13 Things an Indian Student Does During College Exams

A “been there, done that” kind of list for college students constantly in a battle with exams. Let me take a moment to explain the life of an engineering student in India. A total of 8 Semesters in 4 years. Theoretically, 6 months/semester. But in reality, taking the holidays into account, a semester lasts roughly 4 months. Now, in the 4-month semester, a student deals with 2 internal sessionals, 1 internal practicals, 1 external practicals and 1 external theory exams. Taking an Average of 6 theory subjects and 4 practical subjects per semester and summing up all the numbers, a total of 26 exams is achieved. That’s 26 times a student gives an exam in 120 days! 1/4th of engineering life is relentlessly taken by exams. Rest is all preparation. To add injury to insult, there are projects & assignments. For some, the total would increase to 35 if they had a “back” to clear from previous semesters.

Here’s a comprehensive list of what a student goes through to cross the “All Clear” line of control. Not necessarily in the order given below, let me begin with my favorite one :

1. We write/draw key notes, formulas, diagrams on the table desks/calculator and walls.

2. We’ve to deal with last-minute changes in the syllabus. “Bc yeh thodi aa raha tha/ Bc yeh bhi aa raha hai”(This is not in the syllabus, dammit).

3. We believe in the concept of “don’t study everything, but whatever you do, do it properly!”

4. We go to the washroom in the middle of our exam hoping to meet someone from our batch. However, the excitement when you actually see someone gives you an adrenaline rush so high that eventually you can’t even recall a single question from the exam!

5. We buy the wrong author book. Engineering students from IP university thank Mr. Deepak Gupta everyday. As Mr. Modi Said, “Make in India!”

6. We study just the last year question papers. At time so confident, yeh toh pakka aayega!(This question is definitely going to come!)

7. We text our friends a few days before the exams – “Kuch start kia”? Then again send the same text few hours before the exam.

8. When we don’t know where to begin, we end up highlighting the whole chapter, because damn, everything has to be important!

9. We curse the guy asking for an extra sheet while you are still at page 13 of the 60 page booklet.

 

10. There’s always that one guy who doesn’t get any stationary and keeps asking for a pen, pencil and scale.

 

11. We consistently tussle every year to celebrate Christmas and New years. Happy Exams! Sincerely, IP University.

 

12. We believe in our writing skills more than our knowledge. Quantity over quality. “Tu bus ek line batade, baaki mai likh loonga”(Tell me one sentence and I’ll finish the rest).

 

13. Finally, the feeling you get when you finish writing the last word of the last exam. It’s Over. The battle is won!

 

Conclusion

The struggle during exams is hard. Hence we all did/do at least some of the things stated above. Regardless of the exams, college days are some of the most memorable days. The bashing during vivas, crazy running during fests, bunking classes, attending classes and missing attendance, insulting acts with friends, etc. are just a few memories we will remember for a lifetime.

Pyaar Mohabbat Dhoka hai, Padle Beta Mauka Hai!

Life in a Metro

Hello again! I’m back with my second blog post and with much consideration about what topic to select, I figured its best to share a post that’ll connect more or less all the Delhi-ites. Thanks to superb connectivity of the Delhi Metro and the every growing enormous population of Delhi, roughly 20 lac people use the Metro daily. I used to travel 40 stations in the metro almost everyday for my college. As I recently graduated, my traveling time has reduced but all the weird-looking, annoying and kewl kind of moments I’ve experienced and witnessed during the past 4 years are still fresh in my mind. Here’s a list of a few things you only see on the Delhi Metro:

1. It’s always Rush Hour at Rajiv Chowk & Kashmere Gate

– If you travel by the Metro, you must have been part of the crazy crowd at Rajiv Chowk & Kashmere Gate at least once! Doesn’t really matter whether it’s peak hours or not, Rajiv Chowk doesn’t fail to produce lacs of commuters just about every minute. Whenever I see such a sight at Rajiv Chowk or Kashmere Gate, the thought “Yaar kahan se aate hai itne log” rushes through my head! It is as if somebody has started shooting and you can save your life only if you RUN! Run Forrest Run!

Sea of human bodies trying to blast past each other

2. It’s Always Sunny in the Metro B)

– Doesn’t really matter whether its day time or night time, whether the metro is underground or overground, for some people it’s always sunny in the metro! Exhibiting the newly bought Ray Bans from Sarojni Nagar, a distinct breed of humans see the world from a different perspective. Ah, the kewl quotient overflowing in the picture below.

No offence to the commuter, but this metro is underground

3. Too Close for Comfort.

– There are times when you’d wished of not being seated. The picture below says it all. “Move your crotch away from my face you inconsiderable freak”, he never said! It’s a cheap tactic to get a seat. As soon as someone gets up, gently push and you score a seat. Breath a sigh of relief.

No place to go, let me put my right in front of his face

4. Peek-a-Boo!!!

I, for one simply hate it when the guy sitting next to me or the guy standing in front of me starts peeping in whatever I’m doing. Playing candy crush or 2048, using Whatsapp or Facebook, reading the newspaper or a book, there are always going to be eyes on you. “Tirchi nazar” as they say. Mind your own freaking business mister!

Let me see whachya got there!

5. Use Stairs, Stay Fit.. Nah!

– It’s sad to see that just 5-10% commuters use the stairs. It’s high time people start taking care of their own health. Simple ways such as using the stairs instead of using the escalators can help you in your quest for fitness. There’s no harm in burning a few calories!

