Christmas, Santa, Travel...!!!

My Christmas vacation started on the 21st of this month and its time to head to Kolkata for a family get-together(yay!). I just love such get-togethers. In fact, I got my first ever prize in an essay-writing competition when I wrote on this topic. 

This winter, we're in Udaipur and its really cold here! I just took a tablet for cold...

I just hope I get rid of my cold before we reach Kolkata. Kolkata's warm. Thanks to the continental type of climate. Here in Udaipur, we are freezing! :P 

There is one thing I do every year on Christmas: Draw Santa! It's fun! But, I always have to look up the 'Net for a good drawing first. :P 

Anyways, I won't write much. I've to go and help mom with the packing. :P

Merry Christmas!!! :)

Also, a very happy new year in advance!! :D

Santa has lost a few pounds, hasn't he? 👇

Rangoli '13

Its time to share pictures of the two rangolis I made this Diwali. It took me around 3 hours to complete them!! And I was so tired. My legs are still paining due to long hours of sitting in one posture!

But, they were worth the trouble :)

I made the peacock outside the main door of our house and the other one was made in the living room. The second one was made completely by flower petals and the first one by using coloured sand.

I hope you all had a great diwali! :-)

P.S : Diyas were placed and lighted later in the evening.

Diwali Prep

Here are some pictures of a paper lantern that I made and diyas that I painted and decorated!! :-)

Happy Diwali!!!

Sensational!!!

Our attention is attracted to the television screen as soon as we read the words "Breaking News" flashing brightly on it! We need some 'masala' in our lives, something sensational!

So when we heard that a certain cyclone called Phailin was approaching the eastern coast of India, our eyes got glued to the television screen. We didn't bother about our phone account getting discharged while we searched the internet for 'latest news' about the cyclone.

The cyclone was supposed to make its landfall at around 6 pm the day before yesterday in and around Gopalpur in Orissa. While the people in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh were surrounded by darkness(owing to the cut in electricity supply), the rest of India was shuffling the news channels!

The landfall was supposed to happen at 6. But, it was getting delayed. Some channels said that it wouldn't happen at anytime before 8 pm. So, we waited.

The cyclone did cause damage in the areas it landed first. But, around 4,50,000 people had been evacuated before the arrival of the storm. So, this cyclone, though capable of greater destruction, couldn't harm us much! :-)

Believe me when I say that a lot of people were disappointed. Why? Because, like I said, we need some breaking news in our lives, something sensational, mind-boggling!

I wanted to have a 'cyclone-experience... But, as I write, I am having a mild experience of Phailin. And? It's NOT good! :-P

But, owing to human nature, I guess I will be glued once again to the television screens when I come to know of an approching disaster(And, yeah, its something to be proud of)...

Navratri Day 4

Couldn't get pictures for the third day, so, lets move on to the fourth day!

Its very different here! Pandals are no where to be seen! There are no long queues of people waiting to catch a glimpse of Maa.

Like I said, there are no pandals here(at least I've not seen any so far). But, you can still see colourful lights illuminating the city. And many places have been decorated for the occassion!

Have a look at these two pics
(outside a mall)...

Navratri Day 2

Yesterday, we came back home at around 11.30!!! And I slept at 1! :-P
This morning I woke up with a sore foot(uh-oh!). I just hope it doesn't trouble me much...

Well I am looking forward to the evening! :D

Today's also my mom's birthday! So, I would like to wish my mom a very happy birthday! Have a great day and year ahead!!! Love you ♡

So, here are two pictures from Day 2 :-)

Navratri Day 1

Okay, so this is the first time I'm celebrating Navratri. Brought up in the eastern side of India, Durga Puja had always been about visiting Pandals. This is a very new experience for me and honestly, I am loving it! ;) 

I had never played Dandiya(something which is very famous here) in my entire life! I had my first shot at Dandiya today. Initially, I was a mess and felt pretty awkward. But, I finally learnt it. I hope I am able to master it in the next few days!!! ;)

So here are some(actually only 2 :P) pictures from the first day: 

Happy Navratri folks! Enjoy!!! 

Shiva Trilogy

I first heard about the first book when I was in ninth. Didn't bother reading it then. And I forgot the name later! On my 15th Birthday, mom gifted me the first part of the trilogy, i.e., The Immortals of Meluha. A few days later I began reading it. I am a huge fan of fiction but I have the least possible interest in Mythology. The names confuse me and my interest never really builds up. I wasn't expecting much from this book.

Like always, I was wrong in judging the book.

The first book was brilliant. It had some really funny moments. At the same time, the story was engaging and I didn't feel like stopping(and I didn't). When the book ended, my mouth was wide open. I was dying to know what will happen next! But, alas, I didn't have the 2nd book. That's when Flipkart came to the rescue. I ordered the last two books of the trilogy and waited for them to come. The books came to me a day before the scheduled date and I began reading.

The Secret of the Nagas reveals a lot of secrets, about the Nagas in particular(true to it's name). But, it takes a while before the secrets are revealed and I could catch myself getting a little bored in the beginning. But, when the story picked up pace, I once again couldn't resist reading for 'a little' while longer. At the end of this book, once again, I had my mouth wide open!

The last book's the best! The story never loses its pace. There is a surprise waiting for you in almost every chapter. Even if there isn't you'll want to read this book without any break at all! In one of the chapters, my eyes welled up with tears. But, I controlled myself. I had more reading to do and the last thing I wanted was my vision clouded with tears!

The last chapter of this book is beautiful. I will not be able to express the beauty of the last chapter using words. You'll have to read the books to get it. I applaud the imagination of the author. But, then again, I am forced to question myself that is it really just a piece of imagination?

Read this and I'm sure you'll fall in love with it. I would place this series at par with the Harry Potter series(and that makes it really great)! A must read for every one of us. I'll be ending this post with the last words of the last chapter of The Oath of the Vayuputras :

Om Namah Shivaiy
The universe bows to Lord Shiva. I bow to Lord Shiva.

#LifeOfAStudent Post 20 : The biggest gift

I didn't expect that I will be writing the last post under #LifeOfAStudent just hours after I wrote the 19th one. But, like I said, I am really excited. My eagerness to write the last post is partly because I saw a movie yesterday which celebrated the theme of my post in the best possible way. For those who haven't seen it yet, go watch YJHD asap. :) Today, I am going to tell you about the best gift of a student's life...

Everyone has friends. You, your siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, uncles and even your grandparents have friends. At every stage, you'll want friends. No matter how much detachment you can bear, you'll always be in need of them. You'll find friends at your place of work and also in the park where you will go for a walk years and years later. But, the friends that you'll make in school or in college will always be special. And that's why the biggest gift that a student's life gives a student is not marks or a teacher's appreciation. The biggest and the best gift will be friendship.

You may have one person with whom you share your deepest secrets or a bunch of people with whom you'll laugh your heart out. But, you'll always need someone. :) Not having friends can be disastrous and injurious to health. You'll go crazy, dissolve yourself in books or in things that you don't want. In other words, you'll turn non-human. And that's not cool!

