#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