Commuters using the escalator

6. You always EXIT first v/s Let me Board first!

– It’s common sense that is not so common here. Always allow the commuters to de-board first and then board yourself in. It’s quite the opposite in Delhi metro. With the wave of commuters storming to get in, there’s hardly an inch of space left for you to de-board the metro. How many times have you been caught in No Mans Land? And then you go smashing everyone with that heavy bag on your back! “Dekh ke bhaisaab” someone said.

Commuters trying to board the metro

7. Tired legs or not, let’s sit here!

– Travelers sitting on the junction between cars is a pretty common sight in the Delhi Metro. Seriously speaking, its easier to cross a red light in delhi than to cross one car in the metro to another. Come on people, standing a few minutes won’t ruin your day!

Best seat in the house

Conclusion

– Time to relate everything said above. Even with all the irritating, provoking and bothersome things you see everyday in the Metro, Our Dilli waalas thrive on the Metro. It’s become such a huge and important part of our lives. I want to thank the DMRC for making our lives easier by providing cheap, safe and an awesome service. I hope DMRC starts a 24×7 service soon where we can look forward to more unusual moments similar to the drunk last train in HIMYM!

I’m coming home!

Disclaimer: All image have been downloaded from various sources such as Instagram or have been clicked by myself/friends. I do not mean to offend anyone by using the above images.

Must Have Apps For Your Smart Phone

Hello all! Being a technology enthusiast and an aggressive mobile app user, my first blog post had to be about the must have apps for your smart phone. The list below contains apps that can help you understand how simple it has become to accomplish daily based tasks using a single click on your smart phone. With the Internet of Things and a surge of smartphones in the market, there’s been a high demand of iOS and Android app developers. You must have heard somebody saying “Harr cheez ka app hai”(There’s an app for everything!). That’s perfectly true but in order to extract the maximum out of your smart phone, you need to have the RIGHT apps.

“The world is being re-shaped by the convergence of social, mobile, cloud, big data, community and other powerful forces. The combination of these technologies unlocks an incredible opportunity to connect everything together in a new way and is dramatically transforming the way we live and work.”

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1. Facebook & Twitter 
– There’s not really much to say why these are must-haves for your smart phone. Post status, albums, share posts, tweet, re-tweet, see what friends are up to, check-in, like, share, read news, launch products, attend events,etc., there’s so much to these social platforms now than ever before. You stop at a red light for 60 seconds, the first thing you do is open Facebook/Twitter. That’s the world Facebook has created, never mind, we’ve all done it/do it. Facebook and twitter are now being effectively used by brands for business purposes as well.

 

2. Instagram
– A picture is worth a 1000 words. Instagram was created with the sole purpose of making people share moments of their life on the go. That’s the reason Instagram doesn’t even allow scheduling of posts. It’s a photography app that provides easy one click filters and editing tools. The Instagram library is so huge, you think of any random hashtag and you’ll find thousands of photos(#JustCheckingRandomThings).

 

3. Whatsapp
– Its possibly the best online messaging app thanks to its simple design and interface. The best pary about Whatsapp is that you don’t need to create any sort of username/email-ID to log in. Simply put in your phone number and you’ll be able to send text messages to your contacts who’ve Whatsapp on their phones. Using Whatsapp, you can share contacts, location & photos as well.

 

4. Google Maps
– Probably one of the most essential app if you travel a lot. Get turn by turn directions to your destination, Google Maps has info about all the Galli’s and nukaas of even the smaller towns. Constantly updating its database with new and intelligent information, Google Maps is a travelers online guide!

 

5. Paytm
– One click solution to recharge or pay your Mobile, DTH, Electricity, Gas and Broadband bills. Paytm provides a Paytm wallet using which you can store an X amount of credit using debit/credit/net banking. Also, each time you make a payment or do a recharge, Paytm gives it’s users an option to select exciting coupons(food, gifts, travel,etc). Voucher code lene mai kya hai, use hoga toh badiya hai.

 

6. Pocket
– This is one of my personal favorite app. It is used to save any article, news or blog you’ve opened on your phone. The story can be read later on offline using Pocket. No hassle, save your articles, links, blog posts. Using Pocket, you can share the stories onto different social media platforms. Pocket works flawlessly with a number of other news apps as well.

 

7. VSCO
– A great app for users who love doing photography from there smart phones. VSCO has a simple interface and much more number editing tools and filters than Instagram. VSCO allows photos to be shared onto various social media platforms as well.

 

8. Shazam
– Shazam can tell you what song is currently playing by hearing a small clip of the song. Open the app, make Shazam listen the song and you get a complete profile of the song along with its youtube link and legal purchase option. Now you know what to do the next time you hear an unknown or unrecognizable song!

 

9. OLA/Uber/Meru
– Book a cab/auto right away using either of the above apps. They have options ranging from hatchbacks to sedan to SUVs. More recently, Uber had an option to book a “CHOPPER”! Booking a cab has never been so easy. Most of these apps allow the prepaid option hence no hassle over giving and taking cash from the driver.

 

10. Zomato
– Instantly look for a restaurant near you using simple and effective filters such as name, place and dish. A Restaurant finder, Zomato provides menu’s of the restaurants to help you decide which one to go to. Read and post reviews, seach for best places to go, Zomato provides a number of features to its users. It is one of the fastest growing companies in the world!

 

11. Dropbox
– Stop worrying about the low memory on your smart phone when you can store everything on the cloud with Dropbox. Create shared folders, keep important documents, store phone backups, Dropbox is a must have app for storing important documents on the cloud. You can easily access files from anywhere using a simple login.

 

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