add post summer diaries: hardik taneja

_data/categories.yaml

@@ -55,3 +55,5 @@
       title: Summer 2018
     - name: summer2019
       title: Summer 2019
+    - name: summer2020
+      title: Summer 2020

_data/categories_name.yaml

@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@ summer2016: Summer 2016
 summer2017: Summer 2017
 summer2018: Summer 2018
 summer2019: Summer 2019
+summer2020: Summer 2020
 memoirs: Memoirs

_posts/2020-09-10-summer-diaries-ishita-kaul.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 layout: post
 title: " Summer Diaries: Google STEP"
 image: "ishita-kaul-1.png"
-tags: [wona, column]
+tags: [wona]
 author: "Ishita Kaul"
 category: summer2020
 excerpt: ''

_posts/2020-09-13-filter-coffee-siddharth-thomas.md

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Filter coffee: Sidharth Thomas"
+image: sidharth.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+excerpt: "Sidharth is a recent graduate from the department of ECE (Batch of ‘20) and has worked extensively in electronics research. After two foreign internships and a smashing BTP, he will now begin a PhD at UCLA, working with THz circuits."
+category: filtercoffee
+---
+
+*Sidharth is a recent graduate from the department of ECE (Batch of ‘20) and has worked extensively in electronics research. After two foreign internships and a smashing BTP, he will now begin a PhD at UCLA, working with THz circuits. Here is an excerpt from our conversation with Sidharth.*
+
+**Watch Out!** - What is the craziest thing you have done on campus?
+
+**Sidharth** -  I have several crazy but fond memories from IITR. During one particular birthday celebration, we painted an old Thomso banner with some questionable graphics and made a friend wear it. 
+
+**Watch Out!** - What do you do in your free time?
+
+**Sidharth** -  I usually don’t get much free time, but when I do, I spend my time reading or watching some random sitcom. I have also started practising the piano recently.  
+
+**Watch Out!** -  You changed your branch from Chemical to ECE in your first year. What were your reasons behind this and was it on your mind since the outset of the 1st semester?
+
+**Sidharth** -  Like any other first-year student, a branch change was on my mind the moment I started at IITR. I did not have any interest in chemical engineering, and strangely, my original plan was to shift to Mechanical. However, towards the end of the first semester, I followed the questionable CSE>ECE>EE trend, with no particular expectations. Eventually, I landed in ECE, and I believe things have worked out pretty well since then.  
+
+**Watch Out!** - For a multitude of reasons, research is not popular among the UG junta, so much so that most people would not even know about their own classmates doing exceptionally well in research. What do you feel are the problems that result from this? What would you suggest as a means to improve this?
+
+**Sidharth** -  Yes, I feel IITR has a poor research culture among undergrads compared to other top IITs. There are multiple reasons behind this, but mainly, I think this is because of our hugely popular coding culture, and students wrongly associating a high GPA as a prerequisite for research. 
+This creates a herd mentality where students rarely explore their departments. Professors also develop trust issues with undergrads and become reluctant to provide them with good projects. Moreover, IITR has very few collaborations with reputed universities. Some institute policies make things difficult for students doing foreign internships or semester exchanges. 
+I feel first-year students should be provided more opportunities to be involved in research, such as a paid on-campus summer internship. Course projects and assignments need to be more open-ended and design-centric. There should be a greater amount of academic flexibility and more international collaborations and tie-ups. At the ECE department, we discussed making the BTP optional so that students interested in research get more attention and resources. That being said, things have been steadily improving in the last two years.
+
+**Watch Out!** - You did two research interns abroad, in Israel and Canada. How was your experience? What do you think are the differences between research abroad and in India in electronics?
+
+**Sidharth** - I had an amazing experience at both places. These internships helped me understand how it is to pursue research as a career and was instrumental in me deciding to join grad school. I met some great researchers and had intriguing discussions with them. Besides this, I feel living independently in a foreign country has helped me gain a broader perspective.           
