MAD (My ADmmissions)

1. Decide on a SINGLE course in a SINGLE college.
2. Apply for the course.
3.See your name in the merit list.
4. Pay the fees.
5.Start education.

Five steps.
Five simple steps to pursue the proper "higher education" of your choice.
What can be easier than that?, you would ask.
Unfortunately, it is never as straightforward as that...
Well some of you may have been so lucky that you actually followed only these.
Oh, even I was dreaming it to be the same! I had a single college on my mind, a single course until I wrote my XII CBSE exams and got the result.
Then everything started changing. So this is my story, and as of now it is still continuing......
After I got my mark sheet, transfer certificate, migration certificate etc. etc. from the school authorities, I had only one place in mind: Pune. and in there only one college: fergusson college.

I had been following the India Today annual college rankings every year and was thus keen on going to one of those elite colleges like Stephers, Xaviers,Loyola etc. but found them logistically impossible as they were in cities that were totally alien for me and since I had been in Hyderabad all my life there was little chance that I could adjust there and yet continue to be myself (academically and otherwise).

Now, since pune is my home town and I have been there hundreds of times I had decided on the good college in pune, the fergusson college.
There was only one obvious course in the universe that I could take which would have suited me to fulfil my aim: Journalism.

Ah, the world was so simple and smooth: take admmission in FYBA of fergusson college.

Bug #1 hindering the simple steps given above : Professor Uncle from University of Hyderabad

One fine day, a friend of my parents' had come home for lunch. He was (and still is) a professor of Economics @ the university of hyderabad. He told us about an integrated MA course in economics that they were going to offer for the first time.
Parents got impressed, made me apply for that course immidiately.
There was an entrance exam and later an interview.

Damn, another option, and a good one at that! Now where: fergusson on UoH?
and oh man, there is an exam i have to write!!


Bug #2 : Cut-off marks

Anyhow, I decided to continue with my plans for pune and went there to get the application forms of and to apply in fergusson college. Since I had done my XII in science stream, I thought there is no harm in applying for FYBSc too. Afterall, how does it matter?
Tentatively, I applied in two other colleges: symbiosis and s.p.college.

Work was done smoothly. Got some contacts placed here and there in fergusson college.

As I waited for the first merit list of FYBA of my favoured college to get released, I kept my fingers crossed, hoping that I would make it within the first cut-off.

As it turned out, I didnt.
Missed by 0.2%. Damn.

No problem, wait for the second merit list, contacts said.




On the same day, the merit lists of the other two colleges were released.
I was number 11 in symbiosis list.
Numero Uno at S.P.


Damn. I made it to these places, and not where I wanted to? Now what?

Go take admmission in one of the places, just to be on the safe side, contacts said, as did everyone else.

Now which one?

Bug # 3: Symbiosis and S.P.

After lot of consultations, questions, comparisons and turmoil, Symbiosis was scrapped.

Go for S.P., it is next best to fergusson, contacts said.

So I followed their advice and took admmission there. Attended one day's class.

Dont get settled here, Nihar!, the mind said.

Same morning, merit lists for FYBSc and second list of FYBA of fergusson were released.

Got it in BSc. No list in FYBA for Open Catagory. and no third merit list.

don't worry, take admmission in BSc, we will still try for your admmission into BA, contacts said.

Damn. Now what?

Bug # 4: BSc?

Now, the BSc of fergusson was also very reputed but BSc?

I met some of the faculty there and they told me to go for it.
They said that BSc may prove to be more useful for journalism as the course, compared to BA, will help me have a broader outlook and a good logical understanding.

Half-heartedly, I agreed.

I cancelled my admmission in S.P.College, and took admmission in BSc.

Okay... life was smooth. In between I had written those university of hyderabad exams, and was not sure how I had performed.

As I slowly began accepting that after all maybe BSc is the course I was destined, there was a phone call.


Bug # 5 University of Hyderabad

I had cleared the entrance test. Interview in two weeks, same week as my classes were gonna start.

The following few days were the most confusing for me: where should I go? People gave varied advices. By now I had even forgotten my contacts at fergusson college. I had come back to hyderabad too, so my going to meet them was ruled out.

A phone call that changed things like hell

And, we come to the date 08.07.06

My BSc classes were gonna start on 10.07.06

My UoH interview on 14.07.06

My packing done.

And a phone call.
Caller ID opined it was from pune. Unknown number.
Voice of one of my contacts @ fergusson.

Fergusson College has granted me admmission into their 2009 batch of Bachelor of Arts.



and here I am, exactly 2 hours after the last phone call, writing this whole account for you to enjoy(in case you survived till here!) , and maybe learn as well.
Just scroll up and again read those five steps to admmission.

Man, I have deviated from them like hell!.......

Thank you all for reading such a big story....

Have a nice day, while I still finalise what I should do about the university of hyderabad in case I clear their interview!!!

THE END