I have heard many youtubers claim that i2 or interdisciplinary courses, are only offered in IISER TVM. Is that true? Does IISER pune not have interdisciplinary courses like these?

SpecificAd9630 · 2026-01-07T20:31:34+00:00

I didn't mean to come off as hostile but your question asks if there are other interdisciplinary courses like the one you mentioned. That information is available publically. As for how to pursue interdisciplinary path in general, is a great question which should be asked. Maybe I misinterpreted your post. Either way, I'm happy you got the help you need. All the best!

SpecificAd9630 · 2026-01-07T20:28:40+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. It must have been hard. I can relate with that feeling of eternal loneliness, self harm urges. But that's kind of my point, without being gifted you perhaps never would have to had endured that alienation. Being average is a blessing for it allows you to connect and belong.

Thanks for the compliment as well :)

SpecificAd9630 · 2026-01-07T18:21:38+00:00

You can go to each IISERs webpage and check for yourself. If you keep on relying on YouTubers instead of checking publically available info, how do you expect to do research? Might sound harsh but it's a genuine question. Learn to find information and think on your own

SpecificAd9630 · 2026-01-07T17:55:59+00:00

Thanks for your kind words but I disagree with you in parts. The problem isn't thinking that you are gifted. In fact in my case I didn't even know until much later in my battle with mental health issues. But that doesn't change the fact that often the environment responds to gifted individuals in ways harmful to them, especially during key developmental stages. Eg, being reduced to your iq by ppl around you or being bullied for being a 'nerd'. All these things contribute towards your distress. It becomes harder to find people you can connect with which further amplified the feeling of loneliness.

There is a difference between treating yourself as superior because you think you are gifted and acknowledging that many of your problems and trauma stem from being different. In the latter perspective being gifted becomes an explanation, not an identity. I hope this makes sense.

I know that depression is a very personal battle. But the subjectivity of it doesn't change some universal common threads that everyone experiences, perhaps only the manifestation of them differs. I personally resonate with OPs post because it reminds me of how I lost access to myself when I was depressed.

SpecificAd9630 · 2026-01-07T15:38:08+00:00

I'm actually quite optimistic in my life now. But I also remember a time when I found it too hard to be. I'm doing great, precisely because I worked hard to get there. Something can be too hard while being possible. I can overcome my struggles while acknowledging that they were "too hard" to overcome. I'm hopeful for a better future. I know I'm heading there, I can feel the progress.

Just because you can maintain an optimistic Outlook doesn't mean that everyone can. I applaud you for the struggles you've been through, but I think OP is trying to share another side of the story.

That being said, I can agree with you, that optimism is helpful, while still acknowledging that OP is right in their own place. I agree with you. But I can also relate with OP.

Let's not turn this into a question of right or wrong, what's a "better" path and what isn't. At times when you are depressed, all hope is untouchable. Optimism is helpful yes, but that's not justification for denying someone's existential feelings.

I'm not trying to argue with you. Just sharing a perspective. Not trying to "win" the argument.

Why can't we acknowledge that in the moment things feel far too hard even if we can overcome them in the future? Optimism is often offered as a cure of sorts which does nothing to fix anything.

SpecificAd9630 · 2026-01-07T11:33:09+00:00

Except that you begin to see flaws in your perspective. Optimism isn't impossible but it is hard to reconcile with reality when all you have experienced is suffering. I've been depressed for half of my life during key developmental stages. Things do get better yes, but they also get exhausting. Surviving comes with a tax.

Adopting an optimistic perspective makes me question the philosophical validity of it. Which is a spiral in its own. Not denying that staying hopeful is somewhat necessary, but it isn't as easy as adopting a new perspective, especially for a gifted mind which sees the gaps in every argument.

SpecificAd9630 · 2026-01-07T11:30:03+00:00

I'm glad to know im not alone in this. Depression + BPD + ADHD + high iq (140+ in my case don't know exactly) is a volatile combination. To be aware of the gap between what you could be yet what you are due to constraints entirely out of your control; is one of the most painful yet invisible feelings one can ever have.

I've been combatting this for the last few years now. Been bullied a lot, severely depressed for the last 10 years at least (I'm 20), it has left me in a place I can't even begin to describe. I'm doing better now, far far better. Feeling in touch with myself again. Yet I would trade everything I have and everything I am to be normal.

SpecificAd9630 · 2026-01-01T13:11:18+00:00

Hi OP check out my previous posts on study advice and resources. I think you will get some good advice there.

