IIT Was My Dream, Life Had Other Plans — My Raw, Unfiltered Story

An Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary Girl

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"From a village classroom to broken dreams and back to hope — this is not the story of my downfall, but the beginning of my comeback."

Hello everyone! 🙏

Before I begin, there's something I want to say honestly — this isn't my first time writing. I've written many blogs before. But after my CET results, a single thought took root inside me, deep enough to hollow me out from within — I worked so hard, and still, not a single dream came true. I lost myself to that one thought, and in that same headspace, I deleted all my old accounts — closing those chapters for good.

For the eight months that followed, I didn't write a single word. Not because I had nothing to say — but because my mind was too scattered to write anything honest.

But somewhere along the way, that thought quietly broke on its own. I went back to studying, slowly rebuilding the discipline I had lost, one day at a time. And today, I'm choosing to write again — not as the girl I used to be, but as the first line of a new beginning.

This new account, this new blog — it's not just a restart. It's a choice. A conscious, deliberate choice to reclaim my voice.

I'm a simple, ordinary girl from a small village near Yeola, Nashik. What you're about to read is not a polished success story. It's something rawer, something truer — my journey of dreaming big, falling hard, and choosing to rise anyway.

I'm not writing this because I have it all figured out. I'm writing this because I know someone out there is sitting exactly where I once sat — broken, lost, and wondering if things will ever get better.

This blog is my truth. Every word of it.

Childhood — The First Spark of Dreams

From 1st to 12th grade, I topped my school consistently. Until 4th grade, I studied in a Zilla Parishad (Z.P.) school, then shifted to a semi-English medium — and still managed to rank 1st among 100 students.

In 11th grade, I took admission in Yeola. My class had students from CBSE and ICSE backgrounds — yet I topped them all. A girl from a village ZP school, standing first among everyone — that meant the world to me.

Dreaming big isn't easy when you come from a small village. But I dared to dream — Computer Science Engineering, and nothing less than the best.

The IIT Dream — A Girl's Ambitious Leap

In 9th grade, I first heard about IIT Bombay. I appeared for Allen's scholarship test — and was selected in the top 500. But the fee was beyond our reach. I watched an achievement slip away even as it sat in my hands.

I kept that dream aside for a while — but it never truly left my heart.

The Accident — And Rising Again

After 10th grade, I was selected in the Super 50 program — where IIT JEE coaching is provided for free. For a girl from a village, this was a massive opportunity. But due to certain circumstances, I couldn't go. That opportunity slipped away — and that weight stayed with me for a long time.

Shortly after, on my way to Nashik, a vehicle ran over my foot. One month in the hospital. "Will I ever walk normally again?" — that question haunted me every day.

Within two months, I was back on my feet. 

Even when the body weakens, the determination within becomes your greatest strength.

 CET — Powered by My Own Hard Work

When I realized IIT wasn't possible, I cried for 15 days straight. But then I made a decision — CET, and with everything I had.

In November, I had to leave my MHT-CET coaching class due to financial constraints. But I didn't give up — I studied on my own, at home, 16 hours a day. Scored 85%+ in boards — without copying a single word.

The Exam Day — Broken Inside, Calm Outside

The CET exam was in two parts — 90 minutes for Physics and Chemistry combined, and 90 minutes for Maths. Before sitting for the paper, there was fear in my heart — but also a quiet confidence. Because my parents had so many expectations riding on me.

Honestly — IIT was my dream, my life. But for my parents, I had already let that dream go. Now it was only about living for them, doing what they guided me to do — and that's why I was giving this exam, for them. Two minutes before the paper started, I closed my eyes and pictured their faces. I made one silent promise to myself — if not IIT, I will score 99+ percentile in CET.

"It's okay if I'm not happy, but my parents should be" — that thought drove every hour of my preparation.

