best SSB experience@17SSB banglore
I'm writing this post at the one year anniversary 😂 of my 2nd attempt of SSB which was from 1-5 August 2019 at Selection Center South, Banglore, For TES 42(10+2) entry .
honestly, they had total faith in me, that I will surely make it this time, being my second attempt.
So the reporting was on 31st July at 1400hrs on KSR railway station. I boarded the Mysore express on 30 July 2019 to be in banglore by 1045hrs. Took blessings from my parents 🙏
While boarding the train.
Meanwhile I also had another interview for NDA-143 Scheduled from 18-22 August in Selection center east allahabad, and knew that TES being a direct entry there will be tons of candidates for screening test. Out of which only few gets screened in.
Having a awkward smile, I was thinking, usually less people make it in TES as it has 90 vacancies. I was thinking I must make it in the screening test and qualify for Stage 2 and rest I'll be practicing for my SSB at Allahabad for NDA-143. Screening being the top priority,
Cause getting screened out will be like coming a step back, as I was conf. Out from allahbad in my first attempt.
While traveling I was enjoying scenery, along the railway track, and it was my first travel alone this far. I also had a novel with me Dan Brown's Angels and demons which I finished in the journey.
I had taken coaching of SSB interview from AFPA saoner, and one of my batchmates there also had SSB on the same date. To our amazement, when we were about to reach banglore I messaged him and asked him about his whereabouts, and were were surprised that altogether we had been in the same train😂.
As we reached KSR and boarded out of train we met eachother and moved out of station.
Where we were struck by a crowd of about 200, full of Josh and enthusiasm waiting for the bus to take us to centre.
As the buses arrived there were two soliders who lines all Candidates and checked our application and aadhar card, our luggage was loaded into an army truck after checking.
All that josh types volunteered for loading luggage into trucks, I was lucky to have slept past😂😂😂😂😂😂.
Then it all came to filling up to buses with 200 candidates and taking them to Selection center, both buses were filled beyond capacity and amidst the afternoon traffic of banglore packed with so many young chaps, buses top speed was about 30 km/hr and thanks to traffic it took 1 hr to reach center. Again the josh chaps were engaged to unload the luggage from bus and truck.
Although this time volunteers were much less😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
After reaching and the documentation was over, we were breifed by an officer on behalf of board president (17 SSB), and told us about do's and don't that we were distributed chest no. and mobile phones were submitted.
We were asked to report at 0630hrs for our OIR and PPDT tests
My chest no. Was 247.
We came to know that total reporting was 266😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
"How dafq 130 candidates came in one bus"
Was my thought😂😂😂😂
We were alloted rooms, and as we went to dinner, there was a huge two fold line by the
Gate of candidates mess.
The candidates whose SSB were already going on in 24 or 12 SSB had privilege to pass the line 😂😂. It took 10 mins and some chit chatting with new people, to get into mess. I sat with my friend at railway station.
And the food was good, I remember telling him in mess that I would love to eat in this mess, on 10 th of August, just in a funny way, he said let's eat and focus on tommorow's screening test. We had dinner and slept well having some fatigue of a travel.
Getting up early in SSB, it does not require anything always there is some over excited chap who will promptly wake you up at 4:30, (P.S- I was that over excited chap)and say it's being late. So well morning tasks were completed, formals put on, shoes polished.
Luggage packed.
Here is where the harsh reality comes in
As we all take our packed luggages to the racks, where after screening results the screened out candidates will leave.
This is the worst feeling ever, yet so natural,
Early Morning in banglore is cold and comforting. Yet our luggage rolls and that sound always reminds me of reality, that not everyone will stay.
As we reported, our OIR tests were conducted.
And the Picture perception part was completed along with writting of stories.
We were all let out from the hall,for tea break,halfway there we were hanging with our written stories, many of them remembering them in mind for discussion.
Groups were formed and we being at the end our groups narration and discussion was at last.
I vividly remember it was a group of 23 when we narrated our stories and split out into 2 groups of 11 and 12 for discussion. Although disscusion round did not last for long we were left out waiting for results.
I was confident enough on basis of my story narration and discussion that I'll make it, although there was a little anxiety.
We were told to sit in the garden in front of building where testing took place. The cold and comforting weather was turned into a sunny and warm one. Our mobile phones returned.