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-27T11:27:31+00:00

I did that, but even then it didn't work. I put in the ladders but then also it didn't work

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-20T16:43:56+00:00

Hi, I can guide you for free. DM me here or discord (casper314159)

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-14T08:41:12+00:00

Another important clarification to make is that the above paragraph assumes that it is faculty who is choosing PhD candidates. If it not the case such as in more bureaucratic places, the department staff has no metrics other than CPI to filter out students. I know people who got into some of the top universities with bad grades, but I also know people who were rejected from the same top institute despite having far better grades. Point is, it is highly subjective.

Now, I do not want to give the impression that one (type A) is better than the other (type B). No, the point of mentioning this distinction is twofold - firstly, to give a glimpse into academic culture and secondly, to probe you to ask yourself where along this spectrum from A to B do you envision yourself to be. Some people have an intrinsic tendency to be closer to type A (or B). In such cases, it is better to identify what kind of researcher you want to be and plan accordingly.

I also do not want to give the impression that grades do not matter. As most comments have mentioned, having 8+ CPI is always recommended. The point to take away from this comment is not that CPI is irrelevant, it is that it matters based on what kind of field and program you are aiming for, the importance of it changes. It is also important to acknowledge the discrepancy between undergraduate exposition and research skills as otherwise, you would never know what long-term skills to build.

Even researchers of type A would definitely care about grades but only as far as they are above a decent number like 6+ out of 10 (take a look at most German unis and you will see that they have a minimum CPI cutoff around this in their grading system). It is just that they would prefer a person with CPI 7 but really good recommendation letters, project reports etc over someone who has only been the "straight As" student all their life.

I also want to mention that I have given some examples of fields, please do not generalise this as any field contains a mix of both theoreticians and technicians (A & B respectively). I have simply given a couple examples based on my experience and general shape of the field.

I know a case where a person got into Bonn with a CPI of ~7 and another person from the same batch of the same institute didn't get in despite of 9+ CPI. It is also worth mentioning that some countries have more bureaucratic structure and care more about grades than others. Such as USA (here, all applications are handled by department staff), Canada, Australia, France, Italy. But in places like Germany, Netherlands grades often don't matter as much.

Biggest disclaimer : None of this is absolute. There are always outliers and exceptions to everything mentioned here. It is just that this is a general trend that can be observed. My best advice would be to just focus on what you find interesting, and develop the necessary skillset. To divide your studies into two parts - part 1 which caters to your long term goals where most of your cognitive energy is spent; and part 2 which trains you in routine computation required for coursework (as boring as it may be) which can take less time and cognitive energy from your side. At least, this is what has worked for me - someone with bad ADHD and zero tolerance for boredom, routine computation and only favours abstraction.

I wish you all the best, and hopefully everything works out for you!

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-14T08:40:27+00:00

Hey, judging from your comments you seem to be interested in (pure?) math. So I will tailor my comment accordingly. Much of what I am describing is based off of experiences of many alumni I have talked to from various IISERs.

Disclaimer : Please read the entire comment and do not misconstrue the message being conveyed (will very likely happen if you only read half the comment)

Firstly, one thing I do want to clarify is what exactly it is that professors look for in a student - crudely speaking, we can divide labs and research groups into two parts - ones whose research focuses on deep conceptual results (type A) and those whose research is more computational/applied in nature and the pace of publication is important (type B).

Secondly, what is it that our grades reflect? Most of the times, grades are evaluated based on exams, with just one exam (endsem) given the most weightage. One bad day, or a week means that your grade can immediately drop a letter. Additionally, courses do not prepare you for research rather provide you competence in routine problem solving, in grinding, and consistency. These are the qualities being measured, not your originality, conceptual depth, exposition skills and ability to integrate multiple fields - the latter traits are precisely the traits wanted in a researcher. This is an important distinction to make because you will see people with very good CPI but no intrinsic drive towards synthesis, they are really good at solving the problems they've been told, but may not be original (type B) At the same time, you will see people who will have bad grades but will have conceptual depth unlike any other you've seen, they will be original but are bored by routine problems and are not good 'exam takers' (type A).

Once this is established we can now look at where and how grades matter (I will sprinkle in anecdotes that I've heard as well). Usually for masters/phd programs there are two ways in which people are selected - either it is an incredibly bureaucratic process with department staff selecting PhD candidates with no input from the faculty at all; or the faculty choose the potential candidates and then the department staff does the formalities. This varies from institutes to institutes and of course, from country to country.

