30 Sept 2018

#366 24 hours

   24 hours



As the sun casts its magical spell
Morning wakes up from slumber
From the dream world to reality
Only demands to work with quality.

With a new hope, I begin my day
Pray to God for all strength to persist
With determination towards my goal
That I have set for the day to achieve.

Each hour defines number of challenges
How to assemble courage and move on
Essence of being successful for long turn
Should be our priority despite of anything.

Everything revolves around 24 hours
What comes in, is what shows up as result
But only with the right attitude to furnish
The abilities within us to a great extent.

24 hours is a universal truth
Same for all kinds of life existing here
Then why to waste its component
When you know that it is limited in no.

24 hours consisting of 86400 seconds
Representing endless opportunities
To grab and move ahead restlessly
What sets apart a winner from looser.

Sweta Sarangi

4-8-2018

26 Aug 2018

#365 Two years full of life

Two years full of life

I stood at the entrance with my luggage waiting for the train to reach its destination. And my destination was not so far. I heard a group of passengers insisting me to avoid keeping my luggage close to the door as the luggage could get vanished in no time. It was Dhanbad, so I had to be little careful about it. We all had heard about a place named Wassseypur from the movie “Gangs of Wasseypur”, Dhanbad being close to Wasseypur had a different notion in my mind. But these two years of my stay had managed to subdue all the existing notions quite well.

I stepped out of the train around 3:30 AM and reached the guest house of IIT(ISM) within half an hour. I couldn’t sleep that night as the journey was quite hectic and I had to report to Student Activity center for admission next day around 7:30 in the morning. I reached the venue in time the very next day. Later I realized that I was also among one of the students waiting for their turn to complete the formalities of admission as soon as possible. The arrival of dawn settled down all the formalities and let myself relax so that I could proceed to the allocated hostel for accommodation.

This is how a new phase of life commenced. Opal hostel was like a centroid connecting three main parts of campus such as Central library, canteen and Penman Auditorium. Canteen always came to my rescue when I missed my lunch especially during days of summer. The mess menu had to be mouthwatering and equally tasty when the cooks were from West Bengal. There was an advantage of getting a variety of dishes along with tempting deserts to add on the list.  Grand dinner at the end of every semester was like surprises from Mess authorities with lots of additional dishes and decorations to keep you moving towards Mess before the actual dinner time.

The first year of the postgraduate program was packed with lots of classes and lab sessions which were held in the second half of the day. The interesting thing was to prevent one from falling asleep during the lab hours. As it became quite difficult to resist from taking a nap (maybe of millisecond) during those crucial hours. Submission of assignment and lab records before the deadlines were enough to make us busy for one year and mid-sem and end sem examinations did not let us in peace. Preparation for examinations from notes and books would be fuelled by the idea of scoring a good grade. Celebrating birthdays together was one of the exciting memories followed by throwing parties at the restaurant.

Although returning from home to reach hostel used to be painful yet I would always receive a warm welcome from my friends who would be waiting desperately to discuss what had happened in those days and what I had missed actually. The arena of friendship extended more in the second year with the closure of mess during summer when we had to stay at the hostel for the purpose of the minor project. We created a mini mess with a group of people by ordering food (catering service) for lunch and dinner. This was the best part of the day when we shared some quality time free from project stuff by beating the outdoor scorching heat.

The second year was dedicated to project work which provided a wide angle to the world of research. Research is a systematic way to investigate a specific area of interest by gathering information or relevant facts to come up with some innovation in technology by implementing your ideas. End of the year opened up the door to present my work at different conferences which also boosted up my spirit to move ahead. Remaining five months proved to be very much hectic with a bunch of tasks to be accomplished. Sometimes those hours of anxiety, fear and dilemma of future would make my vision blurred for long. But I always had a group of influential people who would elevate me and kindle a new hope to rise again. Those phone calls from my parents would make me realise my true potential and push me hard to come out of the cobwebs of negativities. But it was like I had to wait for “hard work would pay-off moment” in each venture of life then. Sometimes, my hobbies would accompany me up to a great extent in dealing with the uncertainty of future. When nothing moves according to your plan, just believe that God has a better plan for you. Being a theist, I would chuck out all the possibilities to rise up again by beating the defeats. Sometimes adversities make you explore different versions of yourself by letting you know what extra you can actually do which may not have experienced in past. This season of frustration gripped me for a short span. And the line from PB Shelly’s poetry was applicable in my context as well: “if winter comes, can spring be far behind”. I was successful in unlocking the doors with my placement and higher studies. Success would never have delivered a pleasant effect if you have not experienced failures. And yes, without failure, success is just hypothetical.

