Ques: So, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm Harshit Shree, currently pursuing Economics Honours at Shivaji College, and I'll be graduating with the batch of 2025/26. When I first came to DU, my goal was to explore as much as possible, so I've been all over the different campuses participating in a ton of competitions.
One thing I noticed in my college was a significant gap between first-year and third-year students. The first years didn't always have the knowledge that gets passed down through the years. So, my friend and I decided to create 'STUDY SAGE' a platform that helps bridge this gap and offers guidance to first-year students on how to excel and really enjoy their college experience.
Aside from that, I've always been academically inclined. So I quickly got involved in research papers and earned a number of certifications in various topics that interested me.
Ques: Could you share with us your interest in coding? When did you start experimenting in this field?
I actually started getting into coding right after finishing high school since I didn't have Computer Science in 12th grade. So, once I graduated from school, I dove into several online courses to get a head start before tackling similar courses in college. One of the main catalysts in my journey was my professor Abha Vasal, she constantly pushed me to do better each time. Even if I delivered a piece of code that was able to achieve whatever was our goal at hand, she would still instruct me to make even the smallest of updates to optimise my code as much as possible.
Ques: What programming languages or tools did you use for the Dark Coding Competition, where you earned the National Runner-up title?
For the competition, I primarily worked with Python and R. Other coding languages were used a bit here and there for experimenting, but they weren't as crucial. The first round was focused on coding in R, the second round was all about Python, and the third round was a combination of both.
Ques: You seem to have a lot of expertise in developing business plans. How did you come up with the business plan for the EnVenture Entrepreneurship Competition?
EnVenture was definitely one of my most memorable experiences. I had an amazing team, especially two juniors who worked with me. Initially, I was a bit worried that including juniors in such a big competition might not be the best idea, but they really pushed hard and were instrumental in helping us develop a solid plan.
Our business plan was centered on establishing a synergistic relationship between EV manufacturers and second hand vehicle sales platforms. The objective was to minimize waste and reduce operational costs, ultimately lowering the price at which customers could access the products. The plan optimized efficiency and cost-effectiveness, ensuring that both companies and consumers benefited from the partnership.
Ques: You mentioned it was your biggest event. Can you describe it in more detail?
I won't lie, it was really scary at first because it was the largest competition I'd been a part of. Another thing was that it was purely Enactus-based, and only two teams out of the 15 that made it to the finals weren't from ‘Enactus’. So, we were a non-institutional team, which added a lot of pressure since our team was small, just me and three teammates while the other teams had the support of an entire society. So we felt the weight of the challenge even more.
On top of that, I come from a science background, so I wasn't as well-versed in commerce-related topics as some of the other participants. It was a nerve-wracking experience but also incredibly enriching. I learned a lot from it.
Ques: Do you think your entire team shared a similar mindset, and how did you motivate your team to be on the same page as you?
Yeah, I think my team shared a similar mindset. It's normal to be scared, but when you're on that stage, you need to believe you can do it and that you can get it done. The consequences don't matter as much in that moment. This mindset came from the great understanding we had as a team. It wasn't about one person being the leader whose ideas always prevailed; it was about everyone contributing their ideas.
We would pool our ideas together, and whichever ones resonated most with the team, we'd go with those. Even if you felt strongly about your own idea, if it didn't work for the whole team, we'd drop it and work on another teammate's idea as if it were our own. This collaborative approach, focusing more on the collective process than on individual opinions, really helped us excel.
Ques: Do you believe that participating in such competitions has prepared you for real-world problems, like managing issues?
While the EnVenture competition was more focused on startups, different competitions have helped me a lot. I think any student who comes across these opportunities should definitely participate. For instance, I took part in a competition at Keshav Mahavidyalaya where we were given a major business problem faced by a corporation. We had to come up with a solution, visualize it, and build a framework for how it would work. This experience really boosts your confidence and gives you a taste of how the real world operates.
Ques: You mentioned the 'Consulting Competition' at Keshav Mahavidyalaya, which had over 400 participants. How do you manage to maintain composure and devise a solution strategy in such a high-pressure environment?
I'd say that everyone gets scared, and that's completely normal. But the most important thing is when you get up on that stage and present yourself, you should have this mindset that you're the smartest person there, and even the judges don't know more than you about the topic. That false sense of security can really help you face any problem in front of you. It gives you the confidence to stay calm and focused, no matter the pressure.
Ques: I'm very intrigued by the 'SEO and Keyword Analysis Competition' you participated in. Can you tell us what the event was about?
For those who might not know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It's the process of optimizing a website so that it ranks higher in search engine results, like on Google or Bing. For example, if you search "Delhi University," the goal is to have your website appear at the top of the search results, rather than having to scroll through hundreds of options.
In the competition I participated in, the task was to create a website and then optimize it using SEO techniques. Each team was given a specific task to optimize their website so that it ranked the highest for 50 different prompts. It was a great competition, and our team worked really hard on it. Initially, we were worried that we might not be able to achieve the desired results because it was quite challenging, but in the end, everything worked out.
