The student recalled a conversation with a friend studying at IIT Guwahati, saying that it changed his understanding of what makes IITs special. A social media post by a 19-year-old student about what truly makes the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) stand out has struck a chord online, with many agreeing that it is the network and community, not just academics, that shape students’ careers.The student recalled a conversation with a friend studying at IIT Guwahati.In an X post, Anurag Jha recalled a conversation with a friend studying at IIT Guwahati. He said that the IIT ecosystem offers much more than classrooms and professors. His friend described an IIT culture where seniors and alumni regularly guide students through online and offline interactions. The IITian also told him that seniors offer mentorship, recommend learning resources, help chart career roadmaps and in many cases, connect students with promising startups through referrals.“My friend who’s in IIT Guwahati told that in the IIT culture, the seniors even the alumni who are doing good in life will meet (online/offline) and gives you mentorship and strong recommendations to resources and roadmap. And will even refer you to good startups,” Jha wrote.Reflecting on the conversation, the 19-year-old said it changed his understanding of what makes IITs special. “So it made me realise that it’s not the course, professors or academics which make IIT, THE IIT but it’s network and a great community,” he wrote.He also expressed surprise at the transformation of his friend, whom he described as a “nerd” during school days but who had since become skilled in communication, programming, development and sports. “He was just a nerd in school days but now he's so good in communication, programing, DSA, Development and in sports that it Amaze me is it the same guy who used to play Bingo with me and had only 2 friends,” he said.(Also Read: IIT alum recalls struggle with pressure and failure after GPA fell from 8.4 to 5.5: 'I was almost expelled')Social media reactionsThe post sparked a discussion on the importance of peer groups and alumni networks.“Many premier institutes are not just institutes. They are networks. Very few people understand that. But more over, even in IIT, not every one uses those network. It’s very few who gets to top,” one user commented.Another agreed, writing, “Exactly, it makes it IIT because how well connect they are.”“Yes goat, networking with seniors will teach you a lot of thing,” said a third.“It’s not about place it’s always the people,” remarked one user, while another attributed the growth to the competitive environment, writing, “Its the peer pressure due to competition which make their average better than best of ours.”Bhavya Sukheja is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 6 years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in covering stories that reflect everyday human experiences, with a focus on viral videos, social media trends, and human-interest features that inform readers while sparking meaningful conversations. She loves chasing page views and finding stories that tug at readers’ heartstrings.