Board Exams, Excel Sheets & Perfume

M—Memory

(Throwback to moments that matter)

Remembering the day my High School Leaving Certificate exam, popularly known as the “Xth Board Exams” was announced.?

I was at Biology coaching when Sir Umakanta (the teacher who made me fall in love with the subject) came in to announce that the results were out. The class was called off early, and all of us were sent home to check our results.?

Everyone rushed down to their parents and asked for their cell phones. We did not have 4G at the time, and results were checked using SMS codes. I too did the same thing, as I hopped onto our autorickshaw, I asked dad for his phone. He handed me his Nokia 1100 and I got to typing. When the notification came, I was devastated—my percentage was 86.6 “only.” The two-digit number with a decimal point on the pixelated screen meant that I was not a “position holder.”

And as my dad shifted gears to reach home, my head went blank. I think I heard him saying “it is okay,” but I do remember creases of disappointment on his forehead. I had let him down. When I reached home, I conveyed the news to mom. I had let her down as well. And even though she said “what has happened, has happened. Do not think about it too much.” I knew she was hurt. At that moment, I felt worthless.

But looking back, I have realized that all they ever wanted was the best for me. And it was their consistent demand for success that made me work harder. For many students, it may not be the case. The pressure may be too much. And to them I say, in these cases, always look at the glass as half-full.

Whatever the result, keep studying for knowledge. I realized it too late. Do not make my mistake.

PS: Congratulations to all those who passed the HSLC exam this year. And to those that missed their target, keep on, it is not the end of the world.

I—Inspiration

(Three quotes that fueled my week)

“Many a serious thinker has been produced in prisons, where we have nothing to do but think.”—Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

“This thing called Justice… changes its shape depending on where you stand."—Kuzan, 'One Piece'

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.”—Jimmy Hendrix, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 92

R—Reflection

(Opinion on subjects of significance)

I love working with sheets or excel. That is why this news got me thinking—how much of the tool do I use? The answer was interesting.

I figured out that I open at least five google sheets and three excel sheets, in a normal working day. I use it to analyze data, make budget projections, and share information that needs collaboration. This is only 5% of what Excel can do.

But if I was told to limit my use of excel. I would struggle to get things done. There are sometimes human errors and formula conflicts that do occur, but vigilance should solve the issue.

So unless there is another tool or platform that can offer its versatility, it is better to keep using it (with regular updates). An update that will help make it better can be a compiler-like feature. Once a plan or data is added, the compiler can read it and predict potential errors on the sheet. That can solve a lot of problems.

R—Reading

(Novels that do not require a bookmark)

The Inscrutable Americans is a masterpiece by Anurag Mathur about Gopal, a naive albeit academically brilliant Brahmin who goes to the US as an exchange student. It follows his journey of learning the American lifestyle aided by Randy (a party monster whom Gopal feels is very “unfortunately named”).

Full of relatable emotions and nostalgic disasters, the book is a real page-turner. From Gopal’s efforts to boil eggs without water to Randy’s antics, each paragraph is a rib-tickler.?

If you are looking for a light read to relax, this is the perfect book.

NB: Some depictions may seem offensive to a few, but remember that the book was written in 1991. Take it lightly.

O—Outlook

(Videos that change perspectives)

It is that time of year again. The season to discuss whether we are going to have another lockdown or continue to be happy. And setting some records straight is this video explaining the projections. It decodes the data that is available regarding the third wave and breaks down the possibility of it occurring.?

But the real question is—if we already know that the wave is coming, why not prevent it??

R—Reset

(Things I did and want to do)

The past week was taxing, both mentally and physically. The reasons are something which I will keep personal. However, something that helped blow the stress away was spraying some perfume on my wrist and neck before sleeping.

It may seem silly, but it was super impactful. After three days of following the routine, I felt much more active and fresh in the morning. If you are feeling a little stressed out lately, try it out. But use a mild scent.

Till next week then, ciao!