4 years of engineering, 8 semesters of laborious struggle. The classes in each term culminate into a short but brutal period of extreme stress and sleepless nights – ‘submissions’. Only after this can the students get the crucial preparation leave (PL) for final semester examinations. The submission period, true to its literal meaning, is a nightmare for the students. However it seems to be much enjoyable for the professors (I should rather call them ‘lecturers’).

I happened to visit my college for a couple of times this month, right during the submission period. I went there as an ex-student, free from all barriers and restrictions. But the buzz sure gave me a nostalgic feel – students standing in queues waiting for precious signatures on their bulky files containing the term work, practical records and exam answer papers.

So while I went around meeting my lecturers in their laboratories and offices, I attracted agitated expressions from the kids (students) standing in long queues outside the offices. Any disruption in flow is disastrous, and I was sort of interrupting their course. I was forced to be as brief as possible in exchanging courtesies with the lecturers, and I promised to see them later.

Little did I know how useful these sessions of submissions would be to me after I graduate. There are lot of tactics and strategies you work out to get your files signed. If you commit mistakes in the file, there are ways to divert the lecturers’ attention. Sometimes you miss out an entire section, yet manage to scrape through. The groundwork and planning is required right from day one. By the time we reach seventh semester, many of us are ‘submission champions’ and we consider getting a signature on an incomplete file as a challenge.

Engineering is not a game for the weak hearted. Many may survive through it, but few come out smelling sweet.

¶ Blogged by Priyank Thatte | Tags: Memories, University