Counselling@VIT( 24th and 25th June)

I am back again with my daily updates.


Phew!! I am done with the story. I am too lazy to type but blogging has made me do it regularly so at times I give my pen and paper some rest.


Last week I was in my college VIT for M.Sc Counselling. I had been called for attending it. My condition was still worse, I had got a pretty good rank in Manipal also and I had the course of my choice there but Manipal's counseling was scheduled after VIT's. I had no choice so I had to take chances in both places.


I went to Katpadi by Kovai express which is from Chennai. I was a bit late again and I had to wait for the local train which just left when I reach St. Thomas Mount.

My uncle said, " If you reach Park station by 6:05 you can catch Kovai otherwise you have to take a bus."

He started giving me options and I was not listening to them much because I had set one thing in my mind, reach Park and run............. I knew I would make it so I wasn't tensed. I was very calm.

The same thing happened. I reached Park at 6:05 and then I started running right from the moment I got down from the train. I had to cross the subway and then again run almost a km to enter Chennai Central. By then I was used to running but I was panting that day. Why? My legs gave away... may be because I had very less sleep or may be coz it was early morning and I didn't eat anything and neither did I have the time to drink water. I was gasping.. I looked at my watch, it said 6:09. I had 6 min. That was a lot.

I said, " Jai Bajrang Bali aaj mujhe shakti do and I ran again.

My muscles pulled and I wanted water but there was no time. Thanks to the biological system, my saliva was enough to quench my thirst. I saw the platform number in which Kovai was there. Seeing my destination nearer I slowed down a bit and got a bottle of water. It was 6:12. I had 3 min. I rememebered my coach number and seat number. I eneterd the train and sat. What a relief!! Again victory. When I was in VIT we took this train generally to reach college on time but we never sat. 2 hours passed just like that standing near the door , enjoying the fresh air in the morning and then paying the fine if the TT came. :)

That day time seemed to fly. I didn't get time to think. I took out my book ' Seizure' by Robin Cook to read but I didn not feel like. I closed my eyes and then I realized it was 7:30 already. How did time pass so soon?? Did i sleep? If I didn't then was I day dreaming?or was I in a lost world? By the time I realized Katpadi station was there. I didn't even see my college from the train!! :(


I luckily got my friend to accompany me in the auto. She had also come for the counselling. The moment we entered the campus the guard asked us in Tamil, “ID card enga ma?”(Where’s your ID card?)

We said, “Naanga VIT students’ ille anna.”(We are not VIT students.)

We said that as we didn’t have any other go then. We didn’t have the time to explain to him that we were pass outs and had come for the counselling, so that we become a part of this university again. I was feeling so bad when I said that but it was a fact. There was no proof that I was a VITian once except the student records bearing my name. I could actually take advantage of it too. The guard knew our face so he looked at us again mysteriously but didn’t say anything. We had to assemble near the Anna Auditorium for our counseling. We met some of our classmates who had joined VIT for MBA. There was so much of commotion near ANNA that we had to make our way through to find out what was the reason. There were six to seven big notice boards with the names of the candidates called for the counseling along with their rank. It was an alphabetic order so I didn’t have much problem. There was my name with rank-7 written beside it. Whoa!! I got an All India 7th rank. Good one but we know how easy it is to score in VIT if one works for it. My friend was also not far away. She got the 12th rank. Mostly VIT students only in the top ranks but the 1st rank went to someone else. Surprise actually, but good that someone else got it but no use, none of them came so it was only the VIT students who entered the counseling room first. We took our course and then went for the medical check up.

It was very organized and at every step I went I could only get one question, “Nee VIT student thaane? (You are a VIT student only, right?)

“Yes ma’am/sir”, was my answer.

I was happy to meet many of my classmates as well my roomie Aashi after long. It was somewhat exciting but still I wasn’t feeling so comfortable. I didn’t know the reason why?