Then arrived the most critical point of these two years: when each one of us had to defend his/her Master’s thesis through a presentation. We had already spent many hours at laboratories to conduct experiments and analyse the data. It was just the convenient time to give justice to our work. Everyone would be fired by a series of questions by panel after the presentation that would assess the thesis work. It ended up quite well. Department bided us farewell by arranging a dinner. I am indebted to all the faculties of the department for their generosity and expertise that I received from them that helped me to improve my understanding of important aspects of chemical engineering.

I must say that I am grateful to the almighty for providing me an opportunity to not only taste each and every flavor of these two years so minutely but also strengthen my conviction.

This place was so serene that unknowingly attracted me towards it like a magnet. Destiny always has a better role to play. If I would have not spent two years of my academics here, I would have definitely missed a chance to meet wonderful people and at the same time miss a chance to weave a lot of memories which would always remain in my heart forever. When I browse the folder containing photos captured displaying memories of past, I still feel relieved to come across with so many genuine souls who are not only beautiful by face but beautiful by heart also. Even after being away from the place for the last three months, there is still a sense of connectivity which is invisible.

I would end up this article with a note that, “These two years of journey displayed me  an improved version of myself  and I would always remain indebted to those who encouraged me to move forward.”

Long live my friends!!
Long live IIT(ISM), Dhanbad!!






26-8-2018
SWETA SARANGI


26 Jul 2018

#363 Book Review: A Stoic's Diary


A Stoic’s Diary

Author: Dipanshu Rawal

Genre: Non-fiction (Philosophy/Self-help)

Format: PDF

File Size: 1708KB

Star: 4.5/5 (Self)

Review: It’s a non-fiction book based on the concept of stoicism and ideas associated with it. This 60-page PDF has been segregated into 11 chapters which are short yet interesting. The writer has made sure that he is able to express the main ideas behind this psychological assessment in simple language. The organisation of the chapters is well appreciated.  

 Sharing some of the lines from the book which appealed me the most are;

Emotions create most of the problems while logic solves most of them.

You were a liability to a woman’s body before you opened your eyes on this earth.

The less you expect the more you rise above disappointments and other harmful emotions that render you hopeless.

Past kills you with guilt and future buries you under the pressure of your unfulfilled dreams.

Ask yourself “what worries you the most?”

Instead of replying “I’m good”, “I am fine”, try replying with a big smile, “I’m awesome!”, “I’m great!”,”I’m amazing!”

My experience:  I came across this PDF from one of the fellow writers at Quora and I appreciate the very idea of discussing some of the important aspects which are always taken as granted. This forms the 7th book of my reading list of goodreads.I feel blessed to have come across this book at the right hour. I liked the simple illustrations that substantiate the subtle ideologies associated with stoicism. I liked the concept of approaching the solutions of the problem through algorithm which paves a way for simplification. I took away the concept of writing down the problem on the paper and working out the solution for it. Even though it’s a book with limited pages yet it encompasses wisdom of many ages and books. No doubt, the writer has done his research well in giving shape to this one. I would certainly recommend it to others who are looking for a way to their problems of life.

