This is quite ironic really. I don’t know, its funny, and I can’t believe its been three long years since I entered engineering. And I can’t actually place anything as to what I did in these 3 years. And I still think many a times that it’s all a waste of time. I don’t still know why I entered this, but then it’s not like I whiled away all my time doing nothing. I did still learn many things, and maybe these are the things which are important in life ahead. And it’s not like only engineering teaches these things, these must be the things everyone must be learning at some brink of their lives. But then, graduating one course itself has been such a hell of a time, so I don’t think I can live it through anything else, to really understand if other courses teach the same thing. And this is also for the misconception that it’s only engineering which gives you a “great” mindset. I totally deny that. I think every course has its special place and has its own goods to offer. So puffing yourself just because you did some engineering course is going to do you no good. Cause in the longer run, it doesn’t matter which certificate you hold, but its your attitude you develop, your broad mindedness which carry more weight.

This is my experience, so like always I don’t care what other experiences you may have had or need your supervision in any aspect. Again I state this is more of what my degree course has taught me rather than engineering alone.

Engineering! Upon entering I was mostly in the same flow as that of 10^th ad 12^th. So I hardly cared to think as if I am entering anything new. I always thought that life moulds around what you do. But this was the first thing I learnt (I learnt this pretty late, but ya, still, it was meant to be learnt earlier, so it’s alright). Also, another thing I always thought was that if you do well, or try to be good, life is always good to you. This is true, but many a times you have to be sly. You have to act tactfully rather than just being the nice guy. Because the world is not that good a place where you get everything covered in whipped cream and a cherry on the top.

Friends are a necessary part in everyone’s life. But you can’t just choose who will be your friend and who won’t. You will never know with whom you cross lines at the next instant. And engineering taught me this. Besides, many of the friends are just to come and go. I don’t know, and this is not against anyone in particular, but overall this is the vibe I got. That you have a friend for some particular task, and that’s all. It doesn’t matter to him (and then eventually to me) to be involved in any other activity. Does this mean I become paranoid? But I learnt this too. That it’s not possible to stay a lone warrior. You need those people for those specific tasks no matter what happens. The one who understands this earlier wins the battle. And its not that all are the same way. Some of the people just leave a mark on you, and it’s hard to believe that people meet at you the strangest place and at the strangest of times. Really, just like some angel maybe. But that’s how life goes. You need those miracles to happen.

How to study? I always thought this was maybe the easiest of all things. That you put in effort and you get results. But here it works the other way round. You have to study smart rather than study hard. Its stupidity, but that’s how things work. Also if you want to do anything extra, you have to find your own time. No one cares for you, no one even checks if you are involved in anything else and hence maybe coordinate or adjust anything for you. You have to study at the right time, rather than throughout as we always thought. Also, you can’t always be studying, but rather you have to make your own time table so that you can do the things you like in perfect balance with the things you have to do.

You got to have tremendous self confidence for staying alive here. And you have to be firm on your feet no matter what the whole world keeps on blabbering. Because there are so many decisions to take, that it’s a game of luck and timing rather than only hard work. You got to aim for the thing you want and take decisions in that way, and then it doesn’t matter what you do in between in order to reach there. And this is where the confidence is important. It’s important not to get distracted by the things people keep doing around us, or the things you hear. You do them if you feel it right. Hence it teaches you to be truthful to yourself rather than to others.

Engineering or maybe any degree course offers you lots of time. And this is a reality, which maybe people deny when actually doing it, but all realize it one time or the other. And this spare time is to develop your skills. It doesn’t have to be academic, but it matters that you do hone them, because this is a turning point of your life. And after this you aren’t going to get so much time to think let alone put anything into practice.

Engineering puts you center stage. On a bigger level that is. And you see that all around you, there are thousands of people vying to be the same person maybe in your mind. So it’s up to you how to stand apart from all of them.

Things never happen the way you want them to plan for them to happen to. And this is a very important thing I learnt. I never plan as such, but the little hopes we have don’t always work out. So you got to face the things ahead of you, rather than shrink back and try to go some other way. You have to complete the task at hand; you can’t leave it half done.

At any point if you are low, or think that you just cant make it through, just take some off. Get on your bike/car; go off on a ride alone. Sit with nature, look into infinity. Do the things you like, indulge in your favourite activity. Eat an ice cream maybe. Have a soda. Things will come back to place once you are fresh again. And there is nothing in life which can go totally wrong. Every thing has a certain reason, and yours is to try to find what it is, and how to get over it. Ignoring it also helps in some cases. Till you die, the life is yours and no one can tell you how to live it or what to do with it. You can get suggestions and help, but ultimately it’s your own decision. And this is the most important lesson.

And ya. Extra curricular activities. Its no use shying away from them just because you feel you will waste time doing that. If you want to do it, do it, and adjust the other things to fit into your schedule. Because later on it’s no use repenting. And later on you will never find such a stage to show your talents, so it’s almost like now or never. Just do it!

People change. Their attitudes change. Learn to cope up with that. Be frank, be honest with yourself, and be the ‘you’ you always wanted to be. It’s the only thing which can save you in this world. The competition, the pulling of legs, the cheating and are all a part of this, and they don’t make any difference.

The engineering outlook. I don’t know what this means, but I have heard people talking about it. I think it’s the same you get when you start getting older and know that you have things to do other than just run and play and attend exams. You got to know the hows and the whys rather than just accepting the skeleton and nodding. It’s like asking the most questions, which was the basic things we learnt since school. It’s only that now, you start understanding the reason behind it. There is never the wrong and the right, so go for it.

A load of crap along with all this. That’s the thing I have been doing for the past three years. And a year more to go too…!!! But ya, it’s taken me long, but now I can atleast live in this atmosphere without feeling totally out of place, because at the back of my mind, I always have my happy place in which I can go whenever I want, no matter who comes or what happens.

Actually, these are the years in which we learn what we are. And knowing yourself, being transparent is the most difficult thing to achieve. It’s rather unlikely to totally understand yourself, but the more you go towards perfection, the more happier and settled you will feel.

Music, sports, friends are the most important things, and they complete the fourfold life of ours, with a degree certificate one hand, and a job under your belt... (of which the latter two aren't that important, just that they are necessary for a good life) :)