IITians on IITians - 2

As if Chetan Bhagat and Sandeepan Deb didn't do enough, here comes news that IITians have proved that they are geeks.

While I would not challenge the thesis, the survey itself does raise a few questions. Especially, since the Tabloid has put it up on its front page. The piece has a classic headline, "Studies rule the lives of IITians". Really? Are you saying that?

The visual in TOI says this:
What IIT freshers prefer besides academics:

• Nothing in particular 30%
• Sitting at the computer 19%
• Sports 23%
• Music and dance 13%
• Dramatics 8%
• Literature and debating 5%
• Others 2%
  

Firstly, what was the question that was asked? The article says it was what "activities, other than academics, they planned to pursue during the first year?" Were the choices left blank or was this a multiple choice question. Also, are we talking about activities on campus or off campus? Because, I don't see watching movies, hanging out with friends, clubbing, dating women, blogging* etc. on the menu. Or do only 2% of the students prefer that? Seems unlikely to me.

Secondly, just have a look at the results. While the Tabloid may think it's whopping, 30% doesn't seem like whopping to me at all. What would the results be like if the test was done in other colleges, AIIMS, NLS, DU etc.? I would not expect radically different results (although perhaps 30% might come down a few percentage points in an environment like DU where exams happen only once a year, thus releasing time from the rest of year for extra-curricular activities). Essentially, 30% of the students surveyed are saying that they wouldn't want to pursue another activity in the next year with anywhere close to as much dedication as they would devote to studies. Nothing unusual in that, in mind, hearing what first year is like.

Thirdly, I can also see that a quarter of the IITians prefer sports. Five times as many IITians prefer sports compared to literary activities. That is surprising**. Why has that finding not been highlighted?

Lastly, why is sitting at the computer being clubbed with studying? Let me quote from TOI, "Most of them did nothing but study. In fact, almost half of those interviewed said that they'd rather study or sit at the computer than do anything else." In my experience, sitting at the computer, while geeky in itself, isn't studies. It's instead a curious mix of porn, gaming and chatting/ blogging/ surfing the net. Is the assertion that 'most of them did nothing but study' made by the survey or by the tabloid?

By the way, the article itself is truly badly written. The press version has got statements like, "Not surprisingly, the brains behind the study are the students themselves" which I didn't think was particularly not surprising. Then, there is this - "Speaking of IITians, the trio (who carried out the survey) said, "We are termed distinctive, apparently concise, all-encompassing and even mildly disdainful nerds." What does that mean?

Update: Krishna, Editor of Insight, the campus mag which did the survey, writes in that this was another one of TOI's poorly written articles. The best part was of course was what the reporter said to Krishna,

what's your problem? the article is such a positive take on IITians; whats wrong with being called a nerd?!

Nothing wrong. Just as there's nothing wrong being called The Slimes of India.

* Actually, not much chance of the penultimate option being exercised!
** This would, also, perhaps be more insightful - that IITians are essentially closet jocks.