Life of a student gives you friends. We make a lot of friends. Even though we'll sit with a particular person or will have get-togethers with just a couple of friends, we have lots of friends. That person who sits in front of you and with whom you only talk when you're in class is your friend too. And so is that person who simply eats from your lunch box without asking! ;)

Today, the memories of my pre-nursery school are blurred. But, the thing I remember clearly is my friend. She later joined some other school. It's been 12 years or so since I last saw her. If my brain's not creating images on its own(which I hope its not), then I even remember her face... :) My Lower Infant memories are again circled around my friends. We were five sitting around a round table. I remember each one of them even though I'll have to google Humpty Dumpty to recall the poem. ;)
I remember the friends I had in class four(the last year in that school), especially the one who used to sit next to me. She and I would compete in maths. I remember we were pretty different, we had different opinions about everything. But, then we did have a few common likes. Maths, was one of them. Unfortunately, I lost contact with her and a few others. It's been 5 years since I last saw them all. Thanks to Facebook, I came in contact with a lot of them. :)

I am just 14(15 in a month ;) ), but I do believe that coming to bbsr was one of the best things that ever happened to me(if not the best). It's here that I not only made 4 friends for life, but also a lot others with whom I'd like to remain in contact forever. Thanks to Facebook(again), that won't be very difficult. My closest 4 friends are all crazy. All are not like me. One of them is diametrically opposite to me. But, still we're together. When my fourth friend left bbsr, we stayed in contact for quiet some time and we still chat. But, let's be honest, we did lose contact. If there's one thing I wish for other than going back to bbsr is that I should always remain in touch with them. Always! :) My life as a student gave me the chance of meeting people that I wouldn't have interacted with otherwise. It gave me crazy, stupid, bizarre, mad friends. It gave me my wonderful classmates who are the best scrapbook-makers and the best surprise organisers in the whole world. I got crazy cricket umpires and cricket experts who would ask me to pitch the ball here and there :P. I met people who would never complete the home-work and would ask my notebook first thing in the morning! ;) I met a girl who's crazy about her native state and with whom I plan to open a patisserie someday. I met the best emcee script writer, PJ queen, craziest 1D fan, a wonderful story-writer and so many other talented, crazy people! ;)

You would agree, wouldn't you, if I say that friends that you make in school, memories that you have with them, will go along with you wherever you go? And that years later, you'll be seated with your colleague and telling him/her crazy tales about your school life? And when you get a phone call from an unknown number and you hear your best friend on the other side, no one will be happier than you? And wouldn't you have dreams about bumping into your friends in some mall, restaurant, busy road or just anywhere?

With that it's the end of the series. :) I hope you've liked reading the posts!
So, one last time : #LifeOfAStudent :D

#LifeOfAStudent Post 19 : Exams!!!

This is the second last post by me under #LifeOfAStudent. And this time I am going to write on a topic that's clearly the most important(the most hyped and also the most dreaded) part of a student's life. I'm sure you've already guessed that the topic for the penultimate post is exams...

I studied till class four from a school which didn't have exams for the students till class six. So, obviously, my idea about exams was very poor. We used to have simple tests based on which we were awarded grades. That's all! I didn't know what I was missing till I came to bbsr. In bbsr, the school had exams for students of every class! :O And funnily enough, the first ever exam that I gave was on my birthday. My birthday fell on a Saturday that year and I had that day to enjoy before I started my revision for Monday's exam. For me exams were just tests where you needn't re-write the questions(I find it really annoying to write the questions first and then the answers). During exams our bags would be lighter and not just that we'll get to show off our one-shoulder bags. ;) And we also get back home soon. :D During exams, all sorts of junk-food are brought for my comfort(on other days however, I'll have to hear about my increasing stock of adipose tissue)! :P

Exams can be panicky for some, even for those students who have prepared before-hand. Sometimes, we don't feel confident enough or we unnecessarily strive for perfection or both(as in my case last year).

Since my roll number was always between 10 & 15, I got to sit in my own classroom. Even though, I do not cheat and neither do I support it, I am always curious about my exam partner. The persons we used to sit with(in higher classes, we were supposed to sit alone) would either be our juniors or seniors. Unfortunately, most of the times I've got really boring partners who wouldn't talk after the exam time gets over(we are supposed to remain seated for around 10-15 minutes after we submit our papers). So, we always change places to sit with our classmates only to be sent back to our benches by the invigilator.

Invigilators can be pretty annoying too. Some of them just can't stop talking. Actually they are talking to ask some of us not to talk while the exam is going on but they themselves continue chirping! And it's really hard to concentrate then! -_- Some of them take ages to come to your bench to hand you an extra sheet and sometimes they don't even notice till you scream "Ma'am/ Sir" out loud only to get the glares of the other students.

My best companion during exams is my water bottle. It calms me down. I put my pen down, give my fingers a bit of rest and take in a good amount of water before starting with the next section of the question paper. But when we have lots of questions and not that much time, the bottle's avoided for good. During such papers and during the last 5 minutes of the writing time, all students acquire supernatural powers to write at lightning speed. :P

If you notice my answer sheets you'll think that 3-4 students have together written it. The handwriting on the first 2 pages will be really nice, even beautiful! The words will be properly spaced, no cuts and no blots. After that, I just get tired of impressing my teacher with a beautiful handwriting and start writing in my style. Every answer seems to be written in a different way. Some words will be written in italics and some in no real format. :P I have to give credit to my teachers for understanding it! ;)

When I get my answer sheets, I love seeing the tick marks. Some of the teachers will give such long ones and some little, tiny ones! :P I know this is stupid. But, I love observing it! ;)

If I am writing about exams and not mentioning cheating, I'll be doing great injustice to the students across the globe. Cheating comes hand-in-hand with exams. It's so embarrassing when someone asks you for an answer, and you simply look away 'cause cheating's against your principles. Believe me, I've had such experiences more than a couple of times. Thankfully, in my previous school, people stopped asking 'cause they realised I suddenly lose my speech and hearing abilities during the exams! ;) I hope my new school mates don't take too long to figure that out. ;)

When exams get over, students keep wishing each other "Happy Independence Day!". They would go out for movies, small parties at cafeterias and what not? Well, after months of effort(and just days for some), I think we all deserve it! :) So, with that I end my 19th post. However, I'm pretty excited about my 20th post 'cause it's pretty close to my heart. So, I guess you'll see it really soon. :D

#LifeOfAStudent Post 18 : Subjects II

This is a continuation of my previous post... In post 17 of #LifeOfAStudent I wrote about four subjects(Maths, Physics, Biology and Chemistry). In this one I am going to talk about 3 other subjects. So, let's continue from where we left.. :)

English : Till class eight, I never used to study after 7 pm for a subject like literature. But, that was till class eight only. In nine, we had to face our nightmare : Shakespeare's As You Like It. Contrary to the name of the play, it had nothing according to our likes. The language was new and twisty! Interpreting the sentences by ourselves was so difficult! Some of the words had meanings that we would have never come up with. Cousin meant niece in one act and in another we were told that a courtier would love to roam around in the attire of a fool! It was crazy! English Grammar is again something that you can't really prepare for. Some of my friends just turn the pages randomly a day before the exam. I'm not of that kind. I make sure I practice a little. I love writing essays but only when the topic is interesting. I think I love writing picture compositions. According to me, my best essay will be the one I wrote in my 9th standard final term exam. ^_^ I like reading stories too, especially the ones which take an unprecedented turn towards the end. The poems in our books are good(some of them). I like the poems which have a deep meaning hidden in between the lines & not the ones describing a river or the ones that describe how poets do not describe the river properly! -_-
I think I have liked almost all of my English teachers. One of them, indirectly, motivated me to take part in my first elocution ever! :)

History & Civics : oooolllllllllllllllllppppjjjjjjjjjjjlljljlj.. Oops! Sorry I dozed off  and my face got pressed against the keyboard. :P Such is the magic of this subject. You open the book and your eyes start to get shut. But, now, I am awake and ready to write on the subject. Do excuse me if I doze off again. ;) If you're one of those persons who finds History or Civics interesting, I feel pity for you. I have had the privilege of meeting people with such issues(mental issue :P ). I think they are just mad! :P "To know our present we need to know our past". But, so many of us will not even be able to name the hospital we were born in! I find history very boring! Sometimes, reading about revolutions and freedom struggles can be interesting. But, only sometimes! :P The thing I dislike the most is that every dynasty has almost the same story and the same end! -_- I believe, back then, they had a severe shortage of names. The kings would either use their names for their new-born princes by adding a number for a change(Eg : Henry III, Henry VI, etc) or they would name their princes after their grandfather's or great - grandfather's name. I understand sentiments but names like Alaudin Khilji,  Qutb-ud-din Aibak are not that easy to remember! -_- Civics is History's identical twin. It's just as annoying and boring! I seriously don't see the need to learn up the political, legislative, administrative functions of the Union Parliament or anyone else!! I also feel pity for the teachers who teach such subjects. They might be the most lively people in real life but within the four walls of our classroom and with History and Civics textbooks in their hands, they appear like boring people sent from heaven to make us fall into a deep sleep! :P No matter how hard they try to make the class interesting, they'll always find children sleeping in their class!

