5.5 Years of Engineering: A Comedy of Errors, Regrets, and Surprises

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When I enrolled in engineering, I had a dream: graduate in 4 years, walk out with a degree, and conquer the world. Fast forward to today—it’s been 5.5 years, and while I do have the degree (yay?), I also have a colorful collection of regrets. Strap in; this is a ride through my rollercoaster journey, complete with failed online exams, endless backlogs, and some accidental wins.

Year 1-2: Online Exams, Offline Stress, and the Beginning of Regret

The first two years were supposed to fly by with four semesters neatly wrapped up. Instead, COVID hit, and everything went online. What should’ve been a well-oiled academic machine turned into a slow-motion disaster. We studied a six-month course for an entire year and then had to take exams online—an opportunity, I thought, to breeze through. Nope. Somehow, I managed to fail. Imagine the shame of failing an exam where your best friend is Google.

Clearing that backlog during the first physical exam was bittersweet. It felt like redemption, but the lingering question haunted me: 

 While academics were going sideways, I stumbled into coding. It started with the basics of web development—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—and progressed to small projects. This was the silver lining, a rare moment of purpose in a blur of regret and boredom.

Year 3: Back to Campus—Where Habits Die Hard

When physical classes resumed, my brain wasn’t ready. Two years of online lectures had rewired my attention span, and suddenly, sitting in a classroom felt like a Herculean task. Exams were harder, not because they were tough but because I was mentally stuck in the “online zone.”

Campus life, however, came with perks. For one, I finally met my lecturers in person—they weren’t just Zoom profiles anymore. Group discussions became a thing, though they often turned into group procrastination. Playing sports with classmates brought some much-needed energy, and the vibe of the campus slowly started feeling like home.

Of course, we were a group of 19-to-21-year-olds, so life wasn’t just about classes. Some peers were busy flirting with juniors, while others were chasing extracurriculars or campus drama. It was entertaining, to say the least, even if it wasn’t always productive.

       Boys in the Backyard of the Library (Without a Single Book in Hand)

Year 4: New Campus, New Setup, Same Struggles

By the time we moved to our new campus, we were in the fifth semester—already behind schedule but pretending everything was fine. The new campus had everything: shiny classrooms, upgraded labs, and a catch—an 8-10 km daily commute. That commute was a test of endurance, a daily struggle between staying motivated and questioning life choices.

But the new setup also came with a sense of renewal. The labs were well-equipped (mostly), and the environment felt fresh. Yet, the pressure to clear backlogs while keeping up with current subjects was intense. I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t want to come back for backlog exams after graduating. So, I worked hard, balancing lectures, assignments, and revisions.

Then came the fun part: field visits, tours, and bootcamps. These moments were a welcome break from the grind. Whether it was exploring new places, bonding with classmates, or pretending to be serious engineers during site visits, these were the highlights of my engineering life.

Year 5: The Final Stretch (Or So I Thought)

Entering the final year, we’d already crossed the 4-year mark, so any illusions of being “on time” were long gone. Still, this was the home stretch, and I was determined to make it count. The first six months flew by, packed with lectures and projects, while the last six months were all about internships.

Internships were a mixed bag. On the one hand, they offered a break from academic monotony and a glimpse into the professional world. On the other hand, they brought their own challenges—new skills to learn, real deadlines to meet, and the constant fear of messing up.

                                         Final year project group..

Reflection: What I Learned (Besides Coding)

Looking back, these 5.5 years were a masterclass in perseverance, chaos, and finding humor in failure. Regrets? Plenty: failing that online exam, wasting time, and not making the most of every opportunity. But I also gained —coding skills, lifelong memories, and the ability to laugh at myself.

Backlogs in Academics? No. Backlogs in Life? Oh, Yes.

When I first entered engineering, I had one simple goal: graduate without backlogs. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, fast forward 5.5 years, and while I’ve  cleared every single academic hurdle, I’ve also managed to collect a different kind of backlog—one that doesn’t show up on my grade sheet.

Let me explain. Academics? No problem (after a few hiccups) and kept my academic record clean. But life had other plans. You see, during the tail end of my 5th semester, I developed a crush on one of the juniors. And no, it wasn’t one of those fleeting, “Oh, she’s cute” moments. This was the real deal—or at least as real as it gets when you’re juggling coding assignments.

The funny part is, my college experience wasn’t just about academics. Engineering campuses are a mix of lectures, lab reports, and a healthy dose of drama. Between playing football, pulling all-nighters, and pretending to pay attention in class, there was always something happening. My classmates—most of whom were between 19 and 21—were busy flirting with juniors, creating their own little rom-coms right on campus.

I wasn’t any different, except my rom-com never made it past the trailer. While others were crafting love stories, I was stuck in a subplot—one where the protagonist (me) spends most of his time building websites, not relationships.

As I near the end of this 5.5-year rollercoaster, here’s what I’ve learned:

Clearing academic backlogs is hard, but clearing life’s backlogs is harder.

Not all backlogs need to be resolved. Some teach you lessons you’ll carry for a lifetime.

Now, as I prepare to leave college, I can’t help but laugh at how things turned out. Sure, I didn’t ace every moment, But regret isn’t all bad—it means you cared enough to wish things had been different. It’s the bittersweet feeling of knowing you could’ve done more, but also realizing you did what you could in the moment. I may not have gotten everything perfect, but those mistakes shaped me more than any success could. So, despite the backlogs, the online exams, and the missed opportunities, I’m grateful for the lessons they taught me.

Now, back in Kathmandu, stepping into the corporate world feels like starting a new game. The stakes are higher, the rules are different, but the mindset remains the same: adapt, learn, and keep going. Am I ready for it? Who knows. But if college taught me anything, it’s that I’m always ready to face whatever comes next. So, here’s to new beginnings, to navigating corporate life, and to laughing at the unexpected twists along the way. Let’s see where this journey takes me.

 A sarcastic and reflective journey through 5.5 years of engineering, filled with online exam failures, backlogs, and lessons learned—ending with a leap into the corporate world.

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5.5 Years of Engineering: A Comedy of Errors, Regrets, and Surprises

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Prompt Engineering. To get the best output from AI

Do you use DALL-E ? Generate image from text description.