Well, my exams are just over; and I am one of the lucky ones to enjoy this luxury so early. (And I can see my friends giving me that envious look). Although the education system of India has made us extremely habituated to this periodic ritual of exams; they are still a distinctively special event. Even before you enter the hostel, you would be able to tell if the hostel is in its ‘exam mode’. Here are some features of this grand event of ours.
1. Night Canteen: Inevitably the sales of the night canteen increases at least 10 folds. After all late night studies imply a continuous supply of glucose to the brain cells. And hence night canteens become our place of pilgrimage. Add on that the amazing sight and aroma of bakery products. How can one resist?
2. Philosophy of Life: Another universal fact. Creativity of brain increases to its maximum. The only problem is that creativity increases in a direction that is never evaluated. Brilliant questions arise – “What is Life?”, “Why do we exist?”, “Is this world real”, “What if it is just a mirage?”, “What is the real use of studies?” – And brilliant answers accompany too. But alas! none of our subjects offer us credits on these questions. An open challenge to all professors reading this… Ask us the ‘real’ questions and check our real brilliance.
3. Coffee: This one does not need elaboration. The formula is pretty simple: The more you drink coffee, the less do you sleep; the less you sleep, the more is the opportunity to study. (Note: Creating opportunity to study is totally unrelated to amount actually studied – read the next point)
4. Movie Time: With a plate of pastry in your reach, a mug of coffee in you hand and the most philosophical questions in mind, how can one expect to study? The most obvious option at hand is… VLC player. Thanks to the technology. Well, we try to be earnest. “Only this scene. Promise!” But we all know, promises are made to be broken, right?
5. The Slang: Well, this and the next points are censored. What does that mean? Reader’s discretion is expected Please read them more carefully. The use of figures of speech of our colourful hostel language – slang, swear words and curses – is intensified. Why? Simple. Anger and frustration do need a way out. And in the line of fire come the professors, the subject, the author of book, the founders of the subject and obviously our own dear friends.
6. The Smoke and Booze: The ultimate motivation. And my persistent, humble no. However, no description of exam time can be complete without these two companions of ours. 🙂
No matter how much, we hate exams, the fact remains that exam preparations in hostel are an experience of their own. And for me, they would surely be one of the most cherished periods of my hostel life.
“So my dear room-mates… Studying for the exams? With a coffee mug in hand and a movie on the lappy? Good! Please continue… ;)”
September 26, 2013 at 12:08 am
I guess it’s too late for these exams, but for your next ones I will impart the greatest secret I learned for pre-exam study. Be sure to reserve it for just before the exams because your body and mind will only be able to take it for a couple of weeks.
Brew strong black coffee. As strong as you can drink it. Espresso is best.
Pour it straight and black. No milk. No sugar.
Put a square of black chocolate in your mouth and suck the coffee through it.
Don’t eat anything else outside mealtimes but drink as much water and fruit juice as you like.
When your hands are shaking too much to write you’ve overdone it.
September 26, 2013 at 11:32 am
Thanks for sharing the secret… But the problem is with such a frequent exam system here, I doubt when to apply it.
September 26, 2013 at 9:46 am
I never went to university, but after reading this? I’m jealous!! Lol
Have a great day. Hugs from, Oz.
Paula xxx
September 26, 2013 at 11:29 am
🙂 So sad… I am sure the years spent the college would be one of the most cherished ones in one’s lifetime…
You could try getting admitted to one 😉 😛
Have a great day too
Namaste 🙂
September 26, 2013 at 11:56 am
Ohhh way out of my league. Lol
At 45 my expertise is in renovating homes. I didn’t need a degree for that one, thank goodness! 🙂
My son’s at Uni studying, Finance and Accounting. He loves it. Have a great day. Hugs xxxxx
September 27, 2013 at 5:07 pm
I used to feel really sleepy everytime I had my exams which is strange because I hardly slept. And somehow during the exam time I could sleep like a baby 🙂
September 27, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Same here…
There are so many things in common among all the students across all colleges in the world 😉 😛
Thanks for the visit 🙂
September 28, 2013 at 7:40 am
Yeah but I am too old now to be a student. However yes the student days were fun 🙂
September 28, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Hahha SUCH a wonderful post!
“Brilliant questions arise – “What is Life?”, “Why do we exist?”, “Is this world real”, “What if it is just a mirage?”, “What is the real use of studies?” waqai me. When it comes to examinations, banda yehi sochta rahey ke dunya me aya kyun hae? I mean all that philosophy which was tugged in oneself for ALL those years comes out only during exams! And you forgot to mention (or perhaps you won’t relate to this one) GOOD BOOKS.
