If Enrollment Day is considered Doomsday then the PO hassles are nothing short of IBA’s very own version of hell. Okay, that might be a little exaggerated but at least survival of the fittest. Because if you can’t queue outside the PO for hours on end, I have bad news for you.
Step 1: Queue and Blending in
Let me paint a picture for you, through the eyes of a freshman. The clock just struck 9 AM and there is already a long queue of students at the PO, anxious and frustrated, brows fussed together, venting to each other but patiently waiting for the office doors to finally open. The nashta in your stomach seems to want to join the chaos so you take a deep breath. And after multiple attempts and various half-spoken apologies, you finally find yourself a part of this mayhem.
No matter what happens, the IBA mahool is always top-notch. Even when standing under the scorching sun or getting pushed inside PO trying to locate your program in charge. Stories are exchanged over quick chai breaks, bonding on shared enrollment issues, and of course, new friendships stemming from discussing scary instructors.
Step 2: The Pleading Game
But the real problem is never the long queues and the struggle to get inside the PO. It is the begging and pleading and going PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE (TikTok reference BTW) to the PO lords. The ones who have the power to make or fail your GPA (in case you get strict instructors). Even if you do end up surviving the initial stages but do not know how to communicate your issues to the PO effectively, then my apologies but you wasted your own time. You have to go as an ex-MUN kid ready to defend its (very problematic) country and successfully achieve it.
The clock is ticking and there is a very tired-looking person in front of you, ready to decide your fate. You state your problem (portal crashed so couldn’t enroll, thanks UMS) and hope they clearly understand you over the PO ka shor. It seems no one was able to enroll (Again, thanks UMS). As the PO person works their magic in manual enrollment, you cross your fingers and hope for a 4-day week and no 8:30 AM classes but Alas, Fate always has its way.
Step 3: Acceptance
Finally, you stumble out of the PO, relieved for getting over with it. You glance at your schedule, a 6-day week AND 8:30 AM classes, exactly what you needed this semester. But hey, maybe the PO isn’t hell, just a bizarre rite of passage, forging friendships and resilience in the fires of enrollment chaos.
