I have many memories from the final year that I have shared in bits and pieces in other blogs so I am replacing words with photos here.
Semester 7 began in the fall of 2007, with me returning from Italy after completion of my summer internship. Other than the great exploratory experience that I got from Italy, I also brought a Canon EOS 305D DSL camera. The camera has been my companion since 2007 and helped me gather various memories since then. Of course, I didn’t carry a smartphone then so the only way to capture moments was through my camera. I had moved to a new wing in Hall-1 now!
This was my final year, I had learned to mange courses along with other activities going around the institute. This was the second semester when I got all As and Bs, and thoroughly enjoyed the coursework. This semester is special for a variety of reasons, I joined my friend’s efforts in teaching migrant laborers’ kids at an NGO run by IITK staff and students. I also started the synthesis of Eudragit S100 microspheres for my final year BTech project. I was nervous the whole time as the project only kicked off after a 4-month of trying and testing.
I remember my friend telling another, “Even he is taking time to conduct research”. It was only when winter started that I finally started seeing microspheres synthesized. Then I studied the effect of various parameters on its morphology and in the last semester attempted in vitro functional assays.
While all this was going on, we three guys decided to work on a semi-invasive closed-loop insulin delivery system (Glucoband). This idea stuck as a Biodesign program was established between Stanford University and IITs in regard to which some delegates had visited BSBE, IIT Kanpur. We worked hard on developing its idea and presented in in the Bio Business Plan Competition held at the institute. I have written about it in detail in one of my other blogs.
In this year, we were also mentoring the next coordinators of the photography club, and seeing them do better than us filled our hearts with pride.
Semester 8 saw me relaxing even further and taking up courses for fun. We continued working on “glucoband” and participated in another competition at IIT Bombay which won us a consolation prize. On some other days of the semester, I attempted night-outs and early morning photography around the campus with my friends.
The days were good and as I was starting to fall in love with IIT Kanpur, it was time to bid goodbye.
After the completion of the final semester, there was a month gap before our graduation ceremony. At that time, along with my friends, we traveled to Nainital and Jim Corbett National Park.
The only distressing event of my whole duration at IIT which I still feel bad about is the loss of my dear friend, who took her life a day before our commencement ceremony in 2008.