Mission EG Accomplished!!!

Hello Friends, writing a blog post after the first semester result. Feeling positive, am 12.5% Engineer now! The first semester result has brought with itself lots of positive hopes, conclusions and above all a jubilant example of god’s mercy and faithfulness for his beings. My blog post shall tell you about my phobia for a damn dreadful subject of Engineering Studies- Engineering Graphics (abbreviated as EG, also INFAMOUS as Engineering Drawing). The end of this blog post will strike the last nail to EG’s coffin forever in my life. The blog post will tell you in detail, my approach and pessimism towards EG during the first semester and also how I managed to clear it by great efforts and god’s grace. The blog post has a spiritual touch, solely responsible for my success in this subject. Here I go:

Before entering the Engineering World, we all had been cautioned by our seniors for just one subject- Engineering Graphics. And to top it over for a person with hopeless drawing skills like me, it was no less than crossing the Atlantic. Still with good faith, I took up the subject. I had detested all form of drawing and drawing related art since the school days. Even in drawing certification exams like Elementary and Intermediate, I had been helped by the girls sitting next to me in the exam. This saga was not limited to drawing certifications only, even in tuition classes I used to give my science book to Becky, who would draw all the diagrams generously for me. I remember, once I had drawn the Plant Cell in 9^th Standard. It was so horrible that Gabriel Sir told me,”Anish, if you don’t draw diagram I will give you more marks, but please no more horrible art like this!” This had been the story in the school. But obvious this past had to affect my future too and it did.

I was so horrified and petrified by EG that I always found ways to evade it. Right from the first EG Lab in the 1^st Semester till the last one, I had never ever done the practice work in Sketch Book given by the Professor. Sketch book which had to be done at home, was being done in the EG Lab, and the sheets which had to be done in the EG Lab remained undone till the Semester End Submissions. Never did I practice any EG problem at home. I remember, I haven’t done a single Orthographic Projection and Isometric Projection in the whole semester, not in the exams even. I used to rely solely on Engineering Curves and Solid Geometry to pass the exams which carried two third weightage of the paper, the remaining one third had never been attempted by me in the whole semester. To top it over, from my perspective, we have never had easy EG Papers to help the morons in the subject like me. We have had all kind of twisted questions making sure that any average or below average farer in the subject doesn’t get the full score in that particular question. So was the scenario. But I was not amongst the one who would succumb to the adversities. If examiners were clever I was cleverer, and I boast this in the name of my Lord.

I found out all possible way to evade orthographic and isometric machine drawing. In turn I would prepare Solid Geometry and Engineering Curves to the optimum, not leaving any stone unturned in that direction. To better the situation, we had a damn good professor, Mr R.M.Joshi taking our EG Tutorial. This was the best blessing a student like me pursuing EG could get. His positivity towards the subject, approach of teaching and lucid explanation would clear the concepts of any damn ox to quite a good extent. It was just and just because of that guy that I clasp the status “PASSED” in EG today. His one tutorial in the week would equal 10 Expert Lectures in the subject.

Let me get into deep waters now. Let’s talk about marks. With some horrible preparations and a more horrible paper, I was sanctified with 7 marks on 36 in the 1^st Sessional Examination. I was devastated seeing such horrible marks. My moral which was already low got even lower. Soon after we got the first Sessional marks, I asked RMJ sir in the tutorial,” Sir, could I please know the passing criteria for EG?” He was like,”Why do you want to know it? Will it help you anyhow? Instead of bothering about passing criteria, why not put your 100% in the subject, passing criteria will be automatically dealt with.” Then, I found this explanation of his, just a sophistry in order to motivate us, but now when I have cleared EG, I feel he was cent percent correct.

