A step ahead

Its been quite a while since I have written a post here.
Not because I had a mind-block. On the contrary I was beaming with several ideas.
And working on lot of things including implementing the ideas.

For the past three weeks I have been working for Yearbook 2009 Committee. The task was to send emails to the to-be-graduates requesting them to write an essay on their graduate life in university. I had volunteered for the task because it looks good on your resume and not too much work, but soon I started enjoying the work .

This is the team I worked with :





Few interesting facts about this job:

1. The first email request you send might be read by the graduate student but will always be ignored.

2. Next time he sees the same email in his inbox he will send it directly into the trash without bothering to read inside.
The Trick is to change the subject every time you spam him with your request. After ten emails you may wish to change the content as well.

2. Always give an deadline way before actual deadline. Graduates invariably fail to comply with any deadline, even if they were interested in the first place.
Reason: all of them suffer from Students' Syndrome and all students love deadline extensions.

3. After several days & after several group mails have been sent (and mercilessly ignored) its time to send customized e-mails with lots of please and thank-you's to each graduate preferably to his/her non-official email address.
It helps immensely if you have previous acquaintance with the graduate.

A reply with the promise to write an article is guaranteed at this stage.

4.Have patience !!

5.When you receive a contribution from a graduate, read it and reply with gratitude for their time and effort and an honest accolade on the content of essay.

6.Keep sending reminders to those who promised but failed to comply.

7. Call the students who did not reply at all. Make them talk about their adventures/trips/parties and encourage them to write on it. Most of them were probably thinking that their graduate life was not so interesting. Make them realize the contrary. Use lots of "wao" "intersting" and "amazing" in your conversation.

Next day, you will receive an amazing article from the same student.

8. Once you receive sufficient number of contributions its time to change tactics.
Announce extension of deadline. Meanwhile email the non complying graduate students about rest of the students who have already contributed for the yearbook. When they realize that their friends' essays are getting published, they will immediately become interested and send you their contributions.

I am proud that this time I was able to collect more than 12 contributions from the Aerospace Faculty as compared to only two for past two years.

I found Paul's essay the best among the contributions of Aerospace Graduates. Not only was it well composed but its very original without cliché. I admire his perseverance through the struggle during his graduation and his all-the-time smiling face.

I was inspired to write an original contribution too (I am a to-be-graduating student myself). I also wrote a short story on our cycle trip to Antwerp in September 2009.

I feel so refreshed from creative writing which has been occupying most of my nights before sleep. It is good fun. I now want to take it to next level.

I am working with Aarabi on an article for TU Delta, the university newspaper.
She is freelance reporter fot TU Delta and has written entertaining and thought provoking articles for the newspaper. It will be a good learning experience working with a seasoned writer.

I have also joined the Student Editorial Team of the as a cartoonist. Aarabi and Ritesh are also joining me there.