What are some helpful tips for students starting their first year at IISc Bangalore?

Here are some helpful tips if you are starting your first year at IISc Bangalore:

• Humble yourself- At IISc, you will find peers who will be better than you at one thing or the other. Humble yourself and be open to the plenty of opportunities offered to you.

• Involve in Conversations- Students, especially Masters and Ph.D. students, come from various backgrounds and are of different age groups. If you converse with the people around you and learn to accept differing views, you will hear new ideas and perspectives. 

• Be prepared to deal with uncertainty- You will face uncertainty on many occasions.

Ph.D. students have to be well-prepared to face uncertainty every single day. On numerous accounts, you are left on your own with no guidance at all. Also, no amount of guidance will ever be sufficient.

Even the Bangalore weather is very uncertain. One day it might rain heavily, and the following day might be a sunny one. 

• Enjoy your stay in Bangalore- The city is filled with fun places, and IISc Bangalore is located in the heart of it. There are numerous spots around Bangalore, located within a 500 km range. There is sufficient connectivity.

Hindi and English work fine but try to learn the local language. Many South Indians prefer dialogue in English or their local languages, so Hindi might not work in every scenario. 

• Work hard during your first year - The coursework at IISc is extremely hard and more demanding than even some of the top US universities. Assignments can get tough and the concepts may not be clear in the first instant. Courses with laboratory work are harder.

• Make time for fun- Make a habit of jogging, cycling, or walking on campus. Make good friends and have healthy conversations with them. Learn a new skill, especially something that will be of use to you in the future.

• Do not break ties with Old friends- Call your old friends and arrange meetups. This will help you during times when your studies will become overwhelming.

IISc Bangalore will challenge and groom you in numerous ways. Make the most out of your stay there.