Forgetting the awful performance of 1^st Sessional, I reeled myself in preparation for 2^nd Sessional. Situation was a little better in the 2^nd Sessional, but not enough to rejoice about. I was expecting between 12-14 marks. At that time I was under the impression that a person needs a total of 24 on 108 in 3 Sessionals to avoid remedial exam. Keeping this target in mind, I was expecting a 12-14 in 2^nd Sessional. Days passed by waiting for the result of 2^nd Sessional. I was under pressure. Had I not fared well in the 2^nd one, I would be on the verge of inviting a remedial (AT-KT) in EG. I began praying day in and day out. For the first time in my life I was praying to PASS in a subject. Whenever I have prayed for academics, I have always prayed to get the highest, but nature’s fury was so intense that I had to pray for PASSING! I never knew then that I would soon be overwhelmed by a miracle. One night, just somewhere in the November End/December first week, I was praying before going to bed. While I prayed, I told God, “God I need to pass in EG. I don’t want remedial God, I don’t want Remedial”. No sooner did I finish this statement, I heard a voice say, “What do you want?” I replied,”I don’t want remedial; I want to pass in EG.” Again I heard the voice say, “What do you want?”. I replied the same again. The voice then said, “So?” I was like, “So what. I just want to pass EG”. The voice then said, “It will be done”. I said,” I am tensed.” The voice then said, “Give it to me and go”. I again said,” I want to pass EG.” But this time I didn’t hear God replying. I slept then.

Just 2-3 days after that we got the marks for EG 2^nd Sessionals. That day I remember we had left early from the college and we were in Intercity (A Train), the 4:30 train. I couldn’t see the marks. I got to know from one of my batch mate with me in the train that marks had been declared. I was damn excited but nervous as well. I asked her if she had seen my marks. She said that she was not sure but she probably had seen a 20 written beside my roll number. I was thrilled and awe struck, I didn’t believe her at all as I was just expecting a maximum 14 in the exam and 20 was more than make believe. I called up Bhargav immediately to inquire about the marks, I asked him to rush to the Mechanical Dept.Workshop and inquire about the marks. Soon I got a call from him, he said, “Baka taara 20 marks che”. Hearing this I shouted WHAT!!! My happiness knew no bounds then. I had successfully avoided remedial with my total in 2 sessionals reaching 27. It was then I realised that I has just spoken to God 2-3 days back and this is what he meant by “It will be done”. And YES IT WAS DONE!!! My soul screamed “Praise be to the Lord”. Today too when I am writing about this episode, there are tears in my eyes. How can the creator of heaven and the earth be so wondrous??

After this I wasn’t worried at all about EG. I knew that the Authority at the Heaven was working for me to pass me in EG. I worked well in the 3^rd Sessional too. But paper was no good. With a horrible paper again, I anticipated horrible marks. When I was expecting an 8-10, God gave me 12 making my total in EG 39 on 108, a very safe figure to avoid remedial. What could be better than this? EG was the only subject I was worried about. It was the only subject which gave me sleepless nights at times. EG was the only subject which made me hate Monday like hell as we had EG Lab on that day. It was then the last phase to deal with EG- the External Exams (Main Semester Exam). This was the most crucial of all.

Before the commencement of my reading vacation for Externals, I had aimed to prepare EG the maximum. I had also planned that I would practice EG one hour daily. But as you know some plans always remain plans only and this one too fell under the same category. Practicing daily was way too far, I could practice EG just 2 day out of 21 days of reading vacation. That too with orthographic and isometric totally untouched.

Now, the biggest day of the semester had arrived – 20^th January 2011, EG External Exam. This one day was empowered to decide my fate. I know I had to perform the best in this subject. I put all my heart and soul the day before exam preparing for it. I didn’t give in to the circumstances and prepared Curves and Solid Geometry to the best of my ability. It was 1.30pm on 20^th Jan 2011 when the EG paper started. As soon as I got the question paper in hand, I started examining it thoroughly. In the first glimpse it seemed moderate, in the second one it seemed tough, in the third one it seemed difficult and it the fourth one I concluded “GAME OVER”. I was pretty sure that the paper had nothing good in store for me. Therefore without mulch ado, I gathered some optimism, chanted some biblical verses and set off to battle with EG. At the end of 3 hours, I had just attempted 4 questions COMPLETELY in the whole paper. Rest either half done or totally undone. To my astonishment, I had to attempt Orthographic and Isometric Machine drawing in my paper, something which I had never ever touched in the whole semester! I was battling for each single mark in each nanosecond in those 3 hours. 3 hours over and I handled over the two sheeted answer paper to the supervisor with a heavy heart. I left the Exam Hall with a sombre face and negative thoughts in mind. While returning back to home, I kept on making several calculations in the train as to what figures will help me pass in EG. I started substituting different values for Term Work (Marks for Sheet Submission) and Externals and checking if I would pass on not. Every moment I would get a new figure for External Marks in mind and I would get the answer-”NOT ENOUGH”.

