In this conversation, we dive into Abhinav's journey of cracking the JEE and getting into IIT, exploring the ups and downs of his preparation. We also discuss how he transitioned from studying Mineral Engineering to landing a software job, and whether the switch was as challenging as it sounds!
WORK
Role at the company
Software Engineer
Working at
Standard Chartered
Location
Bangalore, India
EDUCATION
Studied from
IIT Dhanbad
Graduated with
Mineral Engineering
Subjects in 12th
Physics
Maths
Chemistry
Let's take it from the top—do you remember how your marks were as a kid? Like, any specific ranks or scores?
Oh, I do! Not even kidding, I’ve got certificates of being in the top 3 from LKG all the way to 11th grade.
Now I’m curious... what happened in 12th? Did it sting not topping then?
Oh man, let’s just say I’d like to blame whoever marked my English paper! I swear it was my best subject, and somehow it’s where I scored the least. But, eh, it’s cool.
So, how was the JEE preparation grind for you?
Ah, the JEE saga! I was born in Patna, Bihar, and unlike the Kota crowd, I didn’t go there for prep. My dad was convinced that kids go there and “bade bigad jaate hain.” laughs Anyway, I gave JEE in 12th, got a decent score, but wanted more. Like, specifically, I wanted IIT. So, I took a drop year, prepped hard, and boom—landed at IIT-ISM Dhanbad.
Let’s rewind a bit—why did you choose engineering in the first place?
Well, I was good at academics, and I thought, “What’s the toughest thing I can pick?” Enter: Engineering. Plus, the good money didn’t hurt!
Was anyone in your family into engineering? Or maybe an IITian?
Nope! My dad’s a businessman, and my mom’s a homemaker. No one in my extended family even knows what IIT is! It was mostly school talk—people around me were buzzing about JEE and IIT, so that’s how I got into it. And I was pretty strong in computer science, so IIT and CSE was the goal from day one.
Let’s dive into your college life—how were those four years? And how did you switch gears from Mineral to Computer Science?
laughs Well, the first year was basically all about trying to switch branches. I wasn’t thrilled about Mineral Engineering. I’d see my seniors’ subjects and think, “This really needs to be an entire course?!” But IITs need to fill their branch quotas, so a switch wasn’t happening. By my second year, I was like, “Okay, let’s focus on Mineral and keep the GPA high.” Then COVID hit, and suddenly I had all the time in the world. So, I got back to coding. I already knew Java from 8th grade, so I just built on that, landed an internship in my third year, and it turned into a pre-placement offer. And, well, here I am!
Was it tough juggling Mineral and coding at the same time?
Honestly, not really. The Mineral curriculum was pretty easy, so it was manageable. Plus, I hated the idea of being stuck in one place, so coding felt like my ticket out.
Last one—do you see yourself sticking with computer science long term?
Absolutely! It’s got all the perks—great work-life balance, awesome pay... what’s not to love?
Thank you for sharing — we'll post your story on our website and if anybody has more questions, they will schedule a call with you.
