Sunday, August 07, 2016

Microsoft Intern - The Selection

It was  a typical KGPian afternoon in April. The last day of the easiest and most peaceful semester of our lives at KGP, the 4th semester. Basically, we had finished with our exams and preparing for the journey back home. I found myself in Akki's room one evening playing FIFA. After 4 straight defeats, 3 of which were goalless, I felt a bit low. Sensing the oppportunity Akki played his card to cheer me up, "Hey ! Dont worry... Intern mei tu macha dega :D ". Little did he knew, he touched my weak nerve, and made me gloomier and darker.
The fight for intern was now on...

May 2016 :
I sat at my home and could feel the pressure of intern piling up. It was not easy to behave relaxed, but I tried to stay away from nonsenses. GeeksForGeeks had become a demi-god creation in the batch of people with superior levels of intelligence. And here I was, still unaware of my career path ahead. There was a motivation of off-campus intern on some sparse occasions while some days were dark. But I held my nerve and moved on. I had to relax.... I relaxed.

June 2016 :
This month found me in KGP, the scene of action after a few weeks. I felt the competitive air quite intensely once here and that made the alarms go off. I started coding and revising old stuff. But basically all the time, I was fighting within. To be or not to be... To research or to industry-fy. I had this constant rebel within me which served no good. But I had to move on some track. I started off for both. I started coding for my industry aspirations and started reading papers and publications of profs I was targetting for a research based intern. It was a terrible one month that flew. All I figured out in the end was that I was lagging behind steeply as compared to my batchmates for an industry intern and I had not a very commendable CG to apply for a premier college for research. So basically, I had closed all paths for myself. This was the harsh reality. I had to face it. But I would not fall down to petty and cheap methods to getting success by mugging up stuff somewhere. I had confidence within me.
" I had the knowledge, I had the skill.
Even if I didn't specifically prepare (or rather mug), I had the confidence to move ahead still. "
I guess that's what is important in the end.
Contrary to the gloomer side of the subject matter, the month ended with me being in Germany though. :P

July 2016 :
I was in Germany. There was no reason to be tense and bring upon the subject of intern on this holy and pious trip (:P). I enjoyed the week there and had enough experiences for quite some time. I missed my international flight. Was alone in Delhi Airport for a day. Travelled alone to Frankfurt. Travelled alone from Frankfurt to Leipzig (via train bitch) and alone, post midnight, to my hotel. This incident made me more confident in myself and played a huge role in reaffirming my trust in myself. I was ready to risk it. If it wasn't for me to get a cool Day 1 intern, I was ready to face the consequences. I will not succumb to mediocrity and dishonour. I was filled with ecstacy and a thrill to perform. I had to perform.
Soon, the semester started. I found myself back in KGP, with trained and well groomed batchies. There was thrill as companies started pouring in. I saw MS, GS, Tower, AmEx and others and I couldn't help applying. But I had brought with me, from my 2 months back home, confidence and a will to take risks. I was now taking risks. I had mentally shortlisted Microsoft as the only company I could sustain in my ego from those on Day 1 ( I know this is weird, but yeah. I couldn't have been happy with others... ). I carefully flunked the GS paper and the DE Shaw paper got flunked accidently. So I was even. I was shortlisted only for Microsoft for the group fly after I solved 2 questions (Though I believed I had solved all 3. One test case is all that matters sometimes...:P).

Day 0 :
Visited the Microsoft PPT and couldn't have been more happy with my decision. Microsoft was my best chance for Day 1 (It was my only chance though. :P ) and I wanted to make the most out of it. In the group fly, I solved a question and provided an algorithm for the second and to my amazement, was shortlisted for interview besides 35 people on Day 1. I checked the clock, it was 00:20 am on the 6th of August. I had to report for the interview at 6 am on the same date. I loved my sleep. But something needs to be lost to attain something. I slept only for 4-ish hours. :(

Day 1 (Pre-interview) :
Waking up at 5 am reminded me of constant struggles I indulged in during the past 2 years for health and fitness. This struggle was no less. I got ready in formals, with a RED tie (which soon became popular) and my coat (which was vestigial, ofcourse) and reached the interview control room by 6 am. We sat there hopelessly till 7 am and then there was a roll call and some people were called for interviews after 7:30 am. Soon people began disappearing and reappearing. They went with tense faces and returned with mixed emotions. In the words of a worldly saint free from desires, this scene could've been compared with a circus. I sat there soon indulging deep in thought and moving away from material pride. It was soon 9 am... and then 10 and 11. But I was still not called for my interview. I sat in a place and observed people. People with emotions, people with aspirations and people with purpose. I lamented on this shallow being of humans and started becoming more melancholy and philosophical. I had to prevent that to enter my selfish intern-seeking body... But I can't. It was impossible to separate 2 miscible fluids in the air of the mental ether. I was gloomy, I was philosophical, I was hungry. No good signs for an interview. I ate some snacks and hoped for ATLEAST an interview. Finally it was at 11:30, that I got my turn. Broken with fatigue and hunger, I still made my way to the interview room. I found myself in. I knew I won't have a second chance...