And as the the result was being announced it took a hell lot of time to reach to 247 .we were sweating in heat, wearing formals.
Then anxiety went down as he announced 247 I stood up got there submitted mobile phone.
New chest no. Alloted it was 37.
A total of 40 had made it to Stage 2.
Although a lot many left, my friend got screened out, he congratulated me and wished me luck to perform well, and told him many more attemts are awaited, don't be down, as I bid him farewell.
Then there came most reassuring feeling of taking back ones luggage back to room.
I reached lines where there were PCOs which I used to inform at home that I was screened in.
Rooms were according to chest no.
From 33-40. We were in a room. A bunch of random guys from whole country coming together. As we reached back and changed,
I had some cookies which I shared with all of them and we started getting acquainted with each other, all were repeaters something to be in common. We all congratulated each other for getting screened in, I recognised some guys from my screening group, in my room.
And talking with them I came to know from the 23 people of the group formed 5 of them made it. They were from chest no. 36-40. To describe the group in room it was a paaji from jammu,
2 guys from south(sainik school types), one from NIT kurukshetra, one (delhi se hai bc), one from Assam, a north indian guy, and me from maharashtra.
We brought a carrom board into the room to pass time, and came to know that paaji was a heck of player in carrom we palyed many games. It was fun, as we played more we came to know about eachother and the group was formed, everyone with his own stories, delhi guy being the most vibrant character and hell lot of stories. He made us familier with the stages in relationship 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.
And about his stories in school.
He claimed that he has reached the stage 5. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
It was really fun. We were playing odd games like "chidiya udd, kauaa udd" and charged anyone who lost with slaps, punches😂😂😂
Everything in a funny way. Everyone was very lively in our room and also attracted candidates from other rooms. This is how, even before groups were formed for GTO we had already developed synergy.
Next day we had to report on 0630hrs for psychology tests. As morning tasks were done we were again in formals, shoes put on. To my fascination it was first time that I was watching how paaji was wearing his pagdi.
All of a sudden I became curious and kept watching him till he tied his pagdi. Once we were ready, we had breakfast bread, butter jam, with a "single" cutlet😂😂😂😂 like taking 2 of them was a punishable offence.
We reported on 0630 hrs
As we entered the hall, we were asked to sit chest no. Wise and I was on first seat.
We were breifed for tests by a young and energetic army officer.
He gave a very impressive breifing that I did not receive in allahabad earlier. And tests began.
Won't go into details but out of 12 two of my stories were very silly, others were alright in TAT. WAT went absolutely well.
Now we were asked if we wanted to take a break, everyone full of energy refused to take one. But officer said anyways, take a tea break and we were out of hall. At the TEA POINT in banglore there was tea along with pakodas😂.
The rule for one person one pakoda was also followed here😂😂😂😂.
We were called back for remaining tests
SRT also went well I did about 37 of them
And SD too. It was 1130hrs it was over.
As this was over some of us were told about when our interviews would be and alloted a time. I was said to have lunch and then come to the waiting room, others who didn't have interviews were free. They could go out in the city, enjoy the rest of the day, of course following do's and don'ts.
I quickly had lunch and in the same formal dress that I went to the waiting room. Where already some candidates were sitting, we were all a bit nervous but there was chit chatting about previous attempts, many of them reading magazines, newspapers to be versed with current affairs. It is a state where heart beats faster than usual.
I was called in for the interview.
Actually I don't remember vividly about interview. But it was normal, I was first asked some mundane questions to put me at ease and then the CIQs on education, family, hobbies and interests. I remember him asking me the dimensions of badminton court, which I had already noted down. He also asked a question to trick me, how many parallel lines are in a badminton court, it took me some time, but I told that there are 10. As in my PIQ I mentioned reading newspaper as hobby, he asked me about the reason for US Iran tension to which I promptly replied, the decision of US to move out of joint and comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA), he didn't ask me further on that as he may have thought i was well read on that one as I was😁. He asked me about Hong Kong issue, I replied it was because of proposition of extradition law by china.
He asked me to explain it, I explained him in breif. There were some questions about mahrashtra and he asked the significance of nagpur,To which I replied that it's the second capital of Maharashtra. Then he asked me WHY? Is that so. I exactly knew what he wanted now.
Before independence there was no maharashtra, it was central province and berar, then Bombay was a province itself and berar(Vidarbha) regions capital was Nagpur.
