Undergoing a Graduation: Year Three

The Conclusion

Finally, the final year! We had to complete a project for Sem VI, so most of us did join coaching classes for the technologies which we were to implement on the project. We were either using VB (Visual Basic) or .Net as front end and SQL (Structured Query Language) as backend. I joined for VB and SQL along with Yojana and group at Kalpesh Dedhia Sir's classes at Matunga Central. Classes started in May and I had to board Central lines from Dadar for reaching Matunga. During those days, I vividly remember of Pavitra Rishta posters all around Dadar station. College started on 8th June and we all had to submit Project Synopsis to Mandar Sir for finalizing the project and start with the project work. This year the exams would be Board Exams like we had for SSC and HSC. We did buy the heavy books of VB and SQL and xeroxed notes for the rest subjects. The benevolent Shweta Parulekar was our official xerox copies coordinator; she used to bring copies from Elphinstone Road at lower rates than our college xerox shop. Frankly speaking the Xerox shops were in more demand than Book shops. Again the morning practical sessions started for VB and SQL. Post lectures we reached our class via the Z-bridge (which connected Matunga Road, Western line to Matunga central line). IS (Internet Security) was interesting to learn for different types of viruses, trojans, cyber attacks, etc. Hearing to the recent news on hacking and going through its details; it seems like whole of IS got revised! We also had an elective subject MIS (Management Information System) which had chapters on management and information and system. We had to prepare a case study for MIS based on the subject of our project. Another elective subject was ES (Embedded System) wherein we got the understanding of how electronic appliances work. Even here we had to prepare a CS by choosing any of the electronic machine and learn thoroughly about its working. I prepared a CS on HP All in One Printer and Scanner; some other topics were microwave, dishwasher, coffee machine, ATM, etc etc. We got a week holiday in Mid August due credit to Swine Flu ruling all over. I enjoyed the Ganesh Festival a lot. Firstly we all worshiped Pallavi's home ganpati and then Yojana's; following this we toured all the Sarvajanik Ganpatis of Elphinstone Road. Yojana was our guide on the tour and we did get to watch story scenes at few Pandals. Then again all the Sarvajanik Ganpatis of Matunga Central. Project-wise we were done with Event table, DFD, ERD, Database design but it kept changing after reviews. The Case Study submissions and viva were crucial since the marks we score would be added up to Internal Assessment. There were three batches; at a time three students were in the small IT lab on second floor each for a CS. Rest of us were waiting in queue and sitting on the stairs for our turn. The board exam were from 16th Nov to 25th Nov at Kirti College, Dadar. So there was taxi catching exercise at Dadar Kabutar Khana for four of us (Shweta, Supriya, Prajakta and me). On completion of all the papers, we did click the Bandra Worli sealink. In search of a Chinese restaurant, we ended up having lunch at Hotel Visawa. Now we got a short and much needed vacation after all the case studies and practicals and viva and theory. College reopened; lectures and practicals of C# were started by Saroj Kanojia Ma'am. Now we had Mondays off for doing project work. IT (Internet Technologies) included RMI, CORBA, Socket Programming, etc. There were two management subjects: CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and PM (Project Management). Apart from C#, there was a confusion as to which reference books to read exactly because there were no direct answers to the question bank. Books of Vipul Prakashan were to our rescue. Days celebration started in December. Since it was final year; most of my classmates did dress traditionally: girls in Navvari sarees and boys in kurtas and dhotis with phetas. Many memories were captured in the cameras that day. Form designing was in full swing and everyone was damn serious about project now. On 24th Feb, results were out and to my surprise I ranked first and was the only one with Distinction. Again the Case Studies and practical exam routine task; but this was the last time. The last time to pick up question chits and perform practicals; submit the assignments and tutorials. Project documentation was a big task; we had to submit the black book by 5th April; so there was rush for printing and Golden Emboss binding and certificate. The benevolent Smriti did help me with all the document formatting on her laptop. Post black book submission, we had the final semester exam at Mahendra Pratap Sharda Prasad Singh College, Bandra. Our exam rooms were on 5th floor and there was no lift for students. What an amazing exercise to do as good luck before each paper! The project demo and viva was on 17th May (for the last batch). The few of us were Smriti & Priyanka, Vaishali Ghogare & Tauseef Kazi, Prajakta Sawant and me. The external examiner did not reach college on time due to some personal emergency. So Mandar Sir took the viva and demo. Don't know whether our batch was lucky or not so lucky! Project demos were completed by 11am and we had to wait till 2:30pm for the external examiner's signature on the black book. The journey was complete and nostalgia began then.

Those morning practicals, those afternoon lectures, 

Those assignment submissions, those copying tutorials, 

Those lecture bunks and outings, 

Those case studies and stairs seats, those canteen snacks, 

Those xeroxing and printing, those whitener marks, 

Those all turning twenties, 

Those were the graduation days

Read from start : Undergoing a Graduation: Year One