minor course only affects your Minor CPI. When you complete your minor, a Minor CPI will reflect on your transcript. Before that, the courses will be treated as additional learning courses.

Why should I take a Minor?Minor is a great opportunity for all those who wish to pursue interest in areas beyond their basic degree. A minor chosen to match one’s interests can speak volumes about a candidate. A carefully chosen minor can complement a particular major and thereby enhance a student’s placement opportunity in a sector of his choice. It also benefits individuals aiming for higher studies as it shows the their willingness to go the extra mile to achieve their goals.

Honors: What is it?Honors is an additional credential a student earns upon opting for extra 30 credits in their own department. Honor courses are a set of advanced level courses in each department, designed in order to give students more exposure to different areas in their own department. The concerned department specifies the course requirements for earning the Honors. Does the honors grade affect my CPI?Just like a minor, when you complete an honor, an Honor CPI will reflect in your final transcript. If you have finished some of the honor courses, but not enough to acquire an honor degree, then those courses would be counted towards the Additional Learning CPI. For DDs, compulsory honors courses will affect their Core CPI. Can I do a minor and honors?Yes, if your CPI is greater than 8 (with no backlogs). DD students have to do honors compulsarily as these are considered as core courses for them.

Electives: What is it?As the name suggests, electives are credited courses which a student can choose, unlike the core courses. In most departments, a student is required to take two electives, that is, 12 credits in total. Electives are categorized into two types, namely Institute Elective and Department Elective. An Institute Elective is a course which can be taken in any department other than your own department. A Department Elective, on the other hand, is a course which has to be from the same department as that of the student’s. The major difference between electives and minors/honors is that electives do affect your Core CPI. I like the content of a particular course. Can I take it as an elective?Yes you can, provided that you fulfill the prerequisites for that course. First year courses cannot be taken as Institute Electives, and some courses have pre-registration for Institute Electives. These courses have limited seats and the allotment is done on the basis of CPI. Minor courses can also be tagged as electives.

Energy: Important Second Year Courses:Energy Science and Engineering is a relatively new department and carries a lot of potential. EN 203 (Thermodynamics and Energy conversion) and EN 206 (Power electronics) are important courses. Electives and Minors:As most of the courses are related to power consumption, Electrical is good minor option for Energy students. SysCon can also be considered.

Future opportunities:The Energy Science department lays a strong emphasis on project work. Courses like Energy Innovation lab and Materials and Structures lab have been designed, so as to convey the importance of research to the students. The department has a number of faculty members like Rangan Banerjee, Shiresh Kedare, Suneet Singh, Santanu Bandyopadhayay and J.K. Nayak who are actively involved in research work.

If you really want to do a particular course (other than minor or honor courses) and don’t want it to be reflected in your Core CPI, you could take it up as an Additional Learning Course.

Page 4: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

Freshmen Newsletter

2009 After much hue and cry over the death of a student caused by ragging, and a series of tumultuous events, the verdict was finally out. Limiting interaction between seniors and juniors in college campuses was adjudged (by the Supreme Court, no less) a definitive requirement towards the prevention of ragging. Hence, aside from setting up helplines for freshmen and mandating strict punishments for offending seniors, it was also made compulsory that all institutes have separate living spaces for freshmen and seniors.

2013The air of uncertainty still prevailed - were all freshies going to stay in a separate hostel away from the seniors? What was promised was delivered as soon as H15 came up - a huge chunk of freshmen shifted to this new hostel. But a significant chunk was also allotted rooms in H4 - a ‘senior hostel’, potentially capable of inculcating in freshmen all the virtues interaction with seniors is believed to cause.

Insight InvestigatesMuch has been said and done after the decision of segregation was finally enforced. Many freshers now live in a land of their own - The Trident. It is worth considering that all factors other than the junior-senior interaction have remained unchanged. While there are still a few freshmen who live in senior hostels, any change in statistics - from participation in cult activities to academic performance (and sometimes the number of laxmi-goers amongst freshies) - is generally deemed negative by the student population, and is attributed to freshmen isolation.

We met with several concerned seniors and conducted a survey exclusively for freshmen to debunk myths and to analyze the effects of this change in tradition.

“Acads ka kya scene hai boss?”“Arey Freshies humare bina kya karenge? Who will give them world-class fundae to manage Prof XYZ’s classes and ace ED without studying?”

- Random fundaebaaz sophie

“MA105 and special relativity se difficult cheez kabhi life mei nahi dekhi. Itna padhna hai IIT mei ye nahi socha tha.”

- Almost all freshies

“Ye sab mei kya rakha hai. Sab moh-maya hai. “- Moksha-praapt senior

One of the key thoughts behind the idea of a separate hostel for the freshmen was that the seniors would no longer be there to “distract” them from their studies. Did the idea actually work?

Freshmen Isolation and its ImpactsThe Freshie SurveyQ. Most of the seniors that interacted with you met you:

Q. Your seniors helped you out with:

Q. What are your fears related to ragging?

Q. Do you think having seniors in your hostels is a good idea?

Anamika Agrawal, Parimal Chahande, Pradyot Prakash, Utkarsh Kumar

“ Atleast now we know that we were missed.”

- Fundaebaaz Senior

Page 5: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

ISSUE 1.2

The grading stats say otherwise. The grades in almost all the courses have taken a beating. The percentage of FR’s in one of the most fundamental courses, MA105, has jumped from 5.36% last year to a whopping 13.25% this year. Another course PH107 (earlier PH105), now a compulsory course for all departments, saw the percentage of FR’s rise from a mere 5.70% to a whopping 15.42% this year. However, in other common courses, percentage of FRs has remained fairly unaffected.