©Swati Sarangi
26.07.2018

20 Jun 2018

#359 Forgotten


Forgotten
_________

Image result for forgotten
Sometimes I keep wondering
How am I going to be 
Remembered once my 
Tenure of life gets over?
Will I ever be remembered
For the deeds I did or
Become the forgotten part
Of someone's innate memory?
This level of thinking puts 
Me into a state of contemplation 
The depth of analysis then
Arises from a condition of urgency 
As if the time is running out 
Like the particles of sand falling
Down from the chamber of an hour glass
I realise that it's I who
Has only been procrastinating
On something that was need of the hour
I take a new birth the next
Moment of my realisation
The realisation that I'm a being
So perishable and I woke 
Up from a deep slumber.

©Swati Sarangi
16.03.2018

13 May 2018

#357 From the pages of my diary


From pages of my diary
Image result for diary
It has been seven years that I’ve come closer to this inanimate thing called Diary which I regard as a prized possession. There’s a very thought provoking piece of article that I found in one of the pages of FB dedicated to IAS aspirants and thought of translating it in English to as to make it accessible to a wide range of readers. I hope that all of you should get immense motivation out of it. The real credit always lies with the writer of this original post which was written in Hindi for obvious reason. A big round of applause to the original writer [ I’m unaware about the writer of the original piece. I will update about him/her once I get an idea]

When you don’t feel like studying then just try to recall the face of your parents who keep announcing in the locality that my child will become a collector one day.
Your biggest wish, your real happiness, life, world are your parents; they are your first love. How can you ever think of cheating them? Remember, the one who’s loyal to his first love is the one who deserves his second love.

 Friends! Whoever has helped you to dream, put their hands over your head in every adverse situation, who has helped you to walk and those eyes which never cease to dream that one day my child will do wonders, what I couldn’t do, he’ll/she’ll do . They have happily forgotten all reasons of their sadness just by glancing at your face.

When they have trusted in your abilities then tell me why aren’t you trying to step forward to make your dreams come true?

Oh! my friend, when you don’t feel like studying , just recall the face of your father who keeps on repeating that my child will never degrade the glory of my family. Recall your mother who has made countless sacrifices but has never let you know about it because she didn’t want you to be sad. She kept sacrificing so that you should get what you want the why are you quiet about working hard?

Why do you forget that for all our happiness, they’ve sacrificed all happiness of theirs so that you suffer no deprivation.

Enough said! The right time has come for dedication, hard work and sacrifice, willingness to do something and to fulfil those dreams to bring smile on the lips of your parents.

Then pick up your books and put your heart and soul into it. Read history, geography, politics and everything you want. Don’t worry about the electricity as you’re the source of electricity.

Spread your identity on the cover page of every magazine; work hard the way that your result will create the loudest noise and thousands of journalists with cameras will die to get a glimpse of yours. Needless to say many media persons will be anxious to converse with you about the journey of your success. Everywhere there’ll be discussion on you and every parent will give the example of you to their kids.

Friends! We can never repay the debt that we owe to our parents but we can bring smile in their faces.

Then pledge today to do immense hard work whose result will create a noise and your parents will say, “I wouldn’t have got a better child than you.”
  
Then pledge for the thing that “your parent’s dignity will be greater than your wish.”

Jai Hind!

©Swati Sarangi
12.05.2018


#356 Interchanging perceptions

Interchanging Perceptions
Image result for mother's Day

It’s Mother’s Day. So wishing every motherly figure a very Happy Mother’s day ! There’s absolutely no concept of life without you all, be it a mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, friend, aunty, teacher. All of you hold an important part in my life. I just can’t imagine my life without the presence of even one of you. I don’t know if I can ever express my gratitude to you all for everything that you’ve done for me; a single life won't be enough for it.

Is interchanging perceptions an easy task? I mean to put ourselves in the shoes of others to analyse the situation. For that we need to have knowledge about the conditions that the other one is into. I’ve been the elder one in my family and apple of everyone’s eyes. My parents have worked very hard to meet all my requirements. I always take care that I maintain an economy of my expenditure so that I don’t burden them with my expenses.  

Let me do an experiment of interchanging the souls (like one of the stories of English book of school days where Mrs.Fritzgerald exchanged her soul with her neighbour) to place myself in their positions for a while. What I see now are the loads of responsibilities on their shoulders; the activities of their workplaces, household chores and discussing the issues of our lives. They have other responsibilities and tasks to perform with many important duties as parents to discharge.   