So after independence as nagpur had the infrastructure and the historical importance so it was made a second capital, and winter session of Vidhan sabha takes place in Nagpur.
Talking about maharashtra, he asked me "if maharashtra has any issues with adjoining states", I said "maybe water disputes". He pressed on any other dispute, I said "I don't know". He said " don't you know about belgaum dispute" I replied, "I don't know but I'll find out".
Some other questions were asked and this way the interview was over.
I came back to room where everyone was chill, playing carrom, the nervousness gone I was feeling free, 2 of 3 tests over, I was feeling light headed now. Everyone asked about my interview. I said it was "just fine".
Back at room we kept on having fun, the tests were on there own place and enjoyment on its own. Day was gone listening to the intresting interviews of some candidates. I was gone to library to search what is belgaum issue.
Next was as I will term is the longest day of any SSB, GTO-1 we were to be dressed in white top to bottom. Early morning after We had breakfast.
We were taken to sit in groups and passing odomos to each other we waited for GTO to come. As he came we were breifed by him in a very recorded way, they talk as if he was.
We had great GDs (group discussion) there was some problem in GPE everyone was trying to put forth a point, my voice cracked after two GDs and GPE still I put forth my point, although I don't know I was audible or not. I actually became a laughing stuff after that incident.
Moving forward PGT was waiting one of the most tough practical task in GTO, we were breifed and it is a series of 4 tasks that we are ought to complete in 45 mins. With a nice start in first and second part of series I was leading and giving ideas, along with paaji by my side.
In the third task what happened was I gave the idea of going inside but the plank wasn't steady and I was heavy so asked paaji to go first and I didn't get to go into third task. But paaji was lit over there implementing ideas quick, here we were at advantage because we had already developed synergy in rooms that we were able to do so well in GTO.
We managed to get to 4th task in good time and entered it. In middle was a odd structure that kept us thinking. Paji and me both in middle of 4th structure sat thinking what to do. And then an idea stuck my mind which we implemented to get out. To our surprise, other groups were still in there 3rd part of PGT and we finished early. A rare sight. This is what synergy means where 2+2 is not 4 it's 5, 6,7 always more.
After PGT, it followed by snake race full of josh
to see our co-operation with group members and team spirit. Our warcry was har har Mahadev. GTO pumped us up by saying "shout as loud that the leaves on the trees should start falling".
After the snake race was a tea break, along with one pakoda, I was a matter of fun because my voice cracked in GPE😂😂😂.
Then remaining task HGT went well.
Lecturette also went well.
It was amusing that our GTO took our individual obstacles the same day, usually it is taken on GTO second. He asked us to shout out the name of favourite actress on the tarzan jump. So the individual obstacles started as one by one from the group went and we heard
'alia bhatt', 'emma watson', madhuri dixit"....... Some more names 😂😂😂 and here it was my turn I shouted 'Scarlett Johansson' 😂😂😂😂.
I managed to do 11 of IOs. Most of us did 10 paji did 14 of them. This is how GTO first went.
And we had lunch and rest of people in our group had interviews done.
Next day on GTO-2 we had just 2 tasks left CT and FGT. As CT went we were being called as
My CT was quiet a difficult one, I managed to do it one way, giving orders to subordinate and also leading where I should. He kept increasing difficulty and I was struggling to find a solution. He asked me "do you want to give up?" I said "no" and kept on trying. Looking at the time he gave me a hint. With which I was able to complete the task.
FGT also went quiet well, although while placing the plank on the structure it hit the delhi guy. I apologised for that later. FGT was over soon and this is how our all 3 tasks were over interview, GTO, psych.
We had lunch, and as we were all done with interviews decided to go out and see how the city looks like. We left the centre in afternoon 1400hrs we went to brigade road which was close by and went to eat pizza in pizza hut. It was feeling so good finally it was all over all testing and every one was in mood to enjoy.
After eating, we decided to go to cubbon park.
We had heard a lot about that, also banglore is is very big city, I was looking at the buildings awestruck, there was the HAL HQ near cubbon park and a square In middle of which a model of LCA Tejas was kept. We didn't had mobile phones on us but we wanted to sieze the moment so one of us asked a passerby to take our pics and to email the pics. Same way we did it in cubbon park. It was a very soothing place in between of a city full of trees and natural air it felt really good over There.