In this regard, Meghna Sreenivasan, Overall Coordinator of the Institute Student Mentorship Programme (ISMP) says that seniors do not affect academic performances so significantly, with the formation of H15 being just one of the factors that could be causing the increase in FR’s. Other causes could be collective grading in place of the intra-division grading that we saw last year, and the difference in course structures for physics and chemistry. Also, despite the segregation, there have been seniors advising freshies with poor marks to fail the course and make up for that grade in the summers.

However, she further added that mentors are the only source of guidance in this new system. A freshman relies on the word of his/her mentor heavily since he/she has no other person to contact during any immediate need. Due to this, the decision making ability of the freshmen has been affected to some extent.

Tech mei kya machaya phresies ne?“Kya hi macha lenge. Na tech room hai na dhang ka tech secy hostel mei. Upar se koi enthu nahi andar se.

- A sophie hostel tech secy

“H15 ja jaake meri haalat kharab ho rhi hai. Kyu bana mai convener/Mentor”- An overloaded sophie convener/tech mentor

“Maine bhi Tech mei participate kiya tha freshie year mei. But make no mistake, sab moh maya hai.”

- Moksha-praapt senior

The segregation of freshies to H15 has adversely affected the level of participation of freshmen in the tech genre, and the number of negatives far outweigh the positives. In this regard, Ex - STAB OC Ashima Mittal identified the absence of seniors in the freshmen hostels as the principal reason. Seniors would have helped freshmen develop interest and mentored them for participation in tech events, at least for the sake of hostel culture if nothing else. The initial difficulty of contacting the freshmen due to lack of notice-boards and active groups was soon resolved. But it got harder to get them involved actively in tech events with the passage of time, as these newcomers lost the initial enthusiasm and interest. Even the appointed tech mentors felt reluctant to go to H15 on a routine basis, which until last year wasn’t required as these seniors were present in their hostel itself.

Shardul, Tech Secy of Hostel-2 and Convener of the Robotics Club, pointed out that the only positive was that it was relatively easier to go and talk to the freshies in a single hostel.

IIT-B mein aaye ho toh Cult kar lo! “Ye PAF god kyu hota hai? Ye Orientations mein kyu jana hota hai? Ye seniors exams se pehle kyu aa jaate hain events ke liye? Mujhe ED ka assignment karna hai!”

- Maggu Freshies

“Why am I making paper rolls for PAF again? Last year bhi toh yahi kiya!”

- Cult secy in every hostel except H4

“I was second runner up in face-painting competition in freshiezza. Abhi tak face se colour nahi nikla. Sab moh maya hai.”

- Moksha-praapt senior

The cult(urals) participation of freshmen has differed from club to club, with most clubs seeing a fall in the participation by freshmen. Many Institute Secretaries are of the view that the Freshmen Orientation was a major step in

Due to various reasons, the grades for most of the freshmen courses were allocated in January, long after the Spring semester

began. Insight decided to dig deeper to unfold the reasons that caused the chaos. It turns out that the delay propagated at each stage - showing papers to students, releasing grades to the Academic office and the uploading of these grades by academic office.

Events that led up to the decision to delay grade allocationThere exists an Institute rule that restricts faculty members from uploading grades before showing the students their answer sheets and holding a formal crib session. Since the freshmen had

to vacate their rooms by the 29th of November and 5 days was too short a period for professors to correct answer sheets, hold crib sessions and re-evaluate marks for nearly 900 students, it was decided that the grades would be uploaded in the first week of January, right after the students returned for their next semester.

Why the early vacation of rooms?PhD candidates applying to IIT Bombay are interviewed in the breaks between semesters. The process goes on for at least 2-3 days during which the candidates have to be provided accommodation. Along with this, there were placements (which were also held in Hostel 15) and fests that demanded rooms. The increase in the number of PhD applicants put stress on the

HCU and the only viable solution was to ask the freshmen to vacate at least a few before placements started on December 1st.

Soon enough, it’s JanuaryEven though the crib sessions were done with by the 14th of January, within a week of the starting of the semester, the grades could be uploaded only by 26th. This was because post the official deadline for uploading the grades, they had to be uploaded manually by the academic office. Since numerous other commitments arise at the beginning of every semester (regarding registration), allocation of grades took a backseat. The course instructors, despite their best efforts, could not help the delay.

INVESTIGATING THE DELAY IN GRADE ALLOCATIONAnukriti Chaudhari, Kush Motwani, Kshitij Jayakrishnan

creating an interest in the freshmen towards cultural events. They also attribute this to the idea of appointment of Cult Mentors, envisaged by the General Secretary for Cultural Affairs, Deepak Sharma. The Cult Mentors were allotted during the Freshiezza (Phase - I) to assist the freshmen to plan and enact their ideas, in the absence of other seniors to guide them. Though most people appreciated the concept of Cult Mentors, their role is obsolete after the first few months as the freshmen are more than a semester old in the institute and cannot be persuaded that easily. After some initial hiccups, it became quite easy and convenient for the clubs to advertise their activities.

Pahul PSG the ex-IMS, however, was of the opinion that it was mostly the freshies who already had a knowledge of music before coming to IITB who ended up doing well in the music events. Previously, even those freshmen who didn’t know the ‘Sa’ of music, were groomed well by the hostel seniors and attained good skills in music. In contrast to this, Ankit Khetrapal, ex-Film and Media Secy, said that the participation of freshmen boomeranged to more than three times as compared to the last batch’s. Arpit Agrawal, ex-PFA Secy, also mentioned that a lot of zealous faces turned up for the fine arts events during Freshiezza.