All great books come in hand while one has to study those not-too-good books. Popularly said, that the best time to read a novel is the night you’re preparing for exams.
Well, congratulations for your freedom! And BEST wishes for your future. 🙂
September 29, 2013 at 1:54 am
Oh good point raised! I should have included the point about books…
And thanks for wishing me for the freedom… The only problem is the freedom is shortlived… November mein fir se exams hain 😦 🙂
September 29, 2013 at 5:36 pm
Hahhaha sorry but november me? Whoops. :p
September 29, 2013 at 9:33 pm
Jee haan… Ab 4 mahine ka ek semester hota hai… Har sem mein 2 set of exams hote hain… That means har 2 mahine mein exams… Tests and assignments extra…
So in a nutshell… an exam a day, keeps exam fear at bay… (sach mein exams ki aadat ho gayi hai… 3 saal se jo shuru hua hai… wo silsila 23 saal ki umar tak peechha nahin chhorega… 😛 ;))
Wahan Pakistan mein kya system hai exams ka?
September 29, 2013 at 11:57 pm
Haha sorry to know. 😉 But ab tou adat ho hi jani hy, har 2 mahiney me exams. 23 saal tak yehi sab. Us ke bad bh life me exams nhi peecha chortay! 😀 Har occassion pe, har event pe. But just as you mentioned in your post, these exams constitute a LARGE part in our cherish-able memories! 🙂
Pakistani system isn’t really much different. But I haven’t faced the 2 month me ek exam part ab tak.
September 30, 2013 at 6:11 am
Agreed… they are a large part of cherishable memories…
Btw… what are you studying?
September 30, 2013 at 12:31 pm
I had pre-engineering, tou that’s over now.
September 29, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Lol Yaar aise lag ra hai ye post tu ne meray se poch k likhi hai 😀 Lol you know hum sari friends sab se zyada group discussion exams me kerti hain 😛 About various things of life lol sab philosophers ban jati hain 😛 And we don’t have a night canteen here so we order food from outside 😛 Sab se zyada paise exams me kharch hotay hain 😛 Aur I love the movies point….Me wesay movies nae daikhti per exams me kaheen na kaheen se movie nikal ati hai laptop se aur daikhne ka dil b kernay lag jata hai …aur pher movie k 4 parts ker k her part ki break me perhti hun 😛 Lol
Depression b exams me e hota hai sab se zyada 😛 And we can’t smoke here and I don’t like tea or coffee so these points are not valid for me 😛 Pakistan me b yei system hai same exams ka….mera b semester almost 4 months ka e hota hai specially the even one. Odd wala thora lamba hota hai app 5 months tak ka.
Exams and hostel have a special connection…and I won’t ever forget my exams perios here in hostel 🙂 Just going to take my last exam and missing them already 😉
September 29, 2013 at 11:56 pm
🙂 Duniya ka har student ki yahi kahaani hai I guess.
Smoking and drinking yahan bhi allowed nahin hai… but you know… boys hostel mein rules ki dhajjiyan udtin hain…
Us time mein sabse badi problem mujh jaise non-smoker, non-drinker ko hoti hai… Har baar… “Oye! peeyega?” “Nahin yaar tum log piyo” 🙂
Oh hamare yahan even lamba hota hai… Odd semester (jaise yeh wala) mein bahut saari chhutiyaan hotin hain (Festival season of India)… So woh chhota hota hai… 🙂
September 30, 2013 at 4:03 am
Haan shaid 🙂
Lol han yahan b rules tu khoob toottay hain 😛 Per ye smoking walay rules boys hostel me toottay hain 😉 Lol bari achi baat ai wesay k tu smoke aur drink nae kerta… How come you control yourself ? and why ?
September 30, 2013 at 6:37 am
Kabhi zaroorat nahin padi… 😛
Seriously… daaru ka to aisa hai ki logon ko peete bhi dekha hai. Peekar paglaate hue bhi dekha hai. Kuchh logon ko normal rahte bhi dekha hai. But sabhi ye kehte hain ki “Bada mazaa aata hai… You forget of the real world and go to another world” And this is precisely what I fear… I don’t want to go to another world. I don’t want to loose control over myself because shaayad wahi ek cheez hai jo mere paas hai…
In short bahut paise kharch hote hain… usse achchha main tandoori chicken aur rogan josh na khaa loon? Wo bhi mutton biryani ye saath? 😉
October 2, 2013 at 3:02 pm
Hmmm mene b yehi suna hai k bara maza ata hai aur insaan bhool jata hai sab kuch….. Mera tu bohat dil kerta hai peenay ko per you know hamaray religion me it is Haram…we are forbidden to use it…So isleye nae peeti.
