Lessons

This particular write-up was written months back. But I found it true even today.

People change, and I watch. The drastic changes that catch the notice of everyone and the slow ones which sometimes I observe. Over the period of time, so many things have changed. It makes me shiver, to think how drastically and to what extent, ppl can change. Did I too?? I don't want to know the answer, because probably today, I am standing in a position where both the answer scares me. The "no" tells me about my rigidity, my inability to adapt, to accept and the "yes" frightens me to think what is it that I have become today. I am surprised at the suggestions given by ppl. Its funny not because someone is telling me to be "selfish" but because it comes from a person who as far as I know, never knew the meaning of it, never knew that people are selfish that there are things that we never think. The first glimpse of this change in this particualr person, had shocked me so much that I had thought, probably I was wrong in my judgement, but today when the change can be clearly percieved by me, I sense how wrong I have been, it was the first step towards the transformation, to which I was the only spectator and that person, the only victim. I am still standing where I was then with some views changed and many things learned.

1. If I listen to or help someone, it doesn’t guarantee I will be treated the same way but then just because nobody will listen to me when I need doesn’t mean I will do the same thing.

2. Not all think the way I do, and there will always be some whom I will never understand. I should not waste my time for them.

3. There will always be at least one person, who will understand a part of my feelings.

4. Its good to know people disagree, to know that I am "different".

5. If I believe that for every smile I get, a drop of tear is stored for me, it means for every tear I drop, there is/was a smile somewhere. I will wait for the smile, it is sure to come.

6. Surprises are the best thing of life, so I should never expect anything.

7. Life comes in small packets of happiness - like dancing in the rain, nibbling "bhutta", going for a movie and not watching it, writing/reading blogs, laughing, writing poems, reading books, praising someone, praying for somebody else, listening to somebody telling I am good... and wondering whether to believe or not, re-reading mails, re-living moments, getting a surprise, giving a surprise, and so on... I will always enjoy them!!!

8. Believe that I can do most of the things alone and for those that I cannot, there will be someone waiting to help me there.

9. Help comes from the most unexpected people. I am thankful to them.

10. How good friends you become, how close... there are certain things that are not for me and not for you.

11. Everybody is selfish... I should learn to accept this.

12. I am not perfect but I love the way I am.

13. "Now" is the greatest gift...I will use it, not misuse it.

14. There will be at least one person other than me who will love me the way I am.

15. Some things are not forever, so I will enjoy them while they are there.

16. It’s okay to think that the world is not good, but I will look up at the sky and see the stars. Once in a while one of them appears in my life.

17. It is no use running away; the more I run from something, the more it will follow. (Applies to problems as well as dogs).

18. Before convincing others, I should convince myself.

19. It is no use saying something that I do not believe in.

20. It is always easier to justify myself than to justify others. Sometimes it’s worth trying things that are not easy.

21. It is always easy to ask than to answer. If there is something I will not prefer to answer, it is better I do not ask.

22. It is easy to say, "just like that" and "some things don't have reasons" but I will learn to be true to myself at least... it is not always possible to be true to everybody.

23. If I am doing something because I expect something in return, it’s not worth it.

For all those who have found something to disagree, refer the statement number 4 again. :D

-Anki!!!

To be, or not to be

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action. - Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.

- William Shakespeare
 (from Hamlet 3/1)

BTP Analysis

Let me first of all clarify to the readers that the above title is read as "BTP A-null-(th)esis".

For the advantage of all non engineering readers BTP as understood or made understood by any technological institute is expanded as "B.Tech Project". As you all know, B.Tech is the degree for which we toil and survive the 4 years assigned to the course. BTP, however, expanded by technological students would conform to any of the following terms but the one given before :

Badly Timed Project

Breath Taking Project

Brain Twisting Project

Bulk Torture Project

Boring Technology Project

Big Tragedy Project

Bravely Tackled Project
Bas Topic Project

Or some people tend to devise less complicated and non-technological terms to comply to the acronym (courtesy: F&S)

The initiation of BTP occurs with the allotment of the topic which may take place any day from the first week of the semester to the day before the report submission depending on the flexibility of your department, (mis)guide and/or your typing speed. But of course I cannot overlook the presence of your conscience. This leads the inevitable mention of some ELITE (Erroneously Lost In Technology and Engineering) students who comply to the university definition of the acronym and actually work for it. My post assumes their non-existence.

The main work of BTP is the preparation of a flawless, acceptable report. This report can be broaly divided into two types:

1. which has been explored by you so well that you can easily baffle the proffesors giving them a false impression of your knowledge, interest and efforts.
2. which is neither understood by you nor the proffesors such that they prefer not to enter the untried domain.

The first type requires some research of the topic (as in surfing, netting, mostly books are considerd orthodox and seldom used) and if possible a know-how/what/why of the proffesor(s) to make sure that you can baffle him(them). This type thus requires a little more effort than just the report writing in addition to convincing evidence to prove your attempt and success.

The second type with the advancement of technolgy (as in free-flowing internat) is more easily accesible. It is ready-made, requires less efforts and is more or less hassle free. The only thing to be made sure of is that it comforms to the type mentioned above i.e an untried domain at least to the proffesor(s).

Once the report is made and submitted, the more dreaded moment arrives - the BTP Viva(or presentation). There however is also a good part about it, that being the end of viva more or less marks the termination of the B.Tech struggles.

The viva involves your explaining to the panel:

• the importance of your project- this is the easiest part (thanks to the technological advancements)
• the work you attempted - this is often confusing. Your (mis)guide can help you with this or you can always turn to the omniscient (internet).
• and the reasons for your inability to complete it - this is the hardest part since you can neither blame it on the department nor youself. If you can find a way through in this part, trust me, your BTP is complete. The most common way through this is to confidently deny that its left incomplete or to simply disregard the part of completion and talk about future scopes in the project.

While dealing with BTP, the important mantra to remember is "If you can't convince them, confuse them".

If you are through with this all, my heartiest congrtatulations to you. Now you can sit back, look back and have a hearty laugh.

This write-up is dedicated to my seniors who have taught me the importance (or rather unimportance) of BTP, the anecdotes of their BTP, their runnning/hiding away from guides, their coffee breaks, the F&S team, their thorough research on the term BTP, my friends whom I have seen struggling (or rather not struggling) for their BTP, their evidences and efforts and lastly all engineering students who have a similar story to tell.

[Diclaimer: This post has no intention of making fun of any institution, any of its ongoing tradition, or the ELITE students of the institution and is based on first hand experience, observation and second hand confessions]

Enjoi!

-Anki.