The moment of despair

At this moment the one word that adequately sums up the emotions cluttering my mind is ‘confused’. And perhaps ‘dejected’ comes a close second. One look at the cut-off list will clarify why I feel the way I do. Having worked extremely hard for the past two years, I scored 96.5% but at this moment, it feels more like I flunked.

There was a time when anyone scoring above 95% was looked at with wonder and awe. Today, that level of respect is reserved only for ninety-eight per centers.

I will probably make it to the journalism and mass communication course at a ‘good’ college but only in the second list. I know there are thousands of other students who are in my position. It is the supply-demand mismatch that threatens to destroy many promising futures. We are a country of bright minds. There is a pressing need to set up more world-class universities to accommodate all deserving candidates.

As for me, I feel like locking myself up in my room and reading my favourite book to escape this frustrating reality.

But I guess I have to face my fears. I have secured a seat in the course of my choice as a safety measure. And let me tell you was not an easy task. Getting hold of all the certificates, then waking up at the crack of dawn, waiting in a long queue in the sun; it was a tough task. But managed. It’s about my future after all!