With the dreadful mark sheet bearing the calligraphic University of Mumbai in my hands, I tried to decipher my descent from a reputed 73% in first year to an average 65% in the second. My theory marks were average, but the poor element in my result was my term work. Now, most of you who might be reading this must be freshers, and might not be completely familiar with the concept of term work.  For every subject, you have a total term work of 25 marks, which is given on the basis of your attendance, your midterm and prelim scores, assignments and journal submissions. Along with it, the practical exams and vivas also carry some weightage depending on the year you are studying in. Long story short, term work consists of the marks that your subject teachers award you with irrespective of your performance in the university exams.

Term work can make or break someone’s result (imprint this somewhere in your brain). I have known people whose percentage has been catapulted from 55% in theory to an overall of 70%, owing to the superb term work and I have also known people whose percentage has plunged from 70%in theory to 66% overall, this time owing to the not-so-superb term work.

Although the practical and viva marks should ethically be entered by the external, the authority finally boils down to your subject teacher. Sure you can get good term work by attending lectures regularly (and by regularly, I mean nearly 85-90%). But let’s face it, we are in college and bunking is an irrevocable part of college life. But one thing which can ensure you a moderate term work is a good score in mid terms or prelims. Even if you are of the notorious kinds, a good score not only earns you respect but also impresses your teacher (which will reflect on the term work).

Well, you must have figured it out by now, but I am still going to go ahead and let you know.
MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH YOUR TEACHERS. Do whatever you can, ask intelligent sounding  doubts whose answers you might already know, nod when the teacher teaches even though you have no clue as to what might be transpiring, pretend to write every word (though in reality you might be working on a masterpiece of the teacher’s face or doodling away on the borders of your pages). And for those of you who can’t do all of the above (don’t worry, most of us can’t; we all succumb to the allurements of college life), try not to come in the bad books of the teacher if not in the good books.  But don’t get me wrong, a good relation with the teachers doesn’t guarantee you a good term work; you still need to do average (if not good) in your practical and viva exams.

Make the most of your college life and enjoy no matter what happens (like most of us do).

Cheers