Geography : If civics is history's identical twin, then geography is it's cousin. Geography can be interesting for me when we study about forces of nature. But, otherwise, I find it pretty boring too! I mean what am I supposed to do by knowing where alluvial soil is found or where will I find oak trees because I am not planning to end up sowing seeds and harvesting crops after college. And besides, what's the point in learning up this information. It'll always be available on Google or Wikipedia! ;) I believe it will be more interesting to know about the culture and important places of a country rather than the average rainfall in different parts of it. -_- The teachers again fail to make the class interesting...

Well, with that I end my views on the subjects we are taught at school. I think it's pretty obvious which ones I'll be giving up next year. ;D Have you decided yet? ;)

#LifeOfAStudent Post 17 : Subjects I

It's time we talk about the subjects(and the teachers that teach them) we are taught at school 'cause this time, next year, I'll get rid of some that I don't like. :P This post also happens to be the fourth last under #LifeOfAStudent series as I plan to end it with 20 posts. Let's get started... :D

Maths : It may sound weird to the majority of 6.974 billion people living on this planet, but I like Mathematics. It's not an easy subject. To be honest, not everything about maths is interesting. I totally hate making graphs and histograms. I gives me a neck ache in the end. I dislike proving things, especially, when we're working with trigonometrical identities. And it's a pain to prove two lines parallel or perpendicular to each other 'cause when you look at the diagram, it looks pretty obvious to me. :P But, then I like some things too. I love commercial maths. It's  fun. I also like algebra as long as we're not talking about expanding(I find that very boring). I love trigonometry in general and heights and distances using trigonometrical ratios. Sometimes, I feel like proving stuff. When you are about to reach that final step, you get a rush of adrenaline that no other subject can promise you. That makes maths special. And besides, it's a scoring subject if you work hard and don't get nervous.
The maths teachers are interesting people. It's like they know each and every sum in the world. There's a thing with maths teachers and silence. They just need it to work. They get irked when we're not quiet. And you'll get thrown out if you continue to talk. :P There's also some grudge that these teachers have against the blackboard. Very often, you would find them complaining that the board's rough. I thought they were crazy until one day I went up to the board to solve a problem. God! After completing the sum I kept pulling my fingers.

Physics : Physics is probably very closely related to maths. They are probably best buddies. There's no physics without maths. I like physics but then there are some things that I don't like about it. I don't like chapters on atmospheric pressure because they remind me of geography(and I am not very fond of geography) and on force and work(I just find them dull). I love everything related to electricity and magnetism. They're exciting and really really good!
Physics teachers are generally maths teachers too. So, they are pretty intelligent. I've had some really awesome physics teachers over the years. They all gave us a good understanding of the chapter and it's nice that way. But, there's just one problem : They are all very serious(all the time)! :P

Biology : I love this subject. I always have and continue to do. It is the most interesting subject because you'll find a reason or a cause behind every statement. You'll discover something new and interesting every time you open your biology book(You'll have to open it). I don't like the part of the book concerned with plants so I avoid reading that unnecessarily. :P But, I love learning about the human body. You may find it boring but had you not read biology, you wouldn't have known why does your heart beat shoot up when you spot a bull heading towards you, why do your teeth start chattering in winter and so many other things.
Biology teachers are awesome too. My biology teacher in 7th used to give so much of extra information that there was not a single blank space in my book! Actually, every biology teacher's going to do that! Your grey cells just have handle the info well... ;)

Chemistry : To be honest, I hate this subject! I just like the chapters related to study of acids, metallurgy and electrolysis. But, I hate everything else. It's boring! All that this subject requires is that you mug up everything from valencies to reactions. I am sorry for the extremely biased opinion of this subject but I feel that this subject offers no reason behind things like the other science subjects.
Chemistry teachers are funny and sometimes, what they say flies straight over my head! But, they too abound in information and it's nice to listen to them. But, my like for chemistry never comes back home with me. In fact, I didn't like it even before we had it as a separate subject. I remember hating that chapter in my class 6 science book which was a tiny introduction to chemistry.

So, just 4 subjects for today. Will come back with some more in the next few posts. Good bye! Keep reading!

#LifeOfAStudent Post 16 : Breaking the rules

We've talked about so many things related to school life. But, we haven't talked about the school rules. There are so many of them. But, I'll try my best to write the best ones in post 16 under #LifeOfAStudent

School = A place where we are taught discipline and to make us disciplined there are scores of rules! School is also the place where 90% of the rules will be broken by one or the other individual. ;)

1. Talk in English : This rule will never be followed sincerely in any school of my country or any other country  which doesn't have English as it's native language. You'll hear every language other than English if the teacher's not around. Even in class, we'll keep talking in different languages till it reaches the teacher's ears.
When the teacher will ask, "Who is talking in English?", our body will immediately change our language setting to English, but only temporarily. ;)

2. Don't let your hair loose : This is one rule meant especially for the girls and it's pretty annoying for some. Honestly, I wouldn't like to roam around with my hair loose 'cause I sweat like a pig and it will be very uncomfortable. :P  But, there are some who love keeping their hair loose to flaunt their barber's skills. I guess their sebaceous glands don't function. But, they can't really come with their hair loose 'cause the teachers won't leave them then. So, they come up with absolutely weird hairstyles, hair popping out from every place. They look hilarious. But, they won't stop doing them. I guess beauty really lies in the eyes of the beholder.

3. Keep quiet when the teacher's not in class : Schools across the globe will have students who break this rule every day. It's a very stupid rule. We have to express our thoughts about the class which just ended! And we have to talk to our friends, right? But, the teachers have someone who stop us from talking : the monitor. You speak a word and your name gets written for the next teacher to see and punish you. Some incapable monitors, however, are not taken seriously by the students and we get to talk to our heart's content. But, you'll always find some teacher from one of the adjacent classrooms peeping in through the door(usually the back door) to check on us. When one of the students spots the teacher peeping in, the news spreads like a wave and suddenly we all are quiet. Saved!!

4. Don't bring electronics : This one is broken too. Although, I've never done it(Just thought of making it clear). It appears as if everyone knows if the girl/guy sitting on the second-last bench has brought Play Station Portable except the teachers. I've heard that some of them dare to play during classes too!! Bringing phones is common. They'll bring their phones, click pictures of students and teachers alike which will end up on facebook, text in between classes and what not! And believe me, I've heard a phone ring once while the teacher was inside the class. :P Teachers have these surprise bag-checking sessions occasionally and when it does happen we get to know about the numbers of such stuff which are brought. The common ones are : CDs, flash drives, phones, PSPs, etc. I wonder where do they hide such stuff. Lunch boxes, blazer pockets are some of the hiding places that I know of.

