What are some helpful tips for students starting their first year at IIIT Allahabad?

These 4 years would be the most memorable years of your life. It often sounds clichéd when you see so many people saying how they had enjoyed their college years and wished they could relive them again, but it’s the memories that one makes during this time that bring a smile to your face when reminiscing them.

• Getting out of your comfort zone is most important. You can start with it by becoming a member of society, help in organizing events during cultural fests, represent IIIT-Allahabad at sports fests, etc. 
• Students often end up being close friends with people from the same societies and have a memorable time indulging in all the extra-curricular activities.
• Exploring and finding something that interests you. While as a fresher, you will definitely come across seniors who tell you about the coding culture in the college. 
• A lot of people start out with competitive coding right from the first year and then slowly move to other fields. You should try competitive coding, web development, open-source, cybersecurity, etc. You can even ask your seniors about their experience. 
• Your CGPA matters and the companies look for the knowledge that you have gained. Almost all companies that visit the campus for recruitments allow students with a CGPA greater than 7.5 to sit for the tests. 
• But for an MBA/ MS after graduation, research internship during summer break, or the course of your final semester, having a good CGPA really helps you a lot.

Understand who to approach for guidance and help. If you wanted to know anything related to internships, placements, the best people you can approach are the third- and fourth-year students. They are the ones who have prepared and are currently experiencing intern and placement sessions first hand and are in a good position to help you out.

Keep an open mind. You will come across many people with different lookouts on various things. The best thing would be to listen to what people have to say and then decide what your next action should be. This way, you would make better listeners and more informed decisions.