IIT Graduate Reflects On College Life, Says Degree Shouldn't Dictate Career

A post by an IIT graduate about his college life and career journey has started a discussion on X. In the post, he shared how he had little interest in engineering during his college years but later built a career in a completely different field.

Akash Sampurnanand Pandey, an IIT graduate who now works in New York, looked back at his student days at IIT (BHU) Varanasi. He described himself as a "last bencher" and a "waster".

He said he had little interest in academics and attended classes only because the institute had a mandatory 75% attendance requirement. He added that earning an IIT degree was like serving prison time for four years because he had little interest in his engineering curriculum.

He added that this was the price he paid for the IIT tag

Check Out The Post Here:

Back in 2012 during my IIT days, I was a Last Bencher. A waster. There's a word for it. Lukkha

I would go to classes only because @IITBHU_Varanasi had mandatory 75% attendance rule. My degree was like prison time of 4 years for my brain, academically. That was the price I paid… pic.twitter.com/gHRgYBAWe3

— Akash Sampurnanand Pandey (@late_bloomer_7) July 17, 2026

He also said that while professors taught metallurgy in class, he spent his time reading novels, essay collections, and books on modern Indian history, economics, political science, and international affairs. He shared that he read seven to ten books every semester, most of which belonged to his roommate, who was preparing for the UPSC examination.

Pandey said he only touched a metallurgy textbook 24 hours before the exam because it would suck his soul. He added that he did the bare minimum and managed a GPA of 7.5 so he was eligible to sit for job placements. He also said that he explored and enjoyed almost everything except academics.

After graduating, Pandey said he took up a consulting job before eventually moving away from his engineering background altogether. He said he served his time, took up a consulting job, and once he was a free man, he ran as far away from his major as he possibly could.

He concluded his post by saying that people should not let a four-year degree dictate a 40-year career.

Social Media Reaction

Social media users gave mixed reactions to the post.

One user commented, "I empathise with you, brother."

Another user noted, "Metallurgy is a very critical field."