These are just 4 rules that are broken. There are several others. If you've ever been a student, you are aware of most of them. To end this post, here's a quote :  “You are remembered for the rules you break.” ;)

#LifeOfAStudent Post 15 : Names ;)

Before I begin with this topic, I'd like to thank Pragati for giving me the idea of a topic that I could write on. Happy, Pragati? :P

"What's in a name?" was something that Shakespeare said in his play Romeo & Juliet. Dear Shakespeare, I think you were wrong when you said that. Let me explain why I just said so in my 15th post...

I know I probably will end up in trouble if my teachers come to know about it, but, I guess they already know. ;) Students create a lot of things during their school life. From disasters in the chemistry lab to new methods of cheating in the exams to names. Yes! Names! But, don't worry, we don't create names for new-born babies but for our fellow friends and teachers! And these names have a lot of meaning in them, contrary to what Shakespeare said. :P

It's a skill in which almost every student holds a master's degree. The ones who don't are just well, teacher's pets. But, I bet they too have given names to their teachers in their mind(although they consider themselves too good to use them in public). But, giving a special name to a student or a teacher isn't easy. It's not that you can give any name. You'll have to think of a name that will be used by all other students for years and years. You need to observe that person for weeks before you suggest a name. :P

We have some really crazy, stupid and yet funny names for all our teachers. But, nope, I am not going to share them with you. Not here anyway. ;) Once a good name has been created, you'll find every student using it. And usually, none of us will know who coined it.

I think the teachers know about these names. There's no way they are unaware after all, they always "know what's going on"(or atleast that's what they keep saying). We give names to students as well. They are funny too but probably not as hilarious as the ones we give to our teachers.

The names that are given are not really code-names because of two reasons. First, everyone knows who are we referring to. Second, the names are actually derived from the actual names of the teachers/students(usually). All you need to do is remove a few letters or add some new ones to get a new name. You would say that is derivation not creation. But, I would still call it creation and so would every student. So, you won't stand a chance! :P

Why do we give names? Is it because students like insulting/making fun of  the teachers or other students? Not at all! I heard this somewhere that we refer to people by their first names if we know them well. And I think that we call people by their special names if we're closer to them. I know that's a stupid justification for giving names. But, I just felt like I owed one as a student.

So, that'll be the end of my 15th post. Goodbye readers!

P.S : Don't use the 'special' names when you are asking for a teacher, okay? That'll land you straight in hell. :P

#LifeOfAStudent Post 14 : Writings ;)

"You can never be old and wise if you were not young and crazy!". That is so true. And to be crazy the first thing that you'll require is to get admitted to a school 'cause being crazy is frankly all about being a student! With that thought, I begin my 14th post...

If you are confused about what exactly being crazy means, go check out the desks in my previous school, or any school for that matter. Using desks as a platform to express their creativity, emotions and yes, of course, their anger is something that you can call the work of an absolutely crazy person(in other words the work of a student). ;)

Some people are obsessed with writing their names. Praga(my friend) is obsessed with her name!. She would write her name on the last page of my rough notebooks. It would seem very bizarre to a person, who's not aware of her obsession, to see her name written all over the last pages of my notebooks . But, she won't stop and I eventually stopped worrying about it.

Like her, a lot of people scribble their names across the desks. It's an absolute mess because sometimes, you are unable to figure out any name. Students don't just write names. They draw too. Actually, I think it's the boys who are responsible  for all the art works on the desks. Why do I say that? That is because you will find drawings of huge, scary-looking cars, Bakugan characters(I guess) and other monster-like looking cartoons. When girls draw you are more likely to find drawings of... well, other angel-like girls! :P 

There was one desk which had the names of maybe 50 brands! That's just insane! :P

In every class(I am talking about senior classes), you'll find things like "This class rocks", "8 A Batch 2010-11 : the best batch ever" written on the desks. You'll also notice things written against teachers or other students. Well the students(against whom it has been written) simply scratch out the remark or scribble something in written. :P

You'll find poems, quotes, drawings, names and everything that you could ask for! It's always fun to read the write-ups. But, you can get into trouble if the teacher finds out. :P

Well, this may be illegal but it's fun. And I know it 'cause I have done it! :P I think it was in 8th standard when I and Aru(my friend) would write down the names of the contestants on Master Chef Australia on the desks. If you go to that class, and if the benches haven't been replaced or painted, you'll find Hayden, Michael & Callum written on quite a lot of them. We were huge fans and we still are! :D You'll also find sketches of cheesecakes and cupcakes. You would then see "8A rocks" written using black markers and pencils. We wrote it on all the benches(I guess) on the last day of 8th standard. It was illegal. But, let's agree we only love the things that we weren't supposed to do, but we did anyway(That's something I heard on a TV show and I so agree)!

So, yeah, be crazy! It's worth it and always fun! :D Goodbye! 

#LifeOfAStudent Post 13 : The school bell

If you want to know how does it feel when time freezes, go and get seated in a classroom which is having the last class of the day. No matter what you're being taught in the last period, you feel like time is standing still. We're all waiting for that one thing : the bell to ring! So here's the 13th post under #LifeOfAStudent

Before I associate bells with Christmas trees or temples, I think of them as an important part of any school. The school officially begins with it and ends with it. They are inseparable in a way. Well the morning bell is actually something that most of us don't like very much. I don't like it because it used to be an indication that I have to head back to my own classroom and bid good-bye to my friends till we meet during the lunch break.

We hear the bell ring a number of times during the day. After each period gets over the bell rings. That's an indication that the period's over(finally!). If the teacher continues to teach after the class gets over, it can be very irritating. Students always like the teachers who leave the class room as soon as the bell rings(and also the ones who leave before). ;)

In class nine, we had the school bell just outside the classroom. And I swear, you don't want that. It used to startle us all everytime. Covering your ears with your hands was a natural instinct for anyone passing by our class(if the class was about to get over)! :P

We all wait for the bell to ring before lunch break. On certain days, however, time freezes before the lunch break too! I guess those are the days when you have just a glass of milk and cookies in the morning.

But, the most important bell is the dismissal bell which indicates that school's over(Yay!). But, it always seems to delay its arrival. In the last period(or any period for some of us), the minute hand moves only after every 5 minutes! I guess Shakespeare should have mentioned that time trots not only for an engaged woman before her marriage, but also for every student in the last period of the day! :P But, when it finally rings, everyone's happy!.

We also wait for the dismissal bell to ring on the day before vacations begin. We want the bell to ring but then we also don't. It's a funny feeling that every student understands. But, the moment the bell rings, the books are stuffed into the bag, the board is decorated with "Happy Vacations" written across it and drawings drawn all over it & everyone keeps going around the class to wish "Happy Vacations!!". Beautiful moments!

There is a bell that we perhaps dread. I am talking about the bell that rings to indicate that the writing time for your exam is over. When I was in 8th standard and was writing my final exams, we were seated with our seniors. I remember looking at the seniors' hands writing with as much speed they can gather. When the teacher would announce that just another 5 minutes are left, their hands would would appear to me like Bolt's legs while running a 100m race and I would be reminded of the reactions of the chefs on Master Chef Australia when Gary would announce that they've got only 5 minutes to plate up their dishes(And I am talking about a dish like the croquembouche ).

