A Day in the Life of a UET Student

( Dedicated to all those who have spent their most memorable times at University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore…..Fiqar na faqa , aish kur kaka ! )

It is beginning of a fresh day. Lingering drowsiness is much explainable. Masters of the “Bridge� championship took a bit too long to tumble and wind up last night or did it all last till dawn? Whatever! The singing competition being staged in the barely separated series of cramped showers falls drastically short of providing sufficient means to overpower lasting lethargy all by itself.

Time to rush to the lecture theatres now. But there is no hurry. The boring professor has droned barely halfway into the lecture. A better half of the suffering still remains to be withstood anyway. Incalculable calculus theories are failing to integrate into something meaningful yet again. Complex mathematical and trigonometric equations are getting increasingly complicated as always. ‘Proxy’ has been taken care of nevertheless. An intervening short tea break is to follow and then we can hopefully relax and dose uninterrupted for the next couple of hours at the backbenches in peace. ‘Notes’ have been conveniently piled at the photocopy shops and books are available at the library for any future reference just in case.

Half of the day is gleefully over and its lunchtime. Heavenly ‘daal chawal’ or ‘chicken qorma’ would be followed by a sweet dish, in line with a dominant belief, dubbed more appropriately as ‘dustard’. A large majority of the students are convinced that they have had enough for the day. As a result, they have retired to their cubicles and are striving to relax in the backdrop of generously played loud music that rocks the corridors and souls alike.

As opposed, the curious and learned ones are determined, come what may, to discover some light at the end of the obscure tunnel at last. More popularly termed as ‘thetas’, they have taken upon themselves to shoulder more than their due share when it comes to meeting demanding academic challenges at hand. Toiling in the line of duty, they are now being thoroughly grilled and tested for their resilience in a material testing laboratory. These are the few who revolted against the heavy mandate predominantly in favour of the boycott of the rest of the classes for the day. There is no one else but only themselves to be blamed for their fate and all their misery now.

Fortunately, it is one of those rare days at the campus when there is not much tension prevailing between the rival politically backed student groups. ‘Moulvis’ are peacefully engaged in their ‘istanjaas’ whereby the liberals are engrossed in merry making. Arm display and firing has been temporarily suspended for the benefit of the students. That’s precisely why, sensing no danger, large chunks of resident policemen have crawled out of the woodworks just for a change. An occasional firecracker that goes off is just another reminder of bliss and harmony sprawling in the air.

Cricket match in the lawns and corridors of the hostel is just over and a few guys are now seen rushing to the library. A sudden unprecedented surge in the passion and fondness for the studies is inexplicable but for the fact that a group of ‘distinguished’ fellow female students has been spotted in the vicinity of the library chowk.

Incessant teatime prevails at ‘Bhola Canteen’ except for the sparse undesirable intermittent breaks in between.

Time to assemble in the dingy cubicle now. A quorum of at least a dozen members is required to start the proceedings. How they would manage to accommodate themselves in this tiny room is anybody’s guess and a valid consideration. But the less said the better. Decision regarding the cine show is subject to a majority vote following a heated debate and discussion. Nine out of the ten times, the house would vote in favour of a Pushto or a Punjabi hit. Surprisingly, the proportion of the pushto-speaking members always varies between zero to 5%.

It is always advisable to occupy seats closer to the doors in the notorious cinema halls for obvious reasons. In the event of a not so unlikely Police raid, it offers enormous value in terms of managing escape from the scene.

Last movie show and the late dinner at a food heaven of “Lakshami Chowk� are finally over. Engineers in the making are back to one room and business again. Everyone is huddling together with a pack of playing cards in the middle. As usual, the stakes are ‘aaloo ka paratha’, omelet and ‘doodh patti’ for all. Soon the game is in full swing and would continue, for only God knows, for how long. The motivated teams are determined to fight till the last 50 paisa coin rattling in the kitty.

Discalimer :

The description may not be prevalent to current environment but is related to the golden era that prevailed a decade ago.