Day 1 (The interviews) :
I found myself infront on the interviewer. After greeting and basic conversation about the room and environment, he glanced at my resume. He asked about my task at KRSSG which I explained to him in a most delicate way. He looked satisfied and happy. He asked me further steps I intend to take in my role at KRSSG which I explained to him clearly. Impressed with my frank and honest attitude, he asked me a question on graphs. It was incredibly easy. I told him an algorithm straight away and he asked me to write the code on paper. I was stunned. I had not practised this. I started rambling code on the paper and it looked all unorganised and dirty. He asked me to re-write it clearly. I carefully copied my code in a decent manner and he read it. There was a bug there. I cleared it. And then there were more... and more. I felt ashamed as I had brandished ACM ICPC on my resume. He asked me to write a test function to check if my code works. I wrote it fine enough and he concluded the interview. I was not sure how it went. I had screwed it up badly. I had to wait. I resolved in my mind that I will not let the opportunity slip if I'm selected further.
I was selected further...
Round 2 found me facing another interviewer who asked for my resume again. He glanced through it and asked some questions on it. Next I had to face another written question. I immediately figured out a way to do it. I asked follow-up questions and I proceeded to writing the code. I started writing it on paper and wrote it with relative ease. He followed up with more questions on heaps, priority queues and scheduler systems. He asked me OOP concepts like Polymorphism, Operator Overloading (with code) and resemblance of some concepts with the real world. He made to code one or two more questions and I did them with increasing confidence. I was now sure that I have now been greased by practice and could solve and write whatever I am asked to. I answered all his questions and I think he looked satisfied. I came out. Whatever the result may be, I had discovered my confident self from within. Even if I'm not selected now, I knew, I could do something great with my life. I was happy and content.
Then a recruiter came forward to me and asked me to return back after lunch for the 3rd round. I was overwhelmed. I was filled with joy that I still had a chance. I came hurtling down and decided to return to my hall. But I met Akki, Vishal and Goel at Subway. They all had got offers. Akki and Vishal from Goldman Sachs. Goel from Microsoft. I told Goel about my interview. He told me to hold my nerve as this could be the final deciding interview and be true and just to your self, just as PP Akash told me during my melancholy hits that morning. (I'm indebted to both for bringing out the confident self within me... :) ). I was ready for the next round.
Round 3. This was easy. There were 2 questions. One on linked lists and the other on 2-D arrays and I solved then both with rapid speed. The interviewer was happy and asked me general HR questions like Why Microsoft etc... I answered whatever came from within and expressed my desire in the most outspoken fashion. He looked content and asked me if I had some questions for him. I had many. I asked all of them. He answered them profusely for about 15-20 minutes. I was content and ended the interview. I was getting optimistic vibes.

I came out and washed my face. I approached the placecom incharge and asked her to check my status. She went in and came out with a message of greatest happiness magnitude.
" I was selected for IDC. "
I felt accomplished.
I felt responsible.
It felt good.

I came down the stairs and met Goel, Vishal, Sahil, Vaishal and Akki again in Subway. All had offers. Sahil and Vaishal got offers from DE Shah Shaw. They will live together happily, again. I called my mom, my dad and started getting calls. Someone had posted on my timeline. It was a beautiful moment. I reached my hall and was congratulated by all I met. I logged on to fb and there were congratulatory messages and posts. It was great. Words can't hold the emotional sanctity of those moments. They got saved forever somewhere in the confusing paths of the mind maze only to be unravelled sometimes later.
But I wasn't that happy. I was waiting for an official confirmation. I waited till 7 pm. Then came the big moment. The results of Day 1. That was it. The end of a struggle... Beginning of a new chapter.
But more than anything I learnt, you just have to keep faith in the divine and most importantly in your own self. "Faith can move mountains..." I realized that.

Then it was all pomp. We dined together (MS Hall wale) at MS Hall canteen. Played games. Went for a walk. Slept a deep and relaxed sleep for quite some time.