Our team also met a few seniors from various genres and almost all of them were of the opinion that this was unfair to the freshmen as well as to them. Their main concern was about the hostel culture. No one comes to the insti with a tag on their head saying “Mujhe Dram me enthu hai!”

The informal talk that one has with a senior helps them choose their genre, be it dance, lit or dram. Even big events like Mood Indigo have seen reduced participation from the freshmen. There were situations in MI when organizers were required but the Coordinators and CGs were in a fix to arrange for them. Getting to PAF, everyone knows that “PAF God hota hai.” But why? Many freshmen never got to know.

Page 6: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

Freshmen Newsletter

Right from the beginning of the first semester, every freshman is introduced to the three main Independent Bodies

functioning within the institute, namely Mood Indigo, Techfest and E-Cell. These bodies are considered to form the top rung of the institute’s extra-curricular events, and most freshmen end up working for these bodies at some point of their first year in the institute. The actual functioning of these bodies, however, is not made clear in the first year, with gossip and glamour coming in the way of the real deal, particularly for the much-sought posts of Core Group member (CG) and Manager. We rarely hear much about the journey of a person from an organizer to becoming the brains behind the fest.

Orgie “Ghodagiri”:It’s a common idea among freshman, that orgies in IB’s are treated as mindless, unskilled labourers, recruited only because somebody has got to get the “ghodagiri” done. While it may be true that the level of administrative work given to organizers is very limited, it’s certainly not true that orgies only get laborious work while working for the body. The work that an orgie gets during the fest depends largely on both department and the coordie they’re working under. Orgies being asked to drop off celebrities or anchor events is just as commonplace as them being asked to shift tables.

The reason for this lack of administrative work, is simply the amount of growth the IB’s have had in the last few years. Scaling up has gone hand-in-hand with extensive commercialization, leading to extensive interactions with big companies and sponsors. During such interactions, an individual is representing not only the IB they’re working for, but the institute as a whole. One misstep could hinder relations with a sponsor for years to come, which is why orgies are rarely given much work in departments such as Marketing.

In their second year, coordinators need to be groomed to take over as CG’s/ Managers and some risk is taken to give them some free reign. Expectedly, coordies get more and more responsibility as they prove to their CG’s/Managers that they can handle the work given to them.

timeline of a coordinatorDeepak Dilipkumar, Harshit Sahay, Mukul Jangid, Palka Puri,

Suraj Shourie, Vaibhav Bhosale

Interview Process:The IB interview process has attained near legendary status in the institute, both for its grueling nature and the sheer length of the interviews. Interviews have been known to go on for 8-9 hours, with the applicants coming out of it numbed by the experience.

There is no real “preparation” required for it, but a person’s motivation for the post is a vital parameter. As the first hour or so is usually dedicated to figuring out why you want the post, any lies you’re telling yourself about being “fest-enthu” are easy to look past. The next few hours involve the CG’s/Managers/OC’s putting you in various situations that could arise, and checking how you would handle it. Logical thinking and decision-making ability are the order of the day here. Lastly, it’s not uncommon to end the interview on a discouraging note, which is why most applicants feel they’ve done badly when they come out of it.

To a large extent, such a process is necessary to be able to choose the correct Managers/CG’s. The ones chosen will have to represent IIT Bombay and the IB they work for, and uphold its legacy, for nearly a year. As the CG’s/Managers will themselves be busy during the fest, they have no better way to check the coordinators’ decision making under pressure, than by actually putting them under pressure.

The internal OC elections are quite different, as the applicants have already proven their mettle. The focus there is on deciding the attributes which are most important for the benefit of the fest in the following year, and selecting candidates who have the required attributes. In the case of MI and E-Cell, both of which have two OC’s, compatibility between the candidates is also an important consideration.

Does their CPI really take a hit?Time management is one of the key traits in the personalities of CGs and Managers. It is a common perception (mis-perception rather) that the CGs and the Managers are unable to find time for their academics. All the CGs and Managers we interviewed confidently said that your academic performance does not have to take a hit. Though many agreed that it is hectic at times because of the extra work load, it’s still very manageable. According to Vishesh Sharma, an MI OC, the fact that you have very little time actually motivates you, to the extent that you use the time that is available more effectively.

A significant amount of planning and visualizing is done during the summers. Thus, over the course of the semester, academics do not have to be compromised on. The work is also organized in a way to ensure that all CGs and Managers are relatively free during mid-sems and end-sems.

Tips from the Experienced: A tip to the freshmen was to not think of the work as a burden, or be demotivated by the apparent “ghodagiri” that one may have to do in their organizer year. Enjoy the fest and have a good time, because only if one connects to the fest and likes the overall experience, will one feel motivated to go ahead and actually work for it in the future. The managers and CGs talked about delinking the IB post from the idea of a non core job, or a boost to one’s profile. The journey is a period of introspection and intense transformation, that will provide you with qualities which will prove useful wherever you end up. So, explore all the fests, and multiple departments of each fest in your first and second year, to get a good idea of the sort of work that is available in each IB. If you find something that seems to come to you naturally and that you enjoy doing, well then, go for it!

IB Freshman

Introductio

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okay, I guess" "Paintball! C

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"Lasertag! Concerts

!

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Chamchagiri

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coordies!

"I wanna go

home" :( Spam all the

threads!

