The Exam Room

Friday, 30-11-2012

9:30 am

 I received my Nanoscience and Technology question paper.

9:35 am

I realize I only know 4 of the 10 two-mark questions.

I decide I can attempt all 10 anyway. I have been in this college for 4 years after all.

9:45 am

As I am midway through rediscovering what MOMBE is, I realize something.

With a little help from the most popular guy in our department, our HOD, This would be the last exam I write as an undergraduate. Heck, if things go wrong, this could be the last exam of my life.

Not that I am complaining.  But it lead to a more important realization. College is coming to an end. In another 6 months, I would be a biotechnologist. Hopefully.

4 years. 4 long years, have passed by in the blink of an eye.

I don’t remember much of what I learnt in classes these 4 years. To be truthful, I remember only my favorite subjects.

But there is something I do remember.  I remember the conversations.

Weird and pointless conversations, but extremely fun conversations. I remember moving on from late night messaging to late night phone calls.  Messaging till 12, and then switching to talking till 4 am. Text message conversations that spanned days. Talking about  Spongebob squarepants and people who got stuck. Listening to stories about people I did not know. I should make a separate post for all the weird conversations I have had.

I remember birthday celebrations. Acting as if we are surprising someone, even though we are planning it right in front of their eyes.  Calling them up at 12 to wish them happy birthday over a conference call, with an insane number of people. Although those calls never made sense, they were funny. And conference calls with a proper number of people would always end up being long sessions of mocking and teasing each other.

I remember all the people I have met. Some I would have been better off not meeting at all. Some I wish I had made better friendships with. I remember the new friends I made. I remember the friends I lost.

And I remember all the firsts. The first time I bunked a class. As embarrassing as it is, I have to admit it was to study for a test. The first time I turned up to college without studying for a test, subsequently bunking a class to study for it.  I remember getting blasted by the HOD for going to him directly for a signature instead of submitting it at his office. I remember my first lab experience. My first “sonthamana” experiment. The joy at finding out it worked. The dejection at realizing it was a false positive. Taking photos because it was too sad to start out again just yet. I remember the first time I tasted a lot of different stuff, disguised as other stuff of course.

I remember chatting to the lab assistants because it was easier than learning the experiments. Point to note: Always be friendly with the lab assistants. They are extremely helpful during exams. I remember convincing others to write assignments for me, write records for me, even though I would only be sitting next to them and making small talk.

I remember the work for the symposiums. I remember fighting with a guy in his own conference room, even though I was the one asking for money. I remember coming early because something didn’t work. I remember staying late because I was too excited to leave. I remember discovering “Ghana “songs on auto-rides in the middle of the night.

I remember sitting in placements. Laughing with the interviewer, screwing up all the answers because her good looks kept distracting you. Still getting placed and wondering how the hell that happened.

I remembered am writing an exam.

9:50 am

I get back to the two-mark questions.

11:45 am

I have written everything I know. As many times as possible, in as many ways as possible.

I realize I have screwed up this exam. As I leave the exam hall , I look at my friends and wonder….

“Is there really that much to write in Nanoscience? “

happens every time!!