Brain Freeze

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

CGPU Chronicles.

CGPU, the Career Guidance & Placement Unit of the College of Engineering, Trivandrum. The place made of gossamer dreams and concrete walls, the mystical land of opportunity, where students enter quivering and come out into the adult world.

We were the proud flag-bearers for the CGPU, the batch of 2002-06.
The torch has been passed, and what's left are the bitter-sweet memories of the last year, locked up in the treasure trove of the past.

In some ways, I want to inform my juniors what is in store for them, both as representatives and students. Because, well, the responsibility of the CGPU is on every student alike.

The first rule of the CGPU: You DON'T talk about the CGPU... Okay, just kidding! Yeah, it was a lot of work. A lot of late nights, and later work, Excel spreadsheets (which I take great pride in updating) and the rolling numbers, loads of bugging students and staff alike, but as the time went by, the joy in the work grew.
The actual first rule ought to be: You're not working for your class, you're working for the college. 3 days into the process, the divisions of Electronics, Mechanical, Electrical etc disappear. What's left behind is this thought, "How the hell are we going to place the rest of the students in my college?"
The sooner the thought crosses your mind, the more pride you take in your college and your small part in it, and the more seriously you will take your responsibilities.
The second rule is, of course, you will enjoy yourself. Trust me, you'll miss the days that there are no companies on campus and the days that you can't meet the others.
One of the questions a senior asked me (bless her!) when I told her I was the placement rep whilst preparing for CAT was, "Shruti, are you sure you can handle it?". Actually, I am not even sure how the year would have panned out without this huge bright spot of joy in my life.
I am going to remark about how I saw one of my friends cry for joy when he got placed. He was calling up his parents, his grandparents, his neighbours, his... well, you get the drift. Of course, I was there to lend him moral support in the form of pulling his specs off, laughing at him and then blackmailing him. :D
Well, what can I say? I am heartless... But, children, you don't be! The euphoria of seeing 100-odd people get their jobs is something that can never be replicated.
No, working for the CGPU is not a piece of cake. You'll learn about what makes people tick, you'll be under a lot of mental and emotional stress for some days, but you will come through all of it. You will be the stronger for all of it.
But... (and this is most significant)... BUT, you'll need to be true to yourself and your work.
Please take on responsibility only if you think you will carry it on whole-heartedly. And, this is a lesson for life.

Okay, enough of the dreary talk.
I had a blast, guys....
Thanks for all the fun.
Love
Shruti

This post is dedicated to those awesome friends I made, Samson sir, KK, Vinod sir & yeah, Lallu, Balu, Ashok, Tina & Tina for being our mentors.
The CGPU rocks!
All the best to our juniors with their placements and their lives!

Copy-write Shrutz :: 8:36 AM :: 7 Sneaky Remarks:

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