Ques: Do you plan on participating in similar competitions or improving your skills in this field even more in the future?
Oh yeah, definitely! Especially with the new batch coming in, I'm really excited to see what new ideas and perspectives they bring. It will be fun to explore more competitions with my super juniors and continue developing my skills.
Ques: You've been awarded at the national level multiple times, either as a national winner or runner-up. How does it feel to be a national awardee, and how does this affect you personally and professionally?
That's a really good question. Honestly, I haven't thought about it too much because I'm also doing the Vice-Chancellor’s Internship, where you get to interact with people having excellent profiles such as having won multiple competitions, excelling in academics and much much more. Because of this i don't see it as something extraordinarily unique. But yes, it does help build confidence in myself. It makes me feel like if I was able to achieve this, then I’m capable of handling whatever life throws at me.
Professionally, it definitely has an impact. People start respecting you more because they understand the significance of these achievements. Competing in events with thousands of teams and maintaining your composure and thought process demonstrates that you're a capable person, and this is recognized by your peers. So it pretty much acts as a testament to your capability, adaptability and work ethic.
Ques: You mentioned you're doing the Vice-Chancellor’s Internship, which is a goal for many DU students. How has your experience been so far?
The internship has been really good. Depending on the department you're in, you get to learn a lot. In my case, I was placed in the Finance department, which was a big learning experience for me since I come from a science background. It’s given me a chance to understand the intricacies of commerce and learn directly from professionals, which has been incredibly helpful.
One of the best parts of this internship is that it pushes you out of your comfort zone. Normally, you might stick to areas related to your strengths or try to work alongside people you already know, but since the department assignment is random, you get the chance to gain knowledge in a completely different field and simultaneously meet a number of new people all of whom excel in their particular domains.
Overall, it's been a fantastic experience, and I think all students should try to get into the Vice-Chancellor’s Internship, but they should not expect it to be similar to a corporate internship and rather more of an administrative one.
Ques: What are your roles and responsibilities as an intern there?
In my role within the research branch of the finance department at Delhi University, I am responsible for managing the financial aspects of various research projects. My duties encompass overseeing the allocation and monitoring of funding, ensuring compliance with financial policies, and building comprehensive timelines of all financial transactions.
Ques: I really want to know more about 'Study Sage.' As the founder, what was your major objective?
As I mentioned earlier, in my first year, I came to college with a school mindset that if you study for four hours a day, you'll do well in exams. I followed that routine throughout my first year, and while my results were good, they didn't seem worth all the effort. I was chatting with a friend, and we both realized that we weren't getting any guidance from our seniors and we also did not have any relevant resources to help us study. That’s when the idea for 'Study Sage' popped into our heads. We thought, if the resources don't exist, why not create them ourselves?
Ques: What challenges did you face as a founder?
The biggest challenge was developing the website itself. Neither I nor the batchmate with whom I discussed the idea had any experience in web development at that time. We had to learn a lot before we could even start implementing anything. After that, the next major challenge was expansion. We didn't want 'Study Sage' to be just for our use. We wanted it to be accessible to every DU student. Expanding it to cover computer science took time, and we then worked on expanding it further to include B.Com. students as well.
Ques: You are also the recipient of the 'Excellence Award for Outstanding Academic Performance.' How do you manage your academics while having such an admirable extracurricular record?
It all comes down to guidance. In my first year, I devoted a lot of time to studying but lacked proper guidance. Thankfully, in my second year, I connected with some amazing seniors such as Shourya di and Manan bhaiya who pointed out that my approach was completely wrong. They recommended that I restructure my schedule. Instead of spending four hours daily on a single topic, I was advised to diversify where I spent my time to be able to incorporate a lot of other things as well. This guidance helped me balance my academic responsibilities with extracurricular activities more effectively, allowing for a well-rounded and efficient approach to both. By implementing this strategy, I was able to enhance my productivity and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Ques: What future aspirations do you have? What future goals do you have as of now?
My career aspirations are straightforward. I aim to pursue a position in Data Science, a field that captivates me with its potential to solve complex problems and drive innovation. Additionally, I am committed to continuing my work with "Study Sage". This initiative not only allows me to contribute positively to other's educational journeys but also enables me to stay connected with aspiring students who share similar goals. Combining a career in Data Science with a continued focus on helping others achieve their goals would be a fulfilling way to blend my professional and personal passions.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1) Excellence Award for Outstanding Academic Performance, Shivaji College
2) National Winner - Consulting Competition on Development and Infrastructure Planning
3) National Runner Up - EnVenture: Entrepreneurship and Scaling Business Plan Competition
4) National Winner - Statistica: Sales and Inventory Data Analysis Competition
5) National Runner-Up - Dark Coding Competition
6) National Runner up - Googler: SEO and Key Word Analysis Competition
7) National Runner-Up - Operations and Scaling Case Competition
8)National Runner Up - CineMelodyLit
9) Data Analytics Intern, Pifinity Education Foundation
10) Vice Chancellor's Intern (Finance), Delhi University
11) Founder- Study Sage
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