A techie flashback: Those good old engineering days
Anyone who has completed engineering, will surely agree that those days were probably the best days of your life. You made life-long friends, you learnt to laugh at yourself and most importantly you realised that life was going to be tougher than what you imagined. Here’s revisiting the good old college days.
1. We progress with every year. Time is a testimony to that.
1st year: Get up at 6 in the morning, read a few lessons, solve a few equations and get ready to attend class. 2nd year: Get up at 7, get ready and reach class on time. 3rd year: Get up at 8 and you are ready in 10 minutes and rush to college, just when the bell rings. 4th year: Get up at 8:30, you know that you are anyways late, so sleep for another half an hour and bunk the first hour.
2. Everyone is meticulous when it comes to maintaining the timetable
Yeah, we all keep a timetable accurately maintained, errrrr… we are referring to the bunking timetable. We keep a track of classes we have bunked, the number of classes and how many more we could. We don’t want an email or postal letter going to our parents informing about not having the minimum attendance level. So we bunk smartly!
3. Brat Vs Nerd
Every class would have this nerd, who is the teacher’s pet. Usually hated by the low scorers, and kept at an arm’s length by the average student. We don’t appreciate so much of show off, you see.
4. New perspective about the world around us
In the 1st year, liquor / daaru = “shantam paapam, shantam, paapam.” And then a few months later, we begin to see the world around us in a different light. By the time we reach, 4th year, “party” becomes the most over-used word. Here’s an instance.
I passed! Friends say, “Party.”
The lecturer threw me out of the class, dude. Friends say, “Party.”
It’s her birthday. Friends say, “Party.”
…..the story continues with a party.
5. Innovation is in our blood
Our innovation streak ultimately finds an opportunity. We find new ways to save or ask money to buy ‘hot drinks’ and even sneak it inside the class.
6. The first mover advantage
In the initial days, when you happen to talk to the member of the opposite sex, you are held in high regard by your buddies and the entire class. The first mover advantage makes you the “popular guy or girl.”
7. Exams… situations turn around
As the examinations and tests draw closer the photocopier machines is more important than your laptop. For the lazy but smart guys, even more important is the place they sit. They try to strategically sit next to the ‘nerd’ who was till yesterday kept at a distance. The nerd becomes your guide to answer your queries on circuit breakers, Buchchol’s relay, Field Theorem.
8. The classroom becomes the stage that sets your talent on fire
You got to help your friend, too often. You learn to give proxies, sometimes for more than 2 friends at the same time in the same class. That’s how we discover our hidden talent and that’s why many of us are good at theatre. All that dramabaaz…
9. College fests… Unlimited fun
If you are in the organizing committee of the college fest. You are under pressure to put up a great show – better than your seniors, who led it last year and better than your rival colleges. The fun, stress, laughter and madness is unforgettable.
And for many college fests are a great way to bunk classes legally. You get attendance even without attending the class citing some volunteering work for the fest. If only, this continued even at IT companies where we work. Inshallah.
10. Getting thrown out of class becomes an indispensable part of life
In the first year, when you get thrown out, you feel ashamed of yourself and thoughts like, “I am useless, what did I do, I am good for nothing, how will I face the class, blah blah, blah,” haunts you. By the time, a few semesters pass, you begin to take pride in it – that awesome rebel attitude makes you feel cool.
11. The labs, where we become the guinea pigs
In the first year, the lab instructor seems to be the scariest person. He tells you, “that you will have to learn all the experiments by heart, the viva will be tough, if you blow off a component you will have to buy them and that the resistor costs a few thousand bucks (when it actually costs peanuts)”. However, the bonding over the years makes him your friend. So he is the one who helps you during the practicals with various hacks!
By the way, anyone wants to talk about the uniforms that we were compelled to wear for the labs?
12. The canteen
The canteen was the news centre. If you are in the good books of the canteen bhaiya/anna, the advantages that come along are many – weekly or monthly credit, discounted round-figure bill and sometimes a little snacks for free as well. He also gives you the scoop on what’s happening between the college couples, who’s dating whom, and so on. He wasn’t ever wrong!
13. How the branches were labelled in our minds
IS (Information Science), CS ( Computer science), and Bio-tech branches had the hottest girls of the college. the E&C (Electronics and Communications) and Electricals had the brainies and the Mech and Civil were the dry branches. “Dry” coz there would be hardly any girls and even if there were, most of them would be the tom boy sorts.
14. Studies Vs Television series
As the exams drew closer, we would try to focus on studies. We made up our mind that we would only watch one episode of the season of either Prison break or Big Bang Theory, or the numerous other television series. However, considering that they were directed and acted very well, it becomes hard to stick to the plan. So we decide to watch an episode after reading a chapter. What really happens – After completing a chapter, you end up watching the entire season at a go. So the next day, history repeats itself.
15. There’s so much to learn – let’s game
The laptop which was supposed to be used solely for ‘studying’ finds alternative uses. In fact, studies is the last thing you use the laptop for. So what’s the laptop used for – plan counter strike or WoW (World of Warcraft) on the LAN.
16.The evolution of the textbook
In the beginning, we buy the thick dictionary-sized books by foreign authors, but soon as realize, we can’t really afford so much of information overload and then shift to shorter e-versions, followed by slide shows compiled by seniors or your classmates. Ultimately, you settle for the photocopies because the Xerox bhaiya/anna the syllabus better than you do.
17. The fashion statement
You transform from the neat-tucked in formal wear, the mama’s boy look, to wear-anything-you-want – shirts that aren’t ironed, torn jeans, uncombed hair. The girls move from salwar, churidars and kurtis to shorts and minis.
Meanwhile, today….
Can we please have a rewind button! C’mon guys, please code or build it. We need ‘em!
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