First case is the Bong guy:
The Bong guy is 26 something.He got an above 3500 rank in IIT and took up geology or something in Indian School of Mining, Dhanbad. Today he earns 20lacs per annum and travels business class. Which is some success, trust me.
Second case is of the XYZ guy, whose name I have no intention of sharing:
He went to one of the best IITs with one of the sharpest brain on the planet, but failed miserably. When I last heard of him, he was struggling with a CGPA of 4, which is pathetic, and was clearing his previous back logs all through out the summer vacation.
But some how when it comes to IITians, you know that a gorgeous career beckons him any way.
The third case is of my friend and class mate in DCE, Tejbir:
This guy is one of the sharpest brain with a chaste attitude towards studies which expectedly places him within the top very few of the class. He quit Civil in IIT Delhi to opt for DCE, Electronics. Today he has an awesome placement of 10 lacs in his hand with NVIDIA with an enviable career. Would he have had a better career in an IIT. When I popped up the question he had a long story to tell. He said this very question had haunted him for the last three years. He had often regretted having left IIT. When he was kicked in the written exam phase for first 4 companies he applied for, he told me, he lost his marbles. He asid he really wished he could go back in time. But then came NVIDIA. They gave him a job and a nice one at that. And now he says he is relaxed. He loves himself for gone for eletronics. He has no regrets.
The fourth case is my own:
Here are the facts:
- 2004:IIT:rank 3830,which means one of the worst steams in one of the most inferior IITs
- 2004:DCE:rank240,which means every option available
- 2005:IIT rank 2321, which means many options available but wasting a year already spent in DCE.
As is known to any one with whom I have exchanged any more that 2 sentences in last three years, I opted for option 1 among the three I listed. Not going in to the train of thoughts which forced this decision, I express what I could have been had I opted for option 2 or 3:
The Bong guy's case left bells ringing in my head. It easily could have been my case if only I wanted. But then there is case 2 of the XYZ guy which also VERY easily could have been my case. But then I could have wasted a year and worked with diligence like Tejbir and excel at one of the IITs. All three cases could have been a possibility. But as I often say, when its about yourself, you know in some part of your brain that you will get through.
Only time can tell us ki Koun Banega Crorepati jaldi?
Edit:
An epilogue:
Tejbir's comment:
I know this one is very late but still it is.... I am the third case guy, to introduce myself. Truely in the first three years at DCE, it has been all regrets for not going to IIT (and taking up something like civil or textile over there). Then NVIDIA somewhat changed everything and I backed up my decision. But now again, Sachin, same question has started to haunt me. Aseem Khosla , my friend in IITD, having 2800 ( or so rank) , got into Textile, and now he has got wonderful package of 26 lakhs p.a. So what say now?? I think its all destiny. Everyone will get what he/she desrves. Its just a matter of time.
January 9, 2008 8:52 AM
The debate is endless tej and i have to thank for sharing this train of thought.
one point you are not considering is that not every one at IIT gets 26lacs and many of them inferior jobs than yourself.
but i still can not negate the fact that with your mental acumen, no career could have been too good had you been there.
February 11, 2008 9:55 AM