Mastering via Distance: Part Six

The Final Project

The last semester was a project submission. For college students, it was internship in any of the IT companies for six months. For IDOL students, there were two options. We could show any of our live projects from office or find some real IT scenario project to work on. So easy naa to show a already prepared and working project but the Head Coordinator made it tough for all of us. It was the last Sunday of April 2016; we all met at Santacruz station and boarded bus no. 313 to reach the Mumbai University. We had to report here for all project related activities. The IDOL building always reminds of the countless visits we made for filling forms and collection of mark-sheets and what not. We were told to assemble in one of the rooms on first floor for project assignments. The Head Coordinator Ambuja Ma'am and Bhavesh Sir were going accept or reject the projects. Luck never smiles on me at first attempt. My project was rejected. Actually only five to six projects were accepted that day that too from the live projects category. We really did not understand what was expected. Frankly speaking if a company had assigned a project to you that means its going to be worth to do. Why will the company spend on project cost and your salary to get it completed. The name reminded us of Ambuja cement, so adamant! I left disappointed around 12pm. For the other project category, their projects weren't even heard, instead they were replaced by all of the University projects which either had to be developed from scratch or required some enhancement or modification. I got to know all these post lunch stories from the WhatsApp group. So it wasn't just me who had to think on some other project. Half May was gone and I prepared another Synopsis but again it was rejected. Hell with those people, I was determined to demo the very same project in the finals. By the last week of May, we had to submit Design Document and Data dictionary. I completed it on time and mailed accordingly. But there were no reverts from University to any student. What was going on!! Mid June the list of topics for black book preparation and date of submission was displayed on the site. It was tedious job to prepare the project documentation with a project to go-live on the very same day. But Namrata helped through the formatting bit and also fill some details under some headers. The last Saturday of June was completely spent in making in the documentation and it got extended till Sunday afternoon. The tension thing was getting the black book in hand on that the very evening and current state was the soft-copy of documentation in pen-drive. Nikita proposed a Xerox shop in Vasai near station where they make a black book in two hours. Sujata and me had faith of our friend but were still unsure of getting the book. We reached Vasai to Xerox shop. There was a Beer shop next to it. We were determined if not the black book then we are gonna take away the beer bottles. Whatever Nikita said was absolutely correct. Sujata and me saw the making of black book and after two hours it was in our hands.

Black book in the making .....

 

First, two copies of printouts were taken of the documentation. It was given to us for rechecking. Meanwhile the Xerox boy was making the black cover with golden emboss. There was a different printer for this. The cover sheet printout was scanned and the black sheet was inserted into the printer and thus the sheet got an golden emboss print. It was kept to dry for a while. The set of hard copies were stapled and covered with thick white sheets from front and back. It was raining outside and we both were enjoying the rain and drinking mango fruity. The black sheets were ready to use now. Two card-boards were pasted on the opposite side of the black sheet; it was the front and back cover. The card-boards were then covered with sheet similar to the way we cover the books. Then the card-boards were covered with thick white sheets. The white sheet was such that half of it covered the cardboard and half of it will be attached to the set of document printout. The long edge of the printout set was pasted to the center; space between the two card-boards. The other side of the thick white sheets were attached to the front and back of the set of printout. Hence, the black book was prepared. Similarly the other three books were done while we were thinking of what all will be asked during the final project viva. 

Finally it was 29th June, 2016: the last day of the course. I was working in my office till I got a call from Sujata that our viva will happen in next half an hour. I took a rick and reached University in two minutes. There was a lunch break so we had to wait. Post lunch my presentation was the first. The demo went really well and I could answer all the viva questions. Next was Sujata; after that we hieved a sigh of relief that at last the three years course is over. Around 4pm, I went back to office and she left for home. So in this way the last angle of the hexagonal journey was completed.

Read from start: Mastering via Distance: Part One