What is your review of Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad IITH

The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad is one of the quickest advancing IITs, nestled in one of India's major industrial hubs. The institute offers a lot of flexibility with its curriculum. They introduce innovative ideas like Fractal Academics and fractional credit courses in areas like Photojournalism and Film Making, along with classes taught by industry professionals. They also have unique interdisciplinary programs such as Engineering Science and offer a Minor in entrepreneurship. Being situated in a metro city with plenty of research facilities, laboratories, and multinational companies gives it an advantage over IITs and NITs in smaller locations. Among the newer IITs, IITH stands out as one of the top choices.

When we first drove into the ODF Medak campus, I wasn't thrilled about where IIT Hyderabad was located. The hostel area had old barracks turned into rooms, which didn't impress me much. But what kept my spirits high was my strong desire to grow in my career. I chose this IIT over other newer ones due to its solid reputation for education, research, and job opportunities. I was ready to overlook some less-than-ideal conditions if it meant I could advance my career here, and I'd make that choice again without hesitation.

IIT Hyderabad lived up to my expectations. The teaching quality, the guidance from the faculty, and the variety of classes in subjects like Psychology, Entrepreneurship, and Photojournalism really equipped me to face future challenges. During my first year of grad school, I landed a research assistantship studying how authors collaborate on research papers through data analysis, all thanks to a Psychology project I had worked on.

Being relatively new, IIT Hyderabad offers students a lot of chances to lead and innovate within the campus. Organizing our college fest, Elan, and interacting (both good and bad) with classmates prepared me emotionally for future hurdles. I still mention my experience with Elan on my resume because it's been crucial in helping me ace behavioral interviews even years later.

Today, I owe a significant part of my success to the people and experiences at IIT Hyderabad. Of course, success doesn't come without its challenges. Back when I was there, the placement cell and administration seemed slow, though I understand this might have been because I was part of the second graduating batch. If you can't handle things like campus politics, stereotypes, average mess food (which is common across many Indian colleges), or the travel distance from Hyderabad, this might not be the place for you.

However, if you're determined to be a successful professional and ready to tackle any obstacle, IIT Hyderabad is one of the best places in India to achieve that. The experience here truly fosters both professional and personal growth.

Let me give you the real scoop about IIT Hyderabad, just like it is. Sure, you've probably read glowing reviews about their fractal system and all, but let me share what really goes on, the stuff only insiders know but don't often talk about. It's gotten to the point where I feel like writing about it is the only way to deal with the frustration. Don't get me wrong, I really do love my college, but here's a reality check.

Firstly, the campus is more than 2 hours away from the city, near a small village called Kandi. Honestly, it feels more like IIT Kandi than IIT Hyderabad.

Here's how it goes. When we first arrived as freshmen, the campus was a massive shock. I've never seen a campus quite like it. Everything was in sheds—the rooms, the cafeteria, a tiny stationery shop, and even a small barber shop. That was pretty much it. The hostels were basically a bunch of shacks, but at least they were new, so no complaints there. The worst part was the main building, which seemed more suited for a primary school. It was a shabby two-story building with the biggest lecture hall on the roof. Yes, you heard that right, on the roof. But that lecture hall was actually the nicest room. We understood it was a new IIT with a temporary campus, so we tried to adjust, but there's a limit. The ACs in the computer labs often didn't work, and many chairs were broken. The lab's temporary roof had tiles falling off, with big holes revealing spider webs and a shabby ceiling. I mean, come on, this is IIT, can't we have some standards? Oh, and there was a small cafeteria on campus too.

As for the cafeteria, it opened late at 10 am and closed at 2:30 pm, then reopened from 6 pm to 11:30 pm. During these hours, you could buy something, but they didn't stock glass bottles. So if you wanted a cold drink, you'd pay 30 bucks for it, and that was about it. Occasionally, they'd have Frooti or Appy if they were feeling generous. Chips like Lays were a no-go. Instead, they stocked the most unusual and unheard-of chips. I could go on, but I don't want to bore you.

Student interactions are another interesting tale. The wardens have warned us that if any senior is caught even talking to a freshman, all hell would break loose, leading to a DAC. Our wardens seem to think IIT students should only eat, study, and sleep. Student activities? Forget about it. There is a mentorship program called Sunshine, where two seniors help freshmen adjust to the new environment. It's actually one of the good things about IITH. Not everyone can become a mentor; there's a thorough screening process, interviews, and a 10-day training program by professionals to learn proper counseling. So the mentors are trained students, not just random seniors. But our wardens have a problem with anything students do, crashing mentor-mentee meetings, fest meetings, and club meetings, accusing seniors of ragging even when all this is approved by the director.

Now, let's talk about the DAC, or DISCO, or whatever you want to call it. The "Disciplinary Action Committee" is like the one from 3 Idiots. In the movie, they were stealing exam papers, so a DAC was called. Makes sense, right? But at our college, it means something else entirely. If you email about an issue troubling students, you'll be immediately threatened with a DAC by the wardens and fined by the Student Gymkhana. Our student gymkhana is probably the weakest among all IITs. After elections, they forget they're student representatives and become the wardens' puppets. They can't make decisions that benefit students. A lot of students here are from the south, and while that's not a bad thing, it's actually good...