Sleepless in Singapore: IITians - Secrets revealed

Among the many exchange students here in NUS, there are several people from the famous Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). From what I've heard about them, they are the smartest people in India and they are the few who have achieved the Indian dream. It is incredibly competitive to get into the institution as every single Indian student strives to do the same. They have to go through a standardized test called the JEE (Joint Entrance Exam). To prepare for this test, many people give up years of their lives studying. In the last two years of their high school, they start focusing less and less on school work and more and more on the preparation for JEE. Less than one percent of the applicants get selected into the Institution and most of the time, they do not get their primary choice of subject. The top choices are Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering. However, many choose to sacrifice the subject of their choice for the reputation of the institution and they are happy with the subject that they are given.

At the University of Toronto, there are several international students from India among which are some rejects from the Institution. They are incredibly smart people and are among the top 5% of the class. Looking at them, I assumed that the people who got accepted to the insitution must be exceptionally great. One of the rejects who is in my university is incredibly bitter towards UofT and life in general. He cannot stand it when someone scores a higher mark than him in a test. He is ranked 2nd in Computer Engineering and it drives him crazy that he is not ranked 1st! After interacting with this person, I came to Singapore where I met several students from different IITs. They were not as I assumed at all. They were here to party and have a great time and they say that they do the same in IIT. Surely they study a lot and are very intelligent people. However, the assumptions about them is not true at all. Apparently the studying stops at JEE for most people and after they get into the Institution, they want to have a good time like anyone else. They drink, smoke, go to clubs, and generally do things as regular college students should. They are after all participating in the exchange program and clearly they want to travel and see the world..

However, one thing that must be mentioned is that this may be merely one type of IITians who are this way. Surely there are many others back home who may study all the time and are not interested in worldly travels. However, there is this one very conservative guy who doesn't want to go anywhere and simply stays at home and studies or whatever. He is a conservative guy who looks down upon meat eaters, drinkers and clubbers.. But anyway, the rest seem to be fairly active.

It was only after interacting with so many IITians that I realized what goes on behind the admission process of the institution. Apparently there is this place called Kota in Rajasthan which is a place where people go to train for the JEE. Many students dont go to school at all and they simply spend all their time studying for the JEE. In India, it is fairly easy to get a high school degree without attending (If you have the money and contacts..), so they do that. Then there are others who attempt it in their final year of high school and if they don't get in, they take a year off and intensly study that entire year for the JEE. I've heard there are people who attempted the JEE 3 times and they finally go into the Institution. This goes to show how badly they want to get into IIT and it seems that they will have no future if they don't get in. This is the compteitive world of India where they absolutely have to do something regardless of capabilities or aptitude or even passion.

Once you get into the institution, they cannot send you out for failing a course. Apparently there are people who have been in the institution for 7 years or more because they've been failing... Also, this is probably why there is atleast one suicide every year in the institution. The students simply cannot take the pressure of being number one and they finally give in..

Granted the education and opportunities available in IIT is nowhere comparable to any other government institution in India. People go on several internships around the world and get to experience things that Indians can only dream about. However, is it really worth giving up your life for? Apparently it is..

This makes me appreciate what I have in Canada, the country where there are very few engineers and anyone can become anything or do anything with a little bit of hardwork.. Due to the lack of people, anyone that is willing to work can get a decent job and live a comfortable life. It is only after coming to Singapore have I realized how different things are in Asia. To even live a middle class life, you have to fight like no tomorrow and only the fittest wins. This is Asia.. the continent with a hellava lot of people who all want to become something great in life and are willing to give up everything to achieve it..