Now next day morning, it was 5 August 2019.
We all woke up in morning. All has been said and done now nothing more left.
All dressed in formals, shoes polished I wore tie which I brought for the first time for conf.
We were wishing eachother luck.
And again the sad reality stuck me we were all asked to pack the bags and keep it in the rack same as the screening day. I was again smitten with the fact, that it will all be over today, those who get selected will stay here and rest will carry forward there journey.
We were made to sit in the hall where we had our psychology tests. We were briefed before conference by deputy president of the board.
Where he told us not to get discouraged and move forward, SSB is not the test for life and giving example of APJ abdul kalam, Amitabh bacchan. The breifing went on and ended with a thought.
"when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Then conference started one by one candidates started going in and out. Out group was still together when most of the people left. We were singing songs, playing chidiya udd, tota udd. Trying to relax someone who was very tense. We were all together through the 5 days the bond had developed. While there was a nervousness in the room. We came to know from a subedar saab there that there was huge movement into jammu and kashmir and something big is going to happen. At the moment there was nothing big for is rather than conference. It were just 4 people when my turn came we all wished each other luck.
I entered the conference room.
I wished president "good morning"
He gave the permission to sit
As I sat down. My interviewing officer spoke and I adjusted my gaze to him. He asked that " you have been tested by 3 techniques in past 5 days on a scale of 10 how would you rate yourself in each technique?"
I said "I would rate GTO-9/10 Interview-9/10
Psychology-8/10"
He asked "why 8/10 in psychology?"
I said " In TAT I didn't get good ideas for 2 stories, and in SRT I only did 37, I wish I could have done more."
He said "ok rutam, how was your stay?"
I said "it was good."
He asked "any suggestions" I said "no"
And this is how the conference went.
We all came outside where it was everyone asking eachother what happened? What did they ask you? After waiting as everyone's conference was over.
We were asked to take our documents with us and sit in Jojan Thomas hall. As I was taking out documents I thought "they aren't going to select everyone anyway, why to call everyone with documents".
As we sat in the hall waiting for results to be announced. There entered the smart army officer (psychologist) in his olive greens with a tankbuster above his name tag. Indeed a smart officer. He gave instructions that "whose name I announce will come stand in front of me and tell me your name and roll no."
As he opened the file first chest no. He announced was 22 and a guy in coat. Totally ecstatic couldn't believe what had happened.
The officer had to command him to ask him his name and roll no. Then 23 he was a confident guy previously recommended , this was not his first time.then,
I was looking out of window thinking my tickits are from yelankha which is far from city an how would I reach there"
When the officer announced "chest no. 37"
The guy behind me tapped me and asked me to go. Officer again said "37".
Totally I was taken out from the thought and felt that it was a dream, I just couldn't believe that he said my chest no. As I was walking towards him I still felt it was a dream and I'll wake up anytime. I was standing in front now looking at everone, I congratulated both of them, it was a very emotional moment. Having tasted the failure first I knew how much it was worth.
"how can you really know the joy of being on the summit of the mountain unless you have first visited the lowest valley."
Then paaji joined us with chest no. 39, everyone was confident on his recommendation, another one came as officer said chest no. 40. The guy from kurukshetra had made it and he was very happy. We were all repeaters. We were given phones for sometimes to call home to cancel tickets.
We called, told the good news and heard probably the best words I have ever heard in my life "proud of you, my boy".
This till now remains the best accolade or achievement in my life, and the days spent were the happy days of eternal happiness that comes after a tough climb.
Then it came the tough time to say goodbye to those who did not make it this time.
We wished them luck, they congratulated us this is how it works.
Distance may separate us but the memories we made bond us till now.
"happiness comes through the progressive realization of a worthy objective. When you are doing what you truly love to do you are bound to find deep contentment."
That's the smile and glow in the eyes you see
Is the deep contentment.
.
We have it In us, so do you........
.
.
Listen to this poetry on YouTube.
It always Motivates me.
https://youtu.be/lnFLQ12DZRw.
.
JAI HIND!!!!!!!!!!!
.
P.S- I wrote this because it's been one year to that day and as mark Twain quotes
"Two most important days of your life are
The day you are born, and the day you know why". This was the latter one.
To remember this days through my life
I wrote this on the completion of one year of that day.
Comments
Post a Comment