What are the negative aspects of studying in IISc?

That's me, walking on the Gulmohar Marg. One of the most beautiful roads to walk on.

Oh wow!
I have been waiting to answer this question. 
IISc has been ranked as the Best University in the country for the third straight time by NIRF. It has excelled in the areas of Science and Technology for many decades. It is pioneering the efforts for creating a one-of-a-kind undergraduate program in India which produces great engineers and research scientists in the future. The alumni are very happy and feel honoured to have studied in this heavenly institute. Many top technology leaders on the previous century have had their roots or branches in IISC.

But studying or working in IISc can be a pain in the rear-side, in retrospective. You might even feel it. Here are a few points which came to my mind when I was asked this question.

1. India’s Most guarded Technology Secret - The nature and the scale of work of IISc was not mentioned and not shared, until very recently. The common public has no clue about this stellar institute. You shouldn’t get surprised when people address this as “Tata Institute.” Old timers of Bangalore still call it by that name.
2. Pursuit of excellence - You are in an environment of pursuit of excellence, you can get irritated when you see sub-par performances and approaches. This effects even after you graduate from IISc and begin employment elsewhere in the world. You might have to recalibrate your system.
3. A Great Leveller - You may be a top ranking student with single-digit AIR, but there WILL be someone as good as you, if not better. The course work and the academic rigour of the first two-semesters will teach you that. The ability of knowledge assimilation and its application will be more valued than rote-learning.
4. Cocooned life- IISc can be like a great cocoon protecting you from the harsh reality of the outside world. In here, you are with the best in the world with an ecosystem ready for active work. You may or may not get that outside.
5. Freedom - The amount of research and thought freedom that you get in IISc, you will probably never get it anywhere else. Period.
6. Economical life - The life on campus is economical. You really don't need to spend a lot. Most of it gets covered under 2–3 budget heads.
7. Loneliness - For many introverts and less social beings, IISc can get lonely at times. You will lose track of yourself and just while away your life​. Depending on the research area and your progress, you might take less or more time to publish your first paper or complete ‘YOUR’ PhD. It can get lonely when the latter happens and most of your batchmates are out of campus. The juniors who join your lab later, WILL treat you as a senior citizen. Unless, you adapt and mingle with them, you might get lonelier.
8. Pressure to perform - IISc is a melting pot of great work with new ideas, results, methods and procedures pouring out of the cup. There are many times you might feel being left behind. Additionally, you see your peers coming out with new ideas. Further, the advisor might put you on a deadline either for project completion or paper deadline or Material exhaustion. It becomes a pressure cooker time at times.
9. Nurturing Ecosystem - You have so many like minded people across various departments, which help you in completing various research inputs. You tend to miss it when you move out of IISc. It is the perfect place for inter-disciplinary research across STEM.
10. Hostel Food - There have been many instances of weight management issues. We have seen people gaining weight in the first two years of joining IISc due to the tasty food in the mess. Then, they complain that the food is not good and then go on a diet to loose that weight.
11. EXPECTATIONS - The well-wishers and people outside of IISc have a lot of hope and expectations from us. This adds to certain amount of stress on the students.
12. You begin to miss these.

Cycling Through IISc

Aqua-Adventure for IISc students by GETHNAA

The Main Building and the statue of Sir J. N. Tata, the visionary.

IISc Main building photograph by my friend and fellow PhD, Nitesh Bhatia.

And many others. I can go on.

P.S. Entering IISc is easy, Getting out of it, is very difficult
P.P.S. It might take a lifetime to take IISc out of you. - Javed


Dr G S Javed founded King Consultants-Education where he coaches Masters and PhD students on Research Methodology and Technical Writing. He inculcates experiential learning and innovation in  his Design Thinking course. He enjoys travelling and meeting people. He designs High Speed Analog Circuits too.