A Bitter Pill...!

Just when I thought, things were beginning to look good for me, with the year shaping out exactly the way I wanted it to, with successful completion of various projects and my summer internship granted, out popped our dreaded last semester results, and judging by the title of this article, it should suffice to say that satisfactory would be an over-statement for mine, at least on the scale at which I usually judge myself. Now, although this was our first departmental semester which probably required a much different approach and an in-depth knowledge of the core subject as compared to our first year in college, the actual difficulty of venturing into the unknown couldn't have been fathomed. 

Mistakes happen and they're usually not a very big deal if the right lessons are learnt, but the problem arises when all the possible kinds of mistakes are committed simultaneously. Lack of awareness about the branch, projects and other extra-curricular activities taken too seriously, and unfamiliarity with the new subjects and correction pattern plagued me and caused my college academics to hit a temporary but sour low. And it's always difficult for someone in such an institute, having cracked one of the toughest examinations on the planet to get into it, having always been one of the topmost in school and elsewhere for most of his life, to swallow such a bitter pill... On the flip side however, almost everyone's results showed quite a variation compared to the year before, with the majority drastically screwing it up! 

Anyway, I've faced a lot of uncanny and stressful situations in my life, but as always it takes time to sink in and adapt to, learning from it and moving on a better and improved man! Moreover, with an already ongoing exam, wastage of time pondering about the past can scarcely be afforded, which is exactly where a never-say-die attitude comes in handy. I know that performing really well in the current semester is a must, especially for our overall second year result to be somewhat decent, but we cannot let such facts burden us to an extent where we lose focus on the things at hand.

And although unpleasant stuff regarding our results can already be heard doing the rounds, what is really important is how we look at ourselves and assess our own abilities. No one knows us better than us ourselves and living up to the title of this blog with due vigor and pride, is something that I've always taken earnestly. Every challenge thrown at us can be overcome and there's a solution to every problem encountered on the way to becoming successful in life.

I'm writing this article as more of a reminder to myself of who I really am, and the greater the number of stepping-stones one overcomes in a lifetime, the greater the person becomes. I'm not sure where I'll be about ten to fifteen years down the line, or whether at the end of the day my life will be a tragic or an inspirational tale but rest assured that I'll do everything in my capacity to tip the balance towards the latter! I've always been one of a kind, achieving things in my own unique ways and one wake-up call is more than I needed... Huh! I may have spilled the milk, but I won't spill the cappuccino which is on its way!

BE THE FORCE!!!...

Exams Yet Again!!!...

Just back from home a week ago, and its already time for that periodic trauma once again! Man! It just feels like the day before yesterday, that our previous exams had gotten over! Its that time of the year, when people are seen flocking to the xerox shops across the street, in groups larger than herds of grazing cattle, hoping to gain something out of the traditional last-minute study! Its hilarious to think that we've spent the last two precious decades of our lives, mostly in giving exam, after exam, after exam!..... It makes us wonder whether these skills, for which we're being examined will actually ever be put to some real use! There seems to be no end to exams!!!...

In school, our parents would make us study, encouraging us to do better. Then, after passing out from school, we realized that life was a bit more important than all fun and games, and had to battle it out, to get into the right coaching institute to help us shape our future. This in turn led to even more exams : ..... The 12th Board's Exam; engineering entrance exams like IIT-JEE, AIEEE, BIT-SAT, etc; also loads of other people appearing in various science, medical and commerce entrance examinations!... The list goes on!!!...

Now, after all these years, after making it through all that cut-throat competition, after having to unfortunately step on so many people's toes to achieve our dreams, to get into the college of our choice; ironically enough, nothing has changed! A few days from now, our sessionals will start, and its the same as always!..... Scouring for study material, trying to get better grades, in order to pursue future ambitions, on the way to giving even bigger and more important exams!... Its like a never-ending cycle!

Now, despite the so-called 'great philosophical men' of our world having left us quotes like, "Few minds wear out, but most rust out.", "Strength of the mind is exercise, not rest.", etc.; at times like this, I seriously feel like doing something a little more constructive than mugging stuff up and puking it all out on the exam paper!... But, I guess it's pointless arguing and complaining. After all, the reason we are doing all this is to have an opportunity of following our own dreams in the near future (which, quite frankly, doesn't seem to be as 'near' as it sounds!).

So many examinations left to give, and with no end in sight, what choice do I have but to say the regular? :-
                           

ALL THE BEST!!!...

Stop The Waiting Game!.....

Every second, every waking hour of our lives is a 'waiting game'! We live every minute waiting for things to happen or take shape! Hopes, dreams, ambitions, expectations!..... Its all a part of it! With so much on the horizon, and so many important things yet to happen, wonder how life would feel without 'The Wait'?

My life's always full of it!... Whether it be the impending political issues of our engineering college or the pending exam results of the last semester, which I can't exactly say I'd like to see; there's always something or the other to have my attention pinned to it! I always think about how to deal with such uncertainty and anxiety, as sometimes it might become too much for our nerves to take. Wouldn't it be much simpler if we could just numb our brain and let nature take it's course? I guess it would! But as always, its easier said than done.

An ideal life, with everything on track, without either fears or ambitions, is not only boring but also impractical. Every time you think you've 'seen it all', something pops up, which forces you to start over, and rethink everything you had known so far! But whatever happens, good or bad, there's one thing that always holds true, that I've learnt from personal experience, over all these years! "We" are pretty darned resilient!!!...

No matter what happens, we always figure out a way to live through it, and build on it, with nothing less than a smiling face! We take pride in our successes and failure in our stride! That's how we have managed to come so far! And that's how we'll manage to get further ahead in a world full of infinite opportunities and dangers!...

So, we should stop waiting and start acting. Whatever happens in the future will be a result of what we do now! Things which have happened or are about to happen as a result of past events, are quite frankly, not under our control and we can take solace in the fact that at every stage of our lives we have striven to do our best, to the best of our knowledge, taking decisions which we deemed fit at the time! I mean, obviously, no one's going to do something intentionally, if he knows for sure, that it might have some unpleasant repercussions in the future!...

So, we should be happy with what we have done and avoid blaming ourselves for things which could have been done in a better way! We should take a lesson and move ahead, not pitying ourselves in any way! Our brains have an amazing faculty of coping with situations; and I feel that people of my age group, who are at the beginning of their careers, need it the most, stepping out into a whole wide world of professionalism, not knowing whether life's going to treat us like a kind mother or like a b***h!!!...

So, let's all gear up and face life boldly! After all, we're giving it all we have and that's all that should ever be expected from anyone!!!!!.....
                                                             

   BE THE FORCE !!!...