BITS Pilani Goa Campus

I got admission at BPGC.The course is M.Sc. Chem. (Hons.). BITS gives the option of a dual degree also. So, I am hoping that when I pass out, I'll have an M.Sc. and a B.E. in CS or EEE. The branch for BE is allotted after 2nd semester depending on your CGPA. It'll have to be 8 or above to get CS.

I have to report on the 8th of August. So less time, so much to do.Loads of preparations, lots of shopping. I think I'm going to have a hectic but fun week.

You know, a great thing about being surprised with 4th iteration result of BITS was the sudden vanishing of the need to study. I had a lot of assignments and practice sheets lined up for Sunday and Monday (Coaching off). And I was sort of "How's it ever going to get done". And two moments later, my hanged computer came to life and Whoa! I was a college fresher. A Bitsian!!!!!!

God, truly great are thy ways.

Just six days left

I love my city but today I am really wishing i lived in a bigger metro. No bookshop here is getting the book on 21st. atleast, 3-4 days later. I'll have to go offline for those days lest i accidentally know the end.
I got this new countdown at leaky cauldron.I had to make the previous one. mouse over this one and see what i liked in it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows contd..

Some more confirmed information
For the previous post, click here.

• One of the classmates will become a teacher at Hogwarts - but not Harry, Ron or Hermione.
• The "Godric" in "Godric's Hollow" is not insignificant.The significance of the place where Harry and his parents lived - the first name... Godric Gryffindor
• We will find out a little bit more about Harry's grandparents.
• Aunt Petunia will not be able to do magic.
• The Brazilian title, "Harry Potter e as Relequias da Morte", translates into English as:"Harry Potter and the Relics of Death"
• There is yet more to come about Rita Skeeter: At the Edinburgh Book Festival, JKR said: "I actually quite like Rita. She is loathsome - morally, she's horrible - but I can't help admiring her toughness. She is very determined to do the job and there is something quite engaging about that. There is more to come on Rita."
• We will discover what Dudley saw when the Dementor approached in book five. Someone asked this in the World Book Day chat; JKR said, " Ah, good question. You'll find out! "
• Sirius may appear again, though in which form is uncertain. The infamous question from the World Book Day chat read, "If we ever see Sirius again, what form will he be in?" JKR said, "I couldn't possibly answer that for fear of incriminating myself."
• Wormtail's life-debt to Harry will come into play.
• James and Lily Potter's professions/more about their lives will be revealed.
• The gleam of triumph seen in Dumbledore's eyes at the end of book four is still enormously important.
  
• Mr. Weasley's car will appear.
  

Source : Leaky Cauldron

Unforgivable

I was submitting my blog to various blog directories. There is one called blogs by women. When I submitted my blog, it said that it will not accept blogs from India. Saying that they get invalid submissions is just not a valid reason for being so insulting.
""Sorry, we cannot accept postings from India. 99% of invalid submission are from there. ""

Seen my Blog Archive Calendar!

I got some new stuff on my blog today. The blog archive has been changed to a calendar format. Thanks to phydeaux3
And also, thanks to Sueblimely, who led me to the calendar.Hers is a great blog. Very useful and containing links to all sort of myriad utilities.

Studying Kinematics

Why forget Science?

Most of us have an idea that our illustrious heritage is awe-inspiring; but rarely do we include the Indian contribution to science in it. The reason for this is that centuries of foreign rule and westernisation have forced us to believe that science is a bestowal of Europe.
Evidence has been found that this subcontinent had made much progress in science 3000 years before Christ. The remains of the cities of the Indus Valley civilization- Mohanjodro and Harappa show that they were well-planned. And the water-supply system, drainage system etc. were very advanced. Their proficiency in farming, brick-making, industry and embroidery was of high acumen. The reason as to why such a leading, advanced civilization retrogressed is yet unknown.
The Aryans had developed very proficient systems of medicine, surgery and agriculture. The golden era of science in India was from 400BC to the sixth or seventh century. Science flourished amply in the rule of the Mauryas, the Shakas, the Kushanas and the Guptas. For the attainment of knowledge, the universities of Nalanda, Varanasi and Takshila were eminent.
But, after the Mughal attack in the twelfth century, India's ancient culture and knowledge did not reach any greater heights. The wisdom earned by Indians was translated into Persian and Arabic and thus went to Arab world and Europe.
When India was in stormy waters due to recurrent invasions, there was reawakening of science in Europe. Time was not in India's favour. Due to the Imperial rule, India could not become one of the forerunners of modern science. The only benefit that the British rule brought to India was that the language of education became English which was the language of modern science.
A new page opened in the history of science when India gained Independence. Research began and thrived in many fields. Today, India boasts of the largest reservoir of technically skilled people in the world. This is when India is still developing. Imagine what we would achieve when we will be a developed nation.

Joy to the World -KV COD

True joy of the heart and peace of the soul is what you will experience. A bewitching view is what thou shall see. You will stand mesmerized. And the place you would have reached will be my alma-mater Kendriya Vidyalaya COD. Sitting in the lap of nature, amidst serene, scenic surroundings, away from the blare of horns and noise of city traffic stands this institution. The school building has the backdrop of green hills giving it a picturesque view. When on a misty day, grey-black clouds float over the hilltops, the view is breath taking. When people talk about the panoramic landscapes that nature creates, they mention Shimla or Shillong, conversely; I will speak about my school.

