One fine day it happens to every Engineering student.One fine day,your world falls apart.It gets torn to shreds.And you are left alone to pick up the millions of pieces now flying around.[Imagine it like the climax scene of Mouna Raagam where Revathi tears up the divorce papers and leaves a stunned Mohan alone,to realize what's going on!]
Yes,from my experience[I'm 20 years old,give me some credit],everything will start innocuously.Someone,a relative or a family friend,comes to your home and starts asking you about your future plans.You stand there bewildered,for one second,asking yourself if she is talking to you or your elder(or younger) sister lurking behind you in the corner.You open your mouth to say,"Aunty,I've just joined Engineering,I'm having my sem hols now" and then comes THE MOMENT,bham!!
That is when you realize that 2 years of your Engineering life is over!!You'll be starting your third year in just a few days and people expect you to have plans and all.Your peaceful life in now gone forever.No more Chicken Invaders,no more Texas Hold Em Poker,no more F.R.I.E.N.D.S.,...basically no more FUN!!You get depressed.You try talking to your mother,your sister,just about anyone who is willing to listen.And you get the point.Now,you cannot talk.You listen.Ideas start pouring in.
Your Mom says,"Start preparing for GATE.Be in India itself.How can we send you abroad?You won't be able to cope up.Alone".Your father says,"Why don't you write GRE?It seems there is a lot of opportunity for ECE students in the U.S. and all".Your sister(or brother) says,"It's your wish.Figure out what you are good at.If you want to continue in this stream itself then start your preparation right now.Or if you think you might be good in Management and stuff,write CAT.But remember,if you are writing CAT,and even if you get one of the IIM's,you'll need a good profile to get shortlisted for interviews there!So start building your profile." After your sister's advice,which by far is more specific,you get the feeling that you'll be better off writing CAT,and you start thinking about your resume'.You think and think and think.But end up with nothing which will spike your resume'.And another depression process starts.It might last for a week.Maybe till your sister calls you again.Then she gives you some more solid advice.
You are just about to choose CAT,when suddenly an uncle from abroad comes and says,"Engineering students should not take up management.Being an Engineer,they should be good enough to manage everything by themselves without doing an extra degree.It will be a waste of four years of your life,if you do decide to write CAT.Write GRE.Come to U.S.A.You have an amazing potential there". And you start to think,he is right,what is the point of me slogging day and night for four years[doesn't matter even if it is untrue],if I change my line completely.You decide to write GATE and GRE.
Now that you are clear,you talk to your parents.They are doubtful.They ask you if you will be able to do both and you say nonchalantly,"Oh yeah!Sure!Didn't I prepare for the JEE + my school exams and all?".Stupid remark.You bang yourself (mentally)against a wall as they remind you that your IIT scores were pretty poor.You again strive for nonchalance as you say,"I know I can do this.I mean how tough is English gonna be?".You act coolly on the outside,go to class,tell everyone you've decided.But on the inside you know you're a mental wreck.A thousand and one questions are raging through your mind.What if this is not the right thing for me ? what if I screw up everything and in the end be the only person who has chosen the wrong stuff ? Putting all your what if's aside,you take up GRE English and start mugging,decide that its not as easy as it sounds.But you continue all the same.
And around that time,your parents come and say,"why don't you write the IAS exam ? "That,for me,was the last straw.I literally went and banged my head on a wall.How can your life turn upside down within two months ? What if I don't want to do any higher studies ? I'm just twenty.I've my whole life ahead of me.I can just go work and decide later what I want to study,IF I want to study.What's the big rush ? Its not like the world is going to end tomorrow.For decisions like this,I get the feeling that we should be left alone for a week without someone nagging us all the time.
I mean,for all I know,my whole area of interest can change tomorrow.I might become interested in web-designing,dancing,painting or tennis.After about 2000 words,you might or might not want to know what I have decided.So,here it is..TAKE LIFE AS IT COMES :D
P.S. Sorry for unloading all my burdens on you :P
