My third cycle test for the second semester have just begun, and with not much of a promising start. As much of a terrible excuse as it might sound, I blame the teachers. Partiality and bias towards a few is dooming the rest of us. And in some cases, teachers taking frequent ego trips are dooming us. Today, the class had it’s Data Structures Lab exam. The process is simple (not so much, really). You have submit a hand-written lab record (with over 20 long C programs and algorithms) which we’re asked to right not that long before the exams get close. And another handwritten assignment on one of the 19 programs. And you must also have 75% attendance in the lab if you want to write the lab internals. If your attendance is below that even if it is the fault of the person who takes the attendance who probably didn’t hear you on your roll call, you’ll eventually be the person to be blamed.

If you do not satisfy those conditions, you can’t write the exams. If you’re lucky enough to get through the first great wall, here comes the beamer. You choose from amongst 19 of those programs as a question for your exam. Whatever you get, you have to first write the algorithm of the program on paper, then write the code on the paper. Once the invigilator approves your code which you wrote on a piece of paper, only then will you able to log in to the machine and type and compile that code. That too if you’re in luck and Turbo C++ 4.5 isn’t corrupt on the machine you’re sitting in front of. This particular scenario comes up due to the fact that many students use USB drives to copy programs to the exam machine and cheat. A step rather well needed.

But really? This is a lab exam. From my past experiences, writing code on a piece of paper and then copying it on the computer is the most disastrous thing a computer science engineering student would ever have to do. Coding on C should be done on a hit-and-trial mode directly on the machine specially when students are doing it. But then again, we know how outrageously vulgar the Indian education system is. The discussion to this topic has no end and I’m no expert on it so I’d rather not say much.

I was delusional all this while. At no point of time did I ever positively realize how important college life really is, or that these are the most important years of anyone’s lives. I want to be a game developer eventually, and I’ve wanted to make a career in video-games since junior high, but I haven’t exactly done much about the same. This is a field that has tremendous competition and one needs to be completely active doing something or the other to build up an impressive resume. As far as the Indian syllabus for Computer Science Engineering goes, there isn’t much hope for those who want to make a career in making videogames. There has to be a 110% effort from the enthusiast itself. I’ll personally be getting serious about the same once my first year in college ends properly.

Right now, the only focus has to be clearing all the subjects in the first semester, because I don’t want to waste time fighting summer exams any more. Honestly, there isn’t a plan for that in my mind right now. With too many things going on in college, I’ve hardly had time to concentrate on my studies. And there can’t be any delaying in the same. I have to cut down on my TV consumption, I must waste less time on the computer watching shit-listed movies and going over to Facebook. What’s even shameful is the fact that I know what is to be done, but I still don’t do it. For now, I have one aim in mind. I need to clear all the first year subjects and apply for a transfer to any Indian campus of BIT. Rest all can wait until that happens. Even if it doesn’t happen this particular year, I’ll go for it again in the next semester, or at the end of second year.

I’ve been wasting time, and sleeping way too much for my own good. I’m so lazy to even get some caffeine into my system. And the UAE weather doesn’t help much either. I absolutely loathe summer and the heat, and that bugs me like crazy.

Choosing a college is hard, specially when you have decided what you want to do with your life. Video games have always fascinated me, and that’s the line I want to get into. Working on a future Unreal Engine for Epic Games has been something I’ve had in mind ever since I finished high school. That particular road would have been tough if I were to stay in India and study at colleges I had to choose from. Considering the kind of intense extra effort the field of my choice needs, conventional college methodology is no way to do it. I am sure that if I were to stay in India, I’ll always have one or the other deviation. Over the past six months, I’ve closely observed the college students’ life away from home, and it hasn’t really done much of change how I feel.

Unreal Tournament Ad by ~Ampre

Going in to Royal College, UAE, I know I’ll be cut off from a whole lot of stuff I am into right now. But that is the necessity of the hour. My lifestyle needs a massive overhaul, and I’m sure I’ll be getting that over there. All the negative PR that UAE has, at various instances, put me in two minds, but there has been a certain reason that has mentally backed me up. So, my battle for achieving what I want is ongoing with the system. The formalities and the loan application procedure has been frustrating, and tiring. And the damn thing still isn’t even half way through. I can only wish the loan application goes through smoothly. Considering how various bank officials have reacted to my queries regarding the same, I can only wish such primitive thinking would die out.

I miss you my three angels, and I cannot wait to be with you.