Engineering over.. life is calling.. i'm sleeping...

Hi... :) m back again with a new post… sorry to make u wait! :)

As I have nothing else to write about, I thought let’s update u with the life of an engineer, at home, waiting for date of joining. This post is about me... And many like me... Us... My batch mates (for all those who don’t waste time, don’t read ahead, this will waste more of your time…: P)

As u read in my previous post, last day of engineering life was so “not exciting” for I wrote an exam on that day. And after that everything came to a halt… with me not knowing what to do next…

Life was calling… I was feeling like a free bird who just broke from a cage… err alright... that was too much. Okay. I was feeling light. Some burden on my head was lowered… I was happy…

First day at home… as an IT engineer…

Mom gave me the final warning to get up; else, she would send me to one of my aunt’s house for 15 days. I suddenly woke up (don’t bother why… it’s a big story… there are more pressing matters addressed here). this was the last thing I wanted to ruin my vacation… I just checked the big clock running ruthlessly in front of me on the wall… it was 9.30…

I just checked the mobile phone lying on the table beside. It said 7 unread msgs. That meant preeti, rekha, ramya, anup, paarashuram anna, prasanna anna, and few more of their kind were already up. I checked the first msg. it read:

“Ek zamaana tha jab subah subah “kukdu-ku” karke MURGE hame jagaate the…

aur ek aaj ka zamaana dekho, hum sms karke murgo ko jaga rahe hain…”

good morning!

Ya ya... alright… I didn’t dare to read further msgs… I was up finally… dad had already left. n it was me alone in my mom’s hands… I knew what was coming… “Look at your room… is this the way your friends keep theirs? (I stemmed my sudden urge to say yes..;) they all keep it very similar… but of course I didn’t) mom sat beside me, I knew she wanted to tell me that I should keep my room clean… mom said I’m an engineer now and I should act responsible, and it starts right from here… I was listening patiently as I realized the crime I had done all along… my mom is so good at making me do things… I don’t know I listen to everything she says. Of course she is right. I got up to finally clean my room… I decided I shall keep it great hence forth.

Mom called out… Have your food first!!!!!!!!

Er… damage was done… I did it again. Postponed my work. I staggered to the hall with my plate in hand. And threw myself at my regular place… TV on... Remote in my hand… and I don’t know how time flied from here... I saw news for a while… same old stuff... I changed to 9xm... “haq se” was running…no.. I went to cartoon network... nothing was there either... I surfed through all channels till 91 and back again. I don’t know how many times I did that before I finally settled on “yeh hai jalwa” an awesome comedy movie of Salman khan…

I promised mom I shall clean my room in the eve… n this time it was a pakka promise I told her(I did it of course, at least half)…

Movie got over. What next? I half wished I had an exam next day… soon taking my wish back, I went to kitchen so that I help mom with lunch…

Mom was pleasantly surprised at my desire to help her in kitchen (I help mom always when I’m free, it’s just that I don’t get much of free time… but I help!)… She asked me to cut vegetables… I was going quiet well until onion’s turn came… mom understood my ominous expression in no time and winked at me… understanding my cue I continued with my work… went on and on and on until finally my mom said… enough… I’ll do the rest… honestly those innocent looking vegetables had bamboozled me with no effort…

Lunch was ready soon… and it was because of my efforts… I enjoyed it… ;)

What to do next I didn’t know… TV wasn’t calling me. Neither my laptop, I didn’t have any new books to read, news paper was done… what on the earth should I do now??? And henceforth….?

I was missing my classes very badly… those days were replaying in my mind as though I had them recorded when they actually happened… I was smiling to myself… and in those thoughts I was flown and without my knowledge, as though an involuntary action, I was asleep….

It was evening when I woke up again… why do I get so much of sleep?? I got up. Remembered my pakka promise to mom, I had done in the morning… I had to keep it(i'm such a good child after all!)… at least I had some work to do… I cleaned my room, cupboard, table etc… my room was looking stranger to me at the end. I thought how would I find my things now..? (I mean how do I remember where I kept them now?) Anyway…

Dad was home… and I rushed to him… I don’t know why… it was like I had to tell him one thousand things... but nothing came out… dad asked me how my day was… I just said-it was good! I had nothing else to say…

My day was finally over… almost 14 hours since I was up! What did I do…? This is how a week has passed now… no study to do. No exam to write. all we(me and ppl like me) do is… sit at home brose through net, read novels, hang out with friends(if they are around and not left to natives already) or I don’t know wat… many had been waiting when this all will be over, and now when it is over… we are wishing if we had little more…

Suddenly a mail from Eldorado pops up!!!!! Infosys campus connect is back to haunt us!!!! N hurray…. It’s from tomorrow!!!! It’s a must, before you join the company on 2^nd august, I came to know!!!

