I’ve wanted to write this for long. Very long. After Techno'10. After Robocon'10. After Nirop last year. Then, after Techno'11. On all occasions, the topic on which I wanted to write remained the same- experience (a topic ‘200’ loves to talk about :P ). And so has the audience for writing this- friends, especially juniors, who could perhaps do with fewer mistakes and a better direction. What has kept changing with each passing day, however, is the would-be-content.
Maybe I never got the time to. No, that’s just an excuse. An excuse we all learn to make. An excuse, which is as foolish as it seems plausible. Here’s the first lesson to learn-
You never get time for anything. Not unless you make time for whatever you want to do, anyways.
This is specially for first year students who say that they do not want to participate in other activities to concentrate on their academics. If you have no time now, chances are, you never will.
Now that I think of it, I can write more things now than before. Maybe it was not the right time to write the note on the aforementioned occasions. But maybe, it never will. Brings me to my second point.
The right time is now.
For anything you can or want to do. One of my friends, let’s call him MR, says he’ll start watching all these much-discussed TV-series (TBBT, Friends, et al.) after he’s done with all his work - projects, exams, competitions, degree. Ghanta. He’s never gonna watch any of those ever in his life. Not unless someone puts some sense into him.
Alright now. Too much prologue. I’ll get going with the post. It’s been an eventful three years. Not always too hectic, but busy enough to make sure I had no time for anything else. Or so I thought.
My first year was indisputably the most relaxed one I had. And a very satisfying one at that, with the (official) formation of the Society of Robotics and Automation (SRA) that year to catch my fancy. That’s when I made my first robot. My own. My precious. Ah, the joy of playing around with it! (What I didn’t know then, was that a short-circuit would’ve fried the motherboard irreparably. Anyways) And then Autoport2. I didn’t even know I could make (rather, contribute to) something like that before. But I did. And then there was Technovanza. To be honest, I didn’t know what I was doing when I signed up for it in my first year. Few people ever do. I went with the crowd, and three years hence, I know it didn’t hurt me to. I’ll not pretend, I knew nothing about college festivals or how they worked r even why they existed. But it didn’t matter. What mattered is that I bothered to try.
You’ll never know until you try. Take a (non-fatal) risk, occasionally. Just because it’s not helping your ‘profile’ doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Learn. Have fun - you wont get this time later.
Don’t give up on trying something just because you think you can’t do it, or because you think it’s not going to ‘benefit’ you. You’re not being pragmatic here- just plain foolish. Benefits are not only those which can be earned or written down or shown off. I remember quite a few (stubborn) people having asked me how my work at the SRA is going to help my resume. Perhaps it won’t. Perhaps it will. I will get to know over time. But you definitely won’t. What I do know is, the SRA has changed my life.
That was the end of the first year. Which reminds me of a very important thing. I’m preaching here what I don’t practice, but you might want to look after your pointer a little. I know it sucks, I haven’t cared much for my pointer, either. And yet here I am, saying this.
Don’t screw your pointer. Yes, there’s no point poring over books all day and doing nothing else, either. Participate in other activities, but take out an occasional hour to study. There’s a reason why we have theory.
A lot of people will say a lot of things. You’ll meet seniors who study 24x7 and who’ll say your pointer is the alpha and omega of everything. And then, at the other extreme, you’ll meet people involved in what-not, who’ll brag that they don’t care about their pointer, and will laugh at you if you do.
Give all thine ear. Understand their perspective. But do what you think is right.
By the way, I managed to get an 8.5.
I don’t remember much of the second year, it just whizzed by. To date, I still find it hard to believe I had a fourth Semester. It’s my abysmal grades that remind me that I had one.
All I remember is that there was a Robocon. And Raghav Ohri telling me, I quote:
“Throw a man in a pool and he’ll eventually learn how to swim.” You might want to pay heed to this.
And there was a Technovanza. And… I don’t remember much. Except a few random details. Anyways. I did learn one important thing, though. A lot of responsibilities make a frustrated man.
One person you really should give time to is yourself.
Learn to say no. To yourself, lest you over-commit. To others, for expectations keep increasing. It is important that you do. But complete everything you commit to.
And so, one hectic period and a (vexing) practical HR lesson later, the semester ended. I got a 9.0 in sem 3, and a 6.5 in sem 4. Both were unusual for me.
Understand, that shit happens.
And I witnessed Nirop for the first time - and it sunk in, the agony of the parting of ways. That was when I sorely wished I’d not been so reticent in my first year. Wished I’d talked more to my seniors. Listened to them more; learnt more; developed a larger perspective.
Interact with your seniors. Don’t be afraid of asking them questions. Most of them will be willing to share experiences or gyaan. Don’t badger them, though.
And don’t hesitate to tell people you look up to them, if you do. It matters. I’ll end this part, with what I learnt from them -
Dream. Dare. Don’t be afraid. Look at things from others’ perspectives - people are usually not as wrong or bad as they appear. See the good in people. Do what you love. Be optimistic, but pragmatic. Don’t be selfish. All that you do, do with your heart. ENJOY! Be generous and kind. Help others, show them directions, but let them choose their way. And… Kill your entitlementality.