This process got over and I was roaming with Aashi as she wanted to pay the fees for hostel and tuition that day itself. We had to run up and down as usual according to VIT. They make it a point that we loose some calories. Things aren’t that easy. Then I went to the Student’s record to collect my TC as well as Transcripts. Our certificates weren’t ready so if we had to get something it had to be through this so called ‘running procedure’ which means, get signatures from at least 3 authorities.
That was normal as we had mastered this act after 3 years.


I was actually seeing this kind of counselling procedure for the first time. I saw the number of seats reducing and the LCD monitor was showing it. There was no organization after three hours had passed. It ought to be. 790 students had been called for the counselling, though all didn’t turn up. There were parents who had come from different states and from places I had never expected. I was the first to finish with my work so I started talking to every parent who seemed confused and didn’t know what to do. When I told them that I was VIT student they felt all the more relieved. Questions about the college, faculty, placements etc etc. I could answer them in a very brief way telling them what was the actual picture and I felt happy doing that. Most of them were complaining of the disorganization but I consoled them saying that this system wasn’t there when I was taking admission 3 years back. At least they had something better this time.

I was on the stage where the crowd was more. One of the authorities whom I knew was seeing me there from quiet a long time. He called me and asked me, “Your counselling got over long back I think. Then what are you doing here? Go home.”

I said, “Yes sir. I am done but I am helping my friends.”

I saw some students whom I had met in some of the examination centers where I had gone a month back to give competitive exams like JNU, Pondicherry University, Manipal etc. I spoke to them and got an idea about their plans. They actually loved VIT . It was all done by 5 pm.

Aashi’s hostel admission was still going on and I was waiting outside ANNA when a slim girl came up to me and said, “Did you recognize me?”

I was actually confused. I generally don’t forget people or do I forget the faces if I have spoken to them but this time, I actually took time.

“Hum Pondicherry exam ke time mile the. Yaad hai?”she said excitedly.

“Oh!! Haan yaad aaya,” I said getting the whole picture clearly.

“Main tumhein poore campus mein kal se dhoond rahi hoon aur aaj tum mili ho,”she said.

“Kyun? Kya hua?”I asked her.

“Tumhein thank you kehna tha,” she said with a smile and brought three more girls who were standing nearby.

I didn’t know what was happening. I asked her, “Thank you kyun?”

“Tumhare chalet hum sab ka yahaan itne achche college mein admission hua hai,”she added.

Then, I got the point. I was in Kolkata for the Pondicherry University exam and there in the examination hall I started talking as usual to the people around just to get general information about them. This girl was interested in doing Bio Medical Genetics so I told her that VIT had no entrance exam and it had only admission only on the basis of marks. M.Sc BMG in VIT is quite good so I suggested her and gave her the website. I was also supposed to take her phone number but they went out of the exam hall very early and I lost track. After one month this girl comes up to me and says this. I felt so happy that I was of some good.

She said, “Achcha tumhara naam kya hai?”

We had spoken so much but didn’t know each others name. We exchanged our numbers and then she said, “Tumhara college bahut achcha hai yaar.”

I was all the more elated. I felt so proud when I heard this from her. It was a good experience for me. I felt, TALKING helps.


The next day, my cousin brother was also going to take admission in VIT for MCA and I was roaming with him too for the campus tour. Anyone would like. VIT is like that.

I actually got a chance; I went with him to the BOYS HOSTEL. It wasn’t in a bus but by walk. I was walking very proudly and all the boys who came from the short cut were looking at me as if I were an alien. I had my aunt there so I had some support. Some, whom I knew exclaimed seeing me, “Tum kaise???? Who bhi yahaan?”

I was the happiest. It was my wish always to explore that part and here I was. I didn’t miss anything; in fact I went to ENZO or NZO whatever they call. I don’t remember the spelling. I went near J and H block and I was at the entrance. Of course I had to be stopped at some point but it was fun. I think at that time I was the only girl there who was a VITian. It might seem kiddish but I felt so proud to be there. I explored every nook and corner that could be explored by visitors.

Finally I did what I wanted to. Must thank my brother for it.