But, no one hates the bell that goes off at the end of the last exam! ;)

So, that's all for the 13th post! Good bye till the 14th post. Do comment your views and topics that you would like me to cover! Good night! :)

#LifeOfAStudent Post 12 : You're punished! :P

If we talk about #LifeOfAStudent and not mention punishments, we are committing a serious offence. So, the 12th post's about Punishments! :P

If you're a student or you've ever been a student, you'll be familiar with what punishment means. Why do we get punished? Well, there are several reasons for which you can get punished. You are likely to get punished for the following reasons :

1. You're talking
2. You're eating in class
3. You haven't completed your work
4. You haven't brought your book

Now, let's see what kind of punishments you'll get if you commit the above 'crimes' :

1. You're talking : Well if you're talking, you should be ready for punishment because all teachers hate it when a student's talking in the class! And besides, there is the monitor standing by the board, his hands itching to write a name. :P "Why are you talking?", "Don't you have any work to do?", "What is your name? I'll complain to your class teacher" are some of the sentences that you'll have to hear. Then, it's time for the punishment. You are asked to "remain standing" for the rest of the class, if the teacher's not very harsh. If she is a strict one, get ready to move out of the class. Not to forget, if you talk while some strict teacher's inside the class, be prepared to get punished again by your class teacher 'cause the name's definitely going to him/her. :P

2. You're eating in class : Generally, students aren't caught doing this(We're all just so good at it, you know?). But, this is probably one of the serious crimes. So, you definitely end up outside the class. And sometimes, you might be taken to the Principal. Of course, your class teacher will also be informed! :P

3. You haven't completed your work : If there's a not-so-strict teacher, then you can make lame excuses to get out of it. Examples : "I was ill", "I was absent", "I was attending a marriage/function" and the most commonly used "I forgot". Punishment : you would either be sent out or you'll be sent out and asked to write the assignment 'n' number of times as a bonus punishment.

4. You haven't brought your book : The 'nice' ones generally allow you to read from your partner's book or write in rough in case you haven't brought your notebook. But, you don't get 'nice' teachers always. Students generally say, "I forgot"(Common here too). Now, that's a very stupid thing to say 'cause the only reply you can get is "Why didn't you forget to come to school then?" and then you'll have to stand there with your eyes looking at the floor pointlessly. :P There are not severe punishments. The teacher won't really ask you to get out. She'll just make you stand until the period gets over! :P

I hate punishments. I completely detest them. According to me, it's the most embarrassing thing ever and so I try and stay away from it. But, then in your class, you will always find the 'cool dudes and gals' who just don't care! And for some of them punishments are fun and a means to get away from boring classes. And then there are also some who like to irk the teachers! It's sick, you know? By doing that, you don't really sound cool.

Well, I'd like to end this post on a funny note :

If a student gets caught talking(or doing anything worth a punishment) in some boring class, say History('cause I find it super boring), and the teacher asks him to get out but he/she remains rooted to his/her place, the teacher will say, "Either you move out or I'll leave". You will hear the students saying "Move out or she'll get angry". But, that's what you think. If the teachers had whisper-detecting machines, they'll hear the students saying in low voices, "Don't go 'cause then we won't have to bear this subject". :P But, they don't have such machines. :P

#LifeOfAStudent Post 11 : Teacher's pet

Chubby cheeks, dimpled chin
Rosy lips, teeth within
Curly hair, very fair
Eyes are blue - lovely too.
Teachers pet, is that you?
Yes, Yes, Yes! 

Yes people! It's time for the 11th post under #LifeOfAStudent and this one's about teacher's pet... :P

I am not sure who wrote that particular rhyme but I definitely don't think that the criteria for being a teacher's pet includes chubby cheeks or a dimpled chin. Not even blue eyes for that matter! :P Those things must have been the criteria for being crowned the teacher's pet ages ago as I believe that the rhyme's pretty old! 

You have so many teacher's pets within the four walls of your own classroom. Some of the students are pets of particular teachers and some, well they belong to the entire school staff. Being a monitor is not always fun, likewise, being a teacher's pet can become embarrassing (especially if you've got friends like mine). :P

I am not sure if many of you are interested in being called the teacher's pet. I mean who would aspire for becoming that (even though the truth is that we all love it when the teacher praises us and scolds the students seated behind us for talking when it's actually us talking)?

But, here's a thing that one of my Biology teachers told me : there are always exceptions. So, there might be a lot of people who are desperate to know what could make them a teacher's pet. So, what are the qualities that you should ideally possess? 
Like I said above if you've curly hair or chubby cheeks or fair complexion or anything else mentioned in the rhyme above, you are NOT guaranteed the position of a teacher's pet(You may not buy the curlers, you know?)
In the present day world, if you want to become a teacher's pet you should try the following things : 

1. I don't think that marks make you a teacher's pet unless of course, we are talking of some really mark-oriented teachers. You should work on how you're in class. For example, if the teacher's explaining something keep nodding your head to show that you're understanding(make sure you understand as well 'cause that is important for the next step).

2. When the teacher asks questions, answer them bang on. Answering questions will be easier if you stay attentive. So step/rule 2 is to answer questions and be attentive. 

3. It's important to answer questions. But, I have observed the teacher's pets in my class and I have come to the conclusion that you probably need to ask questions as well(though I don't like the idea). So, make sure you have a book of doubts close by. But, don't interrupt the teacher  'cause that will perturb her/him and please avoid doubts which make no sense. 

4. Laugh at the teacher's jokes, no matter how poor they actually are. Well some teachers make it easy for you by cracking laughable-jokes. But then, luck doesn't always favour one. 

5. Be good at something. It could be anything. Sports, academics, extra-curricular activites, anything at all!

6. If you don't find the above helpful, go to a bookstore and get your hands on some good essay books which have essays on  topics like "Ideal student" and go through them. I am sure you'll get plenty of tips from them. :P

So with those 6 tips I'll end this post. Good luck with your mission! :P

#LifeOfAStudent Post 10 : Friendship Day

Yep! It's true that this is going to be my 10th #LifeOfAStudent post. Another reason for celebration is that with my last post on home-works, I completed 90 posts on my blog! Cheers! Well, I am pretty excited... I hope I am able to make this one a good post! :D

Okay, so my 10th post under #LifeOfAStudent is going to be about Friendship days. You may wonder how friendship days are connected with a student's life. But, don't worry, I'll help you. :)

We all love to celebrate Friendship days! It falls every year on the first Sunday of August. It's actually funny to hold a Sunday as friendship day 'cause it's the students who are the most excited about it and on Sundays, schools are closed(not that I am appealing for Sunday school).

I sometimes wonder how much do the shopkeepers earn through this one occassion. Students of all age flock to the stores to get their hands on the best friendship bands. I purchase around 15-20 friendship bands and sometimes they too fall short. I buy 15, my friends buy 15 each... Well you can do the math, right? (P.S : If you are unable to figure what's 15x15, the answer's 225, and you should start concentrating on your math) :P

I usually buy friendship bands on Saturday because I fear that all the good ones will be gone otherwise. But, before I go out to buy bands, I have this discussion with my friends about what should we give. A good option that we have other than a band is a chocolate to each of our friends(preferably Dairy Milk). Lately, students have started giving chocolates and not bands. Of course, if you go to any gift store, you'll find a range of products for your friends. But, I think you'll agree when I say that buying 20 Friendship-day cups or frames would be a little heavy on one's pocket. :P

Last time, I had almost decided on chocolates but then I changed my mind and went for bands. I guess I'll try giving chocolates sometime! :P

There's one very embarrassing thing that can happen when you go to school after Friendship-Day(i.e, on Monday). You are happily gifting bands to your friends when suddenly, someone comes up to you and starts tying a band around your wrist. Uh-oh! Now, you would think how's that embarrassing. Well it's embarrassing because when you went to the market yesterday you bought 20 friendship bands, one for each of your friends, and now you don't have an extra to give it to her. You make a mental note to buy 21 friendship bands next time. :P

One thing that I absolutely dislike about school rules is that we're not allowed to wear the bands and move around in school. You only get to where it for a while and then you'll have to take it off. -_- But, in one way, its actually good 'cause if you've got friends like me who don't know how to tie a friendship band properly, by the time school's over you would've lost all your bands.

