1) What is paradox?

Every Univeristy has a time in the year where people gather,enjoy,explore,build and showcase their talents. For IITM Online degree students that is “PARADOX”.

This is a time of the year that every online degree students looks forward to due to the fact that it lets us be there and be in touch with people physically.

In my eyes, PARADOX is one of the best events organized by IIT Madras. It gives Online Degree students a chance to experience the campus firsthand, meet incredible people, and create memories that go far beyond academics. That experience truly matters.

What are the things you can do at Paradox?

  • Explore the beautiful “Campus” of IITM
  • Attend informative and fun “Workshops”.
  • Take part in “Cultural”,“Techical” and “Sports” events.

2) The Journey to Campus

Let’s start with how I decided to attend PARADOX.

I live in Guwahti, Assam and while I have some friends here from the BS in data science program, none of them were planning to attend PARADOX. That left me with choise of; skip the event or to go alone. After thinking about it. I decided to go by myself.

The journey wasn’t exactly short either. Traveling from Guwahati to Chennai meant covering roughly 2,000 kilometers

At the start, I was quite nervous with things like traveling, handling day to day tasks independently. I’m kind of the person who stays at home mostly, so coming out of comfort place was not easy.

3) First Impressions

The thing that stood out to me was the fact that the atmosphere was really nice there. Unlike normal events, PRARDOX felt like a celebration of the IITM student community. Students from different places/cities gathered and created a energetic and welcoming environment.

For many students this was the time to meet their online friends whom they chatted and known through discussion forums, WhatsApp groups, and online classes.

4) Events & Activities

According to me, one of the biggest highlights of PARADOX is the variety of activities and workshops available throughout the event.

Students can take part in anything they want, starting from technical events like a Python coding challenge to cultural programs like dancing.

What I found most interesting were the Workshops. These were conducted by Professors, Instructors of courses, and some industry professionals.

The one workshop I still remember was named “Let AI Take Your Exam”, which was taken by Prof. S Anand. He is the person who teaches us the course TDS (Tools in Data Science), which I have yet to take at the time of writing.

5) Final Thoughts

For me, PARADOX 2026 was a amazing experience. It allowed me to step out of my “comfort zone”, meet great people and experience IIT Madras campus in person.

PARADOX reminded me that the Online Degree program is not just about assignments and exams—it is also about the community, friendships, and experiences we build along the way.

If you ever get the chance to attend PARADOX, I would highly recommend it.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my experience.