‘People Think Of IITs As Golden Gateway To Supreme Education, But It Is Exactly Opposite': IIT StudentA post shared by an IIT first-year student is going viral on social media. The post was shared on Reddit by a user named dengo302005 a month ago. However, it recently got traction amid the news of low placement rates for IIT students.
Through an online post, the IIT student reflected disenchantment with the education and the grading system of the institution. While writing about the burden of a humongous course and the burden of finishing units in a single day, the user emphasized the lack of ability to absorb and process the entire knowledge in the classroom. The student expressed disappointment over the loss of excitement carried during the preparation due to the lesser time spent on understanding the concepts during lectures.
Discussing the popularity of IITs in the outside world and how it is different from the popular perception, the user said, “People outside of this college (including my parents) think of it as a “golden gateway to supreme education”, but it is exactly the opposite.”
Moreover, the student also criticised the grading system and said, “The grading system here is so heavily dependent on the subjectivity of the TAs (Teaching Assistants) that it defeats the whole purpose of education.”
However, students and parents gave a mixed reaction to the post. While some users supported the argument on Reddit some responded in favor of the entire system as it is how it had always worked. One user said, “ I am doing civil in an old iit and I feel the same, I don’t even remember why I used to study during jee times. Idk whom it was that I wanted to prove my worth. Everything feels very useless all of a sudden idk why… and what I should do about it.”
Responding to this post another user writes, “IITs were never about this, these have always been a place for the most talented minds to gather and provide u a productive environment. It is a place that gives u a chance to display ur talent and hard work to the world and potential recruiters. The whole concept of IITians is that they are able to work through whatever tough situations they are given and produce the best results possible.”
In support of the IIT one parent writes, “As a parent of an IITian (IIT Bombay) here is some advice: You’re not alone – my child felt the same while in the 1st year and for a good part of the 2nd year – and I’m sure many other students feel this way. It takes time to settle in.”
Recently, questions were raised over IIT placement where it was reported that 712 of the 2,000 registered students at IIT Bombay are still without employment offers this session, However, IIT Bombay published a poll refuting the report and emphasizing that, although the majority of students (57.1%) were placed by IIT Bombay, just 6.1% of graduates are actively seeking employment.