'My degree was like prison time': IIT grad's confession goes viral, says he read history books instead of textbooks
An IIT-BHU graduate's viral confession reveals how he treated his engineering degree as 'prison time' while secretly pursuing his passion for history and political science
- Jul 21, 2026,
- Updated Jul 21, 2026 10:09 AM IST
An IIT-BHU graduate has gone viral for saying exactly what many engineering students feel but rarely say out loud. Akash Sampurnanand Pandey, now based in New York, described his four years at the institute as "prison time" for his brain, years he spent largely ignoring metallurgy and reading history, economics, and political science books borrowed from his UPSC-preparing roommate.
"My degree was like prison time of four years for my brain, academically. That was the price I paid for the IIT tag," Pandey wrote in a post that has since divided opinion sharply online.
What he actually did at IIT
Pandey describes himself as a self-professed "last bencher," "waster" and "lukkha." He attended classes only because the institute enforced a mandatory 75% attendance requirement. While his professors discussed metallurgy and the science of alloys, Pandey was absorbed in novels, essays, and works on modern Indian history, political science, and international affairs. By his own estimate, he read seven to ten books every semester, almost none of them related to his engineering programme.
When examinations arrived, he opened his metallurgy textbook roughly 24 hours before. "It would suck my soul," he wrote. He maintained a GPA of around 7.5, not out of academic drive, but to remain eligible for campus placements.
What he did after graduating
After completing his degree, Pandey took a consulting job and then deliberately left engineering behind entirely. "I served my time. Took up a consulting job. And once I was a free man, I ran as far away from my major as I possibly could," he wrote. He signed off with a line that has resonated with thousands of professionals who have changed tracks: "Don't let a 4-year degree dictate a 40-year career."
The debate it sparked
The post landed differently depending on who was reading it. Many praised his candour, recognising their own experience in his account, engineers who discovered their true interests only after enrolling in a programme they felt compelled to join. Professionals who had moved from engineering or medicine into consulting, public policy, writing, or entrepreneurship shared similar stories in the comments.
Others were less sympathetic. A recurring argument was that by taking up an IIT seat with little interest in the subject, Pandey may have denied a more motivated candidate the same opportunity. Given that IIT education is heavily subsidised by the government, some felt that students who clear one of the world's most competitive entrance exams carry a responsibility to engage seriously with what they study.
The bigger question
Pandey's post is one data point in a much larger shift. For decades, an IIT degree was seen as a direct gateway to a specific kind of professional success. Increasingly, however, IIT graduates are turning up in consulting, finance, media, civil services, and entrepreneurship, fields far removed from their academic specialisations.
An IIT-BHU graduate has gone viral for saying exactly what many engineering students feel but rarely say out loud. Akash Sampurnanand Pandey, now based in New York, described his four years at the institute as "prison time" for his brain, years he spent largely ignoring metallurgy and reading history, economics, and political science books borrowed from his UPSC-preparing roommate.
"My degree was like prison time of four years for my brain, academically. That was the price I paid for the IIT tag," Pandey wrote in a post that has since divided opinion sharply online.
What he actually did at IIT
Pandey describes himself as a self-professed "last bencher," "waster" and "lukkha." He attended classes only because the institute enforced a mandatory 75% attendance requirement. While his professors discussed metallurgy and the science of alloys, Pandey was absorbed in novels, essays, and works on modern Indian history, political science, and international affairs. By his own estimate, he read seven to ten books every semester, almost none of them related to his engineering programme.
When examinations arrived, he opened his metallurgy textbook roughly 24 hours before. "It would suck my soul," he wrote. He maintained a GPA of around 7.5, not out of academic drive, but to remain eligible for campus placements.
What he did after graduating
After completing his degree, Pandey took a consulting job and then deliberately left engineering behind entirely. "I served my time. Took up a consulting job. And once I was a free man, I ran as far away from my major as I possibly could," he wrote. He signed off with a line that has resonated with thousands of professionals who have changed tracks: "Don't let a 4-year degree dictate a 40-year career."
The debate it sparked
The post landed differently depending on who was reading it. Many praised his candour, recognising their own experience in his account, engineers who discovered their true interests only after enrolling in a programme they felt compelled to join. Professionals who had moved from engineering or medicine into consulting, public policy, writing, or entrepreneurship shared similar stories in the comments.
Others were less sympathetic. A recurring argument was that by taking up an IIT seat with little interest in the subject, Pandey may have denied a more motivated candidate the same opportunity. Given that IIT education is heavily subsidised by the government, some felt that students who clear one of the world's most competitive entrance exams carry a responsibility to engage seriously with what they study.
The bigger question
Pandey's post is one data point in a much larger shift. For decades, an IIT degree was seen as a direct gateway to a specific kind of professional success. Increasingly, however, IIT graduates are turning up in consulting, finance, media, civil services, and entrepreneurship, fields far removed from their academic specialisations.