Not sad! At least I get to go to college… :) wow… Thanks… AND SIT IN CLASS… :) not quiet sure if I’ll have the same or at least similar feelings tomorrow after the classes… I don’t assure that... But as of now m happy about it... :)

Let’s see how it goes and what is waiting next… :) hope you reached this part of post!!! c u in next one… :)

All over?

Today it was the last time i wrote an exam.. an engineering exam!... hell... of course i'm happy.. :P

relieved of all tensions... :P bye bye vtu.. once for all...

and here I am, describing my day.. “the final day”.. and all of those mixed emotions that went through me today..

damn... @12 am (2^ndjune 2010):

Three students at my home.... in my room… one on my bed (character1)... one on my table(character 2).. And other on the floor (me of course, character 3)… all three classmates...

Character 1: Preeti... middle row, first bench model student..

Character 2: Rashmi… Doesn’t mind first or second bench… since she can’t convince her friend (character 3) to join her on those front benches, settled heavy heartedly on almost last bench...

Character 3: Aparna(me…) loves to sit on the prestigious "the last bench" but boys of her class are rude and always occupy them before she even comes to class.. They think that they own those benches anyway...

Rashmi: kahan se shuru kare yaar???(Preeti was already two units ahead of us...)

me: ye aakhri time hai.. jab ham log saath me padhenge.. hai na?

Preeti: will mis u Appu.. :( waaaa...... (She had all time to cry… of course! she was two units ahead of us... )

me: (soon realizing the fact..) lets study unit 1????

Rashmi: we won’t meet again.. Let’s have a photo session??? for one last time??? final study days....?

Preeti: excellet idea le... :) Appu get the cam...

me: ya ya... (of course.. )

After doing with pics of all pages in the text book, pen, paper, eraser, sharpener… etc… we soon (at 12.45 am) realized we were here to study… n decided to seriously start with unit one (Preeti, unit 3)

@1.30 am

me: kitna huwa?

Rashmi: almost half over… let’s take a break.. ? Preeti done?

Preeti: (finally freed her ears from old dhoom song…) sit n study…

me: no way... can’t even read a sentence… m done…

Preeti: Appu...last exam... u don’t have to study at all hence forth…

me: where do u think we will be in next 10 years??? (We very well know the ways to distract Preeti out of her study mood… n get her on our track)

Preeti: don’t know but I will miss u all…………………… zzzzzzzz(other ppl in room)… but life goes on… life has to go on…

@2 am

Rashmi: (getting up from her nap n stopping Preeti finally) we have an exam to write tom…

Preeti: oh ya… I’m getting tensed... Let’s study seriously now on…

@3 am:

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……………………..

@ 7 am…

Knock knock….

Mom: get up!!!! U have an exam afternoon... you guys need to leave to college... m sure…u have loads left to study...

(we usually have exams at 2 in the afternoon.. but we three have the habit of reaching college early by 9… we sit at our secret place in college n study there till the warning bell rings.. somehow studying there gives us some extra confidence to write the exam.. that place is so lucky for us…)

Rashmi n Preeti: yes auntyyyyyyy….. Aparna get up!
Rashmi: Aparna… get up….

Preeti: apppppu… get up….

Both:AAAAAPPPPAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…………………………………….

It was late already… :P the damage was done… college bus was gone… leaving me alone amidst angry four eyes staring at me…

But all happens for a reason say the learned people… this gave me a chance to try something new.. :P triples……. On my activa….. n within no time we were in college…

N the race began..Preeti n Rashmi finished all the units.. n somehow I too struggled through the book…

Now I know people decided to use decision support systems so that they can make decisions… alright…

@12 noon:

me : hungrrryyyy.. lets go to canteen…

Canteen uncle came n reiterated his big list of all the items in the canteen… we ordered something and finally it was time to leave for that last battle..

We wished each other... Everyone was holding their nerves... it was like leaving for a war... we all decided we shall survive... and make ourselves independent of foreign acquisition… and end the reign of vtu once for all.. And free ourselves of all its discriminations and emotional atyachaars…

We all decided that we shall copy (today at least!.. we always decided but never gathered enough courage to do the same with kind of supervisors we had around!) it was now or never…

We wished us all again...

@1.55pm

Reached the exam hall… all were busy with some last minute preparation… we too sunk ourselves into some book… until we heard….

