A Crazy W(h)ac-ked day

Let me introduce you to Written Analysis of Case.. lovingly called WAC... no IIM A's life is complete without this wonderful experience...
This is what happens in brief- we are given a case. The student has to study the case thoroughly.
and then prepare a written solution to it. This usually comprises 4-5 pages and is expected to be a professional report complete with Situation Analysis, Options , How to evaluate those Options , Final Recommendation , Contingency plans, references... the works...

What follows is the chronology of the last 24 hours before a WAC submission :-
1320 : Class gets over. PGP1 runs to rooms/mess.
1330 : Maths Quiz announced.(This is an unprecedented event - a quiz in the FIRST week and that too - a WAC week !!) . Quiz will start at 14.30 hrs
15.30 : PGP1 come back to rooms... what a fantastic way to begin.
16.00 : I start my report writing..
The next 10 hrs goes in writing, surfing the net for inputs, dinner, ATP (associated time pass).
02.30 : I show my final draft to a couple of PGP2 seniors for their input. One started abusing me for writing a newspaper report !! and the other couldn't give much input cos he was too busy laughing his guts out as he read my report...(sigh!! ..and I had hoped for a nice 6 hr sleep)
So, after completing degrading my writing skills, my analytical skills, my formatting skills, (intermittently, they were kind enough to focus away from the report and started abusing me) and in general- all my skills, I sat down again to re-write my WAC report.

On my way back to my room, I bumped into a familiar face- my batch mate.. He kinda looked smug. This is never a good sign.. A facha has this kind of look only in cases- a) He has finished all the home works/assignments and maybe even front logged. b) He is so badly screwed, he is beyond the stage of despair... and is close to lunacy.
In Either case, one must be cautious when one sees a Facha smiling for too long... (It is absolutely acceptable when u have crossed over to become a Tucha )

So, I asked him - "What happened ?"
He showed me the most hideous sight ever to anybody re-writing a WAC report, 8 hours before submission. He showed me his completed WAC report- all neatly typed and stapled. For some reason, I felt sick and repulsed by his show of exhuberance.

So, without saying a word, and silently cursing him and all his future generations, I came to my room and sat down to restart my WAC.

Submission is scheduled at 12.30-1300 hrs.... It was 0314 in my watch.

After working for 6 hours on the trot, I managed to get done. Come hell, or high water or heaven, I am not editing a word any more!!!
It was then, that I discovered a few principles of report-writing
a) Errors will only become visible in a report after you have wasted 4 pages printing it.
b) A new error will be become apparent after your 2nd reprint.
c) The more you read your report, the more you will be tempted to edit/refine/polish it.
d) And lastly, for every 1 hour of writing, you will spend 10 minutes to run around searching for staplers without pins in them, pens that will empty out, replacing printer cartridges. The number of such idiotic things is directly proportional to how important that report is.

12:43 : I submitted my WAC...

There is a tradition at WIMWI- its called the WAC run . Students are often seen running with their WAC reports at 12.58.. rushing to submit before 12.59.59. Our ever-helpful Tuchas will often gather around putting road blocks in the way. Sometimes, they lock up poor unsuspecting fachas in their rooms and open the room only at 12.56 to see him dash out of the room to submit the report.... They say- You have not done justice to the WAC report if u have not run the WAC run.... I have no intentions of finding out.. Given my prior track records with deadlines, I will need a WAC miracle !!!

1300 - crash at my room.. doze off till 8 pm
12 in the night - RAMP party- to celebrate our first week at this place... and our first WAC...

It's a crazy life.. I tell you...