Friday, November 2, 2007

Trauma relived

This weekend will eventually prove to be a slight reprieve from the mega drubbing received, largely at the hands (and the peculiar methods)of our professors in the Chemical Engg. Deptt.
The past few days will be remembered by me for the rest of my life as it shattered my belief that i would be able to pass along these 4 years without putting in any great effort. Being lazy in nature,the aforementioned thought appealed to me quite a lot. But i suppose it's impossible to escape unhurt through all this. A Peaceful Sleep has been a rare commodity for the past few days. Not a single day has passed without some test(announced or surprise) happening.
Assignments have also been thrown upon this tight schedule. As if this was not enough for this supposedly normal week (apart from the Heat Transfer lab end-sem exam i didnt mention), a viva was conducted which i suppose every student in my deptt. would remember for the rest of his life.
The reason to conduct this viva(which was not to be as a part of this course according to the curriculum) was given in the following words by the H.O.D of the deptt. as -"You guys seem to be happy in the 3rd year of chemical engineering". Nothing was left to be explained after this quote. We all knew what awaited us. At least,we thought so.
I have been given to understand by my friends in IIT that even there,1 or at max.2 professors are given a chance to screw 3 students(in a batch)in the viva. Being in a NIT,i used to think that i was lucky to escape that.Alas....The sight of the 3-4 best(dangerous,in other words) professors in our deptt. sitting in a panel called just 1 student at a time in their cabin,was enough to send any sensible student into delirium. I didnt know what exactly awaited me...
As I entered the cabin, I broke into a sweat at their sight. The Air Conditioner which had been turned to the student's direction ,at bone-chilling temperature did not help. I didn't even FEEL it.After that,the questions started. I dont think that I have the courage to recount that torture .It was too painful, believe me. It would be enough to say that by the end of the viva(which lasted the longest in my case, 20mins, in which i was asked only 2-3 questions), i only remember my mouth hung open an a strange noise emanating from it(sounding like,aeaeaeaeae...).As i came out of the chamber, i wished the person going in -'all the best!!',for the first time in my life from the bottommost of my heart. I came to my room and listened to some opera music(no idea about what the lady sang,but it proved to be strangely soothing).
So, in any case, if a 1st or 2nd year Chemical engg. student chances upon this blog,i would just say to them-'Don't be so happy so early,...you are yet to get the real taste of what this thing means.....