An Interval

Well, this is a journey. A journey, which you don’t know where you are heading to. I have been the traveler for the past two years, like the many hundreds of my college mates. Looking from outside, yeah, an engineering student among many - passionate, hardworking young minds who can revolutionize the society, who are probably going to be those responsible behind every technological advancements that is happening around us and blah blah. That’s really funny eh? I don’t know. But one thing I’m pretty sure is that I’m half way through it- B-tech life. So, half an engineer? Ah, perhaps not yet.

Well, this is my version I can describe it in my own way. It may differ from what my classmates have to say. If you ask me whether I’m satisfied with my college life, well, at times I feel satisfied and at some other times I’m not. Sometimes things are so funny. The first thing that amazed me when I came to college was the strike. Students go on strike for silly problems that happened in some colleges or schools in other districts but always hesitate to do anything worthwhile to get done in our college. Maybe they will go for another strike if something happens in America also. ! Both SFI and KSU are no exceptions in that. But, whatever it maybe I'm really happy when there is a strike. At least a day off. Another interesting thing about the college is it has immense funds but no one takes initiative to spend. I don’t know what the use of money is if it isn't used. Maybe they get a kind of happiness when they see large sums of money right there untouched. This is a psychological issue. Well, forget it. Once I submitted a proposal on how to use these funds. Principal approved and one staff was appointed for further developments. She took long leave on the next week and now came back as HOD. Now you might have understood who that is. Now I should tell myself, "Well, forget it."!!! One of my close friends was always supportive in this regard. Now to all my readers who think that I'm insane to do all these; to them I can only tell " I'm not finished yet" :D

So 2 years into engineering. 2 years in the mighty Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, Trivandrum struggling to fight out with the generators and motors to ICs and Op-amps. Exams went as pathetic as ever. I got marks like the water we get from corporation taps- drop by drop. It wasn't a fight to be a topper or anything, but a fight of survival. That Darwin guy was right!! When we get the cut off 35 marks in internals for a subject I used to become happier than the one who got 49 out of 50. Pretty fortunate enough that I haven't got any back papers so far. Practicals were another terror. Examiners expect Einsteins when we are attending vivas. At the end of it they give a "you-are-not-fit-for-engineering" look with a sigh. Time and marks are the two things that, I don’t know, how it works. I’m always amazed at the pace with which time flies. I feel it is moving at a rate as unpredictable as a woman’s mind!! During the lecture hours, 15 minutes seems like 1 hour. At the same time, the 1 hour lunch break is always not enough. And marks.. Well, I was one among the million students who are really inspired from films like 3-idiots. But enjoying whatever you do can bring only enjoyment, not marks!! Obviously, in college you don’t get marks based on how much you are enjoying, but how much you are hard working. But you cannot work hard if you aren’t enjoying either. So this is also a pretty complicated issue. Those really interested in engineering scoring low marks, those highly intelligent brains keep on failing to clear their papers and some of the toppers don’t seem to have any interest towards engineering-so it’s hard to judge what’s actually happening( It's not the case with everyone, but still...). So as I've mentioned this is pretty complicated issue. There are 3 kinds of people in my class-those who study for all day and get good marks, the second kind study at their best for last one week and score good marks and the third kind study last day and sometimes they pass and sometimes they don't. When I was in first year, I used to hear about seniors who have around 10 back papers. I was amazed at their below par performances. But now, when I see the same seniors, I somehow have due respect for them. I don’t know why. I just do.  Maybe because it’s just ten. 10 is not a big number when you have some 55-60 tough-nut-to-crack papers. It’s better not to think about marks or time as an average engineering student has to face almost 170 papers in around 600 working days!  Just keep learning and enjoy your college life with friends, and that probably is what the best way out there is.

One thing that keeps me proud about my college is the kind of atmosphere that is prevailing in the campus. There is a kind of serenity that is hard to find in most of the colleges in the state today. There is a common wrong notion that in a government college having campus politics at its level best, and when people of different culture from all around the state come together under one roof, it is really difficult to keep a healthy environment. We just keep on proving that it’s not the case with GECB. We are One. There may be competitions among all, but everything in healthy means only. Our infrastructure is not top class. But is infrastructure the most important ? When we came to this college as freshers, we were allotted old buildings that looked like farmhouses. But now when I look back, that was an experience. An experience of the days that I wish I could rewind and go back. I believe that all these infrastructure and all those things seem trivial when you realize the true worth of your college. And I feel all my fellow GECBians think the same. And being one among them makes me proud.

Friendships are the greatest treasure I achieved from these two years. Friendships have got a different meaning. It doesn’t always require two people to talk everyday to be friends. It doesn’t depend on how much time you spend with them either. Some have the kind of notion that we become close with those we sit together. I don’t  know if I believe in it  . Well, I don’t really care. Friendship should not be measured but treasured and all that. Some say it is like wine. The older it is, the stronger it gets. Like an advertisement caption!! Whatever, I haven’t tasted wine. But people say so. And I came to know that everyone has so many good qualities in them that need to be noted. It’s about how you treat them and they will treat you the same way in return. Another thing I realized about human psychology is that knowingly or unknowingly boys always want to impress girls and they will never accept that fact. You can tease them in front of 1000 males in public but not in front of any one girl. I judge a person on the way he behaves with me and not what others tell about him. I believe others also think the same. Does that make girls any different? And girls’ psychology- I don’t really know. They always have 100 different opinions about the same thing. Anyway I’m not going into all that.. Every individual is different; so we must accept that. But you know one thing, there is a world within everyone full of dreams that they don't share with anyone. I wonder if those who claim to know you really know you at all..  People always tend to like those who come with good words. . Hopefully I will be careful with my words on and off blog.. "

One of the most memorable moments of my life these years was the times of Fuse Out 2013. I was asked to co-ordinate tech events. That was perhaps one of the most challenging works that I’ve come across. I wasn't technically sound enough to do the job and there were lots of people in my class who were far more technically knowledgeable. With Allah’s grace and with the help of my friends and seniors it was managed decently. With the kind of initial tensions and problems that almost killed Fuse Out on the starting day of Aagneya, it actually rose like a phoenix when the whole EEE dept united at Kanakakunnnu palace grounds. And at the final day night, when we realized that everything went well, it was one of the most satisfying moments of my life; not only for me but for every EEEian in GECB also. At the last day at pro show initially I kept  silent, watching the show. At times when you are happy you enjoy and dance. But there are times when you are so beyond happy that you can’t do anything. Perhaps it’s because you don’t know what to do!!

So these two years went so fast. And the next 2 years will go at an even better pace. By the time we all pass out we will surely have some more moments worth to remember. And after passing out, we may get busy with our own lives  that we may hardly get a chance to see each other, let alone these silly chit-chats and joyous moments. People get jobs, get married, some may go abroad, people get used with the new environment that they may hardly remember their old friends. Doesn’t it hurt? Sometimes I wish I could stop time and say, probably when I pass out, “hey time, I haven’t had enough moments in GECB, I want to go back and live those moments again”. Doesn’t it hurt?? Maybe somewhere in our lives we will meet again after we pass out. I can only say that we can live the remaining days to the fullest. Life is a crazy thing, like my blog- no one knows what comes next. :D