+I feel there are equally talented people in India and abroad. But there is a vast difference in funding. Funding is critical in cutting edge research. I also noticed a high level of collaboration and interdisciplinary research. For instance, the group that I worked with in Canada had partnerships with a hospital. Most of the research groups had close associations with the industry. This ensures that the projects they work on are relevant. Besides this, people were very professional and treated me as their peer and not as a student. 
+ 
+**Watch Out!** - How did you decide that you wanted to do a PhD? Having worked with different types of circuits, how did you narrow down your area of interest?
+
+**Sidharth** - I think the two internships helped me get a good taste of research. It is, at times, frustrating, requiring long hours of reading and a ton of patience. But the result is worth it. A job in the industry would mean that you work on a part of a random project, but in a PhD, you usually get to decide and design your own project. It is ‘your’ brainchild, and you become the absolute ‘expert’ in your domain. This holds a certain beauty. I am also open to pursuing a career in academia. So, I feel a PhD is the right logical choice for me.     
+As an undergrad, it’s quite tough to find an area that interests you. The only way is to keep an open mind and explore. I tried my hand at ML, computer architecture, and device physics, before switching to circuits. And then, I studied circuits, working on different applications. I was always interested in 5G/6G communication technology and how circuits behave at such high frequencies. This eventually led me to the domain in which I am pursuing my PhD.  
+ 
+**Watch Out**! - You are among the few on campus to work on RFIC and THz circuits. What advice would you give to others who would like to do research in areas where local guidance is scarce?
+
+**Sidharth** - This is a good question and is especially important, considering the current pandemic situation. In the absence of local guidance, you probably will not be able to work on a project directly in your area of interest, but you can work on similar or complementary areas. There are several directions to approach a problem. If one particular direction requires guidance, which is scarce, you can try a different one. All this adds to the experience. You can also try pitching your idea to a professor. He/she might be interested in exploring this area with you, and in fact, this is how I started my research at IITR. Also, look for internships. I would recommend reading as much as you can. Try reading papers, PhD theses, and books, anything you can get your hands on. Participate in online discussion forums. Look for pioneers in the area, what they are doing now, their peers, etc.  
+ 
+**Watch Out!** - Considering that you moved to Roorkee from Kerala, what were the main challenges, if any, while adapting to the culture on campus, including language and communication barriers. Do you think that some groups struggle more in adapting to college life, even though there’s a pan India populace on campus?
+
+**Sidharth** - I struggled a bit during my first year due to some communication barriers. I left two campus groups during my first year since I could not follow their conversations. There were also labs where I got fewer grades since I could not communicate answers in Hindi. I did adapt eventually, but to answer your question, yes, there are groups that struggle in adapting to IITR due to language-related issues.
+ 
+**Watch Out!** - If you had the time and resources, what campus group would you start and why?
+
+**Sidharth** - This is not something that I would be interested in. However, I wish people at IITR would stop joining groups merely out of peer pressure or for a POR, and instead, follow their interest. 
+ 
+**Watch Out!** - As a member of the IEEE Student Branch SIG, what is the best thing about the group? What do you think is the future of the group?
+
+**Sidharth** -  The purpose of the IEEE Special Interest Group is to bring together a group of students who are interested in electronics. We have tried to create a culture where there is no ‘secretary’, ‘associate member’, or even a ‘sir’. Anybody can drop-in, interrupt, or leave a discussion. I like this informal nature of the group. Last year, we helped organize a project demo for the first year ‘Intro to ECE course’. It was a fun experience, and our juniors had some amazing projects on display. 
+ 
+**Watch Out!** - Customary question: What do you think of Watch Out!
+
+**Sidharth** - I think you guys are doing a solid job. I remember reading Watch Out ‘Summer Diaries’ back in 2016.  
+That being said, this interview has been fun and unexpected. Thank you! 

