The hostel where I am staying since the past 18 months seems to have rather weird people in charge.
A couple of situations I encounter quite often makes me sure of this.
7 AM:
I wake up bleary eyed..early in the morning .......find my way to the bathroom complex hoping to grab a quick shower before dashing off to class/office....and yes, my stay in the shower is very brief...reason: The water is biting cold.
This is nothing new.. repeated requests to the concerned authorities to fix up the water heating system..has not at all helped. Infact it looks like they are pissed off with the innumerable complaints they receive regarding this matter and have decided to take revenge.
Why do I feel this? . . . .
7 PM:
Location: The loo.
The taps are running with steaming hot water........ ouch!!
The hostel authorities seem to be saying: Shower in cold water[even in the middle of winter] and wash your ass in hot water.
I asked for hot water, and got it......it is only about 12 hours late that's all. . . .I have heard of Indian Stretchable Time.....but this is too much!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Friday, February 02, 2007
TA
Now that I am done being a TA, I thought of penning down some of my activities as TA.
It was quite easy and fun being one.
Task 1. Invigilate the class test. . . . . thats pretty easy . . . . . Put up some seating arrangement. Just distribute the sheets and walk around the class, looking important and all knowing. If any one has a doubt regarding an ambiguous question which you also fail to understand. . . just say, "assume whatever is ambiguous and clearly state your assumption" :-D. That is a neat little trick I learnt from my TA's.
Task 2. Take demo for programming assignment and ask some viva.
Steps:
Meet prof.
Receive some gyan, about how to evaluate.
Allot slots for the students to meet you for the demo
[even if you already know that no one will come in their allotted time slot].
If somebody wants to show you the demo a couple of days before it is due . . . .
beware .. . that guys is seriously jobless. Afterall whoever heard of even starting
an assignment till 24 hours before it is due, let alone submitting it.
Run their programs, ask them to explain the code(!!!!)
( as per the gyan imparted by prof).
Guys will keep calling you "sir", even if you insist on being called on first name basis
--get used to it.
Nod your head as if understanding, even if you dont know JAVA and what they
are explaining makes no sense whatsoever to you, maybe you will learn something by the end of it all. Or atleast all that nodding will give your neck some much needed exercise.
If you have a beard and are asking stuff to which they dont know the answers,
be prepared to hear the word "terror" uttered when they think you are out
of ear shot.
Some female students will be heard saying, "I dont want to go to that bearded
guy!! I prefer the other friendly guy who talks sweetly".
:-)
Converse in the local language with your co-TA, expressing disgust at the poor
quality of work being demonstrated, and then get shocked when it turns out that the student sitting in front of you speaks the language!!
Task3. The toughest job : Evaluating the answer scripts
This can be a big chore, but sometimes can be the best source of entertainment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS: Dunno, how much of what I have written above is coherent . . . . I am tired and unable to thing clearly . . . but unable to sleep too [ aftereffect of sitting at a desk all day, with no physical activity at all]. . . . Had nothing else to do . . so I just typed this up ......will review it later sometime and delete it or make changes as appropriate.
PPS: I should also write something about being a student intern in a software company. . . . but that will come after some more weeks/months pass by. . . .
It was quite easy and fun being one.
Task 1. Invigilate the class test. . . . . thats pretty easy . . . . . Put up some seating arrangement. Just distribute the sheets and walk around the class, looking important and all knowing. If any one has a doubt regarding an ambiguous question which you also fail to understand. . . just say, "assume whatever is ambiguous and clearly state your assumption" :-D. That is a neat little trick I learnt from my TA's.
Task 2. Take demo for programming assignment and ask some viva.
Steps:
Meet prof.
Receive some gyan, about how to evaluate.
Allot slots for the students to meet you for the demo
[even if you already know that no one will come in their allotted time slot].
If somebody wants to show you the demo a couple of days before it is due . . . .
beware .. . that guys is seriously jobless. Afterall whoever heard of even starting
an assignment till 24 hours before it is due, let alone submitting it.
Run their programs, ask them to explain the code(!!!!)
( as per the gyan imparted by prof).
Guys will keep calling you "sir", even if you insist on being called on first name basis
--get used to it.
Nod your head as if understanding, even if you dont know JAVA and what they
are explaining makes no sense whatsoever to you, maybe you will learn something by the end of it all. Or atleast all that nodding will give your neck some much needed exercise.
If you have a beard and are asking stuff to which they dont know the answers,
be prepared to hear the word "terror" uttered when they think you are out
of ear shot.
Some female students will be heard saying, "I dont want to go to that bearded
guy!! I prefer the other friendly guy who talks sweetly".
:-)
Converse in the local language with your co-TA, expressing disgust at the poor
quality of work being demonstrated, and then get shocked when it turns out that the student sitting in front of you speaks the language!!
Task3. The toughest job : Evaluating the answer scripts
This can be a big chore, but sometimes can be the best source of entertainment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS: Dunno, how much of what I have written above is coherent . . . . I am tired and unable to thing clearly . . . but unable to sleep too [ aftereffect of sitting at a desk all day, with no physical activity at all]. . . . Had nothing else to do . . so I just typed this up ......will review it later sometime and delete it or make changes as appropriate.
PPS: I should also write something about being a student intern in a software company. . . . but that will come after some more weeks/months pass by. . . .
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