Life in Indian Statistical Institute - First Semester

As the title of the blog suggests, I am trying to pen my journey from the DARK side of science to the brighter side.(Statisticans call Mathematics the darker side!)
Well, I am fed up of writing this stuff in my SOP, I got into ISI after a two-phase exam, followed by an interview by an elite panel of professors. But then, let me start with the interview day.


Interview Day:
I was sitting in the SMU lounge, and there I met this weird person. He was looking wild, he said he got a rank of 2200 in IIT-JEE, a rank which no person would leave. I guess you got who the person is. Yes, it is none other than Kamlesh Kumar Singh. He started talking a lot(in brief) about his life, his village, how he swam 35 KM to reach a railway station to attend the interview, and I am still baffled about the percentage of truth in those statements, but I believed all of them back then.

Kamlesh was the first to be interviewed that day. And the person who led the way to the interview room was none other than Dr. Jishnu Gupta Biswas, and believe it or not, I mistook him for a Graduate Student! How stupid of me not recognizing the person who failed me in his course later. I'd better leave the details of the interview as it is no great and it was just simple, plain and nervous. But some corner of my heart felt back then that I got selected.

First day in ISI:
It was not really memorable compared to the remnant of the stay. Had some conversation with all the others, as usual, slept in the orientation lecture, and in all the introductory lectures by Dr. Kodiyalam, Dr. Bagchi, Dr. Jishnu, Dr. Athreya et al. The ragging session was one of the most interesting ones. That is when we got to talk to the seniors. The first one I spoke to is Anilatmaja. The conversation with Anil made me feel comfortable that these guys are not at all good at ragging. Hehehe, just kidding. I meant that they make it fun!

Thus started life in ISI, the journey I can never forget!

It is possible to recollect all the experiences and incidents, but then penning them down will hurt some of my friends, so shall write some of them.

First month:
Nothing much done. Made good friends with all the batchmates. Had some problems with some of them initially because, you know, everyone was new to hostel life and people were coming up with nicknames and stuff like that. My surname, Ayyala, made some of them call me Ayyayya(if I remember correctly) and back then, I was used to think somewhat on these lines:
My surname represents my ancestors and I hate all those who mock it!
But now when I rethink those moments, I feel how foolish I was. I started avoiding those who called me Ayyayya, but those good men understood my feelings and stopped calling me so! Thanks guys.

Second Month:
Our batch was getting along well, with occasional remarkable comments from Dipramit Majumdar:
Aprameyo-da jab khelne aaye, us din ball l**da ho gaya!.
He meant to say, bahut locha ho gaya!. Well this list of gossips with Dipro can be posted all together as a new topic, but lets keep it aside.

Third Month: Exams time! Everyone studied hard. I thought my exams went well, but when the grades came, I was shocked! I was on the verge of failing(to keep up my stipend). Computers and Physics were at the receiving end of fault, keeping aside my naps in all the classes. Had lots of fun screwing up Pranav's sleep with the help of Mathew-da.

Fourth Month:
This is some time I can never forget. The batch was partitioned into two: The Masti group, who christened themselves the G4 later, and the rest of us. Had many altercations and in the end, nothing serious happened except for a few mid-night baths from a water-mug placed on top of the door. Played lots of Age of Empires. And I can never forget the betrayal by Dipro and Chitro on the night before Computer Science exam(details omitted).
But it was all for our good. I passed the semester and kept my stipend intact and made friends with as much diversity as there is in India.

To be continued....