Internship at IIT Gandhinagar – Mohit from VIT
Mohit from VIT Vellore interned at IIT Gandhinagar and learned bunch of new things. He responded to every call that excited his spirit. He enjoyed and explored the beautiful city of Ahmedabad.
The Summer Research Internship at IIT Gandhinagar was a fun filled yet extremely didactic experience for me. It gives me great pleasure to recount the memories of the time I spent in the IITGN campus at Ahmedabad.
It was first through Internshala that I learned about SRIP, and I had set my heart on it since then. Moreover, one of the available Internshala projects closely matched my research interests. The application process was simple and pellucid. I submitted my application and thus began the wait for the announcement of results.
The selection day:
It was 4:30 am on March 24 and sleep eluded me for some reason. I had already been checking the IITGN website for the last 1-2 days to check if the Summer Research Internship (SRIP-2015) results were announced but to no avail. I decided to look for the results announcement one more time and as soon as I typed “SRIP 2015 results” into Google- and there it was available in the very first link. With a racing heart, I clicked on the link and the list of selected students appeared before me. I quickly found my name within the first few names on that list and I checked and then I double checked if it was indeed I who was selected. I was elated and wanted to tell my parents and friends about it immediately, but I obviously had to put off the announcement for a later hour.
First day at IITGN:
I reached IITGN campus on 31st May which was one day before my joining date. I was apprehensive about the campus as I come from VIT Vellore, and we have an amazing campus with nice accommodation facilities (humblebrag). However, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the hostels at IITGN campus. They were very well furnished– washing machine, microwave, printer and whatnot. We went crazy about clicking pictures all around. We went out in some time to explore the city of Ahmedabad, and by the time I returned back, I pretty much knew that I was going to love everything there.
Meeting my mentor(s):
On the first day of my internship after acquiring my student id and Wi-Fi password (of utmost importance for us engineering students), I headed to meet my mentor: Dr. Gaurav Srivastava. I admired him for how knowledgeable he was, yet with a friendly and approachable demeanor. He briefed me about the overall approach of the topic and introduced me to his PhD scholars – Ravi anna and Nasar bhaiya who would also assist me throughout the project.
Learning and intellectual simulation:
My project involved finite element analysis on ANSYS software and I knew absolutely nothing about it. My mentor and the PhD scholars, with whom I struck an amiable rapport within the first few days, helped me a lot in this regard. Those were the days when I would watch explanatory videos on ANSYS software, read lots and lots of literature and research papers to become more familiar with my project topic. I would especially want to remark at the in-depth explanation of the ANSYS software which my mentors provided. They taught me the minutest details about our analysis, why are we doing it this way instead of the other, what happens if we alter and so on. The profound knowledge each one of them had and the meticulous manner with which they would learn as well as teach inspired me to learn the same way.
Fun (without restraints):
We got an exposure to the festive culture of IITGN and its everyday activities through numerous workshops, lectures, cultural events and various other student-organized events such as Halla bol, Manek Chowk, Nyasa Summer camp etc.
Almost every weekend, and sometimes on weekdays, we would go out to watch a movie, loaf around the nearby mall or explore the various tourist attractions that the city of Ahmedabad has to offer. Be it adventurous rides and spectacular laser show in Kankaria Lake, the mesmerizing IMAX experience in the Science City, the bustling streets in Manek Chowk or the beautiful scenery at the Riverfront and Sabarmati Ashram; it was a fun and novel experience.
I remember in our orientation, we were told that IITGN treats its students like responsible adults and encourages them to make their own choices. Indeed, this was true: the freedom afforded to students there is matchless. There was no fixed-in-time in the hostels and the lab in which I worked. It was available 24×7. I chose my own timings to work and being the “night owl” that I am, it proved very convenient and productive for me.
The Takeaway:
This internship enabled me to fulfil my long lasting dream of being an IITian (even if it was for a few weeks). Each day that I spent in IITGN taught me something new. The experience rejuvenated my drive to learn and made me realize my potential. I would recommend all my juniors to strive to get into this program. Choose the project that you are applying for carefully and mention your motives clearly in the Statement of Purpose. Some prior experience related to the project will improve your chances of getting in. I had great fun and learning experience in IITGN and I hope you get the opportunity for the same.
If Mohit’s experience motivates you, you can check the latest internships in Ahmedabad and latest Engineering internships.
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