Zero maybe an End of something or a new Beginning.
Let's begin with me in brief, I was born in a middle class family, I have no sibling and Grandpa was an intelligent man. Everyone in my family thinks that I will achieve what my grandpa wasn't able to achieve, Success. I was a studious kid from childhood, was a topper in my class, had big dreams, which ofcourse, I still have, and I have always been an obedient, sincere kid. Got good grades in 10th board exams, not enough though to get admission in the so called best Junior College in my town. My parents had to pay a donation to get me admitted. Just because I got 0.2% less grades than the cutoff. I actually regretted that moment.
But that was not what I wanted, I actually wanted to study in Pune to prepare for JEE. But that didn't happen, that's a different story. Still, with a regret, I got admitted in that college. Decided to study hard, which I actually did. I got more score in 11th than in 10th and a even higher score in 12th board exams. I was the one who had topped all the 4 taluka places in my region. Without any coaching, I cracked CET and got admitted to so called one of the best Engineering College in Maharashtra. I was celebrated in my area. A boy who was admitted by paying donation, had topped and created history.
I wanted to learn Aerospace Engineering, Robotics Engineering and I am also interested on Automobiles. That's the reason I took mechanical engineering for my BTech. But, the education in the college was very different from what I thought it would be. In a really bad way! It was a rat race, not for knowledge, but for marks. I was expecting to learn something practical, which I don't think is happening. So, I choose to focus on startup. I had to make a decision, either to get trapped in this shitty loop of comfort zone and marks or Start something of my own, a startup, to solve real world problems.
But, this choice came with a cost. The sacrifice to be made was of the grades. They started to decline. I literally got Zero in a subject. No explanation on that. From being a topper, getting appreciation, to getting a zero and failing in an exam. As expected, relatives started to peek in. Parents weren't able to understand at first about startups, but after a few discussions, thankfully they understood. Still, I am now being perceived differently by my close ones.
The decision of working on a startup, had put me into a Dilemma. The Zero in the exam was a result of the choices that I made. I don't regret that, and that is the best part about it. I am proud that I am working/learning something that actually matters in real world. But, it's costly and it's hard.
The career or Education I expected from an engineering college, didn't actually happen and I don't think it'll change anytime soon. A faculty literally said, "You are a stigma on the name of an Engineer". Such comments I only got to listen when I choose not to fall for the trap of placements, marks and useless outdated education system.
I don't know if I would succeed, I don't even know what I will be doing a decade later. I only know that I must try hard to get there.
Afterall, as Kunal Shah says, "Success has many fathers, Failure is an orphan."