T.A. - Gawd Xperience

Do you know, what a T.A. means? "Thats All", "Temporary Assistant", "Ticklish Attitude" No... Nothing of that sort.. It's Teaching Associate, a student of final year, who assists Professor in taking the course.. Students with their marks above a certain threshold are selected for TA'ship. Apart from the wonderful experience, you get being TA, Govt. pays you too.. hmmmm... not bad!! Electro-Magnetic Waves (in short EMW, called by students with love) is one of those very few courses, which always degrade your cumulative score, doesn't matter how much you read/study/cram... This course is a compulsory course in 3rd year, Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay... And I'm sure every alumunus of EE, IITB must be having some memories of this course... Luckily or Unluckily, I was selected TA for this course.. Unlucky for obvious reasons, and Lucky because I could hope to understand something I didn't, two years ago, When I was attending it :DD

What does a TA do? Basically, It all depends on Prof. who is in-charge of the course, ranging from doing nothing to even attending all classes... My case is in-between. We have to set tutorial papers for students, check their submissions, help them to get their doubts clarified, invigilate during exams etc.. Last one is the most interesting..

Two days back, I was an invigilator in EMW course mid-semester exam. This was really a blissful experience...which even Albert Einstein couldn't have felt. I could travel two years back on time machine, and I could see myself sitting somewhere there amongst students... Just 10 minutes after they got paper in hands, Everyone was looking for cobwebs on roof, and they kept on looking constantly there for 2 hours as if someone imprinted solutions there, the previous night :D.

I was just thinking What does one achieve by looking here and there in exams? If lucky, he/she can get some answer or hint to answer... even if one doesn't get answers, one get bigger gift - "Happiness" for others also don't know anything... Lord Udham Singh truly said, "Your Karmas won't go fruitless, but which fruit you'll get, this decision is in hands of gardener." This was one of the only two exams in my 4 year stay at IIT, where I sat in exam-hall like an idiot for 3 hours, not doing anything... And I was happy to see my brand growing like anything. That was such an imperishable moment. :D