It is almost a year now after I was out of my college. I was graduated and employed now. This blog is sort of introspection after a year of my campus life. Please forgive me if it's gonna bore you. It was not my intention to work for a great firm or to get a high paying job. Even my close associates know that I was prepared for an any kind of job that pays a mere 5k except the demanding BPOs or those nightmare call centers. (I was not at all fit for them– it's a different issue). But it is always for my parents who were dreamt of a high paying IT jobs. At least for them I decided,even if I am not working for an IT firm, I wanted to prove them that I am at least employable in an IT firm.Atlast I got a chance to prove myself but with a twist.
Soon after my high school I am not interested in doing Engg. nor medicine.So I didn’t join any of the coaching centers for the TNPCEE. Only at the last moment I was compelled to join (at that time expectations on me were MEDICAL or paramedical). I know my results would be of nowhere near to the expectations. Now it’s the high time that I must come out with my mind. I wanted to go for psychology. But I got not so encouraging replies... Then I applied for Physics at Loyola (it’s a nightmare for me!). Then I told my family that I am applying for chemistry in Presidency but actually applied for Psychology and got an admission also but in-between I changed my mind and signaled for Engg. I thought computer engg. would be easy subject and took that ahead of EC (later I felt I could have taken EC after CS people studying most of the EC papers). Thus went 4 most lethargic years in my life.
Had there not been papers like Maths, stats, Economics (at least I got class first in this paper) or Management (my hot favourite) classes would be of real waste for me. Neither algorithms nor circuits kindled my thoughts. And now I see my graduation certificate, and sometimes I laugh out louder to read those comedic sentences.
Had there not been any reductions in the passing minimum from 50 to 45 I would have got more arrears and that DISTINCION would have disappeared form my degree certificate.
Back to my MBA dreams to be honest I wanted to do MBA but I know I lack some of the basic traits to be an ideal MBA.Inspite of this I was preparing side by side for TANCET and for some reasons I don’t want to go for CAT or MAT. Even I got good rank 120th overall out of some 14k odd people. But now I don’t wanted to go for MBA on medical reasons and also that it was away from home (now I am away from home! And happy – very wiered I ll explain this! ). I was experiencing a mysterious shoulder pain from some time past. I thought I couldn’t devote my full time for studies and feared that MBA would also be a mere degree as I now have acquired BE. But at the last minute discussions with the medicos widely including local family doctors and from some big players in the field, they gave clean chit and I arrived on a mutual agreement with my family, that if and only if I get PSG I would do MBA else a strict no!.
Even then there were lots of pressures from lot of corners (family friend’s relatives….well wishers) that having got a good rank that I should not waste the opportunity. There came suggestions for various other colleges. Even I prayed in one corner of my heart that I should not get a seat during the counseling. But to my vain I got a seat. At that time my father was more satisfied than me to have got a prestigious seat in PSG. That was to be my first experience in hostel. I felt like anything called my home umpteen times a day even though I stayed there for only 2 days.
There came the twist, I got an job offer (!). I would say it as neither a surprise nor the one which I expected. After a long marathon discussions and dilemmas I discontinued from the college and though it came as a life saver for that time I am not confident to take up an IT job. I have to work a lot, I know where I stands in the programming & what technologies I am aware of. All I relied was on my initial training.
First module was Programming techniques which is really useful I learnt some basics of C. Then came Software engg. Which is kind of theory not to learn anything new as it is management oriented concept I am naturally interested. Then came Software testing where I really understood the difference between if loops, while loops etc.(back to +2). Fourth module was SQL which I learnt with interest in my college itself so no problem in facing the test, and cleared it successfully. Then came Java which I feared, a hell lot of portions to be covered and lot of practices to be done. Naturally what I mugged in my college here I have to arrive out of my mind. Adding fuel to the burns my shoulder pain aggravated and naturally resulted in my failure (one out of three wickets (retest count) down!). Then came J2ee which also doesn’t interested me and somehow it went and just got the minimum requirement to clear the paper. Then came PL/SQL which is dead easy only if we devote time. Honestly I was little overconfident in this module doesn’t worked out (if u know terminologies there are concepts like packages, functions, cursors etc.) Even if I intent to practice I couldn’t over a period of time. I haven’t practiced on a single package. My overconfident paid me off, just cleared the paper. Then came UNIX it was one of my interesting subjects and so concentrated much and I was one among the toppers in this paper.
Honestly this is the turning point in my training. But while giving the tests I am not confident that I would score in this paper. Immediately followed was my Java retest. Again I didn’t took it seriously I was prepared to enjoy my final days is Pune. As expected I got two compilation errors and virtually it amounts to nil validation of my work. (Wicket no 2 gone!). Once all results came after the calculations I was to get a minimum pass (25/50) in Java again in the improvement test.I was given a 15 days leave (Loss of pay). I packed myself to Chennai. Suddenly life took u-turns.
Either I could have satisfied with my offer from an IT company or I would have stayed in PSG itself. Now both options are slowly vanishing. But I could not do anything; I administered pain killers 2 at a time in successive days. Days were slowly dissolved in the December winter. It was now only 6 days to go for the test. I started to study only selected concepts but in detail. One among the options that I left was Thread programming. Fate has overtaken me in this also the very first question out of two was from thread programming. Anyhow I managed to get my 25 in the second question. Finally I survived with 61%. This is just a point above the mandate.
Ever after the completion of training I was not confident enough to code. But here nothing is to be worried as it comes with practice. I Know some of the toppers who are worse than me when comes to coding.
Till then I am learning a lot of new things daily, but they are of no interest to me. Yet I am trying to grasp some gist out of them. One of the interesting learning was Basic German. It was a 14 day session with 2 hours daily. Initially it went very enthusiastically but in-between I have to break for 2 days after which I could never catch the pace of the course. But still its one of the interesting learning. Anyhow I don’t want to involve myself in any development team. And much satisfied to have working with a testing team.
But what happens in the future no one knows..! I may be stagnant in the same position or could have risen in the levels nor I could take some petty less demanding jobs and satisfied with it can enjoy the lovely ambience of Chennai! As of now just I am waiting for the months to roll out. In-between I intend to prepare for competitive exams like UPSC. I am eagerly waiting for the time to post its reply.
Hope I wouldn't bored you much!.
Sometimes Introspections are boring because it analayses our faults not the others!. But I hope reading others introspections is always a hotcake!