I wonder if it’s the patience that has evolved with time in my parents to handle an ambitious kid like me who sometimes get intimidated or insecure at the fierce competition of the world around.  Sometimes the series of failures put me into a state of self doubt about my abilities or strength or in the state of anxiety, that’s quite common to speak about.
Image result for changing perceptions

For so many years, I realise that I’ve only viewed every situation of my life from my perspective only. Now, the time has definitely come to shift this lens of perception to the ones who have sacrificed everything for me and are still sacrificing.   

I remember one of the bad days when I called my father to say that I would never settle for less than what I deserve in my life , to console me he said that he believed in my abilities and knew that both of us would always leave an imprint wherever we go.

At the end I just want to make a promise to my parents that “I will never let all your sacrifices in raising me the way I’m today down in any condition”. May the guiding forces of this universe support me in my future endeavours.

©Swati Sarangi
12.05.2018

22 Apr 2018

#353 Fly abroad with your dreams

Fly abroad with your dreams

We all have read these famous quotations of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who is regarded as missile man of India several times.
“Dream is not what you see in sleep, a dream is something that doesn’t let you sleep.”
“Look at the sky, we are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.”
Dreams play a vital role in transforming your thoughts/ideas to reality with the help of hard work and dedication. You all have thousands of dreams deep inside yourself. Similar you all have at least once dreamed of flying to a foreign land for the purpose of pursuing higher education or work. Studying or working abroad comes with a whole set of challenges. These challenges can be due to the difficulties in passport validity, visa applications, and country regulation details.  Sometimes, it becomes quite difficult to meet the requirement of the reputed universities. Some of the universities demand the English proficiency tests and it becomes mandatory to clear the test with flying colours.
Pearson India is taking the initiative to make one of the steps in the journey easy by introducing PTE academic English Test which would help you to move to abroad for either study, work or immigration. This is world’s leading computer-based English Test.  All you need to develop proper strategies to clear the test with a good score at hand.
Benefits of this English test cannot be ignored-
       i.            Tests are conducted globally over 360 days of the year, in over 200 test centers around the world which provides an easy access to the candidates to appear in the test. The test is scheduled for three hours.
     ii.            The test is fast and secure. The test is scored by computer so it doesn’t matter where test takers come from or what they look like, PTE Academic only tests their English skills irrespective of the place where the candidate has appeared the test.
  iii.            This test is widely accepted and recognized by reputed universities,   including 100% of Australian, New Zealand, and Irish universities. 96% of UK universities, a growing number of universities in the USA and Canada, Universities in Europe and Asia delivering courses in English. This is approved by the Australian and New Zealand Governments for all student visa and migration applications and accepted by an increasing number of professional bodies.
  iv.            There is unlimited score referrals. Candidates can send their scores to an unlimited number of institutions without additional fees via their secure online account which is quite beneficial.
Sections of this test is given below with 20 questions-
Section 1: Speaking and writing
Section 2: Reading
Section 3: Listening
This section consists of individual questions such as multiple choice questions with many answers and multiple choice questions with single answer. Each question has to be answered within a particular time limit.

So start with the preparation with the subsidies provided by the academy.
1.     Preparation materials for free – Free test taker handbook is available in 7 languages with an online tutorial providing a detailed overview of the test. One can prepare for the test with a combination of free skills videos or an unattempted practice test.
2.     Preparation book– The Official Guide to PTE Academic includes over 200 practice questions, analysis of sample responses and test-taking tips. Test takers can see if they are ready for PTE Academic with authentic practice, comprehensive guidance, and strategies for dealing with every task in the test.
3.     Test preparation courses – One can visit the website for a list of PTE Academic preparation courses delivered by private language schools.
4.     Advanced Preparation– Test takers can achieve their goals sooner and save money when they purchase online preparation packs allowing them to practice at home. These include a fully scored practice test that tells test takers when they are ready to book a full test.