Yeah, I don't know how to tie them properly. I am unable to make a tight knot with the result that my friends come back to me to get them tied again! :P

Students are known to change rules. But, friendship day is a fine example of how students can change dates of celebrations. If you can't give us friendship day on Mondays, we'll change the dates for celebrating it with our friends. So, if you ask a student when's friendship day this year, I guess you'll hear 5th August as an answer.

You wouldn't disagree if I say that Friendship Day is a part of a student's life. If you do disagree, promise me to observe the hard-working adults and office-goers around you on this Friendship day. You'll know why it's a student's thing and not everybody's. :D

In today's post we talked about friendship bands quite a lot. But, you don't always need bands to convey your love and admiration for your friend. So, go on and give a hug to your friends and thank them for being there. :) :D

Well, that's it for today! I just completed my 10th post under #LifeOfAStudent :D
Yay!!! If you're thinking that this post was the last one, then you're mistaken! :P Goodbye, till the 11th one! :D

#LifeOfAStudent Post 9 : Home-works

We hate them but we haven't got a choice. They keep piling up and we are forced to start working on them. Yep! I am talking about the much disliked home-works and assignments. #LifeOfAStudent Post 9 is about these devilish creations of our teachers.

Is there any student who likes getting home-works unless its about playing a video-game and writing how you defeated the zombie in the last level or watching a movie and writing about your favourite character. Sometimes, we don't even like the above as home-works.

We use H.W as an abbreviation for Home-Work. But, I guess the abbreviation actually stands for Hard Work. How can a student like to do some hard-work, especially during the holidays, when we don't even want to do it on a working day? :P

The worst part about home-works, projects and assignments is that they are so boring! The usual ones that we get are :
1. Write 5 essays and 10 letters : Believe me, 9 out of 10 topics are dumb and as boring as watching paint dry. I mean we are asked to write long essays on topics like : "Narrate a road-accident that you saw and tell how you helped in finding the culprit". (Dear writer-of-the-book, I am a 14-year old girl, not some super-hero who would be able to track down the culprit.)

2. Make a project on Ancient Civilizations : Funny part is that sometimes teachers would ask us to not copy from the internet. Now, that's funny 'cause ideally you wouldn't find students keeping encyclopaedias on Harappan Civilization or a time machine to transport them back to 3000 BC at home. The topics are so boring!

3. Make a project on pollution : This topic is a favourite of any science or geography teacher. The first topic that comes to their mind will inevitably be pollution(either a particular kind or pollution in general). The students are actually sick of this topic. We're not really helping by making 10-20 projects on pollution in our school life because we all know where they end up!

4. Write the summary of a novel/story : We'll have to go through the book(no matter, how dull the story is) and then try and summarise the book/story in and around 400 words for you to read. That's smart on the teacher's part as they won't have to go through it and they'll still know the story! :P

So, home-works are super boring(especially the ones that we get during vacations). But, we have to do them. You know what's actually frustrating? You work like a dog to complete all the assignments and when you go back to school, the teacher says that she'll take them later. -_-

No matter how much we loathe them, we'll always find one or two on our table each day 'cause they are a part of our lives. :P

#LifeOfAStudent Post 8 : New admissions

When you walk into your classroom and find a crowd gathered around a particular bench and a few other students pointing or looking in that direction, you should realise that your class has just got a new student! :P The 8th post(can you believe it?) revolves around new admissions. 

New students are always an object of curiosity for the old ones. We see a new face and we immediately start thinking of ways of talking to him/her. Most of the students encircle the new admission. Fortunately, I've never had that experience of being surrounded by strange faces on my first day in a new school. 

What are the common questions that new students have to answer? Here, are a few examples :

1. What is your name?

2. Where are you from?

3. Why did you come here? : Now, this one's a funny question. What do you mean when you ask why did i come here? That makes you sound so not friendly.

4. A little too competitive students like me would ask : What was your percentage last year? :P I know I shouldn't do that. But, who wouldn't like to make sure that their position is secured? :P

Now, there are some who wouldn't directly come and talk to you. They will, by underhand means, try and acquire information. Why? I am not going to eat you up! 

But, here's the truth : I too do that sometime(Okay, fine! All the time) :P

There are lots of negative points about being a new student. But, I'll just talk about one of them and that is that every single period, you'll have to stand up and introduce yourself. The students are the actual culprits. The moment the teacher's inside the class, they will scream out loud, "There's a new student in the class!"(As if it is giving them immense joy!). And then the teacher will ask, "Where?". The new student will have to stand up and smile(no matter how unwillingly) and answer the teacher's queries(they are the same questions such as those asked by the students). -_- 

Another thing about new students is that they remain new students for almost an entire year! 

I joined a new school a month ago. It is awkward but you can't help it. But, here are some handy tips :

1. Be polite

2. Talk with everyone who approaches and you too 'go' and talk to some people

3. Try and make a good impression on the teachers(it always helps)

4. Stick around with good girls/boys... It may be hard to understand who's a good company at first, but you'll eventually know...

I know when my family members(especially my mum and aunt) read this post, they are going to say, "You too ought to follow the second step", 'cause the truth is I never follow my second rule(or rather, the second part of it). :P

If you're a new-comer, I know it can be hard, but you'll have to adjust(I am so going to listen to these sentences again from mum and my aunt today). :P

Well, it's obvious, isn't it that we love new students? For some unknown reason, we're always excited to have new admissions in our class! I am sure most of you will agree! 

With that I wrap up my 8th post(I still can't believe it) under #LifeOfAStudent. But, here's a funny quote for you : 

“Once in a while our school has half days, and the teachers spend the afternoon 'in service,' which I think must be a group therapy for having to deal with us.” :D :D
― Neal Shusterman, Bruiser

#LifeOfAStudent Post 7 : Decisions

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back...

If you haven't guessed it already, my seventh post under #LifeOfAStudent is about choices and decisions that we take as a student.

There are so many decisions that we have to take every day, every moment. I just decided that I'll write a post on my blog instead of watching Princess Diaries 2 on TV. You  just took the decision of reading my post(Well, I thank you for that). As a student, you'll face multiple choices and you'll have to pick the right one(sounds similar to MCQs, right?).

Like Robert Frost, in the above poem, you may contemplate a lot before taking a decision or you may decide impulsively. Either way, it's you who will be in charge of everything that'll happen in your life. And so you need to choose wisely. 

We, as students, have to choose too! Do we want to sit on the first bench or the last? Do we want to stay in the class or bunk? Do we want to listen to the teacher or ourselves do all the talking? The answer to the above questions will probably be the second option for most of us, I guess! :P But, then life won't just throw us simple questions such as the ones listed above. 

"What do you want to become?". Some day we'll have to answer that question. It can be confusing but I believe that there will always be a moment when you won't have to look for an answer. You'll know. 

Today's topic probably sounds boring. But, you know what? We have to face the boring part of a student's life too sometime. 

Do we need to start worrying because we haven't made up our minds about what we want to become yet? Nope! Take your time and decide. It doesn't matter if you make a wrong decision. Sometimes, setbacks lead you to where you are supposed to be(Force of attraction, you know!). :D

So, taking decisions can be boring and even scary. But, they are a part of your life and if you are a student, you better be prepared for them. 

To end my post, I'll write down the last paragraph of  The Road Not Taken(the poem I started this post with)...

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference. 

#LifeOfAStudent Post 6 : Bunking

When you make a list of all the illegal stuff that students do, you'll find bunking right on top of the list! So, my 6th post under #LifeOfAStudent is about bunking classes!

