Remember, when Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots told R.Madhavan, “”Carta haath mein tha, taxi gate par thi… thodi si himmat aur kar leta, to poori zindagi kuch aur hoti.” This is something that has resonated with many aspirants. What you choose to study in your degree doesn’t always determine what you end up being.However, when we talk about an IIT degree it is not something that just falls into anyone’s lap. It is achieved through years of tireless hard work and relentless persistence. For millions of students, getting a seat in one of India’s prestigious IITs represents the ultimate academic dream. But what happens when someone who has achieved that dream feels like a prison rather than a privilege? This question has sparked a heated debate online after a graduate of IIT (BHU) Varanasi candidly described his four years at the institute as “prison time” for his brain. Now based in New York, Akash Sampurnan and Pandey looked back on their college days not with nostalgia, but with surprising honesty, calling themselves a “last bencher,” a “waster,” and someone who spent more time devouring history, economics, and politics books than engineering textbooks. His confession has divided social media, with some praising his decision to forge his own path, while others question whether he had squandered an opportunity that thousands of hopefuls would have loved.
A degree that he endured rather than enjoyed
Looking back on his stint at IIT (BHU) Varanasi in 2012, Pandey painted a picture that contrasted with the popular image of an IIT student immersed in labs, lectures and relentless problem solving.According to his account, classroom learning had little appeal. He attended lectures mainly because of the institute’s 75 percent compulsory attendance policy and described the four-year engineering program as something that simply had to “serve” to earn the coveted IIT tag.Instead of focusing on metallurgy, the discipline he had signed up for, Pandey said his curiosity lay elsewhere. While professors taught engineering concepts, he found himself immersed in novels, essays, and books dealing with modern Indian history, economics, political science, and international affairs.Much of this reading material came from his roommate, who was preparing for the UPSC Civil Services exam.
The minimum, but enough to graduate
Pandey admitted that engineering textbooks rarely held his attention. He claimed that he often picked up a metallurgy textbook just a day before exams, studying enough to ensure passing grades. Maintaining a GPA of about 7.5, he said, was less about academic ambition and more about remaining eligible for campus internships.Outside of academics, however, he described himself as someone who was keen to explore different interests, suggesting that his university education extended far beyond the prescribed curriculum.
Leaving engineering behind
Graduation marked a turning point. Pandey entered the corporate world through a consulting role, but eventually moved away from engineering altogether. Summarizing his career path, he remarked that, once the race was over, he “ran as far as possible” from his career.The central message of his message was simple but provocative: “Don’t let a four-year degree dictate a forty-year career.”This statement resonated with many professionals who have changed industries after graduation, especially in an era where careers are increasingly shaped by transferable skills rather than degree specializations.
Social media is divided into privilege, passion and responsibility
While many readers identified with the struggle of studying a subject they never liked, others argued that the story raised larger ethical questions.Several users criticized Pandey for taking a highly competitive IIT seat despite having no interest in metallurgy. They argued that another aspirant, genuinely passionate about the discipline, could have benefited more from the opportunity and subsidized education offered by India’s top engineering institutes.Some commentators went further, saying the confession reflected a conscious waste of public resources and personal opportunity.
Others, however, found their journey deeply relatable.
One user shared a similar experience of completing a medical degree before moving into medical informatics and data science, saying the new career offered greater intellectual satisfaction and a healthier work-life balance. Another admitted to regretting the choice of metallurgy during college and wished he had chosen a different branch of engineering. The responses revealed a larger conversation that extends far beyond an individual’s story.
A reflection of changing career aspirations
Pandey’s post comes at a time when career paths are increasingly non-linear. Engineers become writers, move into technology, lawyers, launch startups, and graduate from disciplines that reinvent themselves several times over their working lives.For many young professionals, the story resonated not because it celebrated academic disconnection, but because it highlighted a tension that countless students experience, earning a prestigious degree only to discover that their genuine interests lie elsewhere.However, the criticism also highlights another reality of India’s education system, where admission to elite institutions is highly competitive and each seat represents years of aspiration for thousands of applicants.The discussion, therefore, is not only about the career options of an IIT graduate. It is about the evolution of the relationship between education, opportunity and personal fulfillment.In the end, Pandey’s reflection has become more than a personal confession. It has sparked a wider debate about whether higher education should be seen as a lifelong identity or simply the starting point of a much longer and often unpredictable career journey.