Journey is the reward... After two years, im certain theres no other phrase that describes the two years at SCMHRD any better. Indeed its the journey through the last couple of years that will remain etched in my mind for a really really long time.
The Directors speech on day one was not a mere threat... We, the obedient students, did lie down... and they, the authorities, did rape us!! Many of us hadnt seen the orange of the dawn for as long as we were alive... All of that changed here... Five times in a week we saw not just the orange of the dawn but also the threatening black before the break of dawn.. The yoga mats, gym weights and aerobics stools found a new place in the dictionary for meaning instruments of extreme torture and pain inducement
The college was extremely helpful in that they helped decide our engagements for the day. In fact they went one step ahead and put up our daily schedules on the notice board. The day was more or less "activity"- packed.. non-acads.. classes... "diet" lunch (we prefered going on a diet to eating the mess food).. more classes.. assignments.. more assignments.. surprise assignments.. maybe some time to sleep.
For those who took a break from working to pursue an MBA.. the schedule was a little difficult to get used to.. the more difficult aspect however was getting used to the absence of regular monthly refills of the bank a/c. This also meant a demotion from Jack Daniels to our's truly Royal Challenge... In many cases the downward increment extended to the suttas ... Benson & the like to "navy cut"!!
The absence of alternatives made the terrible Tammanna richer... The food was atrocious... the alcohol exorbitant and the attitude of the waiters "beating-worthy".. This was probably a non-credit course trying to teach us patience and gantlemanly behaviour. It did succeed ... to an extent!!
The Aarambh was a disaster.. (pun intended) However,when pushed against the wall, we came out blazing.. Milaap was probably the best SCMHRD had seen. The laughing director was easily the reward for the hard-work!!Freshers was fun!! Many of us had dates for the first time... Lights... action.. music.. hidden spirits... more action.. Assignments!!
The efficient ones managed to find some time to improve on thier social skills... some even managed to decrypt the womans' mind.. Some managed to find partners for life.. SOme for SCMHRD!! They all had fun!!
If i were to think of three alphabets to best describe fear in the first year, it would have to be FCQ. They literally wreaked havoc with the lifestyles of the inmates of the hall of residence... Back in Bangalore, Friday nights were party nights... suddenly in SCMHRD, the most waited for became the most dreaded night!! Eventually we did manage to find our way through those dreaded FCQ's thanks to some brilliant analysis of previous papers and teachers' behaviours.
SCMHRD taught us to be patriotic.. and cleanliness-frindly. The batch of 06-08 will probably be the only ones in the world to associate a broom with Republic Day!!
The attendence and exemptions went hand in hand... If Amit refused, there was always the PLC, Alumni, Admissions, NEEV committees and those gazillion other cells.. There were a few brave ones who even managed to score a hit in absentia.. There were some others who were chased down on a phat-phatiya and asked (a mild term) to return to class..
The summers happened... we became seniors!!
Second year was a lot easier to handle... Its probably because the the course was heavily elective-based. Free time led to a host of new, so-far unheard of activities. Infy Chowk walks.. mezza9 .. bucket party.. flood-light cricket, arbit ball games, film festival, Dhoom pichuk Dhoom!! Its ironical though that in the first year when there was all the money saved up from working, there was no time... and in the second year when there wa sall the time in the world, there wasnt a penny to spend!!
Finally the moment of reckoning!! The placements!! Everyone managed to con the corporates.. Everyone managed hi-flying jobs!! The tears,wrinkles and sweat had given way to joy, laughter and smiles. Everyone was happy!! The campus was vibrant with smiling faces.
I cannot end this little note without a mention of some words that strike a cord!!
Non-acads, OBL, PLC, sutta, Pfaff, Wakki, Symbolympics, Shivaji Wada-Pav, special-poha, lemon-juice, jam-sessions in the workout hall, batch meets in the workout hall, white shoes, trek to the waterfall, Thousand Oaks, Subbu, Reval, "Degree Nahin Milega", Global IT, NEEV,birthday bash(ing)s, AUDI movie screenings, soaking rain, night-outs, symphony Blues, Vaishali maam, HOLI,Vaishali eating house, attendence, Jyothi, Amit, gym, D roy, RFID, Jantikar, ERP, RC60, Guest lecture fines, backlog, 10:30 pm, gym, aerobics, art of living, Jobbers, Vedanta, Hilltop trek, DA with Apte, flying phone (ask Rohan), blazers, man acc, fin man, Bhaskar, Prantosh sir, GDPI, Placements, 10 lpa, rise of the asian tiger,Farewell
The journey is indeed the reward!!