A new

organizer appears

Infographic Credit: Narendra Parmar

Page 7: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

ISSUE 1.2

How “peace” are the fests?Despite the amount of planning that goes into these fests, when something of the magnitude of MI, TF or E-Summit is executed, events are unlikely to go exactly as planned. The schedules of the IB members in the days immediately preceding and during the fest go like this:

Day (-n) - According to most managers, these days are far more stressful and crucial than the actual days of the fest. This is the time they realize that irrespective of how much they plan, certain things are just beyond their control. The most unexpected problems crop up. For instance, this year, the headlining band for Mood Indigo’s Liverwire night cancelled at the last minute, leaving the managers in a lurch. A few years back, there were unexpected accommodation problems as some flats weren’t ready, and participants had to be accommodated in hostel lounges. Unless you remain calm and composed while handling these issues, you’ll only aggravate the problem.

The days during the festManagers agree that after having executed the first day of the fest perfectly, the rest of the days go by in a blur. Managers plan; co-ordies execute. This doesn’t mean that it is always smooth sailing. But as the fest progresses, the managers become more adept at handling such crisis situations.. They also have their ‘Baap’ managers to thank, who are there to guide them through the whole process.

The last day of the festAlthough the last day is not very different pressure-wise, it is important to ensure that the fest ends on a high note. Emotionally, it is a big day for all the team members. It’s common for even orgies and coordies to get a little teary-eyed. Seeing your hard work bear fruit is an indescribable feeling for anyone who has had the pleasure of working for the fest.

Pros:Despite the diverse nature of work available in different IB’s, the key positives that CG’s and Managers take away from their experience are quite similar. Time Management was perhaps the most obvious and most quoted lesson, as balancing the pressure of work throughout the year, with no break from the academic session, forced most to chalk out their priorities and be more vigilant about the time they had been leaving unutilized before. Confidence and improved decision-making ability was another key common ground, with most of them walking away with a shrewder sense of practicality. Being able to better present logical arguments due to their improved speaking skills were also changes they welcomed. The IB work involves a significant amount of networking,which is a big bonus, both in terms of contact-building and improving communication skills.

As one would expect, one of the most important take-away was learning to work in a team. Being in an IB with an entire organizational hierarchy, the leaders at the top have to balance what they think is right, with what the team wants in general. Besides keeping everyone motivated, learning how to think as a team, and putting the team ahead of themselves was invaluable during their tenures. Contrary to popular perception, resume-building features are not what CG’s/Managers are most

Cons:Being a CG/Manager is not a walk in the park and the post does come with its downsides. There is the obvious issue of time management. Though it’s not impossible, doing justice to your acads and your responsibilities towards the fest at the same time is no easy matter. Many IB members say that they have had to make a tough choice between the IB and their hobbies. They also have to drop their internships and work solely for the fest during the summer. To some extent, your social life also takes a hit. Having committed yourself to the fest, you rarely have time to interact with people other than your team members. Whether you like it or not, your team members become your new best friends, although to be fair, everyone we interviewed found this to be pro rather than a con.

pleased about. In fact, most of them agree that the work, in general, is gruelling, and if resume points are your main motivation, then “tumhara give up ho jaayega”. The most important pros were also the ones freshman rated lowest. Most of them talked about friendship and bonding, recounting their first treats with the Baap-Managers/CGs, not to mention the unbreakable bonds they’ve formed with their own team members. The rapport and support they found within their own teams and in the coordinators was, for most of them, the icing on the cake.

"Everything will go

according to

plan!"

"Everything will go

according to

plan!"

"Nothing is going

according to

plan!"

Free food

at last!

"Nothing is going

according to

plan!"

Free food

at last!

Run for

CG/Manager!

After In

terview: "Is it

too late to sw

itch IB

's?"

-_-

Introspectio

n

phase

Results: "Yesss

!

I'm awesome!" :

D

The real biz

enthu appears

AprMar FebJandec

Is everything ready?

Detailed timeline,

everything planned

If timeline goes to

pieces - "Baap manager!

Help!"Evolutio

n to

ManagerEmotional Fulls

MarJandec febsummer jul aug-nov

ONE HELL

OF A RIDE!

Meetings,

Ideology, Planning

Decide competi-

tions, C

all sponsors,

Invite students

" Where are all the

coordies?!"Coordies st

art

ditching

Coordie treat

Plan, work, brin

g

things together

"Stop kataoing me!"

"Mummy" :'(

"Does anything go

according to plan?!"

Evolution to CG

Emotional fulls

Team bonding,

planning" Where are all th

e

coordies?!"Callin

g/mailing

phase Find lecturers,

performers

Get exhibitions

Execution phase!

Set up vision for

upcoming year

Developed business

sense, management sk

ills

Emotional

Fulls

" Where are all the

coordies?"Settle

into role,

jugaad coordies

Eureka, N.E.C., E&B

Club activite

s

E- Summit work begins.

E & B work continues

E- Summit executio

n

COMMON FOR ALL THREE

KEEP CALM AND PLAN ON

DREAMS

OF GREATNESS

Page 8: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

Freshmen Newsletter

Ek khaas classContrary to the popular notion that students hardly attend their classes, we found that a whopping 82% of the freshmen attend their classes regularly. What’s even more interesting is that the ‘maggu junta’ (defined as those who study more than for more than 5 hours a day) form a mere 4% of the total freshmen population. Perhaps others spend this time on….

The lukkha-aap tradition!Despite more freedom and privacy than ever before, the freshmen have easily followed the footsteps of their seniors. With 55% of the freshmen having lost count of the number of movies they had watched since they came here, it is easy to see that DC++ has been a primary source of lukkha. We also found that 25% freshmen were into late-night gaming while 33% said they go out more than once a week.

ED – Enemy in DisguiseAfternoons are generally occupied by further classes or labs. Of all the subjects, we found that ED took up an integral chunk of a freshman’s day. Apart from the regular ED lectures and labs, almost 40% of the freshmen spend more than 5 hours a week on their assignments.

