Examination Techniques

Following is the Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program, Pune 23rd June, 2008 By Chetan Bhagat. Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated.  The first day in college is one of them.  When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates – there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time. Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have

Give up trying to be perfect.  – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.   Give up comparing yourself to others.  – The only person you are competing against is yourself. Give up dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future.  – Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. Don’t miss it. Give up complaining.  – Do something about it. Give up holding grudges.  – Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Give up waiting.  – What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow. Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action. Give up lying.  – In the long-run the truth always reveals itself. Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you. Give up trying to avoid mistakes.  – The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake. Give up saying, “I can’t.”  – As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you thin