Nature has bestowed its riches lavishly on the school. But, so has KVS administration. It has given the school a cluster of marvelous teachers who leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of leading students to their goals. I say that KVS has been generous to the school because it has also given competent staff apart from the teachers. As a student, I have found them really kind and helpful. And so have the others. While we were deciding the gifts for teachers on Teachers’ Day, there was a strong demand and consequently a unanimous agreement that we shall give the same gifts to them too.

Destiny gave me the company of these wonderful people only for one year. A year, which began with apprehensions on my side and expectations on the teachers’. The year ended with rewards and glory for me and uttering of “She could’ve done better” from the teachers. Whether I received any rewards or not, the year would have been special to me as it was spent in the company of fantastic classmates. You can perceive them as a bunch of teenagers whose high spirits rub on everyone around them. The pep and liveliness with which they approach life could leave you chirpy and cheerful until hell freezes over. Above all, our class shares a warmth that I can all but hold in my hands.

Friends are bound to be dear to a person. But, you know that it is something exceptional when you can say the same for your teachers. During the year gone by, I have shared a bond of intimacy with my teachers. I shall say that the world looks rosy when you know that somebody cares, and I mean really cares about you. You can sense the concern in their voices even when they are shouting at the class for not performing. You can see the pains they take, in the beads of sweat on their foreheads, when they’ve stayed after school to teach in sweltering heat; just, to ensure that your doubts are cleared. Remarkable people, aren’t they?

When I had to say goodbye to this magical place, I did not feel sad instead I felt as if my heat was being torn apart and would forever bleed for my friends and my teachers. The year shall be written with golden letters in my life, studded with diamonds. All that I can now say is:

“I am on a ship thinking of you. When I looked down, I dropped a tear into the ocean. And, I promised myself that until I find it, I won’t forget you…..”

A Street Kid’s Guide

(How to get from here to there)

It’s hard to get from here to there

If you never get out of bed.

You lie a lot to fool your friends

But you fooled yourself instead.

It’s harder to get from here to there

If you set your goals too high;

Then nothing ever works out right;

Too soon, you no longer try.

But the hardest way to get from here to there

Is when all you ever do

Is count up the years, and miles to go.

Then you’re through before you’re through.

So how do you get from here to there?

Well, you first must believe you can

Let no one tell you differently —

It’s your life and it’s in your hands.

Then turn your dreams into your goals

And see what you need now

To satisfy the requirements:

The why, the where and how.

At first you’re overwhelmed, of course;

There is so much you don’t know.

But keep your faith, be strong and sure,

For you do have a way to go.

Take careful steps and do them right,

Take pride in each thing done.

Don’t look too far ahead of yourself,

Just that next step yet to come.

Before you know it you’ll be there, friend,

Your dream will then be real.

And you’ll be standing where I am now,

Telling others how good it feels.

You’ll tell them not to quit themselves,

To have faith, though it’s hard to bear.

So they will know it can be done —

They, too, can get from here to there.

Jennings Michael Burch

Note: This poem was written by a person who was brought up in foster homes, did not even finish high school but succeeded on the basis of his own efforts. He wrote his autobiography “They Cage the Animals at Night”. Maybe a word here or a line there that might help you get through a rough time. I hope so…

Taken from the “Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II “.

My thoughts on Teachers and more...

A teacher is generally described as a subject expert who passes-on the knowledge of past generations to the new generation. But a school teacher is more than that. A school teacher is somebody who shapes his/her students' identities and changes the fundamental definition of what they are.

When young impressionable minds are placed under the care of school teachers, they learn not only that which is taught to them but much more. They learn to be honest and hard-working if their teachers are so, and learn those moral values that they see being practised and not those that are preached to them. In this respect, the importance of good teachers cannot be overemphasized. There have been umpteen cases where the effects of bad parenting have been overcome by good teachers. Teachers serve as role models for their pupils. They must be even more cautious of the imprint their actions shall leave on their students than parents. Due to the limitless problems of life, parents might not always be able to demonstrate righteous behaviour in front of their children. But, for teachers this is a comparatively easy task. After all, to be mindful of your Ps and Qs for six hours a day, for six days a week is not all that hard.

A teacher can change his/her students' lives forever.When a child enters the primary school; he/she learns simple things which are the foundations of future knowledge. Along with these, the moral values of an individual are also shaped during this period. Primary teachers contribute less in terms of degrees and diplomas but more in terms of persons and characters.Their words are the ultimate verdicts for their pupils.

Moving from primary to higher classes a kid grows and teachers begin to look more like human-beings than gods. Pupils discover that their teachers are not perfections but have their own frailties. And when the tidal waves of adolescence hit, teachers may be thought of only only in terms of their faults and shortcomings. But, this is neither the students' fault nor the teachers'. It is just the 'rebel-cool' syndrome that teenage brings with it. The right guidance and support from teachers can transform a confused kid trapped in an adult body into a mature, grown-up individual.

These basic tenets of a person's character which school and parents together instil in him/her are the real treasures that he/she owns. Looking at the modern world with its cut-throat competition, you might want to bring me back to reality. A reality in which values have become obsolete and the right degree and over-smartness is the path to success. But let me take you to a reality at the higher-level. When companies recruit, the qualities which they search for, even in IIM pass-outs, are - being a team-player; an honest worker; a go-getter attitude and devotion towards the goal. And where do these virtues come from? From learning Maths and Economics or from learning Physics and Chemistry? Or do they come from knowing how to walk all over others? They come from the basics of what one was taught, the ideals one believes in. This, in turn brings us back to the old idiom but with a new touch, “Honesty is always the best policy even if it’s not the trend”.