‘Feels like prison’: Why this IIT graduate says he stayed away from engineering as much as possible

An Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) alumnus’ candid reflections on being “stuck” during engineering school have sparked a wider discussion about passion, privilege and career choices. His admission that he pursued interests outside of academia and ultimately abandoned engineering has divided social media and raised questions about whether a degree should shape a person’s entire career.

Remember, when Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots said to R. Madhavan, “Haath mein tha, cab door par thi…thodi si Himmat aur kar leta, to Poori zindagi kuch aur hoti.” This struck a chord with many aspirants. What you choose to study in your bachelor’s degree doesn’t always determine who you end up becoming.However, when we talk about an IIT degree, it is not something that anyone can easily obtain. It is earned through years of hard work and unflinching persistence. For millions of students, getting a seat at India’s prestigious Indian Institute of Technology represents the ultimate academic dream. But what happens when achieving your dreams feels like a prison rather than a privilege? The issue has sparked a heated debate online after a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, candidly described his four years at the institute as “prison time” for his brain. Akash Sampurnanand Pandey, who now lives in New York, looks back on his college days not with nostalgia but with startling honesty, describing himself as “the last MP”, a “waste”, someone who spent more time reading books on history, economics and politics than engineering textbooks. His confession divided social media, with some praising his decision to forge his own path, while others questioned whether he had squandered an opportunity that thousands of aspiring people would cherish.

a degree he endured rather than enjoyed

a degree he endured rather than enjoyedLooking back on his time at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi in 2012, Pandey paints a picture that contrasts with the popular image of IIT students immersed in labs, lectures and relentless problem-solving.According to him, classroom learning has little appeal. He attended the lectures mainly because of the institute’s mandatory 75% attendance policy and described the four-year engineering course as something he had to “serve” to get the coveted IIT tag.Pandey said his curiosity was not focused on metallurgy, the subject for which he was enrolled, but elsewhere. While professors taught engineering concepts, he found himself immersed in novels, essays, and books covering modern Indian history, economics, politics, and international affairs.Most of this reading material came from his roommate, who was preparing for the UPSC Civil Services exam.Minimum, but enough to graduatePandey admits that engineering textbooks rarely caught his attention. He claimed that he would often pick up a metallurgical textbook the day before an exam and learn enough to ensure he passed the exam. He said keeping his GPA around 7.5 was not about academic ambition but to remain eligible for on-campus internships.Outside academia, however, he describes himself as someone eager to explore different interests, suggesting that his university education extended well beyond the prescribed curriculum.

Leave the project behind

Graduation marks a turning point. Pandey entered the corporate world through consulting; however, he eventually strayed away from engineering. Looking back on his journey so far, he makes the following observation: After graduation, he stayed as “away” from his major as possible.The key message in his post is simple yet thought-provoking. In conclusion, Pandey asserts: “Don’t let a four-year degree define your forty-year career.”This observation may resonate with many professionals, especially those changing industries after college.

Social media divides over privilege, passion and responsibility

While many readers can identify with the hardships of studying a subject they dislike, others believe the story raises larger moral questions.Some users criticized Pandey for taking up a highly competitive IIT seat despite his lack of interest in metallurgy. They feel that another aspirant with a genuine passion for the subject might benefit more from the opportunities and subsidized education offered by India’s top engineering colleges.Some commentators went further, saying the confession reflected a conscious waste of public resources and personal opportunity.Others, however, find his journey deeply relatable.One user shared a similar experience of completing a medical degree before switching to medical informatics and data science, stating that the new career provided greater intellectual satisfaction and a healthier work-life balance. Another student admitted that he regretted choosing metallurgy as a major in college and wished he had chosen a different engineering major.These responses reveal a larger conversation that goes far beyond one person’s story.

Reflection on changes in career ideals

Pandey’s position comes at a time when career trajectories are becoming increasingly non-linear. Engineers become writers, enter the tech field, become lawyers, launch startups, and cross-disciplinary graduates reinvent themselves many times throughout their working lives.For many young professionals, this case resonates not because it talks about academic alienation but because it highlights the fact that many students face the conflict of earning a prestigious degree but discovering that their practical interests lie elsewhere.However, it should also be mentioned that the case also highlights another reality of the Indian education system, namely that getting into any prestigious educational institution is a very difficult task involving the lifetime aspirations of thousands of applicants.The entire issue, therefore, is not limited to the career options of a single IIT graduate.Rather, the whole thing is the result of a dynamic between education and opportunity and personal achievement.