The paper began. I chose Physics first. Solved 17 questions — and suddenly, a server problem hit. The computer froze for 9 long minutes. I panicked. And in that panic, without realizing it, I left Physics midway and jumped to Chemistry — completely forgetting that Physics was still incomplete.

I solved 28 Chemistry questions, then checked the time — only 5 minutes left. Fear surged through me. And then the Maths questions appeared on screen — and right there, I watched my dream of 99+ dissolve, just like IIT once had.

Tears filled my eyes — but I wiped them before my father could see.

The server crashed on exam day. My hands were trembling — yet I stayed composed.

Result — 95.33 percentile.

I wasn't happy when I saw that number. Deep down, I had wanted to give my parents 99+ percentile — that was the dream I had carried into that exam hall. But that dream, like IIT before it, slipped away. Yet when I saw the joy on my parents' faces — the pride in my father's eyes, the smile on my mother's face — something shifted inside me. Their happiness became my peace. I chose to own that result, not for myself, but for them.

Sanjivani — And the Battle Within Myself

I got admission at Sanjivani College of Engineering. My father was proud.

But the regret of IIT never left my mind. And that regret took a heavy toll on me.

First Semester — I had deliberately decided, "If not IIT, then nothing matters." So my only goal was to just pass. I cleared all subjects, but my heart was never in it.

Second Semester — The distraction reached its peak. I left the hostel, started commuting from home. Didn't submit assignments. Eventually, the college called my parents, I was reprimanded by teachers, and backlogs piled up.

"Why didn't I go to IIT?" — that one question kept circling in my mind. And it destroyed me from within.

I had decided I wouldn't make a single friend at Sanjivani. No fresher party, no college trip, no events — I stayed completely alone. Every morning, I'd go to college, sit in a corner of the classroom, speak to no one, and return home in the evening. Nothing interested me, nothing held my attention. Everyone around me was laughing and living — and I was trapped inside my own head, chained to a dream that was no longer mine.

That loneliness was unbearable — but at the time, it felt right, as if I was punishing myself.

 The same girl who once topped every class was now hearing her name for all the wrong reasons. End semester papers came, backlogs piled up. That humiliation shattered me from within — looking in the mirror, I couldn't recognize myself, couldn't find the person I used to be.

That was truly the darkest period of my life. At night, I'd bury my face in my pillow and cry — and in the morning, I'd wear that same mask and walk into college. Hope felt like a distant memory.

But it was during this very time that I learned something vital — you don't have to carry this weight alone. Opening up to people you trust, letting your feelings out — I learned how essential that truly is.

Now — My Comeback

Today, I'm slowly moving forward — leaving those days behind, learning to breathe again. And right now, there's only one thing on my mind — comeback.

Last year was the biggest downfall of my life — I admit that openly today, without hiding it. But a downfall is never permanent. It's a phase, and phases change — I keep reminding myself of that, over and over again.

I came from a ZP school. I got back on my feet after an accident. I cracked CET on my own, without any coaching. And the hardest of all — from my own loneliness, from my own broken self-belief, I've learned to rise again.

I've decided now — with full strength, with a strong mindset, I will rise again. And this time, not alone.

If you've ever felt like your dreams are shattered, you've lost your way, or you feel completely lost — remember this one thing:

One phase never defines your entire story.

My story is still unfolding. And so is yours. If you're in your own 'downfall' today, remember — this darkness is not forever. 

But now I've realized something — it's time to leave everything behind and start fresh. What happened, happened — it was all part of my destiny. Perhaps this was always written for me, which is why I walked this path. Now I'm ready to leave it all behind, with new determination, with new hope, and move forward —

Because my real story is only just beginning.

 What's Next?

The next part of this blog will be about my real comeback — the actions, the changes, and the new version of girl that is slowly taking shape. Stay tuned. 

Next part — the real beginning of my comeback — coming soon!

"I couldn't become an IITian. But I refuse to let that be the most important thing about my story."

— an ordinary girl, still figuring it out
Second Year B.Tech CSE | Sanjivani College of Engineering

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