“The ED assignments were a real downer for all. As challenging a task as any, they could have put the Triwizard Tournament setters to shame. Most wingies gathered in the common area at a pre-decided time, and then the discussions followed, occasionally interrupted by random KPK talks. The night before an ED lab session, desperation ran extremely high. One could find people running around the hostel trying to ‘jugaado’ completed sheets; large groups sitting with their ‘ND Bhatt’s, trying to make some sense of the ever-so-annoying auxiliary planes, while the few chosen ones skilled in the art tried to explain to the rest how perspective projection really works and failed miserably (it’s still a mystery to many even though they’ve officially completed the course). Countless hours were, and still are, spent de-mystifying the workings of engineering drawing.”

- Anonymous freshman, who’s been-there-done-that

Extracurrics – an identityThanks to the wide range of extracurricular activities that the institute offers, the evenings provide a refreshing change from the monotonous academic routine. Not surprisingly, these are very well utilized by freshmen. Whether it be sports, cultural activities or tinkering with technology, there remains none who hasn’t participated in at least one of these. In fact, the Institute ‘Salsa Night’ was the event with maximum participation, followed closely by ‘Line Follower’ and ‘XLR8’.

“The scene outside academia is incredibly overwhelming at least initially; and these interests deeply influence the batchmates and seniors one interacts with during their stay in and after their graduation from the Institute. The one persistent question on everyone’s mind is - “There’s so much to do! How will I ever have enough time?” and with the plethora of activities at their disposal, most people excitedly try their hand at everything, not wanting to leave anything out.

More than one semester in, participation in events dips with people having found their favorites from the countless options, are less enthusiastic about their getaway here. In fact, the whole task finding the one thing that brings a six-mile wide smile on one’s face is a huge learning curve in its own way!”

The wildly popular Freshmen Newsletter, by the freshmen’s own admission, is their best source to know everything about the insti – culture, fundae, polt and gossip. Everything, apart from their own doings. And so, to break that myth, the makers of this article set out to investigate the life of a freshman. Or more precisely, a typical day in the life of a freshman.

A day in the life of a FreshmanAnukriti Chaudhari, Charvi Rastogi, Shreya Gupta

Illus

trat

ions

: Par

imal

Chah

ande

With most of the time spent walking, wandering is yet another form of lukkha. Not surprisingly, the more aimless our walks are, the happier they make us. Roaming around in the Insti– exploring the little nooks and corners to replace our favourite ‘addas’ back home; but it’s also about finding the people whose company transforms the time spent in these otherwise insignificant places into fond memories.

Page 9: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

ISSUE 1.2

Cultural GCs Cultural events account for a major chunk of the activities occurring in the institute, and can be broadly split into seven genres: Music, Photography & Fine Arts, Speaking/Debating, Literary Arts, Dance, Dramatics, and Film & Media. While the ‘high prep’ GCs requiring about a month’s time of practice - like Gyrations (Dance), Main Dram GC (Dramatics) and Goonj (Music) - did not allow freshmen participation, ‘low prep’ GCs like Debating and Literary Arts GCs were open to freshmen participating as “open entries”. Though it seemed unfair to leave Hostel 15 out of some Cultural GCs, there were valid reasons to do so. The rationale behind this was that in the freshmen year, one cannot be expected to perform at such a big stage without proper amenities for practice sessions and without the guidance of experienced seniors. The overwhelming participation of freshmen in some of the GCs was noteworthy. For creating awareness about and exposure to the cultural events in the campus, the Institute Cultural Council appointed cult mentors who tried to ensure that freshmen participated in Freshizza. Further, with the cultural clubs functioning round the clock, there were enough activities that the freshmen could explore. The Cultural Council, encouraged by the Cult mentors’ success this year, is now ready to strengthen it by having a few third year seniors heading the program to ensure more participation and make sure that all the freshmen can benefit from this scheme. For ensuring a better experience and a suitable place for practice, a music room and a dance room have recently been allocated. These are expected to greatly benefit those hostelites who will wish to practice for these events.

Sports GCsUnlike the cultural GCs, the freshmen were given an opportunity to represent their hostel in the Sports GCs. The Sports Council felt that students might have pursued some sport and garnered the skills to compete with people on campus during their schooling. This year witnessed freshmen participation in the Sports GC for the first time in recent memory. Their participation helped increase interaction with senior players while earning them recognition for their outstanding performance. All in all, the enthusiasm and performance of the freshmen was commendable and the girls were rewarded with a runner-up position. In our interview with the ex-GSSA Harmin Shah, we were told that the selections and trials for the teams were fair. The freshmen, however, felt that in some sports, the NSO students were preferred over others despite their performance not being up to the mark in the trials, which were held during practice slots. The council, while taking responsibility for the same, has assured us that this would be avoided in the future. Moreover, despite there being over 800 students in the hostel and the various means of publicity employed, the number of freshmen actively participating in the GCs turned out to be low. The Ex - GSSA suspects that the freshmen lacked enough motivation, although their overall performance was appreciable. The Ex - GSSA said that the freshmen would be a part of the next year’s GCs too. In addition to that, the Sports Council is about to propose a team of Sports Mentors comprising of third and fourth year students, which would serve to foster better interaction between the Sports Council and the freshmen. To overcome the lack of grounds in the hostel, the morning practice slots in gymkhana grounds on every weekend will be reserved exclusively for freshmen.

