People usually think that in engineering, you usually become either of the two types - a straight-to-God nerd, or a slacker who does nothing much in life. You cannot even begin to imagine how wrong they are.
In engineering, everything you do depends upon you, and not by some external force - who you hang out with; how, what, and where you study from; how much you spend, and so on. In school, the marks you got depended upon what you were taught in classes, how well you memorized it, and how tough the paper was. If it was good, you got full, and if it was bad - you got 2 marks deducted from cent per cent. In engineering, if it is good, you get 60 per cent, and if it is bad, it is possible to get 0. Yes. Zero. Null. Engineering is not about studying. That is a misconception spread by people who have no idea about engineering, or by people who have come to engineering solely for getting a job. Engineering teaches you about life. Seriously. When I was in school, I was a loner - with me being the laughing stock of the class, what with my uncut mustache and beard, thick horn-rimmed glasses, bowl-cut hair, and... you get the general idea. I had barely two or three people I could safely say were my acquaintances. Not friends, that was way beyond my level. Since I couldn't talk to anybody without breaking out in stammers, I decided to put my focus in studies, but I was easily distracted. I decided to change my outlook on life in general in twelfth grade. I made my bag lighter, tried out to reach out to people in my section and beyond, got a new haircut, reduced my focus from studies, and generally tried not to stand out. That worked, to some extent. I found some people who had not heard any rumors about me, and got attached to the hip with them. They were six or seven in number, but for me, that was a gift sent from God. Then, much time passed. I had the admission letter from Thapar in my hand, wondering whether I should go, not because Thapar is a bad college, but because I couldn't face new people - I just clammed up. I then decided - "Screw it !" , and then decided to face my demons head-on. Then Frosh happened. You know, the intro thingy they hold in colleges and universities around the world so we do not feel out of place? Yeah, well, that one. I realized that there were many people out there who had the same fears as me. In one night, which was the Karaoke Night, that it was unwise to keep anything at all bottled up inside you. I made friends. Real ones, who I knew I could count upon. Friends who I knew I could wake up at 4 in the night(or morning, whatever) and they would not complain what the issue was. Man. I loved college. Then came the issue of studies. I loved Maths since as long as I can remember. So, naturally, I scored high on it. But the other subjects, well, not so good. So I decided to follow a friend's advice that, coincidentally, matched that of my father's - On the things you love or like, score high, as high as you can. On the things you dislike, or even hate, well, try to do well in them. But don't despair if you don;t. There should be no regrets. Mess food. This is a thing I hated at first - I learned to deal with it. I learnt that not everything will be given to you on a silver platter - you have to tolerate things as they arrive. Friends - I think I was on a roll during first year - I could talk to anybody, and everybody. My confidence reached new heights. For me, life had finally started climbing upwards, from new lows. I learnt that the us humans have boundless potential - it is up to us whether to squander it, or achieve it to the maximum extent possible. Achieving your potential does not mean getting good grades or getting a "dream" job - it means finding your boundaries, and then pushing them. This can be done by various ways - studying is just one of them. First year at Thapar has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. One day, I will remark upon these moments as, well, momentous. A great man has also remarked - "It is not the things we do that define us. In the last moments of our life, we will only remember some moments, of noteworthy occasion. These are the moments that make us, that define us, It should be our life's objective to maximize these moments. " But the most important thing I've learned is that when a thing or a person you've grown used to is separated from you, you feel sad. Very sad. This is the reason why I miss my family, home-cooked food, some school friends, and why on coming to my second year, I dearly miss my first year. I learnt the value of relationships, and to cherish them dearly, because you never know when they might go away. Sid signing off.
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About me
My name is Siddhartha, and I am a fourth year undergrad CS student from India. I am pro-logic, but like to expand my worldview by reading about differing perspectives. I fancy myself as a music aficionado, and I devour books (when my enthusiasm trumps my lethargy). I also like blogging, and sharing my viewpoints and interests in people, which is a big part of why I have this blog. Archives
April 2018
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