The 3 idiots Hangover

This blog is not a movie review of the 3 idiots or the controversies prevailing it. The recollection of my academic competitive life as a consequence of watching 3 idiots.

It's been a long journey as I look back now, started in a small town called Neyveli where Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) is situated, a government owned lignite mining company in the country. As you might have guessed, the place is loaded with engineers, township of engineers. Every other family we knew were engineers, even my class was loaded with engineer's kid. I knew most of them coz they were my dad's friend's children. Anything and everything that happened in school will roll into my parent's ears. I felt even if I sneezed there is someone informing that to my dad


Monu: Pa, today Pavi sneezed in class

Monu dad: Is it, let me talk to Guna?

Calling my dad [NLC has a intercom which is totally free]

Dad: Hello, How are you?

Monu Dad: I m fine. Is something wrong with Pavi. Monu said Pavi sneezed in class

Dad: Is it, let me talk to her?

Dad: Pavi, did you sneeze in class today?

Pavi[grinning]: Ya, there was so much dust from the duster. So I sneezed

Dad[In the Phone]: There was so much dust in the class so she sneezed

Monu Dad: Oh, is it? Ok then take care. We will talk about it in Office

Every parent had only one thing to discuss: his/her child's education. Thank God! There are serials now that take the focus off the kids. I was an average student and was not as good as others in the class. Everyday my mom would help me rehearse [not understanding] the question and answers with the aide of screaming, pinching and smacking, not her fault though. But, through out the primary school, I remained the same. As the years passed, we moved from place to place, and I learned to rehearse and also understood how to understand what I rehearsed and finally got enrolled in a college to become an engineer.

My initial few weeks in college was my worst nightmare. To start with, I felt I was in an alien planet esp. in the maths class. The admission was still in progress so the first couple of weeks, we were given random problems to solve. Even before I would write down the question to solve, there were people screaming out answers. Everything I could understand was some x,y and constants. Following was physics and chemistry, the class was ready with answer even before the professor framed a question. Next, as I head to hostel, there were geeks on one side who were planning to start their GRE, GMAT or CAT coaching and discussing placement results of the year, on the other there were girls convincing their parents that they can't stay anymore and they wanted to discontinue. Anyway, as weeks passed, class was divided, the concentration of geeks diluted, geeks became friends, the homesick girls gave a run for others and figured out everyone had the similar trauma during the first couple of weeks and finally adapted to the college life.


When I joined college, all I wanted was to understand and learn good programming, I was done rehearsing. As the exams started and grading came along, I understood, understanding the subject didn't matter at all. All they wanted was 9+ grad and 100% attendance. Even the companies which came for recruitment weighed the grade points. But there were few who really understood what they studied, hats off to them.

Anyway I cant change the past. But I wish the younger generation cherish engineering. But, my hopes are low as I watch the younger generation taking part in reality shows, abusing each other and losing the self esteem for recognition and money.

I can just keep my hands on my heart and say "aal izz well"