The word ‘Engineering’ is a very very heavy word, the burden of which every second student seems to be bearing these days. Few are able to live through it, fewer live up to it.
Many fall prey to this ‘safe’ option when they have nowhere to go after high school. The bait is set and before you know it, you’re stuck in the middle of a jungle for 4 years (The remote locations of Engineering colleges have always puzzled me). So what you end up with is a ‘safe’ trade and a ‘safe’ field. Parents make peace with the fact since they’re paying so much,
it must be for something good. Plus, i dont really blame them, the word ‘engineering’ is enough to delude anyone. And like that, the dreadful journey begins.
A day in the life of an engineering student is no different than that of a laborer, just that he gets no wages at the end of the day. The day begins in haste, proceeds in urgency and ends in despair. Lectures, tutorials, practicals and workshops form major part of the day. You barely make it for the 9’O class gasping for breath, and what follows is a heavily loaded 8 hour
schedule. It becomes an everyday drill. You make it through with little motivation to continue living. With every passing day, the mind seems to be degrading; the body seems to be rusting; as for the soul, it feels hollow as hell. Thus the Mind, Body and Soul, all take a beating.
Saddest part of all, an engineering college is nothing like the ones you see in movies. Dreams of a fun filled college life groomed since childhood are crushed in a lightening. There are no hot chicks, no hot cars, no vibrant colours and certainly no extras dancing in the background of some full-of-life college song. You’re better off thinking of it as a school only, with casual
wear permitted! You are surrounded by phonies all around and Ignorance and Tolerance become your best friends. Be it ‘nose-picking’ roommates, ‘bore-you-to-death’ lecturers or ‘shove-your-cigarette-up’ wardens, ignorance and tolerance go a long way in tackling them all.
But its not like things are always blue. Once in a while you get to be home, and you realize it actually is the best place in the world; you learn to appreciate home life. Once in a while you have a high-spirited night out with friends, full of crackling laughter; you learn to appreciate friendship. Once in a while you end up solving a difficult problem by yourself, a much needed
respite from all the rote learning; you learn to appreciate education. And once in a while there is rain, it rinses off all your engineering sins; you learn to appreciate nature.
The struggle continues and the semesters pile on.
A B.Tech degree is not a matter of 48 months (4 years), but merely of 48 nights (48 subjects in total). And after all those one night stands with your notebooks, the degree might confer thetitle of an ‘Engineer’ on you, but to look yourself in the mirror you need to justify it, if you care that is, and that’s the catch!
Rachit Khanna,Year-3rd Engineering student of Jaypee Solan
