From: vcs2@power.viewlogic.com (VCS account)
Subject: Bangalore: A Nostalgic Perspective (Part 4)
Originator: vcs2@power
Organization: Viewlogic Systems, Inc., Marlboro, MA
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 20:50:40 GMT



> This is in response to Rahul's fourth episode !! > About  "Ban-
galore University exams". I was one of his classmates at UVCE and
had shared many of his thoughts and feelings.

Indeed those days are unforgettable and experiences  I  have  had
are  still green in my memory. Taking exams (here I mean only en-
gineering exams) offered by Bangalore Univeristy is very close to
showing  your  hand  to  an astrologer. Every time you experience
something differnt from what you had anticipated.

We guys in Bangalore University  had  4  year  annual  scheme  as
against 8 semester scheme of Mysore University.  If you are under
the impression that less number of exams means less  trouble  you
are mistaken. It just means that you are facing twice the trouble
at a time. I always envied my  friends from  Mysore  University.
They had less number of exams at a time and more days between the
exams. In the first year a friend of mine came back  from  Mysore
after  completing  his second semester exams. My first year exams
had not even started. He also said that he got distinction in  
both the semesters .  "You must have slogged throughout the
year" I asked, feeling guilty about how I wasted last 9 months do-
ing  nothing.  He said, "Illa kano, exams madye idda 2-3 days gap
nalli prepare ade aste!!". I was ....(since I don't know  another
word for envy I am not able to express my feeling here). 

Let me go back to days just before and during  the  annual  exams
when every thing  looked gloomy and scary, when you start prepar-
ing to face (or to avoid) the oncoming disaster....

For the first 8-9 months of a year the very thought of the  exams
stays  miles  and miles away from your mind, pushed to the lowest
level in the stack, deeply buried below the things of greater im-
portance  like  hotels,  pubs,  movies  and sometimes assignments
(which you have to copy from your very close pal who had finished
earlier to make your life somewhat easier!!).

Suddenly the shocking news  comes!!  "Guru  exam  dates  announce
maadidare  ante", your friend wakes you up. That ends the 9 month
long honeymoon. You immediately rush to your college  to  comfirm
the  bad  news you have just heard. Your face turns pale when you
get the timetable and learn that the exams  are  just  few  weeks
away  and  you  don't  even  have all the books and notes  to get
started. Then you call for an emergency meeting with your closest
of close friends (your pals who are in other brances are not your
friends anymore unless you have  a common subject) who share your
emotions, to plan for the next moves.

Then you get into action. First, you  carefully  study  the  time
table  and  findout  how many days you have and how many subjects
you have and calculate how many days you can  spend  per  subject
assuming  that  you study 24hrs a day.  Things look really out of
hand. Then you think of number of subjects you need to pass to go
to  next  year to cheer yourself up. Not enough !! After that you
look at each of the subjects carefully and  number  of  questions
you  have  to  answer.  Based on that you eliminate the stuff you
need not have to study, to lower your burden.  Then  things  look
better and problem in hand seems tractable.

Now you are all set to start. Books are ready, previous  question
papers are stacked and notes are in order. Now you START. Sudden-
ly your friend appears on the scene!! "Guru,  HAPPY NEWS.  Exams
have been postponed by 35 days".

You feel like the must have earth lost its gravity  and  you  are
really  flying in air.  All your efforts planning strategic moves
and attacks are now useless. You enthu goes down  like  a  'tuss'
pataki.  Still  you are not unhappy. Once you come back to normal
state, you relax for couple of minutes and  head towards Mejestic
with your friend to celebrate the news.....

Let me stop for now. In the next letter we will  talk  about  the
preparations for the real exams...

Bye for now,

--Murali

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Muralidhar Kudlugi

Office:                                 Home:
Viewlogic Systems Inc.                  8, Royal Crest Drive, #8
293, Boston Post Road West              Marlboro, MA 01752
Marlboro, MA 01752

Ph: (508) 480-0881 X276                 Ph: (508) 460-0386
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Muralidhar Kudlugi 
Viewlogic Consulting Services

Office:					Home:
Viewlogic Systems Inc.			8, Royal Crest Drive, #8