Challenges, bring it on: Sukanya Sahu

IIT-ISM, Dhanbad

During my 11^th and 12^th class I was not aware of Geology. I didn’t have any idea about Geology or Earth Science. I thought that Geology is for Arts students but when my sister introduced it to me, I realized that Geology is the stream of Science which reveals the mystery of Earth and universe. Though at first I was not interested in Geology, but I went for it anyway because it has a lot of scope. Geology is one of the most interesting subjects that I have ever studied till now as its laboratory has neither roof nor walls. The whole universe is your lab. From the diamond rain on Jupiter to the subsurface of Earth where we can find the oil and gas; each and every creation of nature and its age come under Geology.

My admission journey

To pursue Masters degree in a good institution, I appeared in a number of entrance exams. I failed many times but I did not give up. First I prepared for the IIT-JAM and I secured AIR 247, which was a failure for me. Once I completed the whole syllabus for IIT-JAM and that became an advantage for me. So, for other exams I attempted mock tests only and studied from question papers of previous ten years.

I did not take any coaching classes as I believe you can achieve a lot on your own. The key to succeed in entrance exam is to complete the syllabus first and then attempt mock tests and previous year question papers.

I was not selected for any IIT, but I made it to NIT. I wanted to get into ISM (Indian School of Mines). So I appeared in ISM entrance exam. But since ISM is affiliated as IIT (ISM) now, to get through it IIT-JAM is must. So along with it, I also appeared for Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Delhi University (DU), Pondicherry University (PU) entrance exams.

When ISM results were declared, I had secured AIR 16 in General category. That was a magnificent day for me. In BHU entrance exam I secured AIR 50, and in PU entrance exam I secured AIR 297. I chose ISM.

My learning and insights

The real journey started after cracking the exam – the struggle to survive. The admission procedure was long as they checked every document thoroughly.

College life is awesome here but the thing is that you have to participate actively. I was always interested in acting and I had performed in a play in my childhood. When I acted in a play in college I was appreciated by everyone including my professors.

For a good campus placement you have to maintain good CGPA. In my first semester, my GPA was good but in second semester it decreased a lot as I was unable to pay attention to my studies due to personal reasons. For summer internship, I was selected by Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS) at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). That became the plus point for me. I learnt a lot there, not only academics but also things like how to tackle different situations, etc. I also started writing. Now I am member of many writing clubs and my poem has been published in an anthology.

In college, I also learnt how to play basketball which made me more focused and disciplined. I have participated in many literary events and inter-hostel basketball events. Praise from my friends and seniors made campus life worth living.

There are a number of clubs for extra-curricular activities in my college, which enable the students to follow their passion. A number of cultural and technical events are also organized in my college. The annual cultural fest SRIJAN is the largest cultural event of eastern India. , annual alumni meet BASANT, annual sports meet PARAKRAM, a tech fest and may more events are organized in my college. Each department organizes its own fest too. My college also has India’s largest and Asia’s 2^nd largest library is there where you can study.

ISM is famous for Mining and Geology and its placement record is also very good. I am in 3^rd year and I hope to be placed well this year.

I think my decision to join ISM was right for me. The mistake I did was that I took things so seriously that somewhere I lost myself for some time. But we should enjoy everything without feeling pressurized.

About the Author

I am Sukanya Sahu. I am from Keonjhar, Odisha. I have completed BSc in Dharanidhar (Auto) college, Keonjhar. I am pursuing Applied Geology from IIT-ISM, Dhanbad. I hobbies are reading, writing and playing basketball. I love to write and I want to publish my poetry. I have recently started blogging too.