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My journey began on September 7, 2015. Initially I was extremely flustered, but quite excited at the same time. Nervous, because I had this preconceived notion of IITians being arrogant and self-centered. However, I was tremendously delighted when my fallacious opinion was proven wrong. Every single individual that I came across at this globally recognized institution was immensely generous, supportive and affable to a large extent. The professors were prolific in their respective fields but also utterly down to earth. The simplicity of their lifestyle and the courteousness with which they explained every minute detail are something I'll forever cherish from my experience with the professors at IIT.Meanwhile, I also got an opportunity to meet a 24-year-old PhD scholar, Sir Repaul Kanji. Receiving valuable advice from him was also the highlight of my experience at IIT. He was also generous enough to provide me free access to the research papers of numerous professors from top universities around the world.
The labs at IIT were furnished outstandingly. I could easily find out the apparatuses, chemicals and all other necessary paraphernalia that were required conduct my project work. This educational institution was fully equipped with modern equipments and world class machines to render a vivid picture of theoretically taught lessons through its pragmatic application. A testimony to how engrossed I was while using these facilities is the dedication with which I spent six hours without a break in the Environmental Engineering lab.
Another facility at IIT that I truly enjoyed was the library. There were two libraries—one within the Civil Engineering Department, and another the central library. I used to spend hours regularly in the department's library where I got a chance to study the thesis of several former IITians. This helped me confidently prepare for my own thesis. The experience at Central Library was nothing short of remarkable, either. The two-story building full of neatly arranged books and free access to computers was a haven for learners. Students were all the time busy reading, researching, and making notes. The best part was, they were even allowed to bring their own laptop, plug earphones and listen to music in case they got bored. Drinking water station and washroom were in the building, too.
Students from across the world set up a diverse culture within the campus. I was fortunate enough to share a room with a fellow Nepali student at International Khosla House—the university's hostel for foreign students. The playground was astoundingly large in this campus extended in a 148-acre area. Hygienic food came at reasonable price at IIT's cafeteria, and all of us loved eating and hanging out there.
In a nutshell, IIT Roorkee was the best ever experience in my life thus far. My journey ended on September 12, but the amount of knowledge I was able to amass in those few days is something I won't be able to put into words.
With the promulgation of the new constitution, I believe that the government of Nepal will put forward plans and policies to establish at least one world-class university in the country. This is really, really important.
Sarin is an undergraduate student of Civil Engineering at Invertis University, India.
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