We love getting free periods. Everyone jumps up with joy when they find out that a particular teacher's absent. But, such fairy tale- like moments are few. The teachers hardly ever are absent and most of the time, our free periods are taken up by some of the other subject teachers. Unfair? You bet! But, we as students have a solution for every problem(of course I am talking about the problems other than those in the maths book). The solution for no free periods and boring classes is... BUNKING!

You're bored sitting in the classroom. You have a look at your watch. The hands are stuck at 11.15 since the last 40 minutes. Slowly(you don't want the teacher to notice), you take out the diary to check which subject you have in the next period. "No!!!!", your body screams out in unison when they see History written under the 5th period column on Tuesday.But then the bulb lights up(not literally) and a mischievous grin spreads across your face. That is when you are going to bunk... :P

Neither am I an expert in bunking nor have I had any close interaction with someone who bunks regularly. So, I really can't say how can you  bunk. I think pretending to go to the washroom and staying there for eternity is something that you can do. But, it has two negative points. First, washroom's don't come on my list of good hang-out places. Second, in case you do decide to hang out in the bathroom for forty minutes(the length of a class), you'll need company. But, if you do take your friend(s) along, you might make your absence in the class noticeable.

You can go to the field. But, that's a risky area. If you are caught by the Games' teachers, you'll end up spending the entire day in front of the Principal's office. And that too doesn't come on my list of good hang-out places! :P

If you thought that I haven't ever bunked a class, you're wrong! You can stop gaping at the words you just read because I don't feel bunking an art class is much of a heroic deed. I had taken up art and painting as an extra class in school in standard 8 and 9. I had just Aru to bear that with me. So, when she decided to take part in the Farewell dance, all hell broke loose. I was never going to take part in the Farewell dance. But, I didn't want to bore myself to death in the art class either. It was my decision to go for art and painting, but I seriously repented my decision. Aru was the only good thing about it. We would chat away in the class. Uj was dancing too(that was obvious). Praga wasn't. So, we bunked our respective classes to watch their practice! 

Yep! I did bunk. 

I think I bunked my art classes on two consecutive Fridays. But, I don't think one can blame me for that. I guess my teacher thought that I was preparing my speech(I was the MC for the farewell, you see!). It took me an enormous amount of courage to bunk. And I remember, sticking to the door all the time. My eyes would always look outside. I was so scared that a teacher might turn up. 

On the last Friday before the Farewell, Praga and I were there in the school hall along with the entire group of dancers. No one was really practicing that day(They all were almost bunking). It was almost time for dismissal when someone said that one of our teachers is coming towards the hall! I was so damn scared. Praga too! We hid behind the first thing we could see in that empty hall : the pillar(it was wide enough to cover me). We stood there silently. We could hear the teacher speak to the dancers. For the first time, I really experienced that rush of adrenaline. But, the adrenaline was of waste as after a few minutes, the teacher left. Praga and I laughed so much after that and we still remember that day so well!

Thank God for the pillar! :P

That was my bunking experience. Even though, we weren't caught, it'll take me a greater amount of courage to do it again. Bunking's illegal. You miss out on your classes and surely you would regret later. But, bunking an art class is no harm. I still received an A at the end of the year! :P

P.S : My bunking experience should remain a secret between us. Promise?

#LifeOfAStudent Post 5 : Monitors

Q. Who are monitors?
Ans : Poor blokes who committed serious sins in their previous birth and as a punishment have been made monitors of the class. In other words, they are also people who are hated by almost all in the classroom. #LifeOfAStudent Post 5 is about these unfortunate people.

One might think that the students who are chosen as monitors belong to the class teacher's good books. But, ask me about it and I'll say that the teachers hold a special grudge against the students whom they choose as monitors!

The bell rings and the students breathe a sigh of relief since the period has just got over. But, the joy's momentary. The moment you turn back or lean to one side to talk to your friend, you'll hear a blunt voice say, "Don't talk!" or worse one of your classmates will ask you to look at the black board where your name will be etched in chalk. What's worse? The handwriting's going to be illegible and more often your name is going to misspelled.

And then you'll stare at the monitor with narrowed eyes but with no effect on her/him. You'll have to sit quiet for quite some time before that unsympathetic person would rub your name off! You breathe a sigh of  relief again. The teacher has entered the class. You again turn back or lean to one side to talk to your friend and this time you hear another voice, a sharper one, say. "Don't talk!". The first thought that comes to your mind then is, "When are we supposed to talk then?".

But, why would anyone like to be a monitor?
You'll have to mind the class even if your throat's sore, shout on top of the voice, get strange looks from the students and be an object of hatred for them, carry books and papers to and from the staff room and blah blah blah. The worst part is that you yourself can't talk because that's when the teacher's comment comes flying towards you, "The monitor herself is talking!". :P

There is also another negative aspect about being the monitor. You forgot that you were supposed to solve the problems of page number 56 and its only when you reach the school that you realise. The other students are smart enough to do all the pending work in that short period of time that they get in between two classes. But, if you are the monitor, you'll have to mind or carry the notebooks to the staff room once the class gets over! Poor you! :P

The class is shouting. You are shouting too. But, who cares about your shouting? A teacher from the adjacent classroom peeps in through the back door to check what's going on. Angrily she would ask the names of all those students who were shouting. As a monitor you'll blurt out the first names that come  to your mind(Here, you can make use of your power and tell the names of those students whom you don't like. Smart, huh? Thank me!). The named students are asked to get out of the class 'immediately'. When you look at their eyes glaring at you, while they are moving out of their classrooms, you realise that you've made a few enemies today. :P

The worst part of having your friend as the monitor is that in order to be unbiased towards you, she'll start behaving against you! :P But, there are plus points too! Your name will never reach the teacher for disobedience or talking! :P

I know all this because I've not just had my friends as monitors but I've also had the experience of being one (once i had remained the monitor for almost a year)!

Every class has a monitor or two. And so monitors are an inevitable part of a student's life.  I think with all the above points, I've been successful in making you believe that monitors seriously are unfortunate people. So, you still in for becoming one? :P

#LifeOfAStudent Post 4 : Eating illegally

Students are bound to do illegal things! It's like breaking rules gives us a certain pleasure that nothing else can equal. Now, let me make this clear again. In the above sentence, I was talking about the general category of students. I am an exception because breaking rules makes me frantic with the worry of getting caught! :P
So, my third post under #LifeOfAStudent is about one of the(many) things that students illegally do : Eating in the class room!

There is a feeble noise of something getting opened. You know, immediately, that someone's opened the lunch box. The air now smells of the food item contained in it. Then the guessing game begins! "Where is the smell coming from?", is the first question. When we spot the culprit, the first sentence should have ideally been, "Why are you eating in the classroom? Its not allowed!", but, you can't expect words like that coming out of our mouths. The first sentence is "Planning it to eat it all by yourself? Give it to us idiot!". And then the passing of lunch boxes begin. It is an art, you know, to pass the lunch box from one part of the classroom to another without the teacher having any idea. Let me take you through the steps involved :

Step 1 : Figure out the best possible way of getting the lunch box from your friend or classmate who's eating.
Step 2 : Ask her to give it to the nearest boy/girl.
Step 3 : You'll have to do a bit of bargaining with the ones who'll be transporting the lunch box as they are likely to smuggle in some food while passing it to the next person and you'll be left with nothing in the end. Make sure the box doesn't remain with them for too long. You can do that by repeatedly asking them to pass.
Step 4 : You've got the priced possession in your hands. But, the teacher's right in front of you. How would you take in the food? Go and ask this question to any one from standard six and above and they'll laugh at you. But, I'll be sympathetic enough to share with you the secret of eating food in the classroom : Pretend to lay your head on the table. Fiddle with your pencil and then accidentally drop it on the floor. Make sure you drop it right under your bench! Make an exasperated expression on your face and bend down to pick up the pencil. While your head is down, take in the food.
Step 5 : Swallow the entire thing up before you get up again. Your mouth should be clean, with no tits and bits stuck in your teeth. And most importantly, make sure you do actually pick up the pencil! :P

And with that the mission gets completed. Your stomach might not have been satisfied but your heart always is! After all, this is regarded as one of the most daring things to do(at least I regard it so).

