Indian Institute Of Technology Bombay

Being over here in Powai at the campus is a bit like living in a different city altogether. It is a huge place, and if you have to get from one side to the other, you better be ready for a long walk or hope you can catch a cycle. There are so many trees and greenery that you almost forget you’re in Mumbai until you step outside the main gates and hit the traffic. We spend our days in one of the older buildings where the hallways are long and smell a bit like old books and chalk dust. In the afternoons, it gets really hot, and you can see the students sitting under the trees trying to stay cool while they study. We have a lot of monkeys around here too, and you have to make sure your windows are shut or they’ll come right in and take whatever food you’ve got on your desk. The canteen is the main spot where everyone meets up, and the coffee there is okay if you don't mind it being a bit too sweet. It’s a busy atmosphere with people always rushing to labs or meetings, but there’s also a quietness to it in the early mornings before everything starts up. Working here feels very different from the usual office jobs in the city because of all the open space and the lake nearby. It is just a big, sprawling place where everyone is doing their own thing every day.