Whats the first thing that comes to your mind, when you hear the word "Reflection" ?
A mirror right?
Would you believe if I told you many years back, if I heard the word, I would think of the Java package java.lang.reflect!
Depending on which side of the spectrum you stand, you would now think me to be a loser or a pseudo-geek! That's understandable. But , in order to explain the how and they why behind my thought process, I would have to take you back in time.
After a disappointing Class XII results, I was literally left in the lurch! Obviously I wasn't good enough for IIT. Even though, I had a decent score in TNPCEE exams, my school scores weren't good enough to get me a free seat in any of the DOTE-I colleges. With my cut-off I could still manage a payment seat in any of the DOTE-II colleges. But neither my Dad nor I were willing to go that way. We weren't really sure if that was worth it.
To make matters worse, I did not receive interview calls from any of the Arts & Science colleges I had applied for (it turned out later on that most Arts & Science in Chennai hardly received any applicants from CBSE, so they rarely sent out invites to the few who applied).With colleges like Loyola and M.C.C also rejecting my application, I was getting really desperate. I wasn't sure what I was going to do if the rest of the colleges too do not send me an invite for an interview. From being on the verge of a successful launch to greater heights, I was now falling off the proverbial cliff!
I did receive an invite letter from Guru Nanak College after a couple of weeks. But the letter also mentioned that I was wait-listed candidate (Wait List No: 17)! With confidence at nadir, I really didn't know what to make of it. During the interview I did meet a lot of my old school friends. Apparently many of them had scored about the same marks as me (80%) and they too were wait-listed, but then all of them had already plans to pursue B.E/B.Tech degree even if they were to choose a payment seat in any of the DOTE-II colleges. They were attending this interview only as stop-gap solution, I was among the minority of my friends, who would continue to study the course fully if and when selected!
I was finally offered a seat, but my confidence had taken so hard a hit, I wasn't sure of anything anymore. You don't need me to tell you what a sorry figure you would become if your self confidence takes a hit! Late 90s in India saw a boom for the services industry. With software companies mushrooming at every nook and corner. There was a craze for programming courses and anyone who completed a 2-3 years course were getting employed quickly. Common sense required me to take up a computer course to ensure I was professionally employable (or at least competitive enough) once I completed my Bachelor's degree. I got myself admitted to NIIT after clearing their Bhavishya Jyothi scholarship program. But none of this did anything helpful in me regaining my self-confidence.
A mirror right?
Would you believe if I told you many years back, if I heard the word, I would think of the Java package java.lang.reflect!
Depending on which side of the spectrum you stand, you would now think me to be a loser or a pseudo-geek! That's understandable. But , in order to explain the how and they why behind my thought process, I would have to take you back in time.
After a disappointing Class XII results, I was literally left in the lurch! Obviously I wasn't good enough for IIT. Even though, I had a decent score in TNPCEE exams, my school scores weren't good enough to get me a free seat in any of the DOTE-I colleges. With my cut-off I could still manage a payment seat in any of the DOTE-II colleges. But neither my Dad nor I were willing to go that way. We weren't really sure if that was worth it.
To make matters worse, I did not receive interview calls from any of the Arts & Science colleges I had applied for (it turned out later on that most Arts & Science in Chennai hardly received any applicants from CBSE, so they rarely sent out invites to the few who applied).With colleges like Loyola and M.C.C also rejecting my application, I was getting really desperate. I wasn't sure what I was going to do if the rest of the colleges too do not send me an invite for an interview. From being on the verge of a successful launch to greater heights, I was now falling off the proverbial cliff!
I did receive an invite letter from Guru Nanak College after a couple of weeks. But the letter also mentioned that I was wait-listed candidate (Wait List No: 17)! With confidence at nadir, I really didn't know what to make of it. During the interview I did meet a lot of my old school friends. Apparently many of them had scored about the same marks as me (80%) and they too were wait-listed, but then all of them had already plans to pursue B.E/B.Tech degree even if they were to choose a payment seat in any of the DOTE-II colleges. They were attending this interview only as stop-gap solution, I was among the minority of my friends, who would continue to study the course fully if and when selected!
I was finally offered a seat, but my confidence had taken so hard a hit, I wasn't sure of anything anymore. You don't need me to tell you what a sorry figure you would become if your self confidence takes a hit! Late 90s in India saw a boom for the services industry. With software companies mushrooming at every nook and corner. There was a craze for programming courses and anyone who completed a 2-3 years course were getting employed quickly. Common sense required me to take up a computer course to ensure I was professionally employable (or at least competitive enough) once I completed my Bachelor's degree. I got myself admitted to NIIT after clearing their Bhavishya Jyothi scholarship program. But none of this did anything helpful in me regaining my self-confidence.
Luck seemed to had completely deserted me even at NIIT. I was assigned to a batch which had the worst faculty ever! She hardly knew her stuff and to compensate for it, she was a disaster in communication as well (What would you call a person who added an extra "ed" to the words called, told etc.?).
to be continued.....
to be continued.....
