InternFeel: Hello Ipshita, pleasure to meet you. Please tell us about yourself. What makes you different?
Ipshita: I am a final year student of Electronics and Communication, NIT Silchar. My subject of interest is Artificial Intelligence, which includes Artificial Neural Networks, Machine Learning, and Computer Vision etc. Among several other hobbies, the relevant ones would be reading, writing, and keeping myself up to date with the latest technological happenings.
I do try to do most of the things on my own rather than taking help from others. I do things in my own way rather than following others.
IF: Which internship did you get the chance to take? What is it all about? Stipend, duration, place?
Ipshita: Apart from other internships/trainings which I have done, I would like to mention my IIT Guwahati internship, which was in the form of a project on Artificial Neural Networks. The project didn’t have any definite duration. We were required to submit an assignment within one month since the starting of the project work. Our task was to train neural networks using C programming and MatLab.
IF: How did you come to know about the internship? To what all sources you kept yourself connected?
Ipshita: I had come to know regarding the internship from my batch mates who were also doing projects under the guidance of professors in the same institute. After that we went to the institute and spoke to the professor regarding our area of interest and thus he guided us for the project.
In order to pursue a project at IITs, one can either mail the concerned professor or can visit him for the same.
[su_box title=”Details”]How to apply: You can use two methods. 1. Mailing the professor and getting confirmation, or 2. Different departments of IIT G, launches separate internship programs. So stay updated via their website. [/su_box]
IF: Tell us on the procedure to apply for the internship. Who all are eligible to apply for this internship?
Ipshita: The simple procedure is already clear in the reply to my above question. Any student with interest on this subject is eligible. The prerequisites are- good knowledge of C programming and MatLab, knowledge of Numerical methods, interpolation, extrapolation, and probability. The idea behind the functioning of the neural network can be grabbed during the project work.
IF: How competitive is the selection process?
What qualities of yours, you believe helped you in having an edge over the selection process? What key things you feel were looked for by the selectors?
Ipshita: The entire environment of IIT Guwahati is competitive. It’s like once you enter the institute, all you can think about is your project works. Being in the midst of dedicated teachers and interns, one is naturally motivated to work seriously. The selection process isn’t a tough one. The real challenge lies in working on the project. One would realise whether he/she is fit to work on the project or not right after the project work starts. Discipline, punctuality, and complete dedication towards work are the prime requirements. So, here getting selecting is not the challenge, sustaining is definitely the one.
IF: About when did you get the news for the selection? How was the celebration?
Ipshita: Just when the professor accepted us as his intern.
It was celebrated by going through some articles on the project topic and brushing up C programming knowledge!!
IF: What all preparations you did (academic/otherwise) after the results for the internship?
Ipshita: Adding to the above reply, waking up in the morning, having a lesser amount of sleep and prolonged working schedule.
IF: So Ipshita, could you please highlight the work/research project you carried out during the internship period? Its application in the near future and your work in it?
Ipshita: Artificial Neural Network forms the backbone of the Artificial Intelligence, which an emerging branch of Science, at presently going through a prolific growth. Artificial Intelligence finds its application is a variety of areas starting from genetics to everyday works. Very soon it would replace the conventional machines or aids we use in our daily lives. Now, the best example of Artificial intelligence would be a search engine, or a mail spam detector. There’s a huge difference between a conventional algorithm and an algorithm involving AI. The purpose of AI is to make the machines efficiently do human like tasks.
IF: What was the best thing about the work culture and the internship? What all things you liked there?
Ipshita: Like I’ve mentioned in some of my previous answers that the environment of IIT Guwahati itself is motivation enough to make you think of taking the project work seriously. The professors were dedicated, strict, and motivating.
IF: Were there any special events during the internships?
Ipshita: Yes, I remember coming across some posters of ICANN 2013 and also inter-IIT sports meet.
IF: What was the guidance provided by your guide? What all support you received from the IIT Guwahati administration.
Ipshita: Our guide gave us a detailed structure of what we were required to do in the project. He explained us the basic idea behind the Artificial Neural Network functioning. He used to come regularly to the lab to check our progress with the project.
We were permitted to use the internet connection of the college for the purpose of the project work.
IF: Let’s now talk about some negatives.
What problems you or your friends faced, regards to the internship, which your juniors may be able to avoid?
Ipshita: Accommodation might be have been a problem for us if we hadn’t been localities because at that time the hostels were filled because of the inter-IIT sports meet. But, I guess with the absence of any other events taking place in the institute, there won’t be any accommodation problem for the students coming for internships.
There’s was nothing negative about the internship. The success of the internship would completely depend on the student. No one would be there to spoon feed, so, the concerned intern is required to have strong concepts on the topic of the project. Any kind of carelessness in that regards would do no good. In case of any genuine doubts the guide would be there to help you out, but one is required to take the project seriously.
IF: Anything you would like to tell us please. Feel free to share any interesting thing that happened.
Ipshita: I used to carry a novel with me during the internship. I used to read it on my way to IITG and also when I used to get frustrated by not getting the required C programming output!!
IF: Have you done any internship/training before? It would help the readers if you could bring a comparison among your two different experiences.
Ipshita: I have done training at Brigosha Technologies, Airtel, BSNL. All of these deals with different topics. So they cannot be compared.
IF: To whom all, would you, like to thank in the context of this internship?
Ipshita: I would like to thank my friends who informed me about the internship and definitely my guide who accepted us as his interns.
IF: How much difference this period of 2 months made in your intellectual capabilities and mind-set. In broad terms what are your gains from this?
Ipshita: I could feel the serious workaholic environment that’s prevalent at IITG. My interest towards ANN has been broadened. Now, I’m more inclined to seek more opportunities in this field.
IF: Advice for juniors? Which can help them in getting internships in their future college life and also advice for making the best out of it.
Ipshita: Choose a topic for the internship, which you are comfortable with and can do some serious work on it. At times doing internship in a good institute helps in many different ways.
IF: What are your future plans after this internship and how much impact this internship will have on it?
Ipshita: I would like to work on a number of projects on ANN.
IF: Any views about this initiative of InternFeel, and how beneficial it would be? Any suggestions for improvement?
Ipshita: It’s a very nice platform where one can gain direct access to the internship opportunities. I’m glad it’s doing a really nice job. I hope it continues with the same endeavor in future.
IF: Ipshita it was so nice to know all about this. We agree you would have been busy with your academics. Even then, you took out time for this. We thank you and wish you the best of luck for all your future endeavors.
Ipshita: My pleasure.
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