#DefinitelyPTE
PTE Academics is scored on the Global Scale of English a granular scale from 10-90. The score report includes candidate’s overall score incorporating communication skill scores and enabling skill scores.
Here is a list of universities where PTE score is accepted-
Elite Education, Argentina
Institute Rosario Idiomas
Union Institute of Language, Australia
Unipath Colleges Australia
University of Queensland
University of Southern
Queensland University of Southern
Queensland University of Sunshine
Coast Wide Bay Institute of TAFE  
Australian Adelaide
 International College
Bradford College Carnegie
Mellon University Australia
Institute of Technology,
Carlow Institute of Technology, Tralee
 Letterkenny Institute of Technology Limerick
 Institute of Technology Maynooth University
Bradford College of Management
Bradford Regional College
Brit College
PTE Academic is accepted by thousands of organizations worldwide, including prestigious institutions such as Stanford University, Harvard University, and Imperial College London. PTE Academic is also accepted for visa purposes by the Australian and New Zealand government.
So, solution to the problem is here only. You need to book the slot for the test and the result will be declared within 5 business days.
Fulfill your dream to fly to abroad with PTE Academics.
Wish you all the best for your endeavor.
 Please follow the link for the test: PTE Practice Test
#DefinitelyPTE
Sweta Sarangi
22-4-18




6 Apr 2018

#351 The preciousness of human life

Preciousness of human life
One evening, there was a power outage in my hostel. Most of the inhabitants of the hostel had been away. I was doing some important work.
As soon as the darkness of the surrounding grew stronger wrapped up with the silent demeanor of the empty hostel, I started reflecting on the passage of time inspired by the sound of ticking of the wall clock which only broke the prevalent pin-dropped silence.
Below is the article that I wrote in my diary. Being always inspired by the beauty of numbers, I tried to quantify the essence of preciousness of human existence which often gets marred by the lack of awareness of it.
Think of preciousness of a human life!
Image result for Bhagvad Gita Krishna and Arjuna
Once Krishna told Arjun that a soul takes form of different species in 84,00,00,000 births to obtain the body of a human being.
Aren't the acronyms YOLO (you only live once) and YODO(you only die once)true in context of the birth of a human being?
We get a set of 86,400 seconds each day.
In a year we get 86400*365=3,15,36,000 seconds .
Supposing the average life expectancy of a man to be around 70years.

So, in a lifetime, he will get  seconds……............................................ (1)

Oops..here I've not taken into account the additional days that are given in leap years.
In a lifetime of 70 years, one can expect an additional days of 17.5 (due to leap years), so, 17.5*86400=15,12,000 seconds ….. ...............................................................................(2)
From (1) and (2)
The total number of seconds that one gets in his life time is 2.209032(10)^9 seconds

“Don't wait .The time will never be just right”- Napoleon Hill
Aren't these enough to accomplish what we want in our lives? Do we need more lives?
Remember to get one life of human being, your soul will have to traverse through the lives of 84,00,00,000 species.
After realising the above points , How can we ever feel
1) defeated because we failed in different examinations?
2) low because someone broke our trust or someone cheated us in relationship?
3) weak because of struggling through different aspects of life?
4) dejected because the interviewer of company for which we appeared did not select us?
5) humiliated because someone behaved rudely with us?
6) neglected because we did not get the acknowledgement for the work we put our utmost efforts into?
7) lost because no one believed in us?
Just think about the extent of largeness of a number as big as 84,00,00,000!
I'll conclude this discussion by following lines which I want you to think deeply whenever you feel low or down for any reason. I’m sure that the next moment will be a moment of enlightenment for you.
You are nothing but a soul wrapped up in a physical body. You are a part of that brave ,patient, infallible, indomitable , indefatigable soul which has travelled through the lives 84,00,00,000 species to acquire your body!
Whenever I feel down or lost (be it for any reason mostly external), I try to just realise the essence of what I wrote then.
Sometimes , it’s the lack of something which makes its presence beautiful.
Never had I know that the darkness or lack of electricity can let some of the most powerful philosophical thoughts to come into existence!
 ©Swati Sarangi
2.1.2018