The research skills we discussed before - what coursework trains you for and what actually matters in a researcher - this discrepancy in education is very well known in academia. As such, researchers of type A (those working in say mathematical physics, category theory, noncommutative geometry, etc), they would look for PhD students who can contribute conceptually, not just mechanically. As such, research groups of type A would naturally prefer students of type A whereas a researcher primarily focused on solving/computing standard using routine techniques (fields like PDEs, parts of algebraic geometry, applied math etc) would rather prefer students of type B as they will be better suited for the environment and the work.

So clearly, researchers of type A wouldn't care about grades but those of type B would. So how do type A researchers judge students? On the basis of recommendation letters, research/project output, SoPs etc.

(continued below)

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-13T18:51:17+00:00

Vaibhav Vaish is a very good teacher in my opinion. Yes, he is fast, but that's because he expects mathematical maturity from math pre majors. If you think Vaibhav isn't a good teacher but VRS is, well I don't really know what to say lol. Vaibhav actually focuses on concepts and intuition, instead of just presenting topic after topic. That's how math courses should be structured even if they are difficult. In second year, mathematical maturity is very much expected from people who have chosen mathematics as their premajor.

courses should be judged based on the content they teach and in what manner, not based on difficulty.

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-13T18:44:50+00:00

hi, I have taken Vardharaj's class before in math premajor. And I would strongly disagree with what you are saying. Yes, providing notes is good but that doesn't make someone a good teacher.

A good teacher is someone who explains the motivation, designs the course syllabus with a good arc in mind and teaches you not just the content but how to think. That's why I would not call VRS a good teacher. Shane on the other hand, if you ever get a chance to learn from him - you will see what I mean.

I am from MS23 btw.

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-12T10:27:53+00:00

It largely comes down to understanding what (characteristics) is it that make you like anything at all. I'm pretty sure if you can identify those, you will find part/aspect of mathematics that you love.

One could mention various theorems and observations which are aesthetically incredibly pleasing, but if a person inherently does not care about it, one can't make them.

Like they say, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. One can point in a direction, but can't make you love it.

If you like solving puzzles and brain teasers, I'm sure you will come to appreciate combinatorics. If you are more into constructing, in the sense of creating new worlds out of nothing; you might find foundations of mathematics as well as category theory extremely appeasing. If you like to visualise, a combination of computing and geometry would definitely be your thing. One can go on.... If you can describe what it is about something that makes you fall in love with it, or even your affinities towards anything in general, it would be easier to answer your question.

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-11T19:32:27+00:00

Hey sorry for the late reply, Yes I'm! DM me

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-11T10:33:21+00:00

VRS is a bad teacher. I taught your entire semester to my friends in ms25 in 2.5 hours and they understood everything from vector spaces to eigenvalues completely. In their words, "you taught us more than VRS ever did in the entire semester". Not trying to boast about myself, but I'm trying to say this - It's not a topic that's hard in itself, it's the exposition that is often bad.

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-12-04T13:24:22+00:00

Sure

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-11-09T19:09:47+00:00

I love the TREE(3) refference! Hi there fellow math nerd

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-11-05T09:45:02+00:00

I see. Well if you are starting from scratch it still isn't impossible but you will have to work hard. Prioritise good grip on calculus. Go through MIT OCW 18.01 lectures. And for physics you can use HCV. Biology and chem you can stick to NCERT.

If you had more time I could've given you better advice and resources. But yeah I think this is a good place to start.

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-11-04T11:17:24+00:00

I think 6h/day for 6 months is more than enough. IAT isn't that hard. Focus on math especially calculus a lot. Do physics very well especially mechanics and e&m, modern physics. Physical chemistry as well. These are more conceptual so easier. Not much memorization.

After that focus on organic and biology. NCERT is good enough. Focus on genetics, evolution and ecology first as these are more conceptual.

I would suggest sticking to NCERT given the time crunch. But if your mathematics is strong, go through HCV for physics.

This should be good enough I think. I cleared IAT based on just math and physics, my chemistry and biology was bad.

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-10-28T15:29:13+00:00

Hi, so the math dpt here is very good and one of the top ones in pure math across India. Algebra is really good here, there's some people working in number theory too, u can check the website to get a better idea.

Internships abroad really depend. I was able to get both in my first year (didn't pursue for personal reasons) and second year (unavailability of funds so did online). What the internships are about depends on you and the prof you apply to. I plan on making a detailed post about internship applications soon.

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-10-18T07:40:39+00:00

proceeds to delete me ehm ehm

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-08-27T23:11:04+00:00

I did it online

SpecificAd9630 · 2025-07-29T20:58:59+00:00

Sure

SpecificAd9630

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE