Ma! main pass ho gaya!!

Around one and a half month back, I felt that haven't done enough work to get a degree from IIT Bombay. For outsiders: The dual degree project here is of one and a half year duration and requires something concrete to be done in the area of research. Faculty has been complaining consistently that dual degree students (those who come for BTech+ MTech, but come via JEE), don't do a good work. I confess that their complaints are genuine seeing myself, the efforts of almost all my batchmates and of my seniors.

The project has 3 stages: First one ends in the second week of July, Second stage ends in December first week, and the last, and the most important one, ends in next July. A normal scenario is that no one works in the I stage, an obvious mistake, because the smart people have a tendency to take all the work at the last moment, as a challenge. And since nothing is done is first stage, nothing can't be done in second stage, because of cool attitude, seeing a lot of time ahead, placements going on and a lot of other personal reasons attached. When the third and the last time comes, people try to wake up. While not everyone even try, but not everyone who try wakes up. [:)] I have examples who woke up at certain times, wanted to do something in their project area but couldn't find any sort of help from their supervisors, friends; may be they didn't care much, but environment could have helped.

Although I cited a general story above, mine was a bit different. Luckily, I had a gem of person as my guide/supervisor, Prof. V.M.Gadre. (I'll not write more about him here, since I plan to dedicate a special blog to him.) Can I praise myself a bit? (Reader: Oh yes! you can.) Thank you. [:P] I did a lot of survey in the first stage, and was way ahead of actually what was required, according to me. This helped me understand the area better and in the first stage, got an AA (the best I could have thought, and the best they could have awarded [:)]).

II Stage didn't excite me to work, and so I didn't, where's my fault? I took two philosophy courses, "Indian Philosophy", and "Vedanta Philosophy" and must add, I enjoyed a lot more than any other course in my own department. Once, I came across an idea in my tiny mind to pursue a PhD in the field of Philosophy, please don't laugh. I studied for CAT, started reading newspapers daily and made myself busy in various other activities (Probably the busiest time in other activities.) They say, "Luck favors those who work hard." I add to it, "Luck also favors those who think of working hard." And it helped me too. One fine morning, I came across an idea of an algorithm, which was a novel one in my area of research. And yes! it was proposed by me in the II stage with a few results. Oh, I couldn't believe myself, I got an AA, with an AA in both the courses as well (I was sure of getting it in philosophy though, topped all the exams there.) The blog has made me a philosopher. Isn't it? [:P]

You know, who the hell cares for petty project after getting a job? And before the third stage began, I got two job offers, which are decent by all IIT standards, could get 2 IIM calls as well, finally making into one. And no final year dual degree student (or for that matter, any student) will disagree that I am not at fault if I didn't work for the project much. Also, I was bitten by Philosophy bug, took two more courses as audit (means grades are awarded but they don't matter in terms of your final percentage marks.), "Buddhist Mahayana Philosophy", and "Professional Ethics" (want to work with me? am a lot ethical now [:P]).
January, February, March and April, all went back from wherever they came with all their efforts of making me work, in vain. Though I must say, I worked something, but far less than my own standards. May came with a lot of stress. And I like a smart people, took it as a challenge, started working after a week long vacation. And found the saying of Sage Udham Singh true to the core, "You will see new paths created out of nowhere, if you once start moving towards your goal." I got results, implemented the new algorithm, and then came the D-day (yesterday.)
A panel of four examiners: External Examiner (Shri Amit Balani), Internal Examiner (Prof. Preeti Rao), Supervisor (Prof. V.M.Gadre) and Chairman (Prof. S.S.Pande), was in front of me. A nobel prize winner also would have been afraid of such a panel examining him, and so was I. But as all the results were mine (and I had worked very honestly), I could save myself. At the end! it was like, "Oh! it was great. This has gone better than expected." I could feel a good response from the panel as it was moving very well, but the response was much better than what I felt.
Finally, a small meeting with my guide in the evening. All the lines he said, were like an epic for me. "Yours was a good presentation, a confident one. AA was a common choice." And now, I stand on my feet with a clean sweep in my M.Tech. I am sure I can feel proud [:P]. Next 4-5 days at IIT and the last ones will be very busy (a lot of office work is remaining), but I am totally free of any tension. And so, this is a perfect time to come here. Isn't it? I believe in the saying,"Do the work you enjoy, and you feel tension-free." Also, I have created one for the others to believe in, "Feel tension-free first and then do any work, you'll surely enjoy."