It is illegal, no doubt. But, everyone enjoys it! You know what is better than secretly eating food in class? Looking at those people who are desperately trying to eat without getting noticed! :P They are hilarious to look at, seriously! :D

Its a good thing to do if you're stomach is growling like a bear and even if its not. We don't need a reason to eat. And we definitely don't need a reason to eat in class! :P

Beware : Sometimes the teachers do catch you eating. In that case its just not your day! :P

#LifeOfAStudent Post 3 : When we turn singers

How often have we heard our classmates humming songs during the classes? :D So, the third post under #LifeOfAStudent is about singing in the classroom.

You are sitting quietly and obediently writing down all that the teacher's saying when suddenly your partner starts humming songs. It can be a distraction, believe me. Sometimes, the humming becomes so loud that you have to strain your ears in order to catch the teacher's words. 

But, we're no different. Everyone loves songs. And sometimes the magic of music is so strong that even the worst of the singers start blaring their cacophonies. :P No one really minds unless of course the teacher's dictating notes. Often, people join in. And then in the centre of the class you'll find a choir. Not everyone will be a good singer, but they'll all be singing anyway. 

I remember a really funny incident from standard eight. I don't really remember the details of the event but it happened during our final term exams. I had finished writing my exam. My partner, a year junior to me, was either still writing or revising(I don't clearly remember. I guess its time for some almonds). I drank a good amount of water(I always do that after I finish writing) and since I had nothing to do, I laid my head down on the table. My head was towards my partner's paper. Then I, all of a sudden, started humming loudly. Not very loudly, but loud enough for my partner to look at me with a crazy, bewildered expression on her face. I immediately stopped. Although I felt like laughing out loud, I controlled my emotions... :P 

So, precisely that is when you lose control. Music is that good! 

You know what? It may sound strange and hysterical but when I am writing my examinations, there's always some song going on in my head. So, I'll be writing that the Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757 and in my head this will be going on : "Even the best fall down sometimes. Even the wrong words seem to rhyme. Out of the doubt that fills my mind. I somehow find, You and I collide." I know that's weird but believe me, even my friends have the same experience.

I know you would call us insane, but Praga and I always have a discussion about the song that was running in our minds while we were writing our papers, after the exams get over. 

So, never stop yourself from expressing your heart's elation even if you're the worst singer in the world. And where else can you express yourself other than the class room? :D Bathroom's another option but then you won't find company there. ;)

#LifeOfAStudent Post 2 : School Bags

You can't go to a school without a school bag on your shoulders! It is probably the most important part of a student's life. So, how can I not write it under #LifeOfAStudent? 

You'll find school bags of so many sizes, designs and colours. There are some with just two parts, one for the books and one for the lunch box. Then there are some with several parts, one for keeping the notebooks, one for books, one for lunch box and so on. Some bags have small pockets in the inside which are being used by the students very skilfully to bring illegal items to school(I, however, do not belong to that daring class of students). :P

There is one negative aspect of school bags. They are very heavy! I believe my school bag would weigh anywhere near 5 kgs if I place it on a weighing machine. :/  

In the vans, which take us to school, the first sentence that greets a child is, "Take your bags off". And if a child sits with his bags on, almost everyone curses the child for not allowing them to sit comfortably. In school, the bag is placed either on the seat or on the floor.  When the bag is placed between two people sharing a seat, it can lead to arguments. Seriously! "You keep your bag on the floor", one would say and the other would reply, "You put your's down". This is one of the problems of not having a good partner. You definitely can't keep your bags on the seat when your partner or you yourself occupy too much of space. Two healthy people(healthy - the polite word for fat) on one bench leads to the bag being kept on the floor. But no one's likes placing their bags on the floor! "They'll get dirty", is the reason given. :P

The main problem arises when you're sitting with a person of the opposite sex and you decide to keep your bags on the floor because that's when all the "oohs- aahs" begin. Sick, I know! :P

During the rainy season, every student has just one concern : his/her school bag! They would do anything to save them! They would covers their bags with their raincoats and will themselves get wet. Of course, they won't admit that they are loving getting wet in the rain in fear of the scoldings they would receive from teachers or parents. :P 

And when the rain seeps in through our bags to our precious books, that's when we start cursing the bags! But, they aren't at fault. We should have controlled our desires to get drenched. :P

So bags, of all sizes and shapes, are important. They are a part of a student. His/Her identity. How often have we heard sentences like, "That boy with the red bag" or "The girl with barbie bag"? :D

By the way, I've got a red one. What about you? :)

#LifeOfAStudent Post 1 : Partner

You can never fully like school if you haven't got a good partner by your side! :P So my first post under #LifeOfAStudent is going to be about partners(or rather, good partners).

When the teacher announces, "I am going to change your places in the next class", each one of us suddenly pretends to be as quiet as a mouse during the classes. It's actually a terrible thing. No one wants to sit away from their friends. And all of us know it for sure that the teacher's never really going to make us sit with our friends... :P

We dread the day. We pray for good partners(at least I do). But, then the day finally arrives! "Oh no!" is on everybody's mouth. Some of us luckily get good partners. Some of us don't! I've had some great partners and some really boring ones too. Aru, Uj and Praga make really good partners. When I got shuffled into 9B I was actually very nervous thinking who would I sit with. I CANNOT SIT ALONE! That's when I got Ananya as my partner. I wasn't sure about her as a partner. Nevertheless, we took our seat on the first bench of the class, right in front of the teacher's desk. I probably never told her, but she is one hell of a good partner. Crazy, full of poor jokes to crack and just mad! But, yeah, I did enjoy sitting with her! And when the places of all the students were changed, I did her miss her.

As a partner, I would rate myself 6 or 7 on a scale of 10 and that's because I can be a little boring at times. I won't talk much when the class is going on and I am definitely not the person who cracks a lot of jokes(not even the poor ones). :P I love sitting with all my troposphere friends. They'll make me laugh even if I don't. And they are my best friends! How can I not love sharing a bench with them?

I have had some of the best days in standard 7. We had so much fun as our seating arrangement had remained the same for almost the entire year. We used to have a big laugh everyday, every period! Ah, nostalgia!

But then I have had boring partners too! And when I say boring, I mean boring! Its always bad when you you have to sit with someone who doesn't really talk to you, keeps quiet, doesn't agree with you nor disagrees. :P I am afraid, sometimes I behave like one of those boring partners. Sorry! :P

Like I said above, it's always bad when you have to sit with a person who doesn't really talk to you. You know what's worse? Sitting with someone who talks too much! Believe me I've had the honour of sitting with some of the most talkative girls. And I hate it so much! That's when the people around you are of help. Thank you Sabiha, Vags, Ekta and Sonika for you-know-what! :P

Here in my new school, things took a good turn(if only momentarily) when we are asked to sit according to our roll numbers. I am now sitting next to two crazy girls whom I seem to like quite a bit. If only we continue to sit in the same way after Monday, i.e, after we're done with our tests(we are only sitting according to our roll numbers because of the on-going tests).

So, that's the end of my first post under #LifeOfAStudent. Hope all of you get good partners this year. Make sure to pray for a good one for me! ;) :P