Tech GCsThe Tech GCs play a vital role in deciding the General Championship cup. This year, we saw an increase in the number of Tech GCs from 6 to 8 and the new competitions that were introduced were low prep GCs to increase the participation of students. Further, the weightage was increased from 20% to 30% in the overall general championship.

The Tech GCs this year included problem statements related to electronics, logic, aeromodelling, robotics, coding and Math n Physics either individually or a combination of a few of them. Upon the Hostel GSec’s insistence, freshmen were allowed to be a part of the Tech GC this year even though they were not considered for the overall Tech GC trophy. This was meant to provide freshmen with a better exposure to the technical scenario in the campus. The Overall Coordinator of STAB, Ashima Mittal suggested that the appointment of a representative from Hostel 15 for technical activities would definitely boost the efforts involved in getting freshmen to participate in the GCs. There is already a Tech Room available to freshmen in their hostel for the GCs.

To sum upWith the freshmen being allowed to take part inthe GCs this year, it seems to have been a great experience for those who took part. Performance at such a big stage just in their freshie year also helped spur their overall development and increase their confidence levels significantly, something which could not happen until the last year. Those who couldn’t find the time or lacked sufficient interest would be well advised to shut down their laptops for a while, as not doing so might be regretted later..

Performance of Hostel 15 in GCsAaditya Taparia, Himanshu Mangal, Sahil Dhingra, Siva Chaitanya, Vaibhav Bhosale.

Soon after entering the hallowed gates of IIT Bombay, most freshmen are left wide-eyed by the opportunities available to prove and develop themselves – be it in the fields of sports, cultural activities, technical activities or their academics. This year saw the inclusion of freshmen in inter hostel general championships in some genres for the first time ever. These championships, commonly known as the GCs, serve to nurture a sense of unity among

the residents of each hostel, as every individual toils for perfection while competing for the honor of the hostel they belong to. Over the years, the Inter Hostel GC Cup has become a matter of pride and dignity for which the hostel councils strive round the clock. Despite so much importance attached to GCs in the institute, Hostel 15 this year wasn’t allowed to be a part of all of them. Until last year, freshmen were concentrated in hostels 1, 2, 3 and 4. To prevent these hostels from getting an undue advantage, they weren’t allowed to be a part of the GCs. With the coming up of Hostel 15, however, it was expected that this would change. The inter hostel GCs can broadly be categorized to three genres: Cultural, Sports and Tech. While freshmen were allowed to be a part of the Sports and Tech GCs, the Cultural GCs this year did not permit freshmen participation.

Page 10: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

Freshmen Newsletter

Time flies, they say. As the first year draws to a close, most freshmen have already got various glimpses of the myriad facets that

make IITB life what it is - a beautiful campus, hostel life, an exciting cultural and sports scene, academics and various other ‘pains’. All this has to have left them exhilarated and wanting for more. In a matter of a few months, freshmen will level up and set off to their allotted ‘senior’ hostels as sophomores.

While they’re still in H15, these ‘senior’ hostels serve only one purpose – engendering excitement and endless speculation. So, we decided to go to each hostel and gather some input from the respective residents. In addition to individual hostel traits, we also find out what a PoR entails in the sophie year, what kind of events sophies bear witness to in senior hostels and the types of seniors they are likely to encounter.

Council Structure:

Hostel secretaries and other sophomore PoRs:After getting a peek at the complete spectrum of ongoing activities in the institute, it is time that the to-be sophomores formally take up responsibilities for their favourite club/organisation in the capacity of a convener or a secretary. Sophies do the bulk of the work in all organisations, whether they are Independent Bodies like Mood Indigo and Techfest or the hostel and cultural councils.

In the hostel council, sophomores are eligible to apply for posts of hostel secretaries. With around 20 secretary posts in each hostel, there are ample opportunities for everyone to vie for these spots. The primary work of a secretary is to cater to the needs of his/her specific genre. For instance, a music secretary organises jam sessions, conducts workshops and looks after the preparations for the music GC. In addition to this, secretaries are actively involved in organising the celebrations for various festivals and contributing to the preparations of PAF.

The election procedure for secretaries lays huge emphasis on groundwork. The candidates are

expected to meet seniors in their particular field and formulate a statement of purpose. Following this, a soapbox is conducted in which the candidates have to present their SoPs to seniors and answer questions posed by them. This is followed by the elections, in which all the students residing in the hostel have the prerogative to vote.

Hostel allocation:We had a talk with some HCU members to get to know the procedure by which the hostel allocation was carried out this time around. According to former ISHA Abhijeet Pawar, each floor was divided into 4 groups :

1. Consisting completely of B. Techs2. Consisting of 20% B. Techs and 80% DDs3. Consisting of 20% DDs and 80% B. Techs4. Consisting completely of DDs. These were then made into chits. Next, the G. Sec. of each hostel picked around 3 chits depending on the availability of rooms in their hostels. This arrangement was done to ensure some uniformity in the composition of wings. Care was taken so that floormates ended up in the same hostels.

Hostel 4 - MadhouseRooms: This is one department where H4 is found wanting. Rooms are tiny and those moving in from the spacious H15 and H4 (new wing) rooms will definitely feel the pinch. Bunk beds have been introduced in some rooms to mitigate the crisis. They, however, have brought in new problems - like air circulation for the lower occupant and hassle of climbing for the upper occupant.

Infrastructure: H4 boasts of indoor games facilities like table tennis, foosball and pool. Outdoor enthusiasts might be disheartened to know that basketball court is the only well-maintained court. But with close proximity to the footer field and the SAC, it is not a deal-breaker. There is the not-so-well-maintained computer room (who uses it anyway?) and a TV room that overflows with sports-enthusiastic inmates whenever there’s an international fixture.