Werna I love to loose control over myself 😉
Lol haan paise tu kharch hotay hain ! Yaar kya yaad kerwa dia paani aagya mun me 😛
Suba se bhooki hun 😦 Aisi batain na kia ker 😛
October 2, 2013 at 3:43 pm
Pata hai Islam mein sharaab haraam hai… Bahut bahut achchhi baat hai…
Ek baar mazaa aana chaalu ho gaya to baar baar peene ka man karega… seriously aisa hota hai… phir har baat pe peena chaalu ho jaayega.
Aur kuchh nahin to healt ke angle se dekh… Maine kai logon ko dekha hai alcoholism se marte hue… 😦
Mat peena kabhi… Tujhe apna liver pyara hai na?
October 2, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Oh nae yaar kabi soch b nae sakti me tu peenay ka…I was just saying k kabi kabi dil kerta hai feel kerna ko k pee k hota kya hai 😛
Tention nae le khud pe control hai muje ! Aur we don’t get any type of chance here k pee jaay so you know, Never !
October 2, 2013 at 6:36 pm
Hmm… Good Girl 🙂 😛
September 30, 2013 at 7:01 am
Add to the menu ‘sorse ilish’ and ‘chingri’… Khaya hai kabhi?
October 2, 2013 at 3:02 pm
Aray nae ye naam tu first time sunay hain…what are they ?
October 2, 2013 at 3:35 pm
Bengali dishes hain…
sorse ilish is Hilsa (a fish) in Mustard
Chingri is prawn… The dish is called chingri maachher malai curry… (Prawn in a curry of malai)
There is an open rivalry about which one is better between Indian Bengalis and Bangladeshis about which one tastes better… 😛 (Bangladeshis prefer ilish… we prefer the other one… although both taste brilliant) 🙂 🙂
October 2, 2013 at 4:48 pm
Oh achaaa sea food ! I am not much of a sea food person…Fish kha leti hun but wo b kuch selective c. Baaki prawns aur crabs etc nae kha hotay yaar…..
Ohkaay chal kabi khaun gi teray se both dishes 😉
October 2, 2013 at 6:43 pm
Hilsa is not sea food… Its freshwater. Aa ja Bengal kabhi… khilaataa hoon dono…
September 30, 2013 at 5:19 pm
supper like…
September 30, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Thank you!
September 30, 2013 at 10:25 pm
When i was going to school with a triple major..i was also working 3 jobs to get through it as Janitor..Bookstore stock clerk..and archaeology research assistant…
It a nirvana blur if you will…
However..there is more bliss now..as i can finally relax after all the ‘real world “expected” work’ is done if you will…at 53…
22 was ‘was good’ 21 ‘was bad’ 47 IS HELL 53 is GREAT!….
Enjoy your journey…my friend…
IT is just beginning…
and SO
IS
M
I
N
ENO
W
Namaste…
a
GAIN….
October 1, 2013 at 5:53 am
Thanks for the comment… Surely I am enjoying 🙂
October 7, 2013 at 8:06 pm
True that!
Amio khabo shorshe ilish ar chingri maachher malaikari .
Btw, you forgot to mention the old routine, of being super sleepy during exams,fever,and the pet kharap. I used to sing songs at full volume before my math exam.
What do you study?
October 7, 2013 at 8:11 pm
Oh! Bhule gelam! Shotti! Dibbi Ghum paaye porikkhar somoy!
Currently persuing MS in Physics and Maths (as minor).
October 7, 2013 at 8:19 pm
IKR! And otherwise, we are (at least I’m) budding insomniacs. And I remember the half hr breaks after 1 hr of serious study which of course includes munching on snacks,trips to the loo, checking emails.Researching on internet.
I think exams can be compared to taking drugs, you have a case of munchies, sleepiness,swearing …you get the picture!
October 7, 2013 at 8:24 pm
🙂 Ya… I do get it very well…
What does your name mean by the way? Just curious…
October 7, 2013 at 8:27 pm
Haha! 🙂
Celestepoesie? It means divine/heavenly poetry.(I’m not talking about mine)
October 7, 2013 at 8:29 pm
🙂 Reading one of yours… Seems divine… 🙂
October 7, 2013 at 8:30 pm
Haha. Thanks! 🙂
October 7, 2013 at 8:32 pm
Thanks for the visit!
Abar Aashben!
October 7, 2013 at 8:33 pm
You’re welcome.
My pleasure. 🙂