There was only one regret - MS is not a word in my dictionary anymore. It is either MS (Microsoft) or MS Hall... :P

Thus was my experience for Microsoft Intern selection process. Now I'm open to deliver newer and more tested and tried funda to keep up with my reputation as "Funda God" :P.

//

I wish all my friends who got selected on Day 1, heartiest congratulations.
To all those who didn't, Best wishes ! You'll all certainly get to beautiful places too...

Thanks,
To the placecoms, especially Apoorva and Ankit, from the core of my heart. I admire your selfless dedication to help us attain our dreams.
To Microsoft, for selecting me, ofcourse.
To my parents for being so helpful and allowing me to apply in whatever way and company I want. I still recall my conversation with my mother when I asked what company or path to take when she said, " Just ensure you are happy !! ".
To my seniors, for all the guidance and support.
To all my friends, for their constant motivation and support.
To Vaibhav Agarwal, who didn't let Vaibhav Agarwal down.
To God, to make all this happen.

Finally the awaited statement :
Summers 2017 at Microsoft.

#peace_for_now
#challenges_ahead
#faith_within
#faith_throughout


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Monday, April 18, 2016

The Grudge

Once upon a time, the perfect natural environment was set for a new dawn. The sun brought with it a gleam of hope and new beginnings, and for that matter new horizons to aim to. 
But ironically, Vaibhavi wakes up at dawn and to her utter disappointment finds her two best friends breaking up with each other over a boyfriend.. 

Minuscule it may sound, but the issue was held firmly by both as one of personal victory and self-conceit. Hence, keeping it aside for the sake of friendship or for the entire insignificance of the matter or just rather, for the sake of new beginnings not ends, was too much to demand from both adversaries.

Vaibhavi, being aware of the entire circumstances and having had the best possible insight into the issue to the fullest extent from both parties, aimed to figure out what went wrong.
Morals ??
Lust ??
Friendship ?? 
Concerns were raised over these mammoth topics. The department was made aware of individual understandings of the issue from both combatants and it stood polarized. 

So, before the issue takes over the entire nation and maybe even beyond, can you help her solve the mystery ??
Can Vaibhavi figure out what went wrong ??
Will both of her friends re-unite again ??

SO !
Log into your minds, grab your popcorns and mind the excitement which is bound to follow through.
____________________________________________________________________



THE GRUDGE
Best served cold !!

A VA Entertainments Ltd. production...



THE STAR-STUDDED CAST
Vaibhavi as the narrator
Vaishali as Belligerent #1
Isha as Belligerent #2 
Alex as the Swiss Boyfriend
Rahil as the Opportunist
Bhagwati, the friend on the "higher" level
Gaandharithe Maggu Representative
Ankitaanother friend on "higher" level
Praballika in a cameo role
Koel, the New York wali bandi
Avikalpa, the new hall induct
Pranjali, the CS Goddess (all interpretations)


THE SCENE OF ACTION
Mostly online. But most physical scenes were shot in RP Hall of Residence. Fights, brawls and ugly political campaigns were shot in distinct locations in RP, Nalanda and CSE Dep.

DISCLAIMER
No animals, especially pigeons, were harmed during the shoot.
"Sallu_Bhai" was not invited for the shoot.
Dialogues and conversations have been moderated as per the Appropriate Audience Act of 2016.
No bakar was posted in CSE'14 Acads.
No belligerent was deregistered for the semester.

_________________________
© All rights reserved.


// Keep checking for updates. Story after the end-sems. ;)
#WAIT_FOR_IT

Monday, February 01, 2016

Spring Fest 2016 Continued - Akki's Hope

... continued.



DAY 1. Spring Fest, IIT Kharagpur.


Mornings had never been warmer for the past few months. I woke up to the sun soaring above the head at around 10 am to see Anurag's door locked ( although, it is never rare ). Soon, Krish followed my suit and I got a glimpse of his bed. 
He wasn't sleeping alone...!!!

He was sharing his bed with Anurag !!

Anurag had been in one of his grand- old tempo swings that night and in a rather uncanny sequence of events, dropped his room keys somewhere. Lacking a duplicate key at his disposal, he found shelter in Krishang's room; with Krishang being generally nice.
With no questions raised on the conduct of those two pious souls, we started formulating strategies to see through the crisis. Algorithms designed.. Questions asked.. Proofs shown.. Finally, the most viable option was seemingly obscure but rather straight-forward. BREAK THAT LOCK APART..!!!

Instruments were fetched. Efforts were delivered. But the lock was just like some of our esteemed professors, unyielding and adamant.
Finally, a formal application was drafted to get official help.
A pen is mightier than a sword, they said.... Well said..!! 