Mess: The H4 mess used to be, what the H15 mess is, a complete mess. Years of prayers for better grub were finally answered last year and H4 got a new private mess. Decent food, along with occasional gala dinners means that the H4 mess is currently among the better ones in the institute.

Hostel culture: ‘ENTHU’ is the word that best describes Hostel 4. Famously known as Madhouse, H4 is the liveliest and the most enthu-loaded hostel in the institute.

Hostel 3 - Vitruvians

Rooms: Spacious, well-maintained rooms will make the move from H15 to H3 not so tumultuous, with the balcony being the icing on the cake.

Infrastructure: When it comes to infrastructure and facilities, H3 stands pretty high in the rankings with all rooms in proper shape. The music room is bigger and better than ever after its recent renovation, while the lounge, too, is decent with wifi routers installed. The gym is well furnished and the hostel has their own gym trainer as well. The washrooms are clean and well maintained and the absence of a laundry room is compensated for by the washing machines on each floor.

Mess: The mess is doing a good job as the inmates seem to be quite satisfied with the quality of food being served. The menu is changed frequently to cater to the demands of the students.

Hostel culture : Dramatics has been the pet cultural activity of the Vitruvians and they have been consistently dominating this field, making them strong contenders for this year’s Cult GC. In sports, this hostel has been the leader in Lawn Tennis and Crossy over the past few years and has a good standing in the overall tally as well.

What is senior Hostel life like?Abhijit Tomar, Devang Thakkar, Mansi Sood, Niranjan Thakurdesai, Pranav Shrivastava, Shantanu Thakoor, Shreeyesh Menon

Hostel 2 - The Wild OnesRooms: H2 has one of the biggest rooms in the institute for sophies. Well equipped rooms with proper spacing between beds, a medium-sized balcony and sufficient storage space would make the shift from H15 to this hostel a great experience. Though there is a prominent mosquito menace faced by the residents of this hostel, steps have been taken by the council to combat this problem.

Infrastructure: Freshies would be disappointed at the state of the washrooms. Puny sized toilets with leaky taps and cranky faucets are likely to greet the incoming students in most wings, though the overall infrastructure seems to be in a good condition. The Wild Ones pride themselves on having one of the biggest TVs in the institute in their lounge. Other highlights include a well furnished pool room and an excellent music room. Though the computer room is not commendable, this deficit is made up for by the well-stocked tech room.

Mess: A hostel mess in IITB is no gourmet’s delight, but the experience isn’t as bad as it is commonly projected either. The H2 mess might not be the best mess in the institute, but it surely is among the top ones, with a regularly updated menu, high hygiene standards and gala dinners every semester. The canteen also has a variety of choice and is open to boys and girls until 2 AM every night.

Hostel culture: Over the years this hostel has churned out many Lit heavyweights and is often referred to as the Lit Powerhouse of the insti. As for sports, H2 is known to outperform most other hostels in Table Tennis and football, with a respectable performance in all other sports.

Page 11: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

ISSUE 1.2

Hostel 7 - Lady of the LakeRooms: The rooms are a big let down with such a tiny space and inmates will take some time to adjust to such a small setting. Even so H7 is right up there in the wish-list of freshmen soon-to-be-sophomores, being located by the verdant locales of the serene Powai lake and whatnot.

Infrastructure: The tech room, gym room, and TV room are state of the art and the hostel has decent sports facilities, but the maintenance is lax and the general standard of cleanliness around the hostel is also not upto the mark with debris from the renovation not being properly cleared.

Mess: H7 offers one of the best messing facilities in the institute with tasty food and occasional gala dinners forming a part of the package. The mess is one of the USPs of the hostel with good reviews from the inmates and high standards of cleanliness.

Hostel Culture: H7 has been the sports powerhouse for the last few years. They have performed admirably and consistently in all sports, and the GC statistics completely reflect this. As far as cult is concerned, the hostel is doing well in fine arts and film and media. However, it needs to catch up when other genres are considered.

Hostel 8 - WoodlandRooms: The room size of the hostel is on the better side. Painting is in progress, so the sophie batch coming in this year are going to get decent-looking rooms. Hostel 8 is definitely a hostel vied for due to its great location near the footer field, the tennis court and proximity to the Campus Hub and the academic area. It also houses one of the most popular hangout spot in the institute, Brewberrys.

Infrastructure: The washrooms are not in a very good condition. But a renovation is on the cards this summer. Recreational facilities include a table-tennis room, a pool room and a music room. While the overall sports facilities are up to the mark, the basketball court can be better.

Mess: The recently privatized mess has been doing a satisfactory job and has been highly responsive to the residents’ demands.

Hostel Culture: Intra-hostel sports events see huge participation from the residents and it also hosts events like the WooFLe, or the Woodland Football League, one of the most fun football events in the whole campus. It also holds the annual hostel fest, known as Junglefest. The special studness quotient of the hostel, according to the seniors, is its prowess in debates.

Hostel 10Rooms: Sophies moving to H10 this year will be allocated rooms on a triple sharing basis. The rooms are of a decent size but it would be a let down for freshies coming from H15 used to living in much more spacious rooms with just a single roommate. Do also note that H10 is strategically located between the main gate and the academic area.

Infrastructure: All the sophies will be moving into the new wing which boasts of a huge set of infrastructural facilities. Overall, the hostel is very well maintained with excellent hygiene conditions and all the requisite facilities. Bonus point: Elevators.

Mess: H10’s mess is counted amongst the superior ones on campus. It’s a privatised mess which serves good quality food. Tea parties and gala dinners are hosted here every semester.