“get in u all… come in.. its time.. “

In no time, question paper was in my hand… damn it was so easy... What was the reason for so much humbleness from vtu? After all it has done to us all the way… no… I didn’t bother.. I started and wrote till it was 5…. N of course I managed it… copied... :P

The final bell finally rang.. I looked at my last answer paper again for one last time.. yes it was over now.. it was finally over.. my stomach gave a jolt… emotions rushed through me when I finally submitted that 50 page booklet with my usn boldly written on it.. and my heart told me yes its over…

But amidst those smiling faces… I plunged backed to my always happy mood… had to gear up for our send off ceremony after all…

Many people were made to talk there at the send off.. I was patiently listening to everyone... they were all telling the same thing.. stressing on the same thing, something I didn’t want to hear… they were all telling loud and clear that it’s all over….

I didn’t like it... Not liking it still... but I don’t have a choice... it’s over…

Don’t know where we ll be in future.. but let me conclude by saying… yes I had wonderful four years in this campus… LOVE U SDM..

we ll miss u..

Exams Again...!

exams are due again!

recurring all the old pain!

where are all smiling faces gone?

amidst all the stress and the strain!

i opened my book, started with NM,

read few lines,its such a mayhem

my eyes were slowly closing,

all hopes is what i was losing!

some how i struggled through the whole page,

it was taking me not less than an entire age

i had no choice but to go on

i was no more allowed to yawn...

all day gone, again the sky is red

not a unit done n the day is dead

angry on myself what did i do?

scrablled out my anger this way.. phew..!

SUDDENLY A MSG CAME "HOW MUCH DONE?"

nothing i said, not even one..

a sad but soothing reply came "same here"

but lets not repent, wats over is over..

tomorrow ll be our day, we shall study alright

ofcourse.. its the last exam we'll ever write

we can do it i know, have done all along

all the best to everyone, lets not prolong!

The four years...!

It seems just yesterday when I came all the way from Goa to join the SDM College-now, my college. All set to don a badge of an engineer in few weeks, here I am in the place of my own choice, unveiling myriad of my (our) experiences in the wonderful journey of four years-The four years…

Was I resolved on being an engineer? Yes I was! Right from primary school... I shall be an engineer- the best one, the most innovative one, the cool one… ;) I added on more adjectives to this as the years passed. Finally swam across the giant oceans called 12^th standard, entrance exams, counseling, admissions and reached the end- the beginning actually!

Today on the verge of being kicked out from the college (on successful completion of Engineering of course), I sit back and try to give a logical explanation to whatever I did, we did, in this campus for four years! Here I go…

First day, first lecture, in wrong class!

Came late on the very first day (I was new to Dharwad, alright!), ran into some class, enjoyed the whole lecture, realized the blunder finally when my name was not called for attendance & I was finally sent to my own class by sir, I am sure I heard few giggles behind. huh.. it all strated wrong- my engineering!

All right! No problem! I told to myself, hota hai!, new place and such a damn confusing campus. I reached my class, wonderful “B” division and the race began. Within a while I realized all were running… I too should run?? Alright I started running- “morning 8 o’clock classes, lunch break at 1?? Hey seniors are ragging don’t go to fast food (I’m hungry- that’s ok!), how about canteen? No! Get Tiffin box from tomorrow like us yaar... alright… requesting ma’am at 5 to 5, please leave us, its time! And ma’am says-“I hardly said anything, if this is the status how will you survive for four years?” you are in first semester now, don’t act like PUC kids! You can’t do an experiment properly? Don’t talk, don’t smile in class, am I cracking a joke? Ias, labs, and many more countably infinite things.

Okkk boss… done! It was a slippery precarious edge I balanced on and it wasn’t taking much to knock me down. But thanks to my ability of last moment preparation, I somehow managed a respectable score in class. Huh I’m alive, first semester over!

Amidst all, there I was, observing things, making new friends, enjoying little things, I was happy somehow… : )

Oye, second sem! u are in second semester now. Don’t act like first sem kids?? Everyone was serious again. That wonderful break called holidays was over after all. I was honestly enjoying more with friends. Learning new things was always fun. New teachers, new subjects… well I am here to be an engineer, alright, I was getting used to work. Oh, there are events in the college. They are nice, competitions! I wanted to be everywhere. And such my journey continued and I finally entered the branch.

My rocking branch ISE- as we say our family : )

True to my habit, was late on very first day for class! A tiny beautiful ma’am had already started off with her lecture, more lectures followed all day. I didn’t understand much on first day but I heard terms like Unix, data structures, logic design etc. and we were all told that, now is the time when we go down deeper into the world of computers. The rigor with which it was told, told me that fasten your seat belt, more work awaiting you. This feeling was same for everyone because no one ever bunked classes then! Whenever it came to lab sessions, I always had some private talk with the frame of lord Manjunatha in our department- “please let her not see it, my journal is incomplete, please save me for today next time surely I’ll do it”.