--

The day was rather unplanned and the things I did in the afternoon are curtained ( not to be confused with, censored ) to comply with the code of conduct during fests. Shrey and later, Madhav are better candidates to help understand the scenario.

In all, the entertaining day interspersed with specks of enlightenment was quick to get over and I found myself back to the same place, same time and with the same person... yes, Akki.

Me : Its SF buddy !!!  You ?  At room ?  This early ? 
        Wasn't it supposed to be the greatest eve of your rather uneventful life ??

Akki was quiet.
His always- brimming glass of optimism seemed to be empty. 
His eyes were drier than the Atacama.
The body was tarnished with invisible blots of fatigue and despair.

He didn't say anything further still. Just passed his lappy towards me...

I was shocked to see what I saw. Not just because it was something really intriguing, but also something that is officially and legally banned in several countries.

With trembling hands and gasping breath, I read it aloud - "HEIL HITLER" !!!

... And then I saw Akki in tears...

The hope was certainly and truly dead...!!

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DAY 2 - Spring Fest IIT Kharagpur

A good and deep night sleep is instrumental in shaping your day ahead. 
I had enjoyed my share of sleep to a better extent that my compatriot and friend, Akki.
Feeling sorry for his broken heart and my inability to provide him much needed consolation the other night, I invited him for a game of CounterStrike. Krishang was quick to create a server and soon, there were 5 players around. 
That was an honestly fantabulous investment and the best thing to happen in SF till then (for all except Anurag, ofcourse ).

Evening found me compensating for my pre-prediction crime; I had the responsibility to make Akki enjoy SF without confronting him to girls. That was difficult, but the fact that there were so many non-core SF events which were truly entertaining as well. 

Take stand-up comedy for an example. 
It is not about jokes.. But all about some random guy with just one motive viz., try to show how stupid he is or how fucking unfortunate things happened to him.
How to do that ?  
Well you just need to ask, just take some selling story and fit yourselves in it.. 
/* Oh wait !  I now realize wtf is this blog seriously...:P */

But those are actually the things which make you feel better. 
You get someone whose life is more complicated than you.
And that person still has the courage to confront the audience who has come just to laugh at him.

Such were my thoughts when we reached Kalidas Audi, but to my utter disappointment, other people had greater and more-urgent issues in life as the thousand capacity auditorium was filled completely with people arriving before time.    
/* "before time". Reminds me of something...   "Maggu" was it..??  Yeah. */

So, finally that dejection brought us back to the arena. 
Arena was resonating with loud music and there was absolutely no reason to hold back.
There were people with whom I danced.
There were songs..
There was food..
All in all, the only thing I remember after 3 hours or so was how exhausted I was. 
And the only thing I thought, how to get back to safe haven. ?

Walking along the Schols Ave had never been more solitary and tiring.

And the rest is present.
The reason why I stayed out of SF and wrote this blog.
Perpz was my motivation, seriously of all things...:/

Akki is really de-motivated as of now. The dance hasn't made him any better.
Krishang is coding.
Legend has it that Anurag's room is still locked.
Pate has been unheard of all this while.
Baba Bhagwat is on a higher level of abstraction that this... ( See his FB page "Being Bhagwat" for insights ). 
That's all from this side of the campus.

Signing off with love for SF,
Vaibhav :P                (as if you didn't knew all this while)

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PS- "Hope" is a great impact-factor. Just because it is being depicted as a factor in the losing side here, doesn't mean it always does end up there. 
Hope can move mountains. That's my precise philosophy on it.

PPS- SF is not just about this sadist stuff. If you are genuinely interested in having quality time, it is a golden opportunity. Kudos to the organizers for such a treat.

Disclaimer - 
1. No Akki's were hurt during this process.
2. The department was dirtied and washed countably infinite times since SF began. 
3. KRSSG rocks, always.  #Gymk_entry :P


Waiting "Hoping" for the best on the last day of SF !!!


Good Night !
.
.
..
For Akhil, Gute Nacht :P !!

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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Spring Fest 2016

Location : Somewhere in MS hall.
Date : The date when our first and last Software Engineering Lab took place... :P

Akki : This SF is gonna be the best ever !!  
            Watch me attend the dance workshop with a girl..;)

Me : " Pyaar Mohabbat Dhoka Hai... Code karle beta mauka hai..." 
        I just can't understand your immense lust. You waste considerable amount of time on tinder and
        omegle, but to NO upbeat result. You know, 2 pages of "Mein Kampf" twice daily can certainly
        improve your motivation and kill any molecule of love bacteria breeding in you...!!!

