One a Penny, Two a Penny

A week since course bidding, but somehow I don't feel as though I am much more focused or aware of what I am doing and where I am going as a result of knowing what I will be studying in fourth term. Let me qualify that. What I will allegedly be studying in fourth term. I will not commit the sacrilege of suggesting that second year is actually meant for work.

For the same reason I will not say that there was learning from the bidding process, but it was fun. I did give a small start of horror when I logged in to the bidding server and realized that it was nine minutes ahead of my computer clock - my computer being four minutes ahead of the classroom clock so that there is absolutely no chance of my running into class in time to receive the what-kind-of-manager-do-you-think-you'll-make look from an irate professor. But then I figured it didn't really matter. An hour and forty-five minutes, I mean, honestly, who would take an hour and forty-five minutes to allocate points for courses? Especially when, like me, you're more worried about getting out of the institute unscathed than about getting out of the institute with FORM and IPM and MACR under your belt.

The most agonizing part - and therefore, with the benefit and objectivity of hindsight, the funniest - was the tantalizing random number X.

One hour and forty-five minutes after bidding starts, the timer frame will go blank. Thereafter, bidding will continue for X minutes, X being a randomly generated number between 1 and 15.

It was rather like playing Hot Potato as a six-year-old, when the thought being the one holding the ball at the end of the game inspires such dread you would think it really does burn your fingers. Points on MN, you think. MN is climbing, I have to have - oh my God, IDF is running away. Wait, wait - no, please don't stop now, please don't stop... Reallocate points, one eye on the clock, your finger practically trembling on the mouse. And then try to watch all six courses at once while doing a mental analysis of how much risk is acceptable on each.

For once I was actually happy to see the error message on the screen when X was reached and the server disconnected.