CGPA is 6!

             There is a class of students who are carefree to live as they wish and do what they want to do. College’s walls are not any good to bind their aspirations and dreams. My college is not quite what I wished it to be, but it failed to put an end to my dreams. Had I put my mind into studying the solved examples that would come in the exams, I would not be as authentic minded as I am now.

 Same goes for my fellow students of the computer’s branch. Their ideas of hacking are cool to me and they keep thinking about alternate careers. Fed up of the curriculum where nothing ever happens inspite of being free (It’s not that we are free, the lectures are literally read from the book word to word with teachers coming in for the first lecture about the first time they were going to teach and they know nothing).

So we give up studies for our better good as far as those lectures and subjects are concerned. We pass them for sure and we study the nicer ones. If all they test is mugging up of the subjects, there is no use of topping the charts either.

The corrupt ones induce some really wrong concepts in our minds. I have seen people with high CGPAs always referring to past things and technologies. There are no ideas, no originality and no entrepreneurship in them.

Another aspect is the hobbies. We have a lot of them and follow them passionately. The high CGPA people are the ones who earn a lot of money but don’t know what to spend on. Then they see what cool things the 6 pointers did back in college and buy those things. Then they want to learn it. They buy expensive cameras, guitars and cars but not knowing to click a good picture, not knowing how to flow in the rhythm nor to drive responsibly. These are the people who go crazy when they see a lot of money. Having no hobbies, they don’t know what exactly to do so they follow other. That’s c.h.e.a.p.O !

About a 6 pointer, he knows exactly what he’s capable of and knows too well what he/ she doesn’t want to do. They mostly go on to do their own work because they don’t like being bossed over.

Carefree, Live every moment, Know what to do in your life and Passionate; that’s the 6 pointers of Punjabi University for you.

Mastiv: how it all starts

Young, ambitious and craving to make a change-  a bunch of students sat somewhere in a group brainstorming on how to take up things further to make a change to the campus that had been a bore since we had come in. All were fed up of the inactive clubs and of the people who took least interest to make a change.

It is from 2008, the second half of the year when my life’s important decisions were taking the form of reality. Enrolled freshly in the University College in Mechanical Engineering, I was among the last of the students who got admission there. I had migrated from a Govt. college to the University expecting better exposure and environment here. Things didn’t turn out as I expected them to and adding to it, I didn’t really gave into studies in that very semester. Subjects were something whose application I couldn’t relate to anything at all. Unexpected of the University as it was, it was taking my interest away from engineering without me realizing it.

The restlessness from the lazy curriculum was irritating. Waiting for the things to happen but nothing ever happened. Not to mention, the Clubs are just a minimum requirement criteria. They hardly ever do anything useful. Neglected is the only word available for them.

I was not alone though. I had made some new friends and came to know some seniors soon. The restless bunch of ours wanted to get the curriculum alive. Forward in the times, these people are all busy in one or the other clubs, committees and more and I am so proud of us all. Back then, we were new and wanted to be different. Our motive was to be an independent club and more importantly a neutral meeting ground for all the people who wanted to socialize in the college in a professional manner. What we didn’t know was how to go about it and it really cost us with a lot of critics. Anyhow, I would my stand my ground not regarding what happens around. There were differences in the attitude of the people and we didn’t realize it should be made uniform for all. Sharing the same goal in an organization is very important. We named ourselves- Saksham (capable of doing anything). We wanted to be the change. And we wanted to enroll others with us though it didn’t happen. Many of us were talented in some or the other manner in some aspect as is everyone. What made the difference was us taking the initiative. That is what always makes the difference. I feel sorry for the people who plunge themselves in deep thinking wondering what we might be gaining from this. We never gained anything financially, we surely lost some. But no one gets that until they are a part of it.

We all shared one vision- To make a change in the curriculum and the ‘Saksham people’, as we were known brought it in the form of ‘Mastiv’. It was a long struggle before it became possible. I must say we had one of the best seniors here and I really respect them for letting us do what we wanted to do independently. And there are few people without whom these people might never have been what we are today: two geeks- Parth and Shant, our dear Sir- Mr. A and Mr. Y tipping us at times and guiding with the procedures.

Hence the change begun in 2008 and now proudly, we have given the responsibility to our juniors. “Every generation has their chances and they must do what is next for them rather than intervening in the times they don’t belong to.”- my original ;)

After the first step, many more things came along- in Post 2.