THE TIMES OF VIVAS
(Others will just read this, but the engineers are going to feel it…!!!!)
This article describes the most common experiences of engineering vivas. Vivas are like an important part of your engineering diet . F.E.’s might have just heard of it , S.E.’s have tasted it and for T.E.’s and B.E.’s ,it has become a part of their regular diet . Oral examinations are there in school for languages, but engineering vivas are different. They are more like ‘subjective interviews’. You should know the matter well…that’s all . No expressions, feelings, language skills are taken into account. Let me know give you a brief idea of how students manage to get that taste-bitter, sour.. and if you are lucky enough then sweet taste too….
It all begins ,when you have already settled in the second year. You gradually come to know from friends and seniors that there will be viva for a few subjects in addition to the theory paper. But we ignore it, saying that the sem has just started. We will see when the time comes. But you don’t even come to know when those days will soon be near. We, engineering students like to give our 100 % ,but only at the last moment. The dates for the viva and practical exam are declared and we find ourselves in a mess. There is submission, assignment completion, practical exams and as if all this was not enough ,the worst newbie….Vivas. No one has any idea of the viva examinations. How would they be? What will they ask? Theory or problems ? We only knew that there will be an internal as well as external pouncing on us with questions .The day we come to know of the dates, we buy the books. Books that are big enough to work as an alternative for your dumbles to do workouts. Just a few days left for the first viva exam .A big fat book to study, even sleepless nights cannot solve the problem. Well, we do as much as we can and leave the rest to destiny. Infact, we leave almost everything to destiny…There are SMS’es related to everything. One such sms is worth sharing..Here it goes..Khoob jamega rang jab mil baithenge teen yaar..
Aap..
Internal..aur
External….
Here comes the day. The class was divided into two batches. Half of them were to come on the next day. All students tensed and anxious about the exam .A few of them study so much that their faces looked tired, irritated. But ,for the cool guys, nothing bothers them. All of them arrive an hour early than the actual time and vivas were to be taken roll no. wise. All wait in the class room for their turn. The initial roll nos. are called, they are the most tensed as they would be the first to experience live horror. They come out after half an hour. Their faces give us a brief idea of the kind of viva session they had. We try to know everything that happened inside,from the questions asked…to the nature and helpfulness of the viva examiners..Such kind of questions are commonly asked by us. ’External maarta hai kya?’(meaning does he ask very tough questions)..’internal kuch help karta hai kya?’(meaning does internal help you with questions).... We, Engineers are great at assumptions. We assume that as the time passes by, the examiners may probably get tired and ask fewer questions than before. And as most of the times ,are assumptions prove to be wrong.
Now….,a glimpse into the viva session. We enter in groups of two/three. The in/external are ready with their guns to target us. The questioning begins one after the other. A few students feel that speaking too much would give a good impression.. but ,this is subjective. You have to say to the point. Different tricks are applied too. For e.g. If one cannot answer the question, he/she tries to repeat or agree to what the partner has said, just to get himself heard..Amongst all this drama, the viva ends and we heave a sigh of relief. After you come out, you have to still answer a few questions(for all those who are going next for viva)…about what happened ? etc..You go home and try to relax…But no way. There are calls lined up for you. Friends from the next batch want to know everything as they have to come the next day. I hope you now have an idea of what questions these friends are going to ask you on the phone. At the end of it, you have a new and different kind of an experience. An Experience (good or bad does not matter) which will always be a part of your memory..!!