Yes, it wasn’t easy here but it was interesting. Learning how things work, writing programs ourselves and watching them execute, discussions with those who felt the same was really fascinating. We somehow felt we are on the right track!

Days passed… the charm of fiesta, fantasia, technoscope, guidance from our excellent seniors, staff, raised our enthusiasm to new heights. We were everywhere. To add on we were conducting events in our own class! Debates, singing, extempore, and what not. Weekends were working days now! I was on top of the world and soon realized there are more interesting things than classes… ;)

So the journey continued to more semesters. Exams were due, we still had the guts to plan a small trip, sit late nights for gossips doing nothing. It wasn’t until the previous night, when the heat was beyond the measurable joules, we gave our bestest!

Results from vtu always surprised us... how on the earth could I fail? I’ll clear in revals.. I got 70??? How?? I passed. how?? I hadn’t studied… it was difficult to fit a reason to what was happening, a reason that excluded the assumption that we are too lucky! Of course we knew it all, in some corner of our brain. Thanks to teachers, excellent authors, lab sessions, seminars and so on… We did well… and there we were half engineers already. Since then I don’t know how time flied and today I’m sad- it has to end!

We learned so many things for life here. Our own insanity and blunders led us to dark pits. We missed few once in a while, fell flat every next time. It was fun, but added a major share to a treasure called experience and memories. We saw relations form right in front of our eyes, saw them reach the peak, and also witnessed their fall. Fights, misunderstandings were never absent, but what mattered was going beyond. And with no hesitations we moved on. By this time everyone knew that life is short for fights and we wanted to be happy forever. There were more mischief and fun to cover all dark things. We were all growing up in this regard. Engineering life was teaching us for life ahead.

To quote a few:

Results of 4^th semester announced!! And to a girl who didn’t know what the failure was, may it be in any realm, to me failure hit hard… this was a mistake... seven so called good students had failed in the same subject… and it was really a hard pill to swallow… no doubt we all cleared the subject in the challenge revaluation, with a whooping more than 20 marks addition, time lap between the failure and success taught a lesson for life and that was “anything can happen”!

There was another turn; it was a season of competitions. And the taste of wins and prize money in and around different colleges was too difficult to control. Paper presentations, coding, quizzes were my all time favorite. I was enjoying the participation and wins more and more, but amidst forgot my classes and labs. I thought I knew I would do it at the end, but it was important to attend labs and submit the things in time were something I forgot. Forgot would we the wrong word, I kept postponing the work. It was not so pleasant surprise to learn I was detained finally from lab exams for not having all signs on my observation book. I was not allowed to enter the lab for rest of the semester. I had to ask thousand sorry to let them give me an exam. I learnt another lesson- let whatever happen, it’s important to submit things in time, and things can’t be taken for granted.

There were of course more things to mention. But I chose these two, as though forwarding my lessons. Had I had few more pages, I would have been more than happy to write forever about my own and my friends’ “blunders?”.

But today if u ask me, what shall I remember about these four years? I would tell you every little thing… but you would find me telling all these with full satisfaction and smile. If I hadn’t done them, my engineering would have been incomplete, and more over lessons I learnt through these are for my life…

I will really miss all these. ;) Of course I won’t get to do most of these again (I’m not telling you should do it please ;))...

Right from bunking classes, getting caught in class with mobile phone, being kicked out of class, punishments, single digit marks in ias, shouting from my dear teachers-“I won’t let u come in if you are late again”, detaining from lab exam, coming late for ia’s and getting a grand welcome of “you ll never improve”… To all glories we achieved together here…

But the enthusiasm shall remain forever.

I don’t know if I did complete justice to all those adjectives I added myself to the word engineer, years ago, but I’m happy and content on my way out. That nonchalant smile on most of our faces tells me, yes! we are somebody now, or at least capable of being somebody. Most of us already placed in good companies are eager to see what is coming next, rest of us are confident enough that something better is waiting for us.

Friends, let’s leave our campus with a pride and content for every second we lived here. Let’s move out with a new energy to live in the world out, and a “yes” to face new challenges. May all get the Best.

A special thanks to all my crime partners, friends, teachers, and non teaching staff for making my journey so memorable here. Thanks to everyone who were part of my (our) journey called the ENGINEERING in this campus, thank you for the wonderful four years-THE FOUR YEARS.

Miss you all.