First 6 months of college life in Chennai (Bits and pieces)

I know i had a bad Engineering cutoff in hand despite of it I wanted an engineering seat (Veetla pressure). I told my dad “i will either study Engineering in free seat quota or do some Bsc. Degree in a reputed institution”. My 12th score was good enough to get a seat (Bsc.Applied chemistry) in top class colleges in Coimbatore. I hated one subject the most. The subject that is ruling the world now. Yes "Computer Science", Hated every bit of the subject. So decided to go for a branch that has nothing to do with circuits and computer programming. Zeroed to Mechanical, chemical and Civil. I went to the counseling center on the allotted day. Noting down the availability of seats, I suddenly told my mom "Amma ni padicha college la Civil engg 4 seats iruku ma, so why don’t you ask paati for permission to stay her place?" Of course she was reluctant to ask my paati, but i somehow convinced her. My uncles were living together in paati's house (joint family in this era. that was mind blowing).Since i was a goody goody girl (I am sometimes sarcastic) with adjusting temperament, they decided to give me permission to stay at their home. But their decision was quite late. I already decided to quit counseling and i was walking out with tears in my eyes. There was still 20 min for reporting. When I was walking towards the exit, there was one white ambassador car coming towards me as if it was going knock me down any second. It halted near me and my sis jumped out of the car. she just managed to come all the way long (no one had cell phones those days) to convey those golden words "Mamas have given you permission, Go attend ur counseling." I was near the exit gate and saw my watch, 2 min left and i had to run to the counseling center which was about a km away from exit. Amma me and managed to run to the hall (Amma had knee pain after that for about 10 days).

I was 5 min late. I was scolded by a guy in the fee counter for coming late. Grasping for breath I paid my counseling fee and entered the hall along with my mom. 1st choice was Civil Engineering from Meenakshi college, 2nd choice was Mechanical from Dr.MGR and 3rd was IT from Arunai (pona poguthunnu I took up). Got the confirmation and happily walked out of the Hall. I went home and immediately called up my uncles to express my gratitude. Came to chennai after a week waving all my friends good bye with great difficulty.

I met a girl of my wavelength in college when I was paying my fees she was from a different dept. She introduced herself as Meenakshi (one of my best friends till date).

First day college I was searching for one familiar face I knew in Chennai..yup it was Meenakshi. Guess what? she was also searching for me. Befriended few more girls. One was rohini (The most unpredictable girl. She seldom opens her mouth. Ofcourse Now tables have turned. Thanks to my influence. Cutest friend till date) The other one was Harini Rajagopal, basically a fun loving girl with lot of brains. We were sitting together in same bench for first 6 months coz we had common subjects. (Rohini was my bus mate, street mate wat not? Rohini’s mom is one of the reasons why I never missed my mom).

Ya coming to the subject part of my Engineering, We had English, Maths, Engg Mechanics (the subject that gave me night mares), Physics and Chemistry in the first Sem.
1. Basically good at Chemistry so no issues.
2. Physics – occasionally fail in unit tests and manage to coupe with it in mid sem and models.
3. Math – I was cornered.(never pass in any test).
4. English – Fun and sometimes clueless (I am from a normal English medium school, I again had difficulty in understanding few words. Had to carry a pocket dictionary. Meena was the angel for me those days. Where on earth did she find those words from??? I certainly had no clue).
5. Engg Mechanics – Sounded Spanish and French (Greek and latin is usual stuff. So trying something diff this time).
I did my schooling in Coimbatore. The IQ level of a moderate student doesn’t even match 50% with an average student who did their schooling in Chennai (might not be the case with everyone but was surely with me. Ofcourse Exceptions like Harini do exist). I used to wonder how Harini did problems in Engg Mech wit ease. Though Rohini speaks a little she did wonders in Math and Mech. Meenu was the only girl of my level, matched my standards. (Doesn’t mean that she is not intelligent, she was trying to just console me and give me company. Benevolent female. Ohhh Let me make an article specially dedicated to these girls who brought a big change in my life). I fail in almost all the tests which never happened to me in school.

I used to cry the moment I see my E-Mech unit test answer sheets (its not a joke, I seriously did cry for such petty issues). Marks are like 8/50 or 25/100. No scope of getting thro’. Express my agony. Feel depressed (laugh at myself now). Used to call up my mom everyday and keep crying over the phone. “Amma ennala inga padika mudila. romba kashtama iruku…..”

Finally managed to get hall ticket (This itself is an achievement in my school oops, sorry college). We had just 14 days of Study holls. I was spending those 14 days in my room like I was under some Vanavaasam. I come out to brush my teeth, take bath and eat (evenings alone 1 hour to temples to pray god to give me questions from lessons am familiar with). Daily go to Rohini’s place to learn maths and mech (superb tiffin by aunty and one masala paal surely available. There are days where I have carried my silly doubts to rohini’s place to have masala paal(milk) alone). Worked out every problem in prescribed book (never happened after first sem). Hardly watched TV. Theatres were cursed.

Did 4 exams well and my final exam was E.Mech. I was praying every god on earth for an easy paper. (Actually I dint know that the question paper for E.Mech was out the previous nite. Like a PAZHAM (not anymore) I wrote the exam and it was upto my satisfaction). I just ran home to pick my baggage to catch train to my home town (Was going there after 6 months). There were bunch of students (my year) in my compartment told that E.Mech paper was leaked the previous nite of the examination. I cared the least coz all I knew was “I did the exam well and i will pass”. Went home the next day. ( i was treated like this MYLU character in the movie 16 vayathinilae.coz the place where i lived was more like a village with sugar cane fields and rice fields. Whenever ppl in my place used to go to the heart of the city, they say "AKKA TOWN POITU VARAEN". ofcourse things have totally changed now). Relaxing on the couch in my house, I took out the news paper (dont ask me how do you get news paper in ur place? there are educated ppl in my locality as well). There was a big AAAAPU on the first page of the paper. It read - “Re-exam for Engg Mechanics Exam announced by VC of Anna university”. I was in peak of Anger and totally disappointed. (Well I have to surely write a post separately about that aapu alone. Its too big to be chronicled here). Wrote the re-exam and was sure about keeping arrears in first sem itself.

Finally my results were out and to my greatest surprise I stood second in my class (82%..proficiency prize ellam kuduthaango during College day celebration). I was least bothered about other subjects but I was eager to find my mark in E-mech. I scored 65 marks and this is where the theory of “Miracles do happen” proved perfect. God knows….but it was definitely a happy ending due to his grace.