I entered home with a glum face. All excitement for next day’s –EM (Engineering Mechanics) Exam, the last exam had been shooed away by the horrible EG paper. When I sat with EM’s Preparatory material in hand, my mind couldn’t not just stay in to it. It would begin calculating and estimating marks in EG. I could just NOT concentrate. Each moment, 10 different estimates for EG Marks, 10 different conclusions, 9 of them negative. With this mindset I was bound to spoil the EM Paper. I just couldn’t take the EG mania anymore. I was looking out for a solution and I was reminded of my friend – GOD. I called for him and his voice was heard saying, “YES??” Making no mistakes this time, I came direct to the point telling him, “God, I cannot take this EG tension anymore on my head. I want to pass in this subject. I don’t know how will I pass, but it’s your job now. You take it all.” To this long fat request, I was replied with-“Go. It will be done” Hearing these words I was relieved and I kick started my preparations for Engineering Mechanics. EM the next day went damn good by God’s grace giving a positive end to the 1^st Semester.

Our 1^st Semester result was scheduled on 8^th Feb 2011. From 21^st Jan to 8^th Feb I had barely worried about passing in EG. Whenever we would talk about results in the college and whenever it came to EG, I told enthusiastically- “We shall overcome.” We were in the HP Lab then on 8^th Feb.- the result day. We were talking about result and I told everybody that the day would officially get us rid of EG. Dhruvit on the other hand said” Marks are yet to be disclosed Anish”. Without even a pinch of distrust I didn’t take a moment to reply back saying, ”EG ma to yar pass thai jashu yar(We will pass in EG)”. And I am sure God was hearing me say this from the high.

Results were to be out by around 3 in the afternoon. I have all together a different blog post to describe the Result Scenario so won’t talk more about it here. Harshvardhan had bunked the MOS (Mechanics of Solids) lecture to check out the results and as soon as he saw, he SMS-“PASSED”. I had passed. And I was on Cloud 9. The happiness somehow couldn’t astonish me because of the fact that I knew I would pass all subjects in the name of my Lord, EG to be specific of all. Without more ado, I thanked God for he had kept his words. He said “IT WILL BE DONE” and YES, HE DID IT for me. God says in Mark 11 verse 24-“Whatever you pray and ask for believe that you’ve received it and it will be yours.” I had seen these words of lord in action then. I had passed EG.

In the evening, when I saw my marks, I found that I had passed it with a 26 on 60 and a total of 77 on 150. What a Wonder!! There was a time when my estimates failed to reach the 68 figure, but again I have words of God to quote here. God says in Isaiah 45-“My plans are not like your plans, my deeds are not like your deeds. As the sky is superior to the earth in the same way my plans are superior to yours”. And yes his plans were superior to mine. When I was planning a meagre 68 for myself, he was planning a 77 for me UP there. It was then I realized that I was a mere mortal to estimate his plans for me. A lesson to take here is whatever seems impossible from human eyes is a sure possibility from God’s eyes.

My passing EG is no less than a miracle for me. I had always taken EG as a demon, but I had also known that I had my friend God by my side to kill that demon. And yes he killed it. He made me triumph over that demon. Now I feel relieved, there are no appals to distress me now, there is no EG in life now, there is just shalom and tranquillity. All praise be to the Lord!!!

P.S. Just one request to all who hate EG and have EG in their curicullum- Dont lose hope, if I can do it, You can do it too…

Love & Regards,

Anish.