By, Uditaa Barman -2nd year BC & J

I remember it as clearly as if it were yesterday. The day after the successful moon landing of Chandrayaan 2, another excellent piece of news came to brighten my day. The news for which I had been waiting for almost two months now!

I was elated when I found out that my admission to KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, had been confirmed. Tickets were booked, bags packed, and certificates collected from various offices. I checked, rechecked, and checked again. Around 15 times approximately, under my dad’s supervision.

Having spent the past 17 years of my life in Port Blair, in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelagos, life here was, well, pretty simple. I grew up in a well-knit community, consisting of people who belonged to diverse backgrounds and cultures. During my time here, I was able to catch up on a number of languages myself. I knew how cultures worked, what traditions were followed, and why certain customs were established. Actually, it was quite elementary. To be honest, I was bored of basic things at this point, and I was desperately seeking more options to explore.

Hence, I made this decision long ago during my physics board exam, to be exact. While zoning out on the paper, I also simultaneously prepared myself to appear for a compartment, and astonishingly, I didn’t have to write one. I found myself stuck on a question mark. Lost in my own thoughts, I asked myself, “Is it worth it?” And as soon as I snapped back to reality, I found myself answering the question in front of me: “No.” As spiritual as it could get, this was nothing less than a sign. Shivers ran down my spine, then and there. This was my calling.

But I wasn’t sure, until I found myself writing entrance examinations for various universities for bio-based STEM courses. And secretly, but purposely, performing badly for those entrances. After all, it does take determination and “rebellious behaviour” to get what you want in a typical brown household. In my case, it was a planned failure.

Things got even more complicated when my beloved progenitors began short listing college locations for me. As someone who had only stepped into the mainland of India for the two-month vacation I received from school each year, almost all of North was marked off-limits for me considering it’s “unsafe for women.” And I restricted myself from all of the South because I deemed it unsafe for my spice tolerance.

Finally, I found myself writing the first phase tests of KIITEE, and not one, but two of them. After almost selling my soul to my beloved progenitors in order to write the free entrance tests for both B.Sc Biotechnology and BCJ, Bachelor of Journalism (funny how KIITEE referred to it as BJMC, bachelors in journalism and mass communication. It made me chuckle every time it was mentioned).

Things weren’t looking the best for me either when the counseling results were announced, yet somehow I managed to get a seat in both of the courses I had applied for. It made me once again question my capabilities. “How good must I be to deliberately try to fail, brace for an impact of downfall, but still somehow pass?” If I had a dime for every time I mentally prepared myself to fail a test but still somehow pass with above-average marks, I’d have two dimes! Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

Yet somehow I used my last piece of negotiation skills to convince myself and my beloved “progenitors” that since my rank was not the best when it came to the STEM major I had applied for, it was best that I rather go for BC & J, Bachelors in Communication and Journalism. And it worked! That was the first time I successfully convinced my audience—here, my progenitors of fabrication. This highlighted my potential to leave behind a notable presence in the industry I am affiliated with today.

Eventually, there I was, boarding a 9-hour flight from Port Blair to Bhubaneswar via Kolkata. Since we didn’t really have the patience to travel 4 days by ship to Kolkata—and with the railway line from the mainland to Port Blair, still awaiting inauguration—this was the best mode of travel we could have opted for. There wasn’t a single complaint from my side, though. I’ve loved airports and travelling by plane ever since I was a child. Finally, after nine hours of travel and constant rethinking of my life decisions along the way, me, my beloved progenitors, and their second progeny reached Bhubaneswar. And our welcome was grand. As we passed through the gates of arrival at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, we were welcomed with a huge poster of a significant local news channel and the state’s very first AI news anchor. That’s right, AI news anchor. AI. I feverishly began to search for return tickets online while I stood at the baggage conveyor belt.

It was so hard to take in the fact that the means of potential livelihood associated with the degree I had applied for, had already been taken away by a bot designed by engineers. But I was successful at convincing myself. This was worth a shot. KIIT was worth a shot. And an academic year later, I am glad that I took the chance.

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, a Deemed-to-be University, is renowned not only for its dominance in tech fields but also for its comprehensive range of facilities that cater to all students, regardless of their chosen discipline. The campus embraces diversity and fosters excellence across all fields, providing an abode of dreams for its students to pursue their passions and establish their own unique paths to success.

Diversity of cultures and ideologies is something to be celebrated. Success means something different to everyone, and achieving it is what truly matters. Whether you’re drawn to technology, the arts, the sciences, or any other field, take your shot. Because it is definitely worth it! Trust your gut instincts and know that if it’s actually meant to be, it will be! Accept your originality and dare to follow your ambitions, bearing in mind that KIIT University is set to stand by you every step of the way. In the end, it is about listening to what your heart desires the most and finding happiness on your own terms. Be different, be great!