_posts/2020-09-16-summer-diaries-ajitesh-shukla.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: " Summer Diaries: NTU Singapore"
+image: "ajitesh-shukla-1.jpg"
+tags: [wona]
+author: "Ajitesh Shukla"
+category: summer2020
+excerpt: ''
+---
+
+I recently did my 9-week summer internship remotely at NTU Singapore. In this article, I will be summarising how I got there and my experience during the internship. 
+
+# Before applying
+
+My interest in the research field developed during my 2nd-year internship at SPARK, IITR. I worked in the domain of Computational Mechanics for the analysis of inflatable membranes used in space structures. I had a good experience and wanted to explore more in the research field. I had in mind from the start of the internship season that I wanted to do a research internship, and I had a decent research experience to back that up. I also applied for some core R&D profile companies, but had no luck there.
+
+# Making It There
+
+![pic1](/images/posts/ajitesh-shukla-2.jpg){: style="width:90%;height:auto;"}
+
+I applied for the specific internship programs DAAD, Mitacs, and NTU-India Connect. I also mailed professors working in the domain of my interest in some of the top universities in Europe. I got selected for the NTU-India Connect program and also for Summer Fellowship at EPFL, Switzerland. I’ll give a brief about how I got selected in both the universities.
+
+I started mailing from the start of October and sent personalised emails to about 30-40 professors. I glanced at their recent work and mentioned how it relates to my interests in the mails. I got a few replies pertaining to lack of funding, no openings, etc., but it was good that they were giving time to read my application, and I kept going. A professor from EPFL showed interest and scheduled an interview with me in January. It went great, and he was willing to take me for a summer internship. He couldn’t provide me with funding, so he asked me to apply to one of their internship programs, the EPFL Excellence in Engineering (E3) fellowship, for funding. In the application, I had to submit a Statement of Purpose (SOP), (which I had already prepared before I started mailing), my resume, transcripts, and the choice of Labs where I wished to work. I got through the preliminary screening, after which the professor selected me. I came to know afterwards that many good universities had similar internship programs for international students. Knowing them beforehand could be of great help to the students, so I would advise you to do your research and always look for new opportunities.
+
+In NTU-Connect, we had a similar procedure. Here, we had to first get recommendations from the institute before applying. The application requires three project choices (out of about 25 in Mechanical Engineering), a list of our achievements/projects, two Letters of Recommendation, transcripts, and any additional documents we wish to add. Here, I attached my 2nd-year internship project report, and I suggest other applicants to prepare a project report of your previous work to increase your chances. I was directly selected for the program, though one might expect an interview screening as some of my friends were asked for the same. 
+
+The key for selection that I found in NTU as well as in other programs such as Mitacs, apart from the usual suspects such as academics and research experience, was project selection. You have to select a project that most fits your interests and previous works. If you don’t have any prior experience, you have to present yourself to be extremely enthusiastic about the field of work you chose in your SOP.
+
+# Challenges due to COVID
+
+Among the two programs, I was willing to do the Swiss internship mostly due to the chance to visit Europe, as the projects were almost on the same line. But COVID happened, and the Swiss internship got cancelled while the NTU Programme got postponed indefinitely. I couldn’t do anything about the Swiss internship, but as we were supported by the institute in the NTU-India Connect program, I asked the International Relations Office to help me get it done remotely, and they did so. I am incredibly grateful for them as well as my project supervisor’s support for making it happen in these tough times.
+
+Though my project was both experimental and analytical, we had to drop the experimental portion, and I worked only on the Simulation part.
+
+# Work
+
+My project was in the broad domain of Computational Mechanics and Finite Element Method in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NTU Singapore. The aim was to prepare a robust model for the static and dynamic compression analysis of materials with random geometrical imperfections. In the previous studies, the simulation results were highly inconsistent with the actual experiments due to various defects present in the setup and specimen. My work aimed at modelling those imperfections that could happen in real experiments and bridging the gap between numerical models and actual tests.
+
+Initially, my supervisor didn’t have many expectations from me as we were not in direct contact, and he thought much productive work couldn’t be done in the current situation. But the project progressed well with continuous support and guidance from him. Since I was working from home, the time of work was relaxed. We had regular meetings, and he was very friendly and supportive. I completed the project under the time constraints, and I am still in contact with my supervisor as we are currently working towards a publication of that work.
+
+# Summing Up
+
+Overall, I had a good experience. Though there were setbacks due to COVID and I couldn’t get the chance to travel abroad, the work was unaffected due to it. I was able to work productively as per my comfort and learned a lot that will help me in my career.
+
+For students who wish to apply for research internships, here are some tips:
+- Apart from applying to the specific programs, also mail professors in your domain of interest for summer internship. The selection in programs is dependent on a lot of factors, not in our control, but contacting professors will sooner or later work.
+- Many universities have internship programs for international students that most people are unaware of. Look out for these opportunities and apply to them as well, as they have a better selection rate than DAAD, Mitacs, NTU-Connect, or Charpak.
+- Prepare your Statement of Purpose, Resume, and Cover Letter before starting to apply and give dedicated time to this task. They play a significant role in any application, whether you are applying for an internship or higher studies. 
+

