For Nehal Aggarwal, a first-year undergraduate student in the Mechanical Engineering department at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, the path to one of India's premier institutes was paved not by a childhood dream of engineering, but by a profound love for mathematics. Her journey, from the confines of JEE preparation to the expansive freedom of campus life, represents a dramatic shift in perspective.
The Rigorous Road to IIT: JEE Preparation Realities
Nehal's decision to prepare for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) was rooted in her long-standing affinity for numbers, nurtured through childhood abacus and Vedic maths lessons and participation in multiple Maths Olympiads. She began her focused preparation in 2023. The subsequent two years, as she describes, confined her universe to her room and a towering pile of books.
The vast syllabus, relentless mock tests, and constant peer comparison during Classes 11 and 12 often led to burnout. She appeared for JEE Main and JEE Advanced in 2025, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 11,789 in JEE Advanced. While she humorously notes the irony of now barely passing her college mathematics exams, that rank was her key to IIT Guwahati.
Hailing from Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, and a student of Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Nehal credits small, realistic study plans and weekly motivation sessions with her parents for keeping her grounded. As a Bharatanatyam dancer, she consciously made time for her art to maintain mental balance, alongside support from friends who cheered her up after difficult tests.
Embracing IIT Guwahati: From Imposter Syndrome to Belonging
Nehal entered the gates of IIT Guwahati on July 20, 2025, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the 700-acre campus nestled beside the Brahmaputra and rolling hills. The silence was profound, and the independence was immediate. "It was my first time living away from home," she recalls, facing a crash course in adulthood that involved laundry, budgeting, and meal decisions alongside academics.
Initially, sitting among state toppers and Olympiad winners triggered imposter syndrome. However, she quickly discovered that everyone was navigating similar uncertainties. Bonding over mess food, creating chore schedules, and sharing struggles helped build a new community. She realized IIT was not an endless academic race but a hub where students excelled as musicians, artists, dancers, and organisers.
Redefining Success: Clubs, Fests, and Life Beyond Marks
The tunnel vision of ranks and cut-offs from her JEE days shattered upon experiencing IIT life. Nehal immersed herself in the campus's vibrant extracurricular scene, joining multiple cultural and technical clubs and welfare boards in her very first semester.
She highlights her involvement in organising major events like the cultural fest Alcheringa and the entrepreneurship summit UDGAM, which provided hands-on experience in large-scale management and teamwork. This immersion taught her the critical skill of time management, balancing detailed lecture notes with her commitments.
Her daily routine involves cycling or hiking across the hilly terrain to classes, exhausting lab sessions, and evenings dedicated to friends or club activities. Hangout spots range from the KV Ghat at sunrise to the Khokha Market, with late-night Maggi sessions at Disang Hostel creating lasting memories.
Nehal expresses deep appreciation for the approachable professors and the unique freedom and trust the institute places in students, contrasting it with the strict curfews of other colleges. Managing her own expenses became a reality check, teaching her financial responsibility.
She poetically contrasts her IIT life as a "black-and-white short film" with the "technicolour web series" of exploring Guwahati, the Kamakhya Temple, and Meghalaya. The ultimate lesson IIT Guwahati has imparted, she concludes, is the art of figuring things out – staying calm amid chaos, valuing experiences over numbers, and evolving not just as an engineer, but as a curious and resilient individual.
