College days! Four years of engineering, flew past so fast, even faster than I could comprehend. The time I enjoyed the most, too nostalgic ~ too romantic ~ filled with egos, clashes, crushes, proposals, disposals, placements, photostats, exams, 'supples', 'crities', 'chits', SMS, assignments, labs, seminars, projects, presentations ,arts days, sports days, tech days, mass bunking, movies, picnics and lot more. Life at its best has now left me, but not without leaving behind a lot of memories, to think and to cherish forever.
A journey back through those old days, it's always a nice feeling.
Lab exams, it was like buying a CFL from Chinese shop ~ an amount of luck is definitely required, to get a one that will work for us. For the above reason, the most disliked one amongst the exams, but it still held a special place, both in college and memory.
Luckily on that day, I got an easy experiment ~ an amplifier design and implementation. Without much thought, I downloaded the circuit from my brain on to the paper, got the customary proceed command from the external examiner, and crossed first big hurdle. Next, I had to assemble the circuit and somehow make it work ~ "Goddess of luck, stay with me for some more time..." Seemed she heard, the circuit worked, half the job was done, much relieved.
But this relief didn't last for long, I was called for the viva session. Here, it was all about how well the examiner's questions and my knowledge correlates - "Oh god, he should ask me only what I know, something simple and shouldn't probe into things much."
As usual, the examiner started shooting questions. First shot, I should say, a point blank one, had no answer for that, my confidence started eroding.
Waiting for the next one, I was asked to explain the working of my circuit.It's simple... had mugged it up previous night. It was just a matter of one more download from the brain, but this time in an audio form. Did it briskly. Together wit a nod, his ‘ok’ sounded good enough.
While I was in the process of gaining the lost confidence, came the next question - “Explain the how circuit was designed?”
Easy one, straightaway I started – “Assume 10% voltage drop across this resistor.....then assume a 20% there....”
But before I could complete, he interrupted – “Why is it a 50% drop there?”
“@#@$#@%#...thokkinde edayil kayari vedivachathum pora, oru mandan chodyavum. If there was a reason, why in the world would I use the word assume?” But I answered - “Don’t know” - politely.
Straight off, came the next one, "If I give these assumptions and formulae to a 10th standard boy, wouldn’t he be able to do it?"
I thought, he should be, given these formulae and knowing the word meaning of "assume". I told, "Yes, he would be."
Without any delay, the last shot was also triggered, - "If so, what is the difference between you both?"
"Now, is this a question for an engineering viva or for some sort of a psychological test?",expecting a bullet, sending a missile is always a foul play. Only answers that came to my mind was - "That is an out of syllabus question!!",or "The difference is so obvious. He will be much younger to me", but I kept quiet, for that answers can make my mark look younger, and definitely not the time to flaunt my cheekiness.
The truth is, there isn’t much difference; even we were treated like school children, wearing uniform, spoon fed, with the strictness of a school. Many things were taught and learnt, but all in an examination point of view, for marks. Precisely speaking spoon fed, in a very limited amount of time. The result, we ended up, not only in assuming lot of things, but also in not knowing the essence of it.
Like the X-Ray, some were accidental. But, for majority, it was necessity that lead to their invention and there is some practical, intelligent thought processes and applications associated with each. But when these came to us, almost every thing seemed like 'accidents'; courtesy to the way we learnt.
Having been an engineering student for 4 years, I have met with lot of such 'accidents'. We have learned a lot of theories and formulae, but what led to these, their practical applications, are still mysteries for us. These were all masked, for lack of time, and for want, only of mark. No one cared for these; parents, teachers and students cared, but only for marks.
In time, all these helped us to forget to think, to imagine and to analyse, and it has reached a situation where our brains could be replaced by hard disks. It's high time to change our attitude towards learning. Learn, to gain knowledge, to think, and not just to get marks.
PS : But then, I still like that word, “assume” ~ an advance bail for not explaining things !
A journey back through those old days, it's always a nice feeling.
Lab exams, it was like buying a CFL from Chinese shop ~ an amount of luck is definitely required, to get a one that will work for us. For the above reason, the most disliked one amongst the exams, but it still held a special place, both in college and memory.