_posts/2020-09-20-summer-diaries-hardik-taneja.md

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: " Summer Diaries: Reliance Industries"
+image: "hardik-taneja.jpg"
+tags: [wona]
+author: "Hardik Taneja"
+category: summer2020
+excerpt: ''
+---
+
+Hi! I am Hardik Taneja, a final year student at the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Roorkee. This summer I had an opportunity to intern at Reliance Industries as a GET (Graduate Engineering Trainee). This summer has turned out to be really productive in terms of learning and experience as I had the opportunity to connect with industry leaders.
+
+# The Application Phase
+
+Reliance industries comes to hire interns in the second phase of On-campus internships.
+For the current session, the company came for internships on campus on 17th January, 2020. There was no CG cutoff for applying which is indeed a good news for many applicants.
+
+The first round of the selection process consisted of an aptitude test which also included sections of core mechanical engineering. The later rounds were interview rounds, the first being technical and the next being HR. 
+
+Coming onto the preparation part, one needs to practice questions based on quantitative and verbal aptitude for the written test. There is no particular syllabus for the mechanical section and one could just brush up on the basics of thermodynamics and engineering drawing. For the interview round, what helped me were projects that I undertook at my department and a core internship that I did in my second year. Also, be very clear of your areas of interest and be well prepared. Stay confident and be patient while answering the questions. The basic skill-set that Reliance demands is your ability to work in a team and time management. My interview lasted for about 20 minutes. I was asked questions on my areas of interest, why I wanted to join Reliance and regarding my future goals.
+
+
+# The Work
+
+Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Reliance owns businesses across India engaged in energy, petrochemicals, textiles, natural resources, retail, and telecommunications. 
+
+My domain of work was related to core metallurgy. The project assigned to me was "Study of different metallurgy and its applicability in the refinery". I was expected to study corrosion and various other damage mechanisms involved in the Crude Distillation Unit in the Jamnagar refinery. Due to the COVID crisis, it was a virtual internship. Generally the duration for the project is two months but it was reduced to a month for us i.e from 1st July to 31st July.
+
+The working culture at Reliance was very good and we had full support and assistance from our mentors at all times. The work was demanding as we were expected to work 7-8 hours per day. We had to study reports and research papers, make presentations and discuss our advancements with industry leaders.
+
+My journey at Reliance was full of learning experiences which will be handy in the future. It was a great experience to understand the working of a refinery and the challenges that come with it. For people who are gunning for this internship, my suggestion would be to do at least one project in core metallurgy so as to have something to speak about in the interview.
+
+# Word of Advice
+
+Prepare well beforehand for the test and remember, practice is key. The rest would be to be confident during the interview and prepare a nice introduction for the interview. Don't hesitate to ask if you are unsure of something or some specific term during the interview. Revise your resume thoroughly and give a firm handshake while entering the room.
+

category/summer2020/index.html

@@ -1 +1,3 @@
---- category: summer2019 ---
+---
+category: summer2020
+---