Well it is very evident from the increasing number of blogs per month of how well I am managing my time (read: basically I have too much time at my disposal). But one thing for sure that a b-school teaches you is minute by minute time management.
If an assignment is to be submitted at 7.00 pm on any day, panic begins at 6.55 in the classroom. As the clock ticks, you need to completely realign the entire group and re-distribute the work within next few seconds. Quickly reiterate the tasks remaining - format the word document and justify all the paragraphs, write a mail with the group name and address it to the concerned prof, click send. Looks simple, aint it.!!
Group dynamics is awesome at such times and all group members quickly align as per their strenghts and the work begins. Its almost 15 seconds short of 6.56 now. Eyes keep swinging between the work and the right bottom side of the laptop ( the clock).
Task of group 1 - format the word document. Well this group just cant stop blessing microsoft at this point, a button click and the hours put into writing the assignment seems to suddenly start looking good well formatted. Well, a sigh of relief, three minutes before the deadline and we are already done. Oh, hold on, some genius realises that the font is not uniform. It so happens that different members contirbute to different sections of the assignement and hence the difference while collating it. 'Oh no, more to do' . 'Not to worry' some Mr A screams. Just do a Ctrl-A and select the font that you want. 'Oh yeah, its so simple', the formatter exclaims. Click.Click...lo its done. Few clapping sounds in the background...I think we are just saved. Cmon copy the assignement on the pen drive and give it to the mail guys. 'Take this pen drive', says one who seems extremely self satisfied for showing such proactiveness. Last look at the assignement. 'Damn..where the hell is the index'. Formatter panics. 'How do i do it, we dont even have page numbers written?'. Then comes the hero of the team..Mr IT guy jumps in action. 'Dont worry guys...I have done all this in my three years of experience. Its very simple'...A slight sigh of relief on everyones faces. Confidently takes the place..few seconds later..frantically searching for that command button. 'What the hell r u doing dude..2 mins are left'.
Meanwhile, the mail team is pretty cool. Person B is happily typing the mail ' Dear Sir...Please find attached the assignemnt. Grp No so-n-so..grp memebrs.a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h. Person B to C 'whats the mail id where its to be sent?'. ' Just hold on, I have written it in my notebook'. Removes his book and tries to find it , all in vain. 'Dude what are u doing? Give me fast, their assignment is almost done'. 'Well,err, I am not able to find it'. B looking annoyingly 'Well then move, let me get my book'. He also searches and doesnt get it. Both look at the other team-mates working, they seem to be extremely tensed and caught up with formatting, so dare not ask them. Ok what next. "RUN"...both run to other teams and ask for the mail id. Other too busy, mostly choose to ignore. Finally someone is kind enough to give it. 'Hey we found it' victorious smile. Return and complete the mail and all is done.....err...well except the assignment.
Two minutes left and the index is being made. Search Search...'Dude leave it..its ok to submit without index than to submit late' Quick calcualtion of gain and loss in everybody's mind. Suddenly, 'Eureka..See here it is...Click Click ..ok..hmmm.save..Yeah see here it is...Was so simple'. Nobody in a mood to really congratulate. 'Quick copy it in the pen drive'. Copied and transfered. ...
Look at the clock..50 seconds before the clock hits 7.00. BP has risen well above acceptable levels. Now all is in the hand of person B. Others in the team look around the class. See the tension everywhere...except few who are busy capturing these moments in their camera. Suddenly one group starts clapping. They have just mailed the assignment. Everyone turns back then again turn and look with lot of hopes towards B
Now, quickly B opens the drafted mail, attach the assignement. "Almost done guys..dont worry. We wil make it". Few more claps in the room. 30 seconds to go. "Why the hell is it taking so much time to attach." . (Obviously..whol told us to put so many graphs and make it so big). 10 seconds and it showed attach. 'Hurray....quick quick..hand trembles...sweat drops...eyes are blurred....and SEND'. For 2 seconds no one reacts...quickly check the sent items. It is showing 6.59 sent time still...Now everyone jumps with joy...higher than probably what one would on the convocation day. Claps all around the room...
Saved this time..make big big promises and take oaths that next time we will not keep it tilll the end...close laptops, few hugs, lift bags and walk with glory not realising that timeliness would never happen..atleast in the next one year to come.....
Hold not..story is not over yet..Twist in the story, the college server time is 2 mins faster. So basically all the assignments have reached late. But the prof is either too kind or basically is too busy to check this....So we are saved yet again...
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