Just in Time. Really !!

There are numerous events in life which we would have managed just in the nick of time. This is one such true life anecdotal incident which I want to reminisce through this blog.

The final year of Engineering is a blissful period especially when one has secured a job and is about to wrap up studies. It was at this juncture when four optimistic youngsters ventured into a research level project. Though it was a pride to brand it as a project in collaboration with the elite IISc (Indian Institute of Science), the project had its own twists and turns. Let us not get into its technicality but head straight to the day before submission.

I still remember rambling around the corridor of my college campus for we had to follow-up on a few important formalities before the next day. Amongst those, the tasks were to:

• Get the project reports printed from the printing press
• Get the reports signed by Head of Department (HOD), Principal and the advisor at IIsc

First was the marathon to the press to get the report which happened scarily close to the time the HOD was about to leave for the day. 'The HOD has just left the office' was the outcry over the phone from one of our vigilant source. Thankfully, the huge infrastructure of the college had a long walk from the staff room to the staff parking area through the Principals' office in the lobby. Every bit of this buffer time helped us in finding the HOD just as he strolled through the front foyer. There was no mark of hesitation in signing the reports 'the HOD is eager to reach home soon' was our surmise. Indirectly, the on time delivery of our Bachelors degree was in the hands of this printing press. But nonetheless, phew! 'Just in Time' we thought. Next was an insane attempt to get the Principals' signature without even bothering to make an appointment. Despite an annoyed look from his secretary, we barged into the room to get his signature. Voila!! Another 'Just in Time' event. In the midst of our recuperation, the premonition of missing the other signature invaded us. Miraculously we ended up getting all the signatures 'Just in Time'. What fun does it make when everything happened 'Just in Time'?

The fun lies in the answer to this question: 

For our project, we worked on an optical networking protocol. Based on your reading thus far, can you guess the name?

Yes you are right if you guessed 'Just in Time'. 'Just in Time' also known as JIT was indeed the protocol we worked on. A memorable happenstance. This blog post goes in dedication to my wonderful project mates Roopesh - AKA Professor, Rutwick - AKA Toothpick and Sagar - AKA Sucre and also to my ever inspiring friends - Viju, Ajit, Vikas, Sameer and BT.