Brahmaputra is the oldest and largest boy's hostel at IIT Guwahati

My experience with the Institute has been a chaotic and yet nice. The Institute is where one experiences a plethora of new activities, and gets to chat with passerby strangers like they were your next door neighbors and make unforgettable memories. IIT Guwahati as an Institute is excellent and definitely fitting of its namesake as an IIT. Those two or more lengthy, unrewarding years in which you worked and studied hard are certainly repaid with full interest to you once you enter here. Uncountable amenities to explore and engage with. Countless events and fun days to partake in and be a part of and of course, all of this overwhelms you. Alone or in a group, you can always take a stroll around the campus and it is sure that it will rejuvenate your vigor.

The department of Mechanical Engineering is the oldest branch of the Institute. It’s also very well-reputed with experienced and passionate faculty. One can be eligible for admission via the JEE entrance exam. Your JEE Advanced rank determines both your Institute and branch. To become eligible for JEE Advanced exam, one should first clear the JEE Main entrance exam. It is one of the most competitive and highly sought exams which would act as your gateway to the most prestigious Engineering Institutes of India. The exam is held annually with the JEE Mains taking place in 2 shifts, January and April and the Advanced exam held at the end of May. One can attempt the Mains exam thrice and the Advanced exams twice. The Institute equips you with needed skillet and arsenal to bag any core interview and work in your dream company. The Institute does offer some seminars on trending and lucrative courses in the current market and industry.

A fee of around Rs. 1,50,000/- is paid every year which covers every Institute amenity, event membership, hostel and mess expenses, tuition and admission charges, etc. Category discounts are available to students of different category (given they are eligible for it). Financial aid and scholarships are also made available to financially burdened students and category students (a stipend that can vary from Rs. 500/- to Rs. 5000/- each month, if they are eligible for it).

Every faculty member here has their own distinctive style of educating students. Some are extremely stern and uncompromising, while others are much more lenient and forgiving. Almost all faculties here prefer to write on blackboard and they explain specific, hard to visualise concepts using slides or a simulation. Some faculty encourage group discussion to promote class unity and get to know students better while others favor self-learning and problem-solving to better prepare for unfavorable academic hurdles. All being distinguished and established. They aren't so egotistical or prideful that they won't accept any mistakes or flaws. The student professor feedback is extremely dynamic and responsive. Both sides learn from each other. The teacher student ratio of our Institute is very-balanced and reasonable so as to foster a holistic and all encompassing environment between the students and faculty members The professors of my department are though very stern but they are yet extremely approachable and genuinely passionate about the subject. One can always ask doubts and questions at any time of the day. We are also assigned FA (Faculty advisors) from the same department that guide and direct us in the right direction during our stay in Institute.

One main reason people join the IIT Guwahati is because of its vast and expansive connection to several domestic firms and top MNCs. Not to mention the lucrative and enticing packages they offer. We have a cell that guide and help students during the phase of in-campus placements. Intern drives also take place. Moreover, the placement drives help students get some exposure of work environment. Renowned companies like Google, Microsoft, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Tata, etc. visit the Institute every year to select candidates. The packages offered by them ranges anywhere from a few lakhs per annum to crores per annum outside of India.

I reside in the ‘Brahmaputra Hostel’ which is the oldest and largest boys’ hostel in the campus. With more than a 1000 residents, around 200 comprise of freshers alone. There are separate hostels for girls’ and boys’. The mess is known for its great standard in food and even attracts dormers from other hostels. Our hostels provide us with a lot of amenities including gym, game room, music room, library, TV room, etc. As a fresher you are expected to return to the hostel premises by 10 PM for the first three months. Personally, the rooms could have been larger but the beds are soft and comfortable with decent bathrooms.

The infrastructure is top-notch with world-class amenities. It comes with every sport arena or ground you could think of. Be it Track Field or Basketball court or Football field or indoor Badminton court, all of it is just a few pedals away. The main library is well-ventilated and maintained and boasts an impressive and grandiose archive of books. The auditorium is nothing short of a grand cinema hall that breathes in life in to the campus with students exhibiting vibrant and colorful performances. Coming to academics, the labs here possess state-of-the-art equipment that promotes passion-driven research and education. I personally love the sprawling greenery of the campus. It is very refreshing.

Campus life is hectic but also very colorful. You’ll never be busier than this in your life ever again. With innumerable clubs to join to, events to participate in and organise, the life of the students become pretty thrilling. Our Institute hosts some of the biggest events in all of Northeast. Some of the clubs are with ‘Alcheringa’, ‘Techniche’, ‘Spirit’, ‘Udgam’, and so on. The Institute also conducts SA courses (Student Activity Courses) to promote overall health and well-being of students. I’m currently a part of the Music and Game development club.