Hostel Culture: H 10 is undoubtedly the best girls hostel when it comes to the cult and sports scene. Exciting events are conducted every now and then, all major festivals are celebrated here with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Hostel 9 - PlutoRoom: The size of the rooms will be a huge let down when the sophies move into the hostel since the sense of space crunch is palpable. But the rooms have been recently painted and refurbished, making the experience more bearable.

Infrastructure: Facilities are excellent with the highlights being the full length basketball court and the spacious and well-maintained super lounge. In general, the maintenance has been great after the recent renovation. New washing machines have been installed in the toilets and there is a high standard of cleanliness in the hostel. The only downside is the under-equipped gym.

Mess: After years of waiting, the mess has been privatized last year and it has improved by leaps and bounds. The mess menu is still being finalized but the mess is on the right track with inmates’ opinions being looked into and general positive reviews about the mess.

Hostel Culture: H9 has consistently performed well in cult GC and PAF over the years, with debating, dance and dramatics being the strong points. The cult scene is very active but the same cannot be said about sports where the hostel is lagging.

Hostel 6-The Vikings Rooms: The rooms here may not appear as the biggest (after all, you are coming here from H15), but are big enough for two people to live with reasonable comfort.

Infrastructure: H6 boasts of a great lounge area and one of the institute’s best music rooms. The recreational space also includes a gym, along with basketball, football and volleyball courts and a table tennis room. A renovation of the washrooms is also on the cards this summer, so that the incoming sophie batch gets top-notch facilities.

Mess: The general opinion about the mess food is very positive. The inmates seem happy with the private mess whose menu keeps getting updated periodically.

Hostel Culture: The hostel events include the annual Hostel fest and Gala dinners. Also, H6 is definitely high on PAF, with a team of enthusiastic veterans that really packs a punch. Film and dramatics are the forte of this hostel. In sports, the hostel excels in squash and tennis. H6 also leads the tech scene among the hostels, with pole positions in recent years in the Tech GC.

Hostel 5 - PenthouseRooms: Let’s face it- if there’s one thing the freshman batch is dreading about the shift to senior hostels, it’s that they won’t enjoy the luxuries they are experiencing in H15. Even by the standards of old hostels, H5 has very small rooms. Adjusting to these will be one taxing task. Infrastructure: The open design of the hostel will be a breath of fresh air after H15’s closed-off design, though. The bathrooms in all the wings have recently been renovated, and the hostel in general is quite clean. They have dedicated PAF, music, and dance rooms, a decent tech room, and a library.

Mess: Around a quarter of the freshman batch had been messing at H5 for the first few months of the first semester. Those freshmen will testify to the fact that H5 has perhaps the best mess on the campus, with monthly menu changes. The negatives? Older students say that the mess food becomes boring after a while, and there’s a lot of rush during peak hours. Hostel culture: H5’s cult scene has improved over the last few years, and it stood third in last year’s cult GC. H5 also does well in Tech GCs, having won last year’s edition. It’s performance in Sports GCs is a bit lacklustre, though - with H5 currently placed fifth - and it might be up to the freshies to turn it into a hostel to be feared on the field.

Page 12: Freshmen Newsletter Issue 1.2 Print_final

Freshmen Newsletter

meet the team

Hello all,

The Freshmen Newsletter has far exceeded our own expectations in terms of, both, the popularity it enjoys among freshmen and the utility it provides to their daily lives. With this edition, Insight has finally produced an entire print issue with a team of panelists almost entirely composed of freshmen – a feat that would have been unimaginable in the past. We do hope that you will enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed creating it for you. Please feel free to contact us for feedback or suggestions by dropping a mail to [email protected]

Wishing you happy end-sems and happier summers!Anshul Avasthi - 9833355238Chirag Chadha - 8879006151

Signing In...CreditsTop Row: Shreeyesh Menon, Mukul Rahourei, Deepak Dilipkumar, Sagar Sheth, Sagun Pai, Anamika Agrawal, Anukriti Chaudhari, Niranjan Thakurdesai, Kshitij Jayakrishnan, Prakhar Singh, Siva Chaitanya, Kush Motwani.

Middle Row 1: Pranav Jain, Shantanu Thakoor, Suraj Shourie, Devang Thakkar, Pallav Chaudhary, Shreerang Javadekar, Rutuj Shah, Abhilash Kulkarni, Jivraj Karwa, Khagesh Kumar, Vaibhav Bhosale.

Middle Row 2: Jay Mardia, Rohan Jain, Mihir Bhosale, Shardul Vaidya, Niranjan Jha, Nikhil Allamsetti, Akash Kishore, Pradyot Prakash, Parimal Chahande, Utkarsh Kumar, Sahil Dhingra.

Bottom Row: Mansi Sood, Aishwarya Chandrasheker Amuda, Shreya Gupta, Harshit Sahay, Chirag Chadha, Anshul Avasthi, Pranav Prakash, Abhijit Tomar, Palka Puri, Rucha Walawalkar, Charvi Rastogi

Not pictured: Aaditya Taparia, Ashish Nanda, Dhruv Nigam, Himanshu Mangal, Pranav Shrivastava, Sahil Khanna, Shudhatma Jain.

Design & Layout: Narendra Parmar

THE 6 TYPES OF wingieS YOU WILL MEET IN IIT-B

His High-ness

“Haan! Hoon mai maggu!” “RG nahi! I’m just lukkha during exams.”

“GC machao! PAF machao! Enthu dikhao!”

“Aur bhai? Kaisa hai bhai?”

<Chirp, Chirp>

Illus

trat

ions

: Par

imal

Chah

ande