A(n?) year wiser???

It's over now. The year they'd all talked about. Much before we came here, during the year here, and even after it's over, the first year at the insti is easily the second-most talked-about year of 'em all (after, of course, the final year). Considering the fact that most of the (very few) readers of this post are past that stage, I'm going to ignore that fact altogether and just go about typing this post the way it's supposed to be (Thanks, PTV!).

The one big truth (other than Jugad) that I've understood over the (academic) year has been that R-Land is a highly seasonal place, if you like. It all started off with the bucket-mattress-jhaadu season, moving into the books and stationery season, through to the train-ticket concession season and finally culminating in the trunk season.
Each season had its own share of controversies and it all ended with me leaving those final messages for our prospective room betas (sons, insti lingo for our successors in the room), neatly dabbed onto the very wooden doors the (!@#$%^&*) dhobi used to unforgivingly bang twice a week, on the very cupboards where all my highly palatable achaars (pickles) would have (in a very unorganised manner) been stored, on the very windows from where I'd look out into seemingly endless sky on those lonely nights...

The year gone by, also, was my first away from home but ended up with me having a home away from home in a city I loved to hate, at one point of time. But, as PTV very aptly put it, it's one lovely place- a place with no boundaries (except at KB and SB!). A place where I've met some of the most wonderful people, thanks to two of the most "rocking" (ahem...sorry for the Audio sec-sun recall!) student societies...no, the word 'society' robs them of their beauty...student families on campus and to those lush gardens in front of the hostel canteen, where I've met some of my best friends in my year.

This year also had a few pitfalls, though. The early fallout with the bevdas (drunkards), a ghastly course called Engineering Graphics, the anti-social image build-up, et al - all making it one heck of a roller-coaster ride. I supposedly missed out on two things any first-yearite (I still prefer first-year, though. 'First-yearite' makes no sense to me.) shouldn't- the KB bhawan day and the Thomsonian quiz (from a Litta point-of-view). Still, no regrets for the first and full for the second.

All in all, it's been a long year running out pretty fast.

This post goes out to all those amazing people I've met at the insti so far- THE corridor, the bull-s*itters, the batti guys, the Littas, the entire (working) Kshitij team, the all-night bakar enthusiasts, and all those who've been able to bear me- hugs and kisses to all!

In the end, though, picture abhi baaki hai, boss!!!

P.S.- My apologies for those offended by the last line.
P.P.S.- It's my second-favourite part of the post, though.
P.P.P.S- (thankfully, the blogger server crashed for those 3 hours!) THE RED DEVILS LORD OVER EUROPE! GLORY, GLORY, MANCHESTER UNITED!

The plague that is plagiarism

OK. I've spoken at length over this topic for hours at a stretch trying to convince people around me to either give it up or (in the extreme case) accept it is wrong in the first place.

Copying is all around us, whether it be in the movies, or in our government (at all levels) or, closer home, all around our educational institutions. There's nothing very novel about it anymore. Copying is no longer considered to be really "cool" or a refuge of the uber-smart either. But, for those who don't do it and are worried for that unforgiving, unrelenting ten-letter C-word (referred to as done because of the growing perception that it's the not-to-be-spoken you-know-who-type of word) called (Haha! I'm another Potter in the making!) conscience, it's good enough fodder to give those long "It's morally wrong." speeches to those who don't really give two hoots for it.

But, as one particular smart soul says, "You got a problem? Blog about it. Rest in peace."

The end of the end-sems (with all the animated discussions about this very phrase going around everywhere, I wonder if it is grammatically correct), like the end of every set of exams, brought out my long-recited-over-and-over-again speeches on what practices are morally correct and what not. Countless arguments ensue, with discussions ranging from "Conscience? Don't use fancy English expletives, now!" and "Copying? I was just borrowing ideas!" to "Who're you to decide what's right and what's wrong? That's for a blind-folded lady with scales in her hands to look at." (Yeah, right! You want me to take you to court, now?) and "Mind your business. What have YOU got to do with our consciously-made decisions?". More debates follow on who's got more of a "right to copy"- one who's getting 90 out of 100 and wants a perfect cent to get that (not-so-)elusive A+ or one who's partied all sem and wants to avoid a backlog.

Maybe, yes. I'd rather mind my own business. Just because I'm too dumb or fattu(i.e. scared) to plagiarise, it doesn't mean I've got the right to criticise and counsel those who do.

Maybe, no. Society's only going to improve if each individual improves. One changes himself, influences others to do the same and the betterment of humanity at large can only follow. The ends don't justify the means.

Too far-fetched. Who cares for the long-term? In the short-term, CG matters, results matter, money matters, votes matter. Conscience can have a drink and chillax.

Whatever it may be, this post's done. I've got one big load off my head.

And, I still don't copy (Oh, well. I can be let off for the tutorials, right?!?!)