Akki : You talk shit.. Rubbish.. "Me Kam.." or whatever it is, is applicable only to hard-core nerds.
           I am a highly- developed, power- beamed, blessed and high- functioning STUD !!
           The love I carry in my heart is enough to even melt away Hitler !
           You gotta watch me roll on the eve of Spring Fest. This SF is gonna be the best ever !! 

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So I begin this illustrious tale of immense HOPE and motivation, just like the season's wrath decomposing into the gleam of a new growth, Spring.
Spring Fest, the largest Techno-management... 
Oh ! Excuse me... 
Spring Fest, the largest cultural fest in Asia... 
Wait ! 
What's Mood-I then ?? 
Let me play it safe..
Spring Fest, the largest cultural fest in Eastern, Central, Northern and Southern India, is a time for rejoice for all people crushed severely under the hammer of engineering at just another one of its numerous concentration camps, IIT Kharagpur. Although not obligatory, people leave their worries at their halls and Nalanda Complex and step out to delve into the mystic world of immense cultural opportunities. 
Legend has it that no maggu ever steppeth out of thy wormhole, but nevertheless, the halls seem desolated except for the occasional retreat of perpetrators of moral crime and innocents seemingly distressed and broken from fatigue and exhaustion, just like I am today..:P

--

It was evening. 
A rather cooler one.
Opportunists found it obligatory to frequent passes through and around the SF registration desk where a multitude was gathered. 
Ironically, I and Vaishal had a chore at hand. The Switching Lab assignment had been terribly undone and as a consequence, we had to spend that day at the Switching Lab, just adjacent to the lush and decorated SF arena. Still not able to fix the fuzz, we stepped out rather broken and disappointed. 
We made out way to our halls, amidst crowds gathered with HOPE in their eyes; hope for the next 3 days to come.

That very evening saw us preparing for the "wonderland" ourselves. Anurag, my team-mate and neighbor, had witnessed the excitement of Akki, the formerly introduced stud, and Krish, my other neighbor, for the Day 0 action.
It wasn't until we were sufficiently late and hopes to even get a seat in TOAT were demolished, we made off for the destination. Regulatory gate-checks and greetings saw us finally enter the theatre full with teeming millions of India, metaphorically, except ofcourse for the fact that the gender ratio was severely skewed...:P 
We made off to the top tier and descended the stairways just close to the hut and occupied a seat (a rather rare one though), but with the payoff that the view of the stage was somewhat obscured. "Somewhat" it was, and hence, certainly better than standing. We were later joined by Tejas, my buddy, and saw the event take a scarcely entertaining start. The DJ was certainly what we had expected (ofcourse we had the schedule) but not what we actually expected, as in, the quality. 
But it wasn't long that our buddies were met and the department was reunited inside the theatre. Conversations began.. Laughs escalated.. And attention was more on the fairer sex just alongside us rather than the stage. But soon, the shit on the stage elevated to some respectable levels and we found us witnessing an Assamese song festival live.
Ankit, the star from Assam, was fetched and dance commenced. People had little worries in life but they were certainly forgotten in the immediate air of excitement and fest. It was only after the curtains were drawn that we hopped out of the arena for dinner. But in some of us, the hunger was not only for food... Akki was one of them.
The grass hungry people left soon afterwards never to be seen again and the food-hungry ones gathered just later at the Gymk. Heads were counted, arrangements made, rules pronounced, privileges granted and soon we were in midst of the entertaining and capturing game of Mafia.
It wasn't until 2 am that we agreed to part ways, just to meet again on the same date.

--

Again, MS Hall.

Me : Ground gained, brother ??

Akki : Negate that. But we came really close to our aim. Tomorrow is that night. Tomorrow will I 
           be officially proclaimed the King of Tangerine Valleys of Love. Thou shall'th cede thy  
           knowledge of history in my foot as I'll show Hitler the power of one-sided love..

Me : All the best buddy for your endeavors. There'll be none more happy than me if you succeed..
        ( to myself ) Oh watchful protector, mind this lad... I don't see it end well any soon.
        Gute Nacht freund.

Akki : I don't even formally know English... WTF was that..

Me : German. And mind you, it was intentional..!!!

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DAY 1. Spring Fest, IIT Kharagpur.

Mornings had never been warmer for the past few months. I woke up to the sun soaring above the head at around 10 am to see Anurag's door locked ( although, it is never rare ). Soon, Krish followed my suit and I caught a glimpse of his bed. 

To my utter astonishment, he wasn't sleeping alone...!!!




                                           -- To be continued --
                                      -- Mind it. SF is still on. --