June 2008
From a small town to the IT hub of India. From a college known for notorious things to an institute known for its unique way of education and great professors. Dirty and dry campus to a green and clean campus. Chalk piece to smart board. The transition was beyond my expectation.
First day induction at the big main class room... New faces. No known friend with me. I was looking dumb like a lay-man who doesn’t know anything. I was sitting amidst an elite group which has idea about anything and everything. I was not sure whether I will be able to understand what others speak. My name in the scholars list was a shock. “What is wrong with those people? Why choose me?”
First time at hostel. When my father left me at hostel and told “I need not advise you since you know things better. Take Care” I was just stopping the tears that was about to flow like a flood. The individual room MH1-429 was looking like a hell. “Who is that guy in the next room, Senior? Will he rag me?.... Wi-fi? Proxy? Ubuntu?”. Lot of questions and doubts were lingering in my mind!June 2010
2 years passed like a second. I have changed a lot and IIIT-B too has seen lot of changes. Both myself and IIIT-B have put extra weight :) Great to see renovated IIIT-B campus with an extra floor and lot of space for tech firms and incubation companies.
Now I have many close friends from IIIT-B. The number of people with whom I share a smile and wave hands while passing in campus is huge. Being part of ‘Student Activity Committee’ facilitated me to move with many and organize many events. 
I have completely enjoyed the stay away from home (the number of tours I had gone with friends and the number of movies I have seen in theatre during last 2 years are enough to explain the amount of fun I had). 
Now, I am telling myself “Karthik, you are not that dumb”. It is because, I have learned a lot from everyone and everything around me. Even now, I am no where near my geeky friends of IIIT-B. 
The wrong notion I had about professors vanished and I started showing great respect to that profession. I came to know a ‘Prof.’ who is known by everyone right from Gates to Narayanamurthy, Clinton to Sibal. Now I am in that Prof’s ‘known people’ list. What more can I ask for?
Yes, I decided not to sit for placements after UG. I was adamant to do masters rejecting the advice from many that I will regret for this decision. I believed (a blind belief), I will get something better after completing MTech course, but I never thought I will join Siemens research group. Thanks to my parents for leaving me decide my own future and thanks to IIIT-B for setting a strong basement. I am indebted!
Thanks to all my friends at IIIT-B for making these 2 years a blissful one. I am looking for a day I meet you as managers, CEOs, scientists, founders of your own firms, billionaires and you still remember and recall the incident of me sleeping in class room during pre-sem which got projected in screen ;) Wishing everyone a happy life :)
P.S: I just posted whatever that came in my mind. Sorry for the unstructured post.
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