All Work No Party

While her friends all deck up and shop in anticipation for new year’s eve, there is only one thing Ragini Sharma can do. Dream about her Due Diligence and Corporate Compliance Management exam the next day, hoping hard that she does well in the exam. That is what every student who has opted for the company secretary’s course will be forced to  do. Be immersed in books – also known as study material – for either the Professional Programme or the Executive Programme.

“This is the case every year. The exams have been held from December 26th to January 2nd every year, and students have no choice but to give up partying for that time,” says Sharma. There is little students can do, since the exams run at a stretch without even a single day’s break – not even Sunday. The only students who have some respite are the Foundation   Programme students, who get one on December 30th itself. “Of course, this year I will rejoice at this fact,” says Sameer Mehta, who is taking the Foundation Course exams this year, “but next year, I will be in a soup. There is no way I can change the time-table, however hard I try!”

Looking into the helplessness of the situation, accepting it is all the students can be content with. “I have decided I am not going to think too much about it,” says Priti Premani, a student of the Executive Programme. “I am just keeping my fingers crossed that I clear all the papers once and for all with this attempt, so that I do not have to bother about this programme anymore! I shall be done, and be a professionally qualified company secretary!” she gets ahead of herself.

One of the worst experiences of having the exam on New Year’s is not limited to the fact that you are going to miss the evening of fun and frolic when the whole world is bringing in  the New Year with a bang. It also has a lot to do with the fact that days and weeks are spent just lamenting over the fact. There are discussions with other students and just taking all the pitiful looks given by others who are free to do as they please on New Year’s. “I really hate that! So many people have no sensitivity and keep making plans when they know you can’t go out and are suffering because of that! And many are sadistic, taking pleasure in your pain,” complains Mehta.

While this has been a situation for many years, the authorities are clearly not about to make changes any time soon. All we can hope is that the students make the most of the sacrifice they are making!

Volume 1 Issue 6