Luckily on that day, I got an easy experiment ~ an amplifier design and implementation. Without much thought, I downloaded the circuit from my brain on to the paper, got the customary proceed command from the external examiner, and crossed first big hurdle. Next, I had to assemble the circuit and somehow make it work ~ "Goddess of luck, stay with me for some more time..." Seemed she heard, the circuit worked, half the job was done, much relieved.
But this relief didn't last for long, I was called for the viva session. Here, it was all about how well the examiner's questions and my knowledge correlates - "Oh god, he should ask me only what I know, something simple and shouldn't probe into things much."
As usual, the examiner started shooting questions. First shot, I should say, a point blank one, had no answer for that, my confidence started eroding.
Waiting for the next one, I was asked to explain the working of my circuit.It's simple... had mugged it up previous night. It was just a matter of one more download from the brain, but this time in an audio form. Did it briskly. Together wit a nod, his ‘ok’ sounded good enough.
While I was in the process of gaining the lost confidence, came the next question - “Explain the how circuit was designed?”
Easy one, straightaway I started – “Assume 10% voltage drop across this resistor.....then assume a 20% there....”
But before I could complete, he interrupted – “Why is it a 50% drop there?”
“@#@$#@%#...thokkinde edayil kayari vedivachathum pora, oru mandan chodyavum. If there was a reason, why in the world would I use the word assume?” But I answered - “Don’t know” - politely.
Straight off, came the next one, "If I give these assumptions and formulae to a 10th standard boy, wouldn’t he be able to do it?"
I thought, he should be, given these formulae and knowing the word meaning of "assume". I told, "Yes, he would be."
Without any delay, the last shot was also triggered, - "If so, what is the difference between you both?"
"Now, is this a question for an engineering viva or for some sort of a psychological test?",expecting a bullet, sending a missile is always a foul play. Only answers that came to my mind was - "That is an out of syllabus question!!",or "The difference is so obvious. He will be much younger to me", but I kept quiet, for that answers can make my mark look younger, and definitely not the time to flaunt my cheekiness.
The truth is, there isn’t much difference; even we were treated like school children, wearing uniform, spoon fed, with the strictness of a school. Many things were taught and learnt, but all in an examination point of view, for marks. Precisely speaking spoon fed, in a very limited amount of time. The result, we ended up, not only in assuming lot of things, but also in not knowing the essence of it.
Like the X-Ray, some were accidental. But, for majority, it was necessity that lead to their invention and there is some practical, intelligent thought processes and applications associated with each. But when these came to us, almost every thing seemed like 'accidents'; courtesy to the way we learnt.
Having been an engineering student for 4 years, I have met with lot of such 'accidents'. We have learned a lot of theories and formulae, but what led to these, their practical applications, are still mysteries for us. These were all masked, for lack of time, and for want, only of mark. No one cared for these; parents, teachers and students cared, but only for marks.
In time, all these helped us to forget to think, to imagine and to analyse, and it has reached a situation where our brains could be replaced by hard disks. It's high time to change our attitude towards learning. Learn, to gain knowledge, to think, and not just to get marks.
PS : But then, I still like that word, “assume” ~ an advance bail for not explaining things !
6 comments:
"Lab exams, it was like buying a CFL from Chinese shop ~ an amount of luck is definitely required, to get a one that will work for us."
Nalla best comparison!!
External lab exams really used to be funny affairs...I miss those days...sniff...sniff... :(
@abhi - me too..missing those old days!!!
Dear Arun Ghost!!!!
Assumptions need not be seen as an excuse for some vague explanations.Infact it has been the driving point in any theoritical invention.First comes the theory then the reality most of the time.I wonder why ?!!??? needs to ask Albert Einstein when I meet him!!!!
Lab exams, it was like buying a CFL from Chinese shop ~ an amount of luck is definitely required, to get a one that will work for us.
Wonderful comparison!!!!
"Assume" has become a pet word for almost all the engineers after our 4 years of engineering..
@Denny - It was driving points for some, not for all. But for us, it was for almost all.
Any way when u ask him and let know:)
Somehow hit your blog, and I was interested in reading about college posts first. Really liked this one. Incidentally, just yesterday I was wondering what I remember from my CSE - almost nothing!
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