Engineering, they say is like a public toilet, people outside are waiting to get in and the ones inside just can’t wait to get out. The smart, level headed and organized students end up at IITs and NITs and the procrastinators working under the presence or absence of peer pressure have to settle for state or district university institutions. At the end of every academic year in Engineering, it is not very rare that a few students have to lose a year due to their backlog. This is of course seldom happens in top tier colleges like IITs, but it is a common sight in engineering colleges.

Engineering may be one of the most over hyped courses but the truth is that it determines how consistent a student really is. It is just a series of tests that helps you nurture and develop an affinity towards the subject you intend on working on for the rest of your life (or maybe not!). ATKT grants come and go, and is something all engineers will be very familiar with irrespective of whether they suffered one or not. The first year of Engineering or F.E as most would like to abbreviate it to, focuses on the general

skills and knowledge of a to-be engineer in many fields, some of which many students may not be familiar with. For some Computer Programming is a nightmare and for a few others Mechanics and Engineering Drawing may not be their cup of tea. Unless a commendable amount of effort is invested in such subjects, it isn't the easiest job to clear them. They say failure is a stepping stone to success. You have to be an optimist of the first order for that adage to hold true in engineering. Here, you keep learning from your mistakes until you correct them. It is not always that an individual can figure out what his/her shortcoming is as far as preparations for a failed subject go.

Enter seniors. If one asks any senior for help and a majority will be more than happy to help him/her. If not anything, there is one phenotype that all of them will show- EMPATHY. It is worth noting that they will start off saying 'Been there done that' and other cocky sentences to make it obvious that they are seniors, but inevitably help you out.

Fortunately or unfortunately, engineering is the survival of the fittest. Another very crucial thing I have observed in my engineering journey, which I am sure even the crème de la crème must have come across, is an unsettling feeling- restlessness. Working your derriere off for that degree is a must, but when you put all of your blood and sweat into it, you often compromise with sleep, social activity and even food on occasion. That’s when you need a de-stresser. Something as simple as listening to music or as weird as playing with Lego blocks. Even if you are not stressed and have all your work done on time, reward yourself and try to stray away from a saturated state of mind. Engineers need to be determined, yes; but also dynamic.
An engineer’s life might not be as exciting as a tour guide who gets paid to travel the world or as easy as a comedian who gets paid to talk his heart out, but it is definitely saner and more secure than both. Engineering should ideally be consisting of 5 hours of daily studies, 6 hours of sleep, staying away from vices, not succumbing to peer pressure and do what you come to do…but most of us at some point of time burn the midnight oil thanks to the fact that it feels like the weight of the world on your shoulders until you graduate, many of us submit our assignments and projects a day or two past the tentative date of submission, pick up a few..let’s just say not so good habits. All and all, this course shapes an individual, imparts toughness and conditions a person to perform under considerable stress.
Nothing deters an engineer from scoring (and not passing, 40 marks isn't exactly the definition of top quality material). Failing is not an option, as every budding engineer would ask himself/herself the question at least once during the course of his/her degree studies: After 5 years from now: Would I like to throw my palm on my forehead and sulk about how I can't get into a line of work just because of what I was (or was not) doing during these crucial years of engineering?

P.